Dear Church Family and Community,
One of my favorite HBIC traditions is the Mosaics Meal. Every February, we gather as a church family to celebrate our ethnic diversity with a meal highlighted by dishes that represent the people and places represented within our HBIC community. This night of food, fellowship and fun is a great reminder that we may come from all over the world, but here in Harrisburg, we have all made and are making HBIC our home together.
This meal is hosted by our Mosaics Committee, and will be held on Sunday, February 23rd this year (beginning at 5:15 pm). If you haven’t already done so, please take time to visit the Information Center to sign-up to attend. Those attending are also invited to bring an ethnic dish of their choice. Dishes should be enough to feed at least 10 people and be divided between two containers. Desserts can be in a single container. Volunteers will also be needed to assist with set-up, serving, and clean-up. If you are able to help with hosting this event, please add your name to the sign-up sheet at the Information Center.
In lieu of a program following the meal that evening, we will also be celebrating Mosaics Sunday in our services earlier that morning. Please plan to join us as we celebrate together and share about the blessing of being an intentional multi-ethnic congregation that makes space for and is inspired by our people from near and far away places.
This week we will continue our DNA: Living Out Our Uniqueness, and into Our Call sermon series by looking at our call to serve locally and globally. In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus ascends to heaven. This happens after Jesus had spent time talking to followers about the kingdom of God and the blessing of the Holy Spirit to come. In response to a question about restoring the kingdom of Israel, Jesus calls His followers to be his witnesses not just locally, but globally…even to the ends of the earth.
To prepare for this week’s service, please take some time to read and pray through Acts 1:1-11. What does it mean to be a witness of Christ? Why has the Holy Spirit been gifted to us as followers of Christ? What is the Jerusalem to which we have been called? What does our Judea and Samaria look like? Where, at the ends of this earth, is God calling us to be witnesses of Christ? At HBIC, we are committed to serving God and sharing His love locally and globally. How is God calling you to help continue this work?
Also, in this week’s services, we will be having a Ministry Moment by The Three Nancies, who partner together to give leadership to our Food Pantry. This will gift us an opportunity to hear about the work of the Food Pantry and ways we can continue supporting this work for our church and community. As always, if you missed last week’s service and want to catch up on our sermon, please be sure to check it out here on our website, or through our sermon podcast at Soundcloud, Google Play, iTunes, or Stitcher. Our focus last week was on 2 Kings 5:1-19a. We revisited the story of Naaman, Elisha, and God’s use of servants to bring healing. We serve a God who heals and are blessed by how God’s healing reveals His mercy, love, and grace.
May this week find you living and shining brightly, that others may see you and glorify our Father in heaven. God bless and take care.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Matthew 5:14-16)
P: (717) 561-2170, ext. 104
E: pastorhank@harrisburgbic.org