Happy New Year

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.
Minnie L. Haskins

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Offering for State and Global Missions Tallied
During the month of December New Hope members gave a total of $755 for mission efforts in the state of Florida and to support global field personnel. Your generosity joins that of other Fellowship churches to be the presence of Christ around the world.
Also during 2011 we gave the following amounts for relief efforts:
Japan Crisis $870
Alabama tornadoes $574
Horn of Africa $584
Halifax Urban Ministries
New Hope women packed 140 boxes of home baked Christmas cookies mid-December for individual gifts to the homeless served by HUM. Monthly food donations continue as an urgent need.
Countryside Lakes ALF
Come visit with residents celebrating January birthdays on Wednesday, January 18 at noon.

NEW HOPE 101

MEN’S BREAKFAST
Men of the congregation will fellowship together on Saturday, January 21, at 8:00 AM. Men, if you are inviting friends or neighbors, please notify Dalton Kirk so that we may have a rough head count.

LADIES LUNCH
Tuesday, January 24, 11:45 AM
Restaurant location to be announced.

BOOK EXCHANGE
New on Our Shelves
►Are you “Tebowing?” Whether you agree or disagree with the sportswriters about Tim Tebow’s ability in the NFL, you may enjoy his book Through My Eyes. “Taking you from his first week of Pop Warner practice to his record-setting career at Florida, to his rookie season in Denver, Tebow talks about his biggest wins and most frustrating losses, showing how through both triumph and defeat he has grown as a leader, as a person, and as a follower of Jesus Christ. What emerges is a captivating portrait of a man whose passions demand the best from teammates, whose words inspire faith in others, and whose heart leaves everything on the field.” From the book jacket blurb.
►A Sister’s Hope by Wanda Brunstetter, book three of the Sisters of Holmes County series set in an Ohio Amish community. Note: All three books are available in our mini library.

WHAT’S COOKING?
Cranberry Supreme Salad
Aloma Briggs
1 3 oz. pkg. raspberry gelatin
1 3 oz. pkg. lemon gelatin
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 can (8 ½ oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Dissolve raspberry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, stir in cranberry sauce. Pour into oiled 1 ½ qt round mold. Chill until set. Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, set aside. Beat cream cheese and mayo. Gradually add lemon gelatin. Stir in pineapple. Chill partially. Whip cream, fold into lemon mix. Add marshmallows. Spread on top of cranberry. Chill until set. Serves 12.

MUSIC AND WORSHIP
The Liturgical Colors
As God has flooded earth and sky with color, so the Church has sensed the symbolic use of color in its worship. As dominating colors in nature change with the season of the fourfold year, so in the Church year there is a structured change in the liturgical colors. This sequence of liturgical colors has a principal role in Christian visual education, in teaching the Gospel through the eye.

WHITE symbolizing joy, purity and truth is used on Sundays and Christmas and on all Solemnities except Pentecost when red is used.

RED the color of fire and blood is used on Pentecost.

GREEN the color of living things and of God’s creation is used on the Sundays in the season after Epiphany and Pentecost.

VIOLET symbolizing penitence and expectation is used in the seasons of Advent and Lent.

BLACK represents deep sorrow. It is used on Good Friday.
The Church Year
At New Hope Baptist Church, we observe the Church Year which is as old as the Resurrection of our Lord and as new as the latest revisions. The four weeks of Advent (“Coming”) are devoted to the preparation of Christmas and his second coming in majesty to judge the world. Then, following the events of his earthly ministry we celebrate his Death, Resurrection and Ascension and the descent of Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The second half of the Church Year is co-ordinate with the first since it celebrates the continuing work of Christ in His Church by the Spirit.
Adapted from The Kalendar

Thanks
I would like to thank the Choir for their preparation and presentation of Advent and Christmas music. I especially want to thank Leesa Holloway for the tapes of the Cantata that she made for the choir to help us learn the music. I want to thank Mary Ellen Galloway for her support at the piano during this Christmas season. As always, I want to thank Cary Sue Frank for her voluntary contribution to our children’s choir on Wednesday evenings and to the 9:00 AM worship service on Sunday mornings as our pianist.
Dennis Bucher

YOUTH UPDATE
There will be a meeting of New Hope youth, their leaders and parents on Sunday evening, January 8, to discuss goals for 2012 and the future. If you have suggestions for our youth program, feel free to sit in on this session at 5:00 PM. Four of our youth group will be attending the Hope Event, a weekend retreat, on the Stetson campus January 27-29.
Leesa Holloway

UPCOMING CELEBRATORY EVENT
MORTGAGE BURNING CEREMONY
FEBRUARY 19, 2012