Leaders Collective

Neighborhood Christian Center

The Neighborhood Christian Center has been serving impoverished communities in Memphis since 1978, and recently NCC has extended its reach into other communities in the area by adding a Collierville location. The programs of NCC are designed to be holistic in nature-meeting physical needs while intentionally pointing children and adults to Christ-and the ministry they offer relies heavily upon volunteer service. Ephie Johnson, NCC’s president and CEO, said,”Overall, we provide compassionate services and then empowerment programs where we do training for adults and youth in academics, reading comprehension, job readiness, financial literacy, conflict resolution–all of the different areas that most of those that we serve need most.”

Living Hope supports the new NCC branch financially, and we are now in search of individuals and Gospel Communities to serve there. Currently the COZY COATS drive is underway to collect new or gently used coats for men, women, boys, and girls from now until November 10th. For the Christmas Season, there will be a need for volunteers to pack and distribute Christmas baskets and to stock a Toy Store for under-resourced children. 

Ongoing and beyond the holidays there are opportunities…

• to set up and stock a Clothes Closet and Food Pantry,

• to lead bible studies on Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00 p.m. for middle and high school students,

• to mentor and / or tutor middle and high school students, 

• to provide snacks for middle and high school student programs, and

• to serve senior citizens every third Thursday of the month.

If you or your Gospel Community are interested in serving at NCC, contact Michelle Green,  michelle@ncclife.org or visit ncclife.org for more information.

Mosaic Church

Everything we read about church mergers looked grim, but our experience has been incredible. As of now, both LHVE and the old Mosaic church both seem happier, healthier, and more equipped to do ministry than ever before. I’d like to quickly share a few ways that God blessed this merger:

• Both churches were in the same relative place regarding theology. Regarding the gospel and other core beliefs, we were a perfect match. Regarding other secondary issues, both churches were in the same stages of studying and writing (which we are now doing together).

• Both churches had the same vision for the city, just on a different scale. LHVE was a neighborhood church originally, but was becoming more and more geographically spread out. Mosaic provided us the prospect of naming what we were becoming - a church for the city of Memphis. Mosaic’s vision for Memphis as a whole was a great match.

• Each staff needed a compliment, and was willing to sacrifice for it. There’s not room here to        explain, but we now have a staff that is a combination of the two churches’ best qualities and gifts.

• We immediately had a third group of people that were from neither church. From the very first  Sunday we began to have visitors that nearly outnumbered either church and this was a great guard against any territorialism that may have occurred after the merger. This group was made up of some strong believers that went quickly in to service and leadership. The result was that we never felt the need to talk about what “LHVE” or the “old Mosaic” used to do.

• We both had church partners that stuck with us and were rooting for us. Living Hope became a newfound friend to the leadership of Mosaic (old and new). 

Lastly, I just want to say thank you to LH for continuing to pray for us. We still have our challenges and covet your prayers as we wrestle with race and ethnicity, begin writing out beliefs about gender and the role of women in the church, and grow (something new for all of us!).

- Justin Burkhead, Directional Pastor - Mosaic Church

Gospel Communities on Mission

The pastors and elders of Living Hope share the vision for all LH Gospel Community Groups to enjoy a rhythm of regular service within a community. Though our residential neighborhoods may be defined as a community, there are certainly other ways to engage. Because of this it is helpful to begin to think of places that may be a little outside of the box when it comes to Gospel Community engaging on mission together. 

The Collierville Nursing and Rehabilitation Home is a great place to demonstrate the love of Jesus regularly and routinely to residents and staff. There are residents who seldom, if ever, have any visitors. Loneliness is real! This is a community ready to be served!

The Neighborhood Christian Center hosts Clothes Closets and Food Pantries for which regular volunteers are needed. They also need bible study teachers, tutors, mentors, and snack providers for bible studies and after school programs. NCC is another community ready to be served.

St. Mark Village in Moscow, TN is a low income housing development. The government gives funds directly to the apartment owners. Saint Mark’s charges lower rent for low income persons. The management is very receptive to people building relationships and serving in any way possible.

Any Sports Team is a great place to connect and engage in life on mission. If the people within your own GC have kiddos on sports teams it can be a perfect place to not only love one another intentionally, but to serve and engage other families involved. 

Fayette County’s Southwest Elementary School has reached out to Living Hope to ask for help with various ministry opportunities throughout the school year. Some specifics include the need for GCGs to provide muffins and juice for the school’s Muffins with Moms event on October 25th. Likewise, Donuts with Dads in November, School Wide Feld Trip in January, Career Fair in March, Picnic and Field Day in May. Again, this is another community ready to be served. 

Living Hopers have provided cupcakes for the Refugee Empowerment Program once a month for ten years. We also have at least one member who volunteers at REP weekly. There are opportunities for service which include tutoring and mentoring students and teaching English as a Second Language to adults. The Binghamton neighborhood is a community of refugees from several countries…ready to be served. One needs not go around to the world to reach the world with the love of Jesus. 

Life Choices of Memphis offers a community of local residents and churches who are passionate about the sanctity of life and serve the ladies of our community who are in a crisis pregnancy, struggle with post-abortion trauma, etc. Living Hope Gospel Community Groups can serve together in many ways. Two upcoming events that are noteworthy include an annual banquet on October 25th and a Community Center Tour on November 5th. You would be surprised to hear just how many ways your GCG can serve together. 

Safe Families creates extended family-like supports for families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by faith to keep children safe and keep families intact. Safe, loving homes are provided where parents may voluntarily have their children cared for while parents seek to restore stability in their lives. Some of our LH people are partners with Safe Families already. This is a beautiful place to not just engage by caring for children, but to invite moms and dads of the children into the life of your GC.

The Common, our partner church in the Orange Mound neighborhood, offers several ways in which LH GCGs can engage the community. A food pantry at Melrose to serve elderly and students who otherwise would go hungry, renovation of homes of elderly residents, and meals for the Melrose football team are just a few specific ways to serve this community. 

Contact LH Missions Administrator Alan May at amay@lhchurch.com or LH Gospel Community Pastor Dakota Zook at dzook@lhchurch.com for more information about these service opportunities and/or to share with us ways in which your GCG is already serving! 

The Table Church

Hello Living Hope family. I wanted to give you a brief update as the Table Church in west Germantown/East Memphis continues to take shape. We are so grateful for our sending church and covet all of the encouragement that we receive from you.  

First of all, where are we in this process? In one sense, we have no idea! God builds His Kingdom at His pace, which is scary and exciting to witness (mostly exciting). In another sense, we are moving ahead with what God has clearly called us to do. Working with our elders and Launch Team, we are developing our Mission, Vision, and Strategy–or the day-to-day rhythms of Table Church life. 

Simply stated, our Vision is to offer a table of grace and belonging on every street in our city. We are driven by a desire for everyone around us to have access to a place where they can know the grace available through Jesus and the belonging found among His people. We make room in the beautiful mess that is our lives, with an empty seat at our tables and enough food to go around.  

The Smiths hosted their first neighborhood party a few weeks ago and had around 20 neighbors attend. Two of these neighbors talked for the first time, and they had lived three doors from each other for over 20 years! Their next-door neighbors had been very standoffish, even failing to respond to friendly waves, but that entire family came to the cookout and were the last to leave. The Smiths are also experiencing the challenges that come with loving their neighbors, as others have some overwhelming needs that Austin and Brandi are wading into - not trying to fix everything, but engaging these new friends with love and trusting God to do what He does with seemingly impossible situations. 

God is doing so much among us that a brief article cannot begin to describe. If you’re interested in getting regular updates please email greg@tablechurchmemphis.com. You can also reach out if you are interested in joining our support team. Lastly, I ask You to ask God how He wants you to engage, welcome in and serve those around you who are outside of Christ and His family. Then reach out to Dakota Zook (dzook@lhchurch.com), Living Hope’s Gospel Community Pastor, for help with whatever God puts on your heart.

- Greg Jackson, Lead Pastor - The Table Church

Kleen Team

When I think about being a Kleen Team leader for all of these years, I believe the passion I have for it now should have been my attitude from the beginning. I use to think of Kleen Team as a much-needed obligation to be good stewards of the church budget, because everyone in the church has the ability to clean. I said ability not desire, right? However, my view and attitude have significantly changed.

Being part of the Kleen Team has become an honor. Cleaning an honor? I know many are thinking that. However, it has changed my view of how grateful I am for this church. It has changed my view of the importance of committing to a team. Most importantly, it has changed me into a church member that feels a level of respect for not just a building, but to contribute to what this building is and what it has to offer hundreds of people every week.

As changes to the Kleen team are happening, schedules are being changed, and a new group of volunteers are being recruited, my thoughts go to -this is OUR church, OUR responsibility, OUR ability to serve others, and OUR commitment to cherish a building that has been entrusted to US. 

Cleaning may not be your passion. If I am honest, it certainly is not mine. But, if you see this building as I do now, as a building entrusted to us by God, to reach its members, attendees, and the community at large by providing a clean and comfortable space to worship, learn, and serve, then the new Kleen team may be the perfect place for you.

- Amy Kraft

The Common

WE ARE 2 YEARS IN!!! WE MADE IT! We couldn’t have done this without your commitment to Church Planting. Thank you for your faithfulness and for being a part of God’s work that He is doing through us!

What’s next for The Common? As we begin to shift into our third year and new focus, there will be three areas of focus with a primary objective:

POWER of GOD - Word / POWER of CHRIST - Resurrection / POWER of the Holy Spirit - Do

The obvious objective here is POWER. The power we will focus on is the dunamis. The literal definition means the ability to perform, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities. We can only mobilize, with true dunamis/power, when we come together as a body to address the issues of Orange Mound. As we address the disconnect that exists, and confront the issues many refuse to acknowledge, we move by our faith in Jesus Christ. We know Him and love Him when we are together, and now it’s time to draw those in that are absent from the gathering.

In this third year we work to heal those not just broken in Orange Mound but in our families, those that watch our life moments through social media. Year three is displaying for a community that doubts the power of His Holy Spirit that we can “do all things through...” (Philippians 4:13).

We’re launching two new programs this year: a feeding program for the seniors (60 years and older) in Orange Mound, and a backpack program that will allow us to send food home with students of Melrose every Friday. On Sunday September 29 we will come out of the building and go into the homes of families in and around the Cherokee and Melrose area. We will be feeding, painting homes, and tending to yards as we take our worship to our neighbors. We will be a people that uses the power of the gospel by putting Acts 4:32 on display for our neighbors to see. In year three we plan to do the necessary things to draw people in so that they can experience true Biblical community. We have built within, now it’s time to go out and be a community that will not ignore the broken we see. We ask that you pray for us and for opportunities to connect with those that would not enter the doors of Melrose High School on a Sunday. Also consider joining us as we take the gospel community experience to those who won’t come in.

- Broderick Connesero, Preaching & Visionary Pastor, The Common

Southwest Elementary School

Last summer, my husband and I moved our family from Cordova to Fayette County. Having been engaged with the Living Hope community for several years, we found God calling us to make a deeper commitment to the people in homes and neighborhoods we drove past every Sunday.

When prayerfully considering where our family might start to invest our time and efforts to serve our new community here, we felt pulled to a local school because of its proximity to our home and Living Hope. Southwest Elementary School (SWES) serves hundreds of students in Fayette County, over 40% of them living in poverty. Teachers at SWES consistently go without basic supplies like copy paper, pencils, and instructional materials they need to teach their students. Despite their struggles, SWES achieved the highest level of growth and attendance possible last school year. These educators, students, and their families are fighting against the odds to achieve great things!

After reaching out to the principal at SWES in July to better understand the school’s needs, I hosted an adopt-a-teacher fundraiser through social media channels. The goal was to provide each educator at SWES with a $50 gift card to purchase materials they needed for their students and classrooms. Within one week, our fundraiser was halfway achieved. As I shared this news with our Gospel Community, one couple wrote a check to contribute. You can imagine my complete shock and amazement when I opened the folded check in the car on the way home from our GC meeting that night and realized that this one family had donated the remaining amount needed to reach our goal!

A few days later, I was able to visit Southwest Elementary with the gift cards and handwritten notes in hand. The joy in that small school office is something I hadn’t experienced in quite some time. The faculty and staff shared with me how the generosity of members of Living Hope and other people in our community is encouraging them in their work and empowering them to love their students well.

More than 5,600 people here in Fayette County are living in poverty. The needs are real, and the harvest is plentiful. I look forward to many more opportunities to serve the staff and students of Southwest Elementary and hope you’ll find ways to be a part of this ministry, too!

- Ellie Talley

Summer Missions Recap

“Watch to see where God is working and join Him.” These words were challenging many years ago when working through Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God study; they remain challenging today. God is working in countless ways around us locally and throughout the world. In our busy day-to-day lives, perhaps we fail to “watch to see where God is working,” and therefore, fail to “join Him.” 

There is a lot of great gospel ministry going on in our midst and among Living Hope ministry and missions partners around the world. Have you considered going on a mission trip or volunteering to serve in a local ministry? You may have to say “no” to some of the activities that claim your attention in order to say “yes” to a call from God. When the prophet Isaiah heard God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” he readily replied, “Here I am! Send me.” God still calls us to carry the gospel message to others near and far. What is your response? A good number of Living Hopers answered the call to go on a short term mission trip this summer. Likewise, others answered the call to prayerfully and financially support someone else to go. 

In Querétaro, Mexico we were able to serve alongside our partners to reach into their communities. The painting, landscaping, and VBS activities were not an end unto themselves. Such activities provided opportunities to foster relationships, to encourage our partners, and to plant seeds of the gospel into their respective communities. Likewise, in Eldoret, Kenya we were able to encourage orphans,  caregivers, prisoners, residents of slums and villages, as well as children in the local school and church. Mission team members found themselves the recipients of blessing as much as the people they served. God is indeed at work in Mexico and Kenya!

Regardless of life’s circumstances, there are avenues for joining in God’s work…just watch and see where He is working, and join Him! 

- Alan May, Missions Administrator

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. Psalm 96:3

LH Students

This summer at United we got a glimpse of what God is doing in the student ministry and it was glorious. New and deeper friendships forming, students working through what the gospel means for their lives, and real worship of Jesus was the sweetest way to end a great summer. 

I am fully convinced that we have the greatest students ever. They each bring something different that the group needs and we want to see them all living in Christ’s resurrection power. I get to have a front row seat to what God is doing in the middle school girls and it absolutely amazes me how much they’ve grown this year and what God is starting in them. And that’s just one group! The Spirit is moving throughout the entire ministry. God has been so faithful in the past year and it is truly only the beginning. It is such an honor to get to be a part of it. 

This is the rising generation and if you aren’t already investing in them in prayer I encourage you to start now. Our team is filled with anticipation for what God is going to do. As we walk through Luke this semester, go to Rally Weekend (sign your student up now ;) ), and continue to pack out Freddy’s once a month, pray that students grow together and are utterly captivated by the gospel. 

Come now, for all we’ve seen we ain’t seen nothing yet. 

Bring your praise for what He might do next. - Ready or Not, Hillsong United

- Emma Stopher - Middle School Girls Director

LH Kids - Come Join Us

My family had a rough 2018. A serious health diagnosis for my husband combined with the loss of some close friendships for both me and our son eventually led to feelings of loneliness and depression throughout our home. We were in a hard place. 

Fortunately, we were blessed by some caring people here at Living Hope who stepped in and truly acted as Jesus’ hands and feet. They prayed for us, offered wise counsel, and just loved on us by listening to our hurting hearts. The gift of their presence and prayers was a real comfort and reminder that regardless of how we felt, we were absolutely not alone. What a difference their compassion made in our lives! In fact, I believe my son’s life was literally saved by it. 

So it was only natural, when I learned that the LHKids program was growing and that more volunteers were desperately needed, that I wanted very much to give back to this church that had done so much to minister to my own family in our time of need. I wanted to express my gratitude to God by meeting the church where IT had a need, serving young families with babies in LHKids. 

I love that it has never really felt like a job or an obligation. I have found so much joy in watching these babies grow and learning more about their unique personalities and preferences every time I am with them. It makes my heart happy to know that the time I am spending caring for them in the classroom gives their parents the freedom to go and enjoy worship without a care or distraction. 

One of the first people I met in the infant room joked that we (volunteers) have a small group of our own in there and she was right. Each week while we play with the children we catch up with each other and share prayer requests. It’s great! Serving in LHKids has absolutely been the best way for me to meet others at church. I get to enjoy fellowship with other volunteers while building relationships with the parents of the babies I help care for! 

Recently, I felt led to begin praying for each little one I’m holding--that they would grow to love the Lord and His Word, and enjoy strong, healthy relationships with their families. Yes, I love my “job.”

Come join us?

- Amy Hale

LH Kids

Our vision for the kids of Living Hope is that from birth to grade 5, each child would see the beauty and love of God, and know His redemptive plan as revealed through the Gospel. We do this through God-focused, Christ-centered, and Holy Spirit directed teaching in an age appropriate way that reinforces all of the Bible as God’s story and how each child fits into His Story. Every Sunday, men and women arrive to Living Hope early to set up classrooms, gather teaching aides and craft supplies in order to teach and minister to over 150 children. We are so grateful to those of you who have sacrificially served and taught and cared for the kids of Living Hope. 

Two of our long time volunteers share why they teach kids at Living Hope...

Nurturing…it is what I do. Caring for pets and plants is good training…dogs require more attention than cats, ferns require more water than cacti to thrive...you get the idea. As a teacher in Hope Park’s Younger Ones class, I likewise love to figure out what soothes a child that experiences separation anxiety. One wants to be held, another needs to be distracted with toys and activity, yet others respond to music or strolling. Parents, moms particularly, are better able to engage in worship when they know their little ones are in good hands, being loved and nurtured. 

- Alan May

I have worked in Hope Park Preschool since the early days of Living Hope. My time has always been with the three year olds. To me, that is a great age for children to begin to understand the Gospel. One of the greatest joys for me is to hear them say the name of Jesus. An example is when I explain the Easter story, including the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, as best I can on their level. It is amazing when I finish and ask them is Jesus still dead and I get a resounding , “No, Mr. Keith, Jesus is alive!” That makes is all worthwhile.

- Keith Hamsley

If you’re interested in being a part of LH Kids, visit lhchurch.com/kids today!

LH Women's Retreat

Women from Living Hope gathered for an overnight retreat and of course, all the amazing things happened…new relationships formed, existing relationships deepened, amazing food was eaten (that we didn’t have to prepare!) and testimonies were bravely shared. I’m in awe of the stories told from the women in our Living Hope body. 

This past fall, LH Women completed a study in Judges. I couldn’t help but contrast the difference between the Israelites in Judges and the women at the retreat.  The Israelites chose not to share their testimonies and disaster ensued. I looked up at the stage listening to women bare their hearts and could only imagine the souls that were transformed from the words that were shared. 

I’ve never heard a testimony from anyone in my family. I may in fact be the only Christian in my entire family…including grandparents and great grandparents. As a parent, I find it unimaginable to not share how the Lord has redeemed me with my son. It makes me wonder, how many souls are inside those pearly gates that came to know the Lord through hearing someone else’s testimony. Our stories show how the Lord redeemed, healed, restored, and made us a new creation in Christ.

1 Peter 3:15 tell us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” People need to hear our stories. They need to hear the everlasting hope in how we have been redeemed and restored! 

This life is the journey that God set aside for YOU before the foundations of the earth were ever formed. He is entrusting you with a story…YOUR story. The hard memories that we are scared to share, are the first ones we need to talk about. The bondage the enemy is using as a stronghold to keep you quiet, let’s release it. Let’s experience freedom, like never before, where those around us…know us - truly know us. What if, church, we actually did this? The Lord has prompted me to share my testimony since the women’s retreat and it’s has been remarkable to see how the Lord has already used it in that short time. And let me just warn you, once you are ready and willing…he may flood your path with opportunity. 

- Lorie Worden

Cooperative Outreach of India

Church planting movement is an organic Holy Spirit inspired action through church leaders & members who are motivated to share the gospel message through their testimony & prayer among their neighbours, people groups or unengaged village communities around them.

COI’s church planting movement began in 1998 through discipleship, mentoring and recruitment of various native leaders who were motivated to plant churches in their neighbourhood, cities and share the gospel message around them. Due to the superstitious nature of our culture, idol worship & black magic prevalent across the country people are confused about salvation, abused by various religious priests & seem to be stuck in the reincarnation cycle. What this means is that many people, families & communities are usually oppressed by evil spirits for some it could mean that they can’t have children, for some literally demon possession, oppressed by various physical ailments & diseases and for some evil oppression in the homes. In this scenario when some one offers a prayer of peace or invites a non-believer to a worship gathering and when people start experiencing supernatural healing, peace & escape from demon possession they not only bring their families to hear about the salvation received in Jesus Christ but they become actively involved in sharing of their faith among their relatives, neighbours and villages.

This is a brief intro into the church planting movement that we have experienced in India over the years similar to how we read in the book of ACTS. The challenge here is to make certain that our leaders are periodically theologically equipped and continue to promote healthy christian doctrines so that they can promote healthy church culture also recognise & recruit new native leaders who can then willingly take the good news further into hostile regions. We will be sending out our newsletter which will give you some insight how the church planting movement over the years spread into NEPAL from year 2009 onwards. We are now formalising some of our leadership training modules, children’s projects & skill development centres for women that allows us to bring communities out of poverty also disciple them to continue to grow in their knowledge of Christ through years of interaction and weekly engagement.

COI baptizes over 1000 individuals each year from various cities across India through the discipleship & church planting efforts of our team now spreading into western NEPAL.

- Ravi Landge

River Trace Housing Community

May 7, 2017 marks the official beginning of our church plant at River Trace Housing Community—an apartment complex consisting of 440 units with approximately 1,600 people. Due to its nature, our church plant, River Trace Community Church, is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural evangelical church committed to sharing Jesus, strengthening believers, and serving its community. 

Since the beginning of our ministry, Living Hope Church as been a strong partner and encourager. The encouragement comes in many ways—sending teams from time to time to serve in different areas of ministry and support our endeavors financially. One specific area of support has been the Women’s Night Out—a monthly event that gathers women of all walks and cultures for time of fun, fellowship, and feeding of soul. 

In addition to our regular Thursday night Bible Study (07:00PM) and Sunday worship service (11:00AM), our activities include Children’s Bible Club (every Wednesday), Girls’ Club (every Friday), Recreational Ministry (opportunity to carry out gospel conversations with boys and girls while playing basketball on Thursdays afternoon), women’s Night Out (every 3rd Friday of each month), and Men’s Breakfast (4th Saturday of each month). We also have Clothes Closet and Food Pantry. All these services are ways of fulfilling our commitment to share Jesus, strengthen believers, and serve our community and you can be part of any of them. 

While the opportunity to engage many people with the gospel conversations is readily available, River Trace is quite transient community. We are always seeing people come in and go out. Those who hear the gospel seem to take on the role of missionaries rather quickly—they move to other areas as their jobs change or sometimes when they face challenges to maintain their stay. Meanwhile, we continue encouraging those who move to other parts of the state of Tennessee or other states to find a home church. In fact, we keep in touch with some of them to encourage them find a place where their faith can be nurtured. 

As it is true with any church plant, River Trace Community Church is not an exception. We need volunteers to help with the ministries mentioned above. This could mean taking a day in a month to come and help with children while the Women’s Night Out is going on, play basketball with teenagers and youth on Thursdays afternoon, join us on door to door evangelism, and sometimes serve at our block parties, which is a way to create opportunities to engage with people in our community. In addition to all the opportunities to serve, you can also choose to pray for us on a regular basis. This, we believe, is key to healthy development of our ministry. 

Left alone we can do something, but together we can do much more, and accomplish greater things. So, join us in sharing Jesus, strengthening believers, and serving our community. Interested to join us in any activity? Please give us a call or e-mail us at 901-608-1675 or rtchurch020117@gmail.com. 

- Isaias Uaene, Your Kingdom Partner in Church Planting. 

The Common

“ They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” - Acts 2:42 CSB

Our church is a group of misfits who desire to learn, fellowship, pray, and eat. Are we a perfect church? Absolutely not! In fact, we are a toddler church; which means we have a lot of learning and growing to do. We are falling over a lot, spilling things, and we will even whine about our circumstances from time to time. However, just like a toddler, we never allow anything to keep us down. We get up! We keep trying! We keep working! We are learning! We are gaining strength! We are most certainly growing!

Since September 2017, we have experienced:

• 30 baptisms

• 15 baby dedications

• “Common Love” (feeding the community) on Good Friday and Christmas

• 164 people are committed to our church as members

• An average of 107 for Sunday attendance

• An average of 82 viewers on Facebook live per Sunday

• The launch of our youth ministry this year with the first outing being a trip to the Civil Rights Museum

• Clothes giveaways

• Supporting efforts towards families through feeding and benevolence at our host school, Cherokee Elementary

• Feed Melrose High School Football team after their games

• Faithfully committed to raising up leaders and disciples through the Downline Institute with 1 graduate and 7 students currently enrolled.

We strongly believe that the goal of planting The COMMON was and still is to live out the call to man by pressing on the heart of individuals, to impact the lives of others; which leads to a sincere desire to change, to leave a true imprint of the Gospel always pointing others to Christ, and lastly to influence the creation of new images (identities) within the community with hopes that all members will become disciples of Jesus Christ and hold all things in COMMON!

“Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.” - Acts 2:44 CSB

- Broderick Connesero

LH Students

When I first visited Living Hope, I knew one whole person in the entire church. The youth group was smaller, but even then, I found that the teachings were amazing. My family kept coming back, and now we are full time attenders. Over just the past 3 or so years, I’ve watched the LH student ministry grow and grow, both in numbers and in fellowship with each other. I’ve met many wonderful people here, and made many friends out of other students and the leaders as well. 

Everyone has a place here. No matter what grade you are in, what problems you have, or how religious you are, you will always be welcomed and brought into a group. All of the lessons seem to be oriented specifically to students as an attempt at touching on all of the issues we have in our lives at this age. For me, personally, I adore all of the current leaders we have in the ministry; I feel like I’ve grown a lot in my relationship with God here, being taught by the likes of our Youth Pastor, Coleton Segars, and the middle school girls’ leader, Emma Stopher. From them I have learned a lot about God, and how to put my faith into practice living in the chaos of this life. I am definitely not the best example of a “good Christian” but I would like to say that I think I have become a better one ever since arriving here. 

The Living Hope student ministry offers classes on Sunday mornings, LHPM on Wednesday nights, and many outside activities for all students. They make sure to not only help us students cultivate our relationships with our Lord, but also our relationships with each other. I look forward to coming to church and seeing everyone here whenever I can! 

- Meredith Dai 

Rescued to Remember

As a church and as Christ followers, we have been challenged to improve our Biblical literacy. Many of us have embraced CBR-Community Bible Reading and we have not only read but journaled the attributes of God that we are discovering as we read through these daily passages.

In addition to CBR, many of the women at Living Hope have joined the 1 John and Judges studies. In 1 John, we learned of the lavish love of our Heavenly Father for us, His beloved children. As we are working through Judges, we are seeing that in spite of our “cycle of sin”, He still rescues and redeems us-because of His great love for us. In Judges, we see again and again, our need to be rescued and that we have been rescued to remember.

As we, LH Women, look toward our retreat in April, we come with much head knowledge, but that alone cannot change us. Our hearts must be changed also. We can no longer embrace those things that separate us from God. Our thoughts and motives must be examined and replaced.

In April, we will hear from women as they share their stories of how God took their brokenness and transformed their lives; how He used their past to mold them into who they are today and how they are using their “stories of the past” to bring Him glory. Their newly rescued and redeemed lives reflect the Hope of Christ-the hope that we can each have as we remember Him and all that He has done for us.

Bless the LORD,O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits,

Who forgives all your iniquity,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Who satisfies you with good,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 

LH Men

There is a movement beginning to happen amongst the men of Living Hope. On the final Friday morning of each month, our men’s ministry has hosted a series of gatherings to connect, encourage, and equip men to make disciples at home and in the marketplace. We have heard from Christian leaders in the business world, like Hamp Holcomb and Travis Slater, about how men can integrate their faith and their work. A few weeks ago, we were challenged by former Alabama All-American Barrett Jones to spend our lives for that which matters – multiplying disciples amongst the nations. God has used each of these gatherings to stir up conversations about our calling to accept responsibility for the brokenness around us.

Additionally, I had the privilege of teaching our Men’s Retreat this year. We spent time unpacking the Great Commandment – to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength – and how we specifically do that as men. We did a deep dive into the challenges and obstacles we face in life, the difficult transition points in our maturity, and the enduring call to love God with our entire being through it all. I sensed the Lord used our time to identify some areas in each of our lives where he would like to apply the hope of the gospel and grow us by his Spirit. I saw men engaging in honest dialogue about their shortcomings, and I witnessed men encouraging one another to persevere through their trials. God always does a work when we walk in the light together in this way.

I long for a day when this current movement builds into a groundswell of men at Living Hope who move toward responsibility, not away from it. I believe that we are on the front end of this even now – the start of a season of spiritual renewal amongst our men. God has begun a work of community and mission in our men that, we pray, will soon bear fruit in our church. 

If you have yet to connect with LH Men, make an effort to attend our next event. We not only want to connect you to community, we want to help enlist you in our mission to take responsibility for the lostness and brokenness around us. This is how we make disciples at Living Hope, and we pray you will join us in this mission.

- Gib Gibson, Pastor of Teaching & Vision 

Why I Serve

When I was an overwhelmed, sleep-deprived mom of toddlers, I had an older mom tell me to “hang in there, because the days are long, but the years are short.” It seemed like crazy talk at the time, but now that I am that older mom of 18 and 15 year old daughters, I find myself repeating those same words, because I understand the truth behind them. My girls have been a part of Hope Park since they were 5 and 2. I can’t even imagine the countless volunteers that have poured into them over the years. After serving in the student ministry, my husband, Robert, and I were asked to move down and serve with the fifth graders in Grapple. It was the first year the fifth graders had their own class and they were excited. These are the “seniors” of elementary school. They think they know what’s up, but are still trying to figure out what it means to be a big kid. 

We are now in our third year serving in Grapple. Every year brings a different group of kids, each with a different dynamic, but all who are willing and eager to learn about Jesus. They come in as timid, somewhat quiet kids, and leave with a little more spirit and a lot more words. Some groups love candy, while others love to play hangman or Mr. Robert’s “ball game.” Some love to put on plays or read Scripture out loud. Every week with them is another chance to remind them how much God loves them and wants to know them. 

I once read a quote that says, “Ministry is not a job or a Sunday routine. It’s a privilege to be chosen and used by Jesus.” Getting back to that truth is what brings us back serving each year. The privilege of seeing our previous kids in the hallway and giving them a hug or a fist bump always makes me smile. They may not remember all the Bible stories they heard, but if they leave our class knowing that Jesus loves them and can take that truth with them into Middle and High School, then it has been worth it. Yes, those years are short, but having a ministry like Hope Park gives all the children of Living Hope a foundation of knowing the truth and love of Jesus. 

- Shannon Shearon