IMPORTANT: Click here to read letter discussing Confirmation 2012 from Warren and Taylor

Confirmation is the process at HRC where young people prepare to confess their faith in Christ.  Pastor Holbrook and Warren will be leading this process this year.  If you are interested in being a part of the confirmation group please indicate on your connection card or Contact Warren Jee, Youth Pastor.

• 5          Text: Isaiah 40:21-31, Mark 1:29-39
• Focus Mission 167
• 12        Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14 Mark 1:40-45
• Focus: Worship 167
• 19        Transfiguration
• Text: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 9:2-9
• Focus: Worship 167
• A Vision of the Transcendent God
• 22       Lent 2012 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012
• 26        First Sunday of Lent
• A Celebration of Discipline

I Lost My Kid (Again)

“Our shared task is to equip congregations for ministry–a thousand churches in a million ways doing one thing–following Christ in mission, in a lost and broken world so loved by God”. (From the mission and vision statement of the Reformed Church in America)

On Wednesday I was talking to Cathy about what a good time I was having with my Kids Hope kid.

I was back as his mentor after about a year’s separation. His family had been kicked out of their apartment so he left Gayhead School. By the time he got back to Gayhead this year he had already been to two other schools. On Thursday, I learned that he was leaving Gayhead again and headed to Sheafe Road Elementary School. I can only imagine that some kind of crisis has hit his family, and my little guy is yanked from one school to another and the journey continues.

It breaks my heart, not simply because I really like him and we have a good relationship, but because I know all the challenges he faces as a second grader that will make it tough for his development as a young man. My ears have been pinned back by the things that he tells me about what goes on around him in his life. He speaks as if it is normal, but I am stunned by what he has to work through.

This Sunday we will be asking what it means to follow Christ in mission in a lost and broken world so loved by God. We will commission new missionaries with Kids Hope. We will hear Jesus’ mission and vision statement: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” As we look at the three arcs of 167 Living – Worship, Discipleship, and Mission – we are reminded that in mission God calls us into the world to preach Good News and to be Good News. Our vision as a church is that every member finds a place in mission outside of the church and in the world. My Kids Hope kid reminds me of the aching need in this broken world so loved by God for Christ’s people to follow in mission in as many ways as possible, in as many places as possible. What is your vision for Christ’s mission in your life in the places where you can make a dent? The time is fulfilled. Live into that today.

Yours in Mission,

Taylor

1          New Year’s Worship

8          Passing the Torch Sunday (Randy, Warren, Taylor)

Text: Genesis 1:1-5 Mark 1:4-11

Theme: A 167 Follower of Christ

Focus: Understanding the three fold arcs of transformation; Worship-Discipleship-Mission

15       Second Sunday After Epiphany

Text: Samuel 3:1-20 John 1:43-51

Theme: Discipleship 167

Focus: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?

22        Third Sunday After Epiphany

Text: Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Mark 1; 14-20

Theme: Mission 167

What does it mean to follow Christ in mission?

29       Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

Text Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Mark 1:21-28     (Rev. Mark Mast)

Theme Discipleship 167

Understanding the Authority of Jesus Teaching

They are Warren and Lynette Jee.  Warren is our new Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Lynette is his wife.  This is some background information about them:

Warren and Lynette have been actively involved in youth ministry for the past 17 years. Warren holds a diploma in Sports Administration and has trained many sports ministry teams, as well as churches, in using sports as a tool for ministry. Warren greatly desires to see young people changed by the gospel and, in turn, reaching their communities.  He has also trained leaders for the International Sports Coalition. He was previously the youth pastor at the Vereeniging Baptist church before joining J-Life Ministries. Lynette is a musician and vocalist, who holds a diploma in sound engineering and is currently the Worship coordinator at ACTS Family Church. Over the past few years she has trained worship teams, leaders and youth in leading worship and unifying their worship teams, as well as trained the J-Life music and arts outreach team. Lynette greatly desires to see young people rise up in worship to God through expression in song, dance and the arts. They have been serving in their current positions with J-Life since 2005, before that they ran ASAP (Africa Sports, Arts and Praise) a ministry founded by them to reach young people with the Gospel using Sport and Music as the tool.

However, here is some information about them that you might not have heard before:

We’ll start with the most important – food! Lynette’s favorite food is curry; Warren’s favorite is prawns (jumbo shrimp!).  Get your recipes out! Lynette enjoys cooking, Warren does not!

One of them likes to watch movies, listen to music (more on that later), collect pictures, and go to music concerts and the other likes to watch and play sports – can you guess which is which on this one? Warren particularly loves to run!

In regards to music, they both like Toby Mac; Lynette also likes Israel Houghton and Leeland; Warren is a fan of Delirious.

This will be Lynette’s first trip to the USA ; Warren was here in 2006.

I hope this will help introduce Warren and Lynette to you.  Moving to a new country is an adventure.  It can also be difficult moving away from family and the familiarity of your surroundings.  I know you will make them feel at home.  Welcome Warren and Lynette!

Merry Christmas From The Holbrooks

Christmas 2011

Hello dear friends at HRC. Below is our family Christmas letter written by Cathy. I share it with you in this season wishing you all Christmas joy. ~Taylor

Writing the date on my board at school this morning, with the sun shining and kids wearing shorts and t-shirts to school, I find it hard to believe how close we are to Christmas…or maybe I’m just getting older and the time goes faster regardless.

This has been a year of joy and sorrow for our family, as Taylor’s mom died in October after a short bout of pneumonia. We are still marveling at her “good death,” as she decided not to treat her chronic illness and got a chance to say goodbye to many people. Her last few months were filled with trips and visiting and time with friends and family that almost made it seem as though she knew her time on this earth was short. A few hours before she died she laid her hand on Andrew’s shoulder and gave him a beautiful blessing that only a grandma could give. We are grateful for that memory and for her quick passing. As she anticipated heaven, she called it the greatest day of her life.

Sarah (22) came home last night, after graduating from Hope in May and working at a summer job as an innkeeper in Saugatuck, and then on a Christmas tree farm in Fennville, MI. She loves the outdoor life and has the well-worn Carhartts to prove it. As soon as she unpacks, she will start to ponder the great calling of her life and look for a job. We are thrilled to have her home.

Andrew (18), a senior, is very much looking forward to busting out of Hopewell to go to college. He has his applications in and is waiting to hear from several schools. He continues to work at a local overstock store where his muscles come in handy for unloading merchandise off the truck. His pride and joy-a 1994 Firebird-is resting for the winter, but he’s looking forward to driving it again in the spring.

Hilary (24) moved to San Diego in September. We don’t think she’s ever coming back! She lives with her college roommate in Mission Beach, working four part-time jobs. She completed the paperwork to transfer her teaching certification to California, and now we are praying that she will get one of the five or so teaching jobs available in the state. She is close to Gabriel House, in Mexico, where she spent a year, and gets to see “her” kids often.

I am still teaching at our local high school, and this year I took on four sections of AP Language and Composition, plus my regular Regents class. The workload is crushing at times but the classroom is stimulating and very rewarding. I still love my job.

Taylor is busy at church, excited about some new staff hires and looking forward to all the good changes that will bring. He is also cycling like crazy…and enjoying the miles of bike paths our county has been laying down over abandoned rail beds.

We wish you all a peaceful, joy-filled Christmas…we do feel joy in spite of hard times because we belong to God. If you are ever in the Hudson Valley, look us up and come for a visit!

Merry Christmas,

The Holbrook Family

Passing-the-Torch 

Epiphany Sunday 1/8/12 6pm

We are getting ready to light up the sky! Though it is not yet Christmas,  I want you to get ready for Epiphany Sunday, January 8, 2012. This will be a historic day in the life of Hopewell. We are calling this “Passing-the-Torch Sunday.” We will be celebrating with, among other things, our traditional Epiphany bonfire.

In addition, on this Sunday our youth ministry torch will be passed from Randy Prentiss to Warren Jee. All the pieces are in place to have Warren and Lynette here on that weekend, and Randy has arranged with Arlington to be present at Hopewell in the morning, as well as at a party for him in the evening.

We have been anticipating this moment for a long time, and it will be time to celebrate. In the morning Warren and Randy will share the pulpit. It will be followed by a luncheon for all who wish to attend. Then at 6 PM Randy and Warren will take the torch and light the pile of Christmas trees in the Croniser lot. We will come back inside for a party to roast and toast Randy.

We will have a dinner to celebrate Randy’s ten years of ministry at HRC at a later date, but I wanted to get the information out on this special Sunday to you earlier. Bring your tree to the bonfire and bring your continued spirit of celebration to our Epiphany service.

In Celebration of the Light,

Taylor

A Threefold Blessing: “Coming, Called, Sent”

This weekend thirty-eight kids from Hopewell, eight kids from Arlington and ten leaders from both congregations will be headed to Lake Champion.  It will be a life-changing weekend for them.  It seems a good time to update you on youth ministry at HRC.

Warren and Lynette are coming!  We are still working with our lawyers on the H1-B visa for Warren.  They are confident that we will have a visa in hand the beginning of December and it would follow that Warren and Lynette will be in the states the first week of January.  It has been longer than expected, but it will give them the opportunity to share Christmas in South Africa.  Jan and David Bushey, Shireen Gilbert and Stephanie Patton have been working on setting up an apartment in Fishkill for them. It is coming together nicely.  We have one car donated to Warren and Lynette and a second car will come their way in late spring.  If you have a car that the Jee’s could use until the late spring, please let me know.

Randy is called: The Arlington Consistory voted last night to call Randy Prentiss as their full time pastor.  This is a miracle!  This church, which was on the brink of closing two years ago, now has the faith to step forward into full time ministry with Randy.  This comes through the partnership with Hopewell.  It is happening a year earlier than Hopewell or Arlington had planned, but for the blessing of HRC’s youth ministry and the sense of call that Randy and Arlington have, both consistories have voted to move in this direction. As a part of this blessing from Hopewell, our consistory voted to give $13,000 to Arlington to support a full time call for Randy.  We agreed as a consistory that this would be raised outside of Hopewell’s budget.  I invite you to make a gift to the “Three-Fold Blessing Fund.”  This fund will bless: 1) Randy in his transition, 2) Arlington in calling Randy full time and 3) Hopewell’s youth ministry as we move into the future with the Jee’s.  We already have $3,500 given to the Three Fold Blessing Fund from five donors.  I would invite you to make a check payable to Hopewell Reformed Church with a memo that mentions the blessing fund.  I have no doubt that we will raise above and beyond the $13,000 we have committed to ARC.

Rachel is sent: The fruit of our youth ministry will be on display this weekend as Rachel Snider will share with us her call to missionary work in the Dominican Republic.  Rachel sensed God’s call on her life in Mexico in 2002 and Sunday she will speak to how that call is being lived out among the poor in the D.R.

We celebrate a threefold blessing for the Jee’s who are coming, for Randy and his calling and for Rachel whom we are sending.  Thanks be to God!

Taylor

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