Dear HBIC Family,

Happy New Year!!

I have written 2023 a few times already, and it still feels weird, like it always does when January comes. The new year always offers up a chance to reflect and remember that year that was. It comes with hopes and resolutions for the year to come. I have also learned though, that the new year must come with prayer – prayer on our own, prayer in our families, and prayers together as a congregation.

Each year, our larger church family the Brethren in Christ, invites us to pray together across the country and across the world. This year, we are being asked to pray and fast with a focus on our Identity in Action: Practicing the Core Values of the BIC. I’m excited for this opportunity to not only recall what makes us BIC, but also to ask the fundamental question, ‘what does following Jesus look like for us as individuals, families, congregations, and denomination as a whole?’

During this week, we pray, reflect, and seek God together to start the new year. The denomination has provided daily devotionals that help to guide us as we pray together during the week. They can also be found online here: BIC Week of Prayer and Fasting

As we begin 2023 here at HBIC, we have dedicated this Sunday’s services to praying together as one Body. Our services will be very similar to last week when we had a wonderful and very blessed Testimony Sunday. However, instead of allotted time for testimonies, we will be engaging in prayer together through silence, a variety of prayer exercises, and even an invitation to pray as groups.

During the BIC Week of Prayer, we pray together daily, but apart from one other. On Sunday, we have a beautiful opportunity to pray together with each other – it’s going to be such a blessing. As you prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Psalm 4. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions: 

• What is one way that God answered your prayers, in the past year?
• Where is one place that you saw God’s mercy and relief?
• How have you seen God be present in you, and among us?
• How has God filled you with joy or strength in times of distress?
• How are you sharing the peace of God with others?

Last week, we began the new year by telling stories of God’s faithfulness in and among us. We testified of God’s presence and goodness, mercy and compassion, grace and love. It really was a blessing for our souls to feast together on the testimonies of how our God has loved us and carried us through.

This week, I very much look forward to being together again to worship. I am excited to begin the BIC Week of Prayer and Fasting by praying with each other in this week’s service. I am also excited for us to join with sisters and brothers around the country and our world to pray together as a Brethren in Christ family.

May our God who has heard us before, hear us again. May our God who is faithful, be faithful again. May God’s light fill our hearts with joy. May God’s Spirit, bring us peace. 

God bless you all. and take care.

Love in Christ, 

Pastor Hank (Psalm 4:1)