Sundays, 9:40–10:40 a.m. in Commons I
November 6-13: Our Brother Dan: Families in the Crossfire
In the last decades, few issues have wrenched the thinking and feeling of our society as much as sexual orientation. When this issue intersects with terminal illness, persons and their families are in the crossfire of society’s conflict and their own pain. Twenty-three years ago, Hope Church member David Blauw was a hospital chaplain in Princeton, N.J., where he met Dan Spence, a patient dying of AIDS. Moved by Dan’s struggle to cope not only with his terminal illness but the stigma associated with it, David decided to tell the young man’s story—on film. The result is a poignant 27-minute documentary, Our Brother Dan: Families in the Crossfire. Unfortunately the struggle of persons continues. In each session of this two-week series, we will see a portion of the documentary and reflect on the dynamics and issues at play today.
November 20: Presentation on Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
Mallery Neptune, a Midland, Michigan native and founder and director of the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty, will be here to tell us of her life and work in Haiti, which she describes as “ beautiful, frustrating, miraculous, and difficult all at the same time.” Members of Hope Church have traveled to Port-au-Prince to participate in this work and we have supported their work in various ways through the blueberry pie sales. In addition, products from the HFAP Gift of Hope women’s sewing and craft program will be available for purchase.
November 27, December 11 & 18: Advent Series
In Isaiah 9:6, we hear four royal titles-Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Names for the Messiah, by Walter Brueggemann, ponders each royal designation and how the people understood it then, how Jesus did or did not fulfill the title, and how Christians interpret Jesus as representative of that title. Here is a listing of the weekly Advent study emphases and facilitators:
- Nov. 27: Wonderful Counselor led by Beverly Zell
- Dec. 4: St. Nicholas Intergenerational Breakfast
- Dec. 11: Mighty God led by Cindi Veldheer DeYoung
- Dec. 18: Everlasting Father & Prince of Peace led by Beverly Zell