Hope Church: Merry Christmas from Hope Church Knoxville!
Merry Christmas!
Despite a very challenging year, we have so much to celebrate as a church community. God is clearly at work in our neighborhoods, city, and beyond. We have two healthy and growing house churches meeting weekly to respond to God's Word, pray and encourage one another, and serve the surrounding community.
We currently have 12 people going through our 6-month Discipleship Intensive! This intensive equips them to live as missionaries in their context, and launch and lead Jesus-centered communities. Out of those 12 people we are hoping to start two more house churches this Spring. Our next cohort will begin going through the intensive in June of 2021. We already have a handful of people interested!
Our community in the West Hills neighborhood of Knoxville is quickly growing with young dechurched and unchurched families and singles. They serve regularly with Water Angels, a ministry to those experiencing homelessness - providing meals and clothing, and doing street outreach. One woman in the community has joined the board of directors of the ministry!
Our Parkridge house church is growing as well with dechurched and unchurched families from the Parkridge neighborhood. We recently celebrated communion together over an outdoor potluck meal with 24 adults and kids. Though we couldn't physically gather around a table, it was a wonderful experience to come together and celebrate how Jesus unites us. We have partnered with Raising a Voice, a ministry that serves sex trafficking victims in Parkridge and the surrounding neighborhoods. We were humbled and blessed to provide a Thanksgiving meal for a number of the women who are being helped by Raising a Voice.
Our Renewal Nights have moved indoors! We gather our communities twice a month for worship, teaching, and discussion. The local Anglican parish has graciously made their sanctuary available to us for a very affordable rent. This is a huge answer to prayer as we have been wanting to free up as much of our budget for blessing, training, and equipping our house churches. Due to the sharp rise in COVID cases in Knoxville, we made the decision to move our Christmas Renewal Night to Zoom. I have posted the video recording of the teaching and worship below!
You can listen to the teachings from our Renewal Nights on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Please consider including Hope Church Knoxville in your end-of-year giving. As a new church, focused on meeting dechurched and unchurched people where they are at, outside giving is essential and goes a long way. You can set up one-time and recurring financial contributions at http://hopeknoxville.org/give
Thank you for all you to support and encourage me, my family, and the Hope Church community! I am so grateful for you!
Blessings!
Charley Dever
