Sabbath Theology
I have had this conversation five or six times in the last week, so I thought maybe I should share this with all of you in a newsletter. We are called to Sabbath rest and Hebrews suggest to us that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that Sabbath rest.
“So God set another time for entering His rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts.'” (Hebrews 4:7, NLT)
Most of us will never have the opportunity to take a month off from our life for a “Sabbath”. We struggle to practice the type of Sabbath rest taught in the OT one day a week, and it seems to me that we are offered a better fulfillment of that rest in Jesus Christ.
So, how do we live in this rest? I have been mentored here and there by an older pastor named Bob Fox from Mesa, Arizona. He shared these seven ideas how you can practically live out a life of rest (and this is my attempt to summarize them for you).
1. HE IS! God describes himself as the one who is, has been, and always will be (Exodus 2:23-3:12). We must believe that our Creator/Deliverer is present eternally, and His Spirit is actively pursuing humanity to free them from the curse of evil. Knowing your God is actively present in every situation should help you experience rest!
2. TRUST HIM! Faith starts as an ability to believe that God CAN do all things. It grows into a
trust that He WILL act in a saving way to establish His purposes in and through our lives.
Enslaved/abused people have trust issues. Such are we. Anxiety and fear are our constant
companions. But do we believe that God is trustworthy and good? If so, then do we experience that rest in our hearts.
3. I AM INADEQUATE: We don’t really have the ability to change hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Rest is found in knowing that I can do nothing apart from Him. (2 Corinthians 3:5-6; John 15:5)
4. HE IS STILL SAVING ME! Of course, we are saved when we believe! However, the Bible teaches the Lord is still presently “saving” us from who we instinctively are and one day will free us completely. Rest is found in understanding that our sanctification is and will continue to be in progress.
5. HIS SPIRIT WILL PROVIDE A MESSAGE FOR THE MOMENT. We often do not find rest as we stress over how to share and convince and persuade. But Jesus told His disciples that they were not to worry, but to trust that He would provide a message at the moment it is needed (Luke 12:12). God is our source of truth and wisdom so we may rest that He will provide.
~Pastor Randy
Please note: NO Prayer & Praise Service in December. Join us for our Christmas Eve Service in the park instead!
Interested in being baptized? We will have a baptism on Sunday, December 7 following Worship Service. Contact info@hopetucson.com if you would like to be baptized.
Women's Ministry
Suzi King, Director
sking@hopetucson.com
You are invited to our annual Women’s Christmas Outreach for the residents at the Casa Paloma Women’s Shelter - Saturday, December 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room.
Included below is a list of requested items from the residents at the Shelter.
• Beanies
• Gloves
• Socks
•Fleece Blankets
• Lip Balm/Chapstick
•Toothpaste/Toothbrush
Shampoo/Conditioner
Body Lotion
Please Note: We recognize that you have many choices as you allocate your giving this Christmas season. Prices are up, while often times quality is down. That being said, we are requesting that shampoo, conditioner and lotions be of higher quality than discount stores offer. These items often contain higher percentages of alcohol and chemicals.
In addition, we will be putting small cookie/treat plates together for the residents of the shelter and walk-in guests. Homemade cookies/treats are great this year along with individually wrapped store-purchased cookies and candies.
If you are unable to attend and would like to donate, we will be receiving items at the office (3130 W. Overton Road), during the following days: Monday - Thursday, December 8th - 11th (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) & Friday, December 12th (8:30 to noon).
Thank you in advance for your participation!
Women’s Ministry Team
Thank you to all the Women's who joined us for our November "Festive Food" event. We had a great time of fellowship!
Women's Bible Study on 1 Peter by Jen Wilkin begins January 8 and runs through March 12. Thursday mornings at 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Community Room.
Let us know if you want to join by contacting Sheree Dennee at dsdennee@msn.com. Contact us by December 30 so we can order materials.
In 1 Peter, a man of faith and flaws and eyewitness to the life of Christ challenges us to look beyond our current circumstances to a future inheritance. He shares his concerns on big picture issues for the early church, describes believers’ true identity in Christ, and ultimately helps readers discover what it means to experience the Living Hope they have in Christ.
Thank you Hope!! We collected over 275 Christmas boxes (our most ever) this year for OCC.
Thank you God, for blessing us to bless others! We pray that our boxes will be a light that points others to You!
Also, a big thank you to Tammi Moore and her team for heading up the OCC table again this year!
Pit Crew is Ministry
Having church services at Wilson every Sunday takes a dedicated team of volunteers to setup and tear down, and we need more volunteers for this ministry! Here is a brief description of what serving on the Pit Crew looks like.
1. Setup starts at 7:00 a.m. and tear down begins immediately following service. This team is mainly responsible for unloading the HopeWorship trailer and setting up the chairs and projector screens in the gym.
2. We also need volunteers that are willing to tow our HopeKids and HopeWorship trailers to/from the Overton property every week. Those trailers need to be at Wilson by 7:00 a.m. and then brought back to Overton after they are packed up following service.
You can be part of one or both crews, do it once a month, every week, etc.
If you are willing and able, please fill out this simple form below to show your interest in being part of the Hope Pit Crew ministry!
There will be NO mini conference in December. Pastor Gary Jones will be teaching our mini conference on Saturday, January 31. More details to come.
Interested in watching the video of the November mini conference on, "The Heart of Everything"? Click on the link below!
Hope Community Church is officially signed up for Tucson’s FMSC MobilePack—woohoo!
Shift 19 – Saturday, February 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Here’s what’s next:
Register NOW on the button below!
Our team MUST select Shift 19 then group, Hope Community Church, to pack together! Register by January 12, 2026! We have 85 spots reserved so first-come, first-served.
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to BE THE CHURCH.
Have any questions? Contact Gina at info@hopetucson.com.
Interested in volunteering for Night to Shine? There will be sign-up sheets in the lobby on Sunday mornings in December.
Lynne Hooge, HopeKids Discipleship Director
lhooge@hopetucson.com
Hello Hope Families!
We are looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior this month!
We hope you can join us at our Family Winter Wonderland on December 6th. It will be a lot of fun! Be sure to sign up by December 1st.
This year, ALL our HopeKids will be singing in the church service on Sunday, December 14th. We are so thankful for Karen Tvrdy, who orchestrated the motions for the songs for PreK-5th grade and has been teaching the kids on Sundays. Katie Arellano has been practicing with our toddlers. We will rehearse before service at 8:45 that morning. Please check your email for more information about that morning and links to the songs we will be singing.
HopeKids’ Volunteers- Mark your calendars for our Volunteer Appreciation Lunch on January 18th, after church at noon. We can’t wait to honor you!
Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas!
Lynne
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Our Key Passage This Month:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Big Picture Questions:
Why was Jesus born? Jesus was born to rescue us from sin.
What is idolatry? Idolatry is a sin of the heart in which we love and value something else above God.
What We’re Learning:
December 7 (Family Sunday): Elisha Performed Miracles; 2 Kings 4-6
December 14: Angels Spoke to Mary and Joseph; Luke 1, Matthew 1
December 21: Jesus is Our Rescuer; Luke 2
December 28: We are to Worship God Alone; Isaiah 44
December Birthdays
Amelia Walker 12/1
Arbor Nordberg 12/1
Aaron Rockhold 12/2
Sage DeVries 12/6
Taitum Hunt 12/9
Cora Brown 12/11
Noelle Brown 12/11
Gavin Roberts 12/11
Brigitta Bellars 12/13
Rory Caffarel 12/13
Cadence McCabe 12/17
Malaya DeGroot 12/24
Molly Collins 12/29
Discipleship for children (K-6th grade) happens every Wednesday evening, 5:45-7:45, partnering with discipleship at home. Let us help you as you point your children to a lifelong relationship with Christ.
AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed: 2 Timothy 2:15)
Contact Tim Tolson at timtolson@comcast.net if you have any questions.
Gary Jones, Discipleship Pastor
gjones@hopetucson.com
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
Do you desire to be in a Home Group? Home Groups are a great way for us to grow in community and in our walk with Jesus. We desire to see everyone connected to a Home Group, so if you are interested in getting plugged in, please contact me.
Contact me at gjones@hopetucson.com if you have any questions.
Men's Friday Bible Study and monthly Breakfast are on break the month of December. Both will resume in January.
Men’s Golf Outing: Friday, December 12th, we will have a foursome golf scramble competition and tee times will start around 12:00 p.m. There is only one spot left! Register now!
Men's November Breakfast
Men's Camp 2025
HopeLife is our young adult ministry for ages 18-29. If you are a young adult, we’d love for you to get connected with others in a similar season of life. We spend time together to grow in community, study God’s Word, pray, eat, and have fun. Join us!
Below are our get-together dates for the rest of the year:
Tuesday, December 2 – Special outing TBA.
Tuesday, December 16 – Christmas Party at the Braeutigam’s home 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Contact me at gjones@hopetucson.com if you have any questions.
HopeLife Friendsgiving
Kevin Mason, Family Pastor
kmason@hopetucson.com
December Calendar for Youth Group
Youth Group on Sundays, December 7, 14, and 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Community Room.
On Sundays, December 7 & 21 dinner will be provided!
NO Youth Group on Sunday, December 28 - Have a Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 13: Winterhaven! Dinner at Chick-fil-a (Tucson Mall location) at 4:45 p.m. Then meet at Winterhaven at 6:00 p.m.
Matt Ulrich
Tech Director
mulrich@hopetucson.com
In my role as Tech Director, I want to ensure we are taking advantage of the technology assets that we have and introducing new things as it makes sense. An area that I am now turning my attention to is digital communications. As I mentioned in an email last week, at Hope, we are blessed to have a multi-generational church body. This provides many, many positives but also a challenge in that we have a diverse set of communication preferences: text, email, social media, etc. I want to ensure we are doing the best we can to communicate effectively across our entire body. Some of the things you can expect to see soon regarding this are…
Enhanced email service, giving our staff richer capabilities for email communications and our church body an easy way to subscribe/unsubscribe to email communications
Renewed focus on having a consistent social media presence across multiple platforms (i.e. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
Ability to participate in an online Hope Directory to share your phone, email, picture, etc.
And more...You should have received recent communications from me regarding subscribing to our new email service and a second email asking you to fill out a short survey, that will help inform where we focus moving forward. Links to both are found below in case you missed them. As always, if you have any questions, feedback, etc. please reach out to me.
Bob & Merrillee Whren, Directors
Interested in our Seniors' Ministry? Contact Bob Whren at bwhren@gmail.com.
Celebrate the Birth of Christ and enjoy fellowship with other Christians at the Hope Seniors Lunch on December 7th in the Community Room after church.
Our goal is to grow a community of support and encouragement for all families at Hope Community Church who wish to educate their students at home. All are welcome to participate in the activities regardless of what type of school they attend. Children that are not school age are also welcome.
For more details and information on this group, please contact Bre McCabe at bmambros@gmail.com or Tina Edgin at tsedgin@gmail.com.
