I want to talk to you about a couple of money matters, so that you are up to speed with some new developments and that you have all the information you need to make wise choices as you build into the Kingdom of God.

Hope Community Church is a Charitable Trust registered with and recognised by the Inland Revenue Department.

It was a cool overcast morning on Saturday 16th February when 24 keen intrepid bike riders set off from the St. Arnaud turnoff to the Rainbow Valley,  bound for Hanmer.  Total distance 106km!!
The first 28 kms of the road is tar-sealed and relatively easy to negotiate,  then gravel for about 5kms to arrive at the historic Rainbow Station Homestead and toll-gate.  Here we stopped for a break and repairs to bikes for some,  before heading further into a unique alpine environment.  It wasn't long before the weather deteriorated, with rain becoming more persistent and temperatures plummeting to around 4deg.  Fresh snow could be seen on the top of some peaks.  Some of the riders in the leading bunch experiencing near hypothermic symptoms.

How to build a healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime.

What is The Marriage Course?
The Marriage Course is very practical, giving any married couple the tools to build a strong and healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime.

Over eight evenings spent together couples talk about important issues that can get swept under the carpet in the rush of daily life.

Topics covered include: recognizing each other’s needs, learning to communicate effectively, resolving conflict, healing past hurt, knowing how to make each other feel loved, relating to parents and in-laws, good sex, making time for each other and having fun together.

Privacy as a couple is always respected. There is no group discussion and no requirement to disclose anything about your relationship to anyone else.

Can you believe Christmas is upon us? May you and your family have your best Christmas yet as you remember all that our Saviour means to us!

Looking back on 2007, this has been a huge year for Julie and me. We are so delighted to be part of the pastoral team at Hope, and want you to know how grateful we are to have you all in our lives. Thank you for helping us settle here, for inviting us into your lives and homes, and for the way you have extended friendship to us. Our pantry is packed with goods from the pantry party that Antoinette and the ladies threw for Julie. Thank you, all. It’s a privilege to serve you. One of our hobbies has become reading through the church prayer directory to learn and re-learn names of all of you who bless us so much.

Our study in Nehemiah seemed to have raced past too. It felt like we skipped so much good stuff as we focused on the main events in the narrative. Mostly we missed the five looonnngggg lists of Hebrew names (see chapters 3, 7, 10, 11, 12). What do you make of those? You don’t normally rush to these in your quiet times, do you?! You could probably keep those five lists by your bed to put you to sleep at night!

Hello my name is Bruce Dron and I was born profoundly deaf. For my first 6 years I lived with my parents and sister on a farm in Teapot Valley, Waimea West, later shifting to “Beacon Hill” on Paton Road in Hope. The “Beacon Hill” property had belonged to my Great Grandfather, Major Robert Paton, and Paton Road is named after him.

When I was 6 years old I was taken to Christchurch to Sumner School for the Deaf (now Van Asch College), where I was a pupil for the next 10 years, coming home twice a year for holidays. No one could tell me why I was there or where my father had disappeared to, so the first few weeks were bewildering and unhappy with me not knowing if I would ever see my parents or home again, but I’m thankful to God for the patience of teachers who taught me to make letter sounds then join them together to make words, before any general education could start. At that time we were taught to speak and lip read as signing was strictly forbidden.