Season’s greetings. You are most cordially invited to join us at 11 a.m. Nov. 24 at Christian Hope Baptist Church, 301 LaSalle St., for our 19th anniversary.

As we look back, we marvel at the faithfulness of God and look forward with anticipation, “for the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Cor. 9b.

We are humbled to stand here for the faith of the initial 22 believers, along with Pastor John W. Scott Jr., who were instrumental in the founding of this church. We gratefully acknowledge Pastor Robert Green and the Mt. Bruin family, who opened their doors to the church in its infancy.

Under the divine guidance, the church has experienced phenomenal growth. We adhere to the edict of the mission statement, which states “We endeavor to carry on the work of Christ and wait patiently for his return. We seek to edify Him through Sunday School, exemplify Him through prayers, equip ourselves through Bible study and exercise faith through witnessing, sharing and caring.” To that end services are scheduled with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. followed by 11 a.m. worship service. Each Wednesday, prayer meeting is at 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Bible study.

Because edification is important, Christian Hope serves as designee for the Mississippi Baptist Seminary Bible College Natchez extension. The curriculum is designed for students pursuing degrees in Divinity or desirous of a comprehensive study of the Bible. The first graduating class was feted with a reception recently honoring their accomplishments. The church has served as host for the AMB Association conferences, where workshops are incorporated for training purposes. In addition, the two-week vacation Bible school is formatted to inculcate precepts in our youth complete with a retreat day.

At Christian Hope, we seek to provide encouragement for the discouraged, light for those that walk in the darkness and hope for the hopeless. We warmly welcome all who come to worship with us, “be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love,” Romans 12:10.

But we never lose sight that the reason for our creation is to worship our Creator. Since God is in control of our lives, it behooves us to be cognizant of His omnipresence. We must be vigilant in our worship. As participants in his homage, we become recipients of the underserved privilege of communing with a Sovereign God. True worship, however, demands sacrifice. We must first sacrifice our willful nature to the utterances of the Holy Spirit. There must be the sacrificial offerings of our resources for the furtherance of the kingdom work. Our sacrifices are demonstrative of the caliber of our faith. “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20. God created us unique because He cares about us. Let us show ourselves grateful by our sacrifices.

On behalf of Pastor Scott and the Christian Hope family, we extend our wishes for a Merry Christmas and invite you to join us as we worship “in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24.

 

Diane Prater-Smith is a Natchez resident and Christian Hope Baptist Church member.