We value relationship, we invest into building meaningful relationships and a sound community which is united in spirit and being. We value fellowships and coming together as a wider spiritual family. We love meeting up on regular intervals, get involved in healthy discussions to explore more about God.
it says meaningful relationships: I would ask why relationships? We are all social species. We need each other to survive. We need each other. Meaningful relationships bring confidence, freedom, and showcases the love of Christ. Jesus wants meaningful relationship with all of us. He has always shown it through different modes and means. The cross is a witness of that.
Sound community: Any living organism needs to be sound in order to be alive. if we want our community to be alive means we need to be sound.
United in Spirit and being: We believe, soundness brings unity in spirit and in being.
Fellowship, coming together for a purpose. We meet up on regular intervals to discuss and learn more about God. More than discussing, it is experiencing God together.
I would like to bring across two stories to elaborate more on this
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
WHAT DOES GOING TO HIS HOUSE INDICATE? WHY DO WE GO TO PEOPLE’S HOUSE?
– Building Relationship: Going to his house, getting to know him. Jesus did not simply say ok, thanks for meeting me, hope you had a good understanding, etc… Jesus said, I will come to your house. Build relationship, have fellowship with you. i want to know you, I want to know your family, I want to do life with you.
It’s only when we go to people’s house we come to know a lot of things about them. We can connect.
Once Jesus did that Zacchaeus on his own repented and received God’s Salvation. He is called the son of Abraham. So to come to that level, means Jesus might have had some deep conversations, which happen only in our homes. It just breaks the ice.
So why did Jesus have to go to his house? Just like others he could have restored him. so to explain that, we have a short dialogue:
Mamie made frequent trips to the branch post office. One day she confronted a long line of people who were waiting for service from the postal clerks. Mamie only needed stamps, so a helpful observer asked, “Why don’t you use the stamp machine? You can get all the stamps you need and you won’t have to stand in line.” Mamie said, “I know, but the machine can’t ask me about my arthritis.” People still need human contact.
We come to the next part – FELLOWSHIP
Second story:
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
What is meant by fellowship in this verse? Gossip? Cups of tea? Tours? No. What is being referred to is something of a quite different order and on a quite different level. “They met constantly to hear the apostles teach, and to share the common life, and break bread and to pray. A sense of awe was everywhere. All whose faith had drawn them together held everything in common. With one mind they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in private houses, shared their meals with unaffected joy as they praised God” (Acts 2:42-47, New English Bible). That is fellowship as the new Testament understands it, and there is clearly a world of difference between that and mere social activities.
The Greek word for fellowship comes from a root meaning common or shared. So fellowship means common participation in something either by giving what you have to the other person or receiving what he or she has. Give and take is the essence of fellowship, and give and take must be the way of fellowship in the common life of the body of Christ.
Christian fellowship is two-dimensional, and it has to be vertical before it can be horizontal. We must know the reality of fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ before we can know the reality of fellowship with each other in our common relationship to God (1 John 1:3). The person who is not in fellowship with the Father and the Son is no Christian at all, and so cannot share with Christians the realities of their fellowship.
In both the above stories there’s only one aim that comes across, that is, Salvation. Ultimate fellowship with Jesus. We stir up each other to build relationship with God, become right with Him, to support each other in this endeevour.
In all this God is glorified through our unity.
In Renewed hope community, we are very relational and that’s our strength, across GMI. We are known as a relational church. We fellowship because when we meet, we rub something of Jesus on each other. We grow together.
We have multiple ways of meeting up:
- Women’s Minstry
- Girls’ Ministry
- Boys Ministry
- Men’s Ministry
- Friday fellowship is the summary of all these ministries.
Through our relationship we
- heal people
- assist them to reconcile with God.
- we bring Salvation in their home
- we bring light into dark situations
- Comfort
- Encourage
- motivate
- change lives
- bring meaning
- give hope
Jesus calls us into His fellowship. No one is perfect but we all need each other to reach our ultimate goal – Fellowship with God for which Christ paid a great price.
Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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