New Hope at New Hope!!

Those of you who have known me will remember the 2 1/2 years of ministry at New Hope Baptist Church, located in the Phillips Neighborhood of inner city Minneapolis. It was an interesting and very challenging ministry, and one that God blessed in so many ways.
New Hope meets in an old house years ago converted into a worship and ministry center. Bob & Karen Edwards started the ministry. We joined the ministry when Bob became ill with a serious cancer battle. I became Pastor after God called Bob home to Heaven. We had the joy of serving with New Hope until the day when Jacob realized God's call to be the Pastor. He has absolutely been the right man for this ministry!

One of the most wonderful aspects of the ministry in the inner-city is that when someone comes to Christ, they have no doubt about the new life they have found, the true hope that has come into their lives (REAL hope, not the artifical stuff being hyped by the current crop of politicians).

Sunday evening we arrived at New Hope a half hour before time for worship and found several people out in the yard praying over friends. Following the prayer time we moved inside for the worship service.


Our wonderful friend Daisy was there and came running for a big hug for Debbie and me! God brought Daisy to New Hope while we were there to minister with us. She immediately stepped in to minister with the teens. Her bubbling spirit was a blessing to all the folks at New Hope. We were delighted to find that she was still there reaching out and bubbling over with the joy of the Lord.

While the worship service at New Hope is much like other churches -- singing, praying, proclamation of the Word of God and many testimonies (Faith Stories) and a call to walk with Christ -- the music is far more lively in what they now call the "HXC Worship Service".

The music is heavy metal and the folks really get in to it. To see the people who at one time were walking with no hope now singing praises to our Lord as they experience new hope is a fantastic blessing!


We got to see our dear friend Ann (Jacob's Grandma) (pictured here with Debbie), and new friends like Justine, Raz and Kim and several more.

Would you consider being a prayer partner for New Hope? What does a Prayer Partner do? They PRAY for New Hope. That's all! And that is enough. I'll post a link to their web site later so that you can keep up with all that is happening there.