COME VISIT THE CHURCH
It's always a real joy for us to meet new members.
NEW TO HOPE
WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH
WELCOME TO HOPE
If there’s one thing we could all use today it’s Hope. We all need Hope in the midst of doubts. Hope when life seems dark and it’s hard to see the light. Hope when we feel ashamed, belittled, or frustrated. Hope when our families, communities, nation and world seem so divided they can never be united again.
We believe Jesus is the Hope who can speak to all these places on our lives where we long for Hope.
We regularly gather for worship to pray, sing and hear God’s Word spoken to our hearts and lives. God’s revealed Word (Jesus!) comes to us in God’s written Word that invites us into an everlasting relationship with God and then challenges us to be God’s
ambassadors of that universal, inclusive invitation. That’s Hope!
We regularly gather around the Sacrament, where Jesus comes to us and we can “taste and see that the Lord is good.” That’s Hope!
We regularly gather to share meals, become open to the types of “course corrections” necessary to “not be conformed” to this world without Hope, but be “transformed” into the kingdom of mercy, forgiveness and light. That’s Hope!
If you are longing for such a Hope, Hope Lutheran Church in San Mateo might be a home for you. We Hope so!
In joy,
Pastor Kevin Murphy
Interim
Email:helc@pacbell.net
Call: (650) 349-0100
IF YOU ARE NEW TO HOPE
As a person who is “New to Hope”, we hope you will first be able join us in worship on Sunday. We welcome all! We have a fellowship time after church, called Cafe Hope, and we would love to have you join us there, so that we could get to know you better and you us. As a side note, the food is very good!
We do not have organized nursery care at Hope, but we do have areas near the back of the church where parents with infants often sit. We have a wonderful childrens’ sermon each Sunday for children of all ages, followed by a children-focused time away from the sanctuary, called Spark. This allows children, ages 2 through 2nd grade, to focus on the sermon at their level, and parents are given a chance to focus on the message of the week.
If you are unable to attend worship initially, please do not let that stop you from getting involved with our programs. We invite you to attend our wonderful adult bible study classes, social concern outreach efforts, our music program (choir and bells), to name a few. We would love to have you participate.
FAITH COMMON QUESTIONS
As Christians, the object or focus of our faith is not primarily a set of dogmas or intellectual beliefs about God. Rather, faith is an open heart for the living presence of God which comes to us in the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ.
The gift of God in Christ comes to us as we hear the promises of God proclaimed to us, and as we receive the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
As we grow in our ability to receive the gift of God by turning to God in faith and trust, we receive divine love, (for God’s being is love) hope, strength, generosity, and the desire to love and serve others. At the same time, the power of fear, anxiety and worry, and the possibility of despair, looses its control over us. Faith is active in loving service to others.
The Bible is a library of documents written in various literary forms by or about people through whom God acted in human history. Collectively, it tells the story of how our separation from God was overcome, and how this redeems us from the power of death. As such, the authors of these books serve as messengers to us of how God has accomplished our redemption and thereby secured our place in God’s Kingdom.
The church is a community of people from all races, cultures, and classes who are united by their faith in Christ. Those things that serve as barriers between people in the world do not apply. The people of the church gather weekly to receive the gift of God’s grace, and to praise and thank God for God’s generosity, goodness, and love. The church is also a community called to serve by addressing the needs of others in whatever way we are gifted to do so. As individuals, Christians are called to serve others in their vocation and daily lives.