As we prepare to celebrate Reformation Day, we are gathering as a church to view a wonderful documentary about the Puritans. If you think the Puritans are defined by scarlet letters and witch burnings, you really don't know these physicians of the soul. Get to know the Puritans in this feature-length documentary that spans continents and centuries.

Evangelism isn’t the calling of a few special Christians; it’s the calling of every single believer. We are all called to be Christ’s witness in the world, proclaiming the good news of the Gospel that has changed our lives. But it’s hard. We often struggle to share our faith with others because we’re afraid…or perhaps we just don’t know how.

Join us for a Hymn Sing at Hope Presbyterian Church, where we’ll worship God by singing great hymns of the Church, both ancient and modern. Everyone is welcome!

    1.         Holy Holy Holy (Revelation 4:8)

            2.         Behold Our God (Isaiah 40:25-26)

            3.         Be Thou My Vision (Psalm 16:8-9)

            4.         Before the Throne of God Above (Hebrews 4:14-16)

            5.         As The Deer (Psalm 42:1-2)

            6.         O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus (Ephesians 3:17-19)

            7.         He Will Hold Me Fast (Jude 24-25)

            8.         A Mighty Fortress (Psalm 46:1-2)

            9.         The Power of the Cross (Isaiah 53:4-5)

            10.       Give Thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Our world is full of evil and suffering. Evil and suffering that often lead to hopelessness. And such hopelessness raises questions: Why does God allow evil and suffering? Or to borrow the psalmist’s lament: “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps 10:1). Yet, as we will hope to show, while God doesn’t specifically answer the why question he does give an emphatic and definitive answer by shifting our attention to the question of who.

Join us for a seminar at Hope Presbyterian Church, taught by Rev. Will Turner, a doctoral student at Westminster Theological Seminary.

We’re excited to invite you to a special seminar on Sunday, July 28th, at 4 PM. This seminar is designed to equip parents to lead the spiritual discipleship of their children. While a strong youth group is important, the greatest gift a parent can give is a home where everyone—parents and children alike—can grow in love for God and one another through regular Bible reading and prayer.

Join us for a potluck following our worship service on July 14! If you're bringing something yummy to share, click here to let us know what you plan to bring so that we have a good assortment of main dishes, sides, and desserts.

NOTE: We’re trying out a new website for potluck sign-ups. Let me know how it works. It should be easier to use than the Google Spreadsheet.

ALLERGY ALERT!!

As our church continues to grow, we now have several families with severe allergies, especially to shellfish. Therefore, we’re trying something new this month: We’re asking folks to label any allergens their dishes may contain. You can label them at home, or we’ll also have 3 by 5 cards and pens at the meal for you to mark your dishes appropriately.

• Shellfish is strictly prohibited.

  • This includes, but is not limited to: shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, and any other shellfish. Additionally, cuttlefish, octopus, squid, and similar creatures, though not crustaceans, contain the same allergen and are also prohibited. We have people in our church with severe shellfish allergies who would be unable to attend if any of these were present.

• Please label your dish clearly if it contains:

  • Nuts or Seeds: Nuts, seeds, coconut, and oils derived from nuts (such as peanut, coconut, and sesame seed oils) are allowed but must be clearly labeled.

  • Gluten: Dishes with gluten should also be clearly labeled since we have many attendees with gluten allergies.

  • Soy Sauce: Clearly label any entrees containing soy sauce.

If you have any questions about which foods are safe, please do not hesitate to contact us for further clarification.

We’re excited to break bread together as a church!

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to join us for exciting Bible lessons, fun games, Christ-centered songs, crafts, and learning Bible verses.

Our 5-Day Club will be led by the experienced team of Child Evangelism Fellowship. All teachers and helpers are thoroughly trained and screened to ensure your child’s safety. Parents are welcome to attend. 

Join us for a seminar taught by Rev. Will Turner!

Our world is full of evil and suffering. Evil and suffering that often lead to hopelessness. And such hopelessness raises questions: Why does God allow evil and suffering? Or to borrow the psalmist’s lament: “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps 10:1). Yet, as we will hope to show, while God doesn’t specifically answer the why question he does give an emphatic and definitive answer by shifting our attention to the question of who. Scripture’s theodicy is not a why, but a who. And the who is discovered in the story of a God who enters into our world of evil and suffering, who suffers and dies himself, but who rises triumphant. God’s answer of who (the person and work of Jesus Christ) offers us hope in the midst of a hopeless world. And this hope is meant to be shared. When our friends, family, and neighbors ask us for the reasons for the hope within us we tell them of Christ’s sufferings and resurrection (1 Peter 3:15). These are the reasons for our hope.

Join us for a potluck this Sunday following our worship service. If you're bringing something yummy to share, you can click here to let us know what you plan to bring so that we have a good assortment of main dishes, sides, and desserts. If you encounter any issues with the Google Spreadsheet for some reason, no worries—just email us here.

Kids will be divided by age (10 & under) and spread out across our lawn for an Easter egg hunt! We will have plenty of eggs filled with candy for all kids.

WHAT:

Join us for this free three-week course where anyone can explore the hope of Christianity. Whether you consider yourself religious or irreligious, everyone is welcome. We’ll enjoy coffee and refreshments each week alongside informative biblical teaching and respectful dialogue, exploring the themes of hope, peace, and purpose together.

Your children are also invited to participate in our Kids Club, which runs concurrently.

“There are few emotions more powerful than hope. It’s a spark inside you that brings a smile to your lips, a light that shows on your face, a feeling that lifts your head and pulls you forward. Hope is what keeps us alive. These days hope often feels hard to come by. But real hope is what the Christian faith claims to offer: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present. It sounds good… but is it true? Whatever you do or don’t believe, this series is your opportunity to explore, to discuss, to question, to discover. This is Hope Explored.” ~ Hope Explored Handbook

WHEN:

The following Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in 2024:

• February 10: Hope

• February 17: Peace

• February 24: Purpose

WHERE:  

• Hosted at Hope Presbyterian Church (601 South New Middletown Road, Media, PA, 19063).

Join us for a family movie night featuring Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome! Pizza and popcorn will be provided, but please RSVP so we have enough.

Christmas Eve is a busy day, but it’s important to take time in all the hustle and bustle to focus on what is most important. To this end, join Hope Church for an hour of worship on December 24th as we sing carols and reflect on the beauty, grace, and glory of Jesus Christ, who was born 2000 years ago to save broken and sinful people like us.

Join us for a meal following Sunday worship as we enjoy fellowship and good conversation, just like believers in the early church who "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Join Hope Church for a traditional “Lessons and Carols” service as we celebrate Christmas together through the unfolding story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.

Hope's Christmas Party is an outreach event meant to share the true meaning of Christmas with children. Using holiday-themed active games, songs, Scripture memory, a Bible lesson, and review games, we share the true meaning of Christmas. It's more than gifts, bells, lights, and trees. Children will be drawn into a Christ-centered holiday atmosphere!

If you're able to make it, it helps us if you register in advance.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Through this project, Samaritan’s Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.

Join us for a meal following Sunday worship as we enjoy fellowship and good conversation, just like believers in the early church who "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Join us for a meal following Sunday worship as we enjoy fellowship and good conversation, just like believers in the early church who "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Let's take time to repair, weed, and organize the facility God has given us while enjoying fellowship and good conversation.

We are excited that Crosspointe Church and Hope Presbyterian Church officially voted to join forces as one church under Hope's leadership, vision, mission, and values. Our first worship service as one church will be on August 13 at 10:30 AM at our new location (601 South New Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063).  In the meantime, our final service at Darlington will be this coming Sunday, August 6, at 10:30 AM. 

We are excited that Crosspointe Church and Hope Presbyterian Church officially voted to join forces as one church under Hope's leadership, vision, mission, and values. Our first worship service as one church will be on August 13 at 10:30 AM at our new location (601 South New Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063). 

Dear Hope Church,

God has placed an exciting opportunity in our path that could help us advance the gospel and move to the next stage as a church plant. Crosspointe is a PCA church that meets 8 miles from the Darlington Arts Center toward Media (601 South New Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063). Like many churches, they lost momentum throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and are now down to 20 people in worship most Sundays. Therefore, when their beloved pastor announced that he is leaving in late July, they were grieved but also saw hope for continued gospel witness in our region. They reached out to us about joining Hope Church, coming under our leadership to proclaim Christ in their space.

Hope’s provisional session and I believe that this opportunity should not be ignored. The advantage would be boosting our size from 30 to 50, securing a debt-free building in good condition, and opening up new opportunities for gospel-outreach in their space. The downside could be the distance for many of our people, the reorientation of our community outreach, and the risk of taking on a building, which, though in excellent condition, would certainly require maintenance.

Therefore, here’s our plan to prayerfully explore this opportunity together:

• We will hold three joint preview services at Crosspointe's building (June 25, July 2, and July 9). These services will be our worship service in their space (Hope’s bulletin, preaching, liturgy, music, etc.). I will preach a three-week sermon series on Hope's vision, focusing on the "up" (worshiping God), the "in" (living in community), and the "out" (sharing hope) with a biblical text for each theme. Crosspointe will provide a meal after each of these services, giving us an opportunity to build community.  During the meal, I will also offer a brief teaching time on the vision, mission, and values of Hope Church.

• On July 16, we will meet separately for worship at the Darlington Arts Center, followed by a Q&A for us to reflect and ask questions as a congregation.

•  On July 23, we will meet separately for worship at the Darlington Arts Center, followed by a congregational meeting.

Our prayer should be that, if it is God's will and will glorify Him, he will open doors and make it clear. Likewise, if it is not God's will, pray that God will make it clear as well.  

I know this is a lot of change for both churches. So, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. In the meantime, keep praying for wisdom and discernment for all involved.

In Christ,

Pastor Will                          

Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be the glory)

Join us for a family movie night hosted at the Darlington Arts Center featuring the 1998 film, The Prince of Egypt. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome! Pizza and popcorn will be provided, though we do ask you to RSVP so that we have enough.

RSVP via email at pastorwill@explorehopechurch.org or via text at (484) 589-0464.

Lord’s Day Worship
(Christmas Day)
Abbreviated service at 10:00 AM
No Sunday School

It’s countercultural to meet for worship on Christmas morning. Even the  New York Times has recently noted that there are fewer churches meeting on Christmas than ever before. But thinking about it from a biblical perspective, we not only get to celebrate Christ’s birth because it’s Christmas, we also get to celebrate Christ’s resurrection because it’s the Lord’s Day. Therefore, after you finish up your morning festivities, we encourage you to join us for an abbreviated worship service at 10:00 AM as we magnify our glorious Savior together.d

Christmas Eve is a busy day, but it’s important to take time in all the hustle and bustle to focus on what is most important. To this end, join Hope Church for an hour of worship on December 24th as we sing carols and reflect on the beauty, grace, and glory of Jesus Christ, who was born 2000 years ago to save broken and sinful people like us.