Dear Church Family and Community,
One of the great gifts of being a part of our church community here at HBIC is that we reside within the larger Brethren in Christ family. Our body of churches spreads across the country and is led by the Holy Spirit for people to experience love, grace, and freedom found in Jesus. We seek to follow Jesus’ example – loving our neighbor, compassionately serving those in need, bearing witness to God’s Kingdom on the earth, and joining God in the mission of reconciliation.
To begin each year, our Brethren in Christ family commits to a week of prayer and fasting. During this time, we pray, reflect, and seek God to start the new year. The denomination also provides daily devotional material to help guide us as we pray together throughout this week. English and Spanish copies are available at our Information Center. They can also be found online.
As we begin 2020 at HBIC, we have dedicated this Sunday’s services to praying together as one Body. Our service will mostly look the same; however, instead of a message or sermon, we will be engaging in prayer together through silence, a variety of exercises, and even an invitation to pray in groups. Daily we pray together apart from each other. This is a blessed opportunity to pray together with each other – it’s going to be great!
To prepare for this week’s service, please take time to read and pray through Matthew 6:9-15. In this passage, Jesus teaches us how we should pray. As you reflect on this Scripture, take time to answer in your heart: What does it mean to have God as our Father? When it comes to my life, what does “on earth as it is in heaven” look like? How has God provided for me? What does Jesus teach about forgiveness here?
Lastly, I wanted to send out a quick reminder regarding Rooted. This series launches again this Sunday during our 9 AM service. Our hope is that this series of classes will help participants to learn more about who we are and what we do together as a local body of believers at HBIC, while also providing us an opportunity to learn more about who they are and who God has called them to be. This series of classes is designed for newcomers and old timers, so we’d love to see you there!
God bless and take care. May God’s enduring love wrap and hold you, and may the faithfulness of God meet and carry you today and throughout this our new year.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Psalm 100)
P: (717) 561-2170, ext. 104
E: pastorhank@harrisburgbic.org