August 2016
A Monthly Newsletter from Hope Wesleyan Church
Changing Lives by
Leading People
Into a Growing
Relationship with Jesus
Hope!
church
505 4th Ave NE Independence, Iowa 50644 (319) 334-7148
www.hopewesleyan.org
From Blunder
to Blessing
.
Many of us were taught in
school, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the
ocean blue.” It was a journey that began
at the Spanish port of Palos on August
3, with the intention of heading due west
until they landed in Asia (also known as
the Indies).
Their first stop was at the
Canary Islands where the crew remained
until September 6, waiting for favorable
winds. Finally off again, Christopher
Columbus and his fleet continued west
longer than any of them anticipated.
Some historians believe
Columbus kept two sets of logs: the
first, kept secret, tracked the true
distance traveled each day and the
second reported a lesser distance from
their homeland. Columbus hoped to
diminish the crew’s anxiety about the
long trip. But by October 10 the crew
was planning a mutiny. The men agreed
to sail on for just two more days, but
would return home if land was not
found. The next day, October 11, they
spotted land.
Just one problem: they were
9,000 miles away from Asia! In the
history of blunders, this one takes the
cake! What would happen to a chef
who made a 9,000 pound mistake?
Imagine a banker making a $9,000 error.
Suppose your gym teacher mistakenly
made you do 9,000 extra push-ups!
Someone would lose their job, have to
make things right, or at least admit they
messed up.
I don’t believe Christopher
Columbus ever intended to
discover the new world.
His plans were to find a
shorter trade route to the
Indies and life could go on
pretty much as it always had. Spain
would be a bigger player in the trade
world. Columbus would be considered
a great explorer and that would be the
end of it.
In reality, God used this mistake
motivate future explorers, attract
settlers, and eventually create great
nations in a place most knew nothing
about.
That’s how God works. He’s
able to transform our greatest blunders
into our greatest blessings. The Bible
says, “…We know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love
Him; who have been called according to
His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Like the pieces of a puzzle, we
often do not see how all the events of
our life fits
together. But if
we keep our
focus on God
and commit to
growing in a
loving
relationship with
Him, He takes
even our
mistakes and
weaves them
into His plan for
our lives.
You may be facing a situation
that you never expected to have to
endure. Sickness strikes us at the worst
times. Financial difficulties can put a
stranglehold on our joy. Relationships
can become stretched to the breaking
point over poorly chosen words,
misunderstandings, and wrong choices.
In spite of life’s unexpected
twists and turns, if we commit ourselves
to seeking God and loving Him, this
great promise of Scripture assures us
that God can bring good out of our goofups.
Make it your goal to love God
and trust Him to use every part of your
life for good.
Women’s Connection
Thursday, August 11th
9:30 am
Senior Center
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Tuesday, August 16th
2016-17 Planning Meeting
5:30 pm
Shirley Seaman’s
(601 15th Ave. NE)
Pizza & Ice Cream
*************************
Leader Re-Charge Conference
Wednesday, Aug. 17th
6pm-9pm
First Baptist Church Dunkerton
Contact January Rowland
319-327-4016
No Cost, but will take up
an offering for Ron Glynn.
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Sunday, August 21st
Please contact Pastor Bob
if interested!
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Tuesday, August 23rd
Remember to pray for our
students & Teachers!
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Info on foyer table
Women’s Retreat Sept. 30th–Oct. 2nd
Learn “The Art of
Neighboring”
“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31
When Jesus was asked to sum up
everything into one command, he
said to love God with everything we
have and to love our neighbors as
ourselves. Most of us have turned
this simple idea of loving our
neighbors into a nice saying, putting
it on bumper stickers and refrigerator
magnets and then going on with our
lives without actually putting it into
practice.
What would happen if every
follower of Jesus took this great
commandment literally? Is it
possible that the solution to our
society's biggest issues has been
right under our noses for the past two
thousand years?
Join us on Sunday mornings at
9:15 a.m. to learn the Art of
Neighboring; a simple, relationshipbased way to share the Good News
of Jesus to those God has put right
around us.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
FOR AWANA!!
Wednesday’s 6:30-8:00 pm
We are always in need of PRAYER
along with a few other things:
- GAME DIRECTOR: weekly
- Listeners: 30 minutes
- Prize store workers: 3 times a year
- Music: 15 minutes
- Substitutes: 4 or 5 times a year
-Guest speakers: 1 time
Contact January Rowland if interested.
Joshua Beebe – Adventures in Missions
Dennis and Maryann Barnett International Student Ministries,
Univ. of Minn.
Matthew Blake FamilyGlobal Partners, Czech Republic
Geoff and Carrie Jo Cain Global Partners, Sierra Leone
Joshua and Kristina Carter Global Partners, Bosnia
Perry and Nancy Hubbard Global Partners, Panama
Dave and Cindy Lux Wycliffe Bible Translators, Cameroon
Andrea SwarthoutGlobal Partners, Japan
Cedar Springs Camp – Floyd, IA
Birthdays
Bonnie Clark
Lyle Eschweiler
Verlen Fulton
James Stimson
Carl Dodge
Carrie Reed
Michael Beebe
Teresa Ryherd
Carly Broughton
Alex Coberly
Teresa Briggs
Rick Thompson
Jeremy Wiltsey
Barb Klatt
Suzanne Johnson
6
10
13
15
16
16
17
17
19
20
24
24
27
29
31
Anniversaries
Tim & Ruth Nelson
Bob & Amy Solon
Keith & Linda Smith
Mark & Darla Miller
Rick & Karla Thompson
10
17
19
25
30
WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES
SEPTEMBER 7TH
6:30 – 8:00 pm
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(grades PreK-5th)
Fellowship Hall
AUGUST: All school supplies:
small notebooks, crayons, pencils
and sharpeners, ink pens, marker,
erasers. No rulers, scissors.
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(grades 6th – 8th)
Annex basement right room
Note: If you prefer to give money,
just put money in an envelope to
Julie Reeder and she will buy
supplies that are needed.
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(grades 9th – 12th)
Annex Basement left room
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Men of Hope Wesleyan Church
are here to serve!
If anyone has a special need they would like
help with,
please contact the
Church Office at 334-7148.
Adult Class
Jerusalem Room
1st left before entering annex