Watch amazing things happen as kids encounter God like never before—all against the backdrop of some of the world’s most marvelous natural wonders.

As kids explore Psalm 147:5, they’ll recognize God’s power over all things, trust that God is always in control, accept God’s gift of forgiveness, celebrate that Jesus is alive, and rely on God’s power. Rev. Brad will be in charge of this year’s VBS, which is scheduled for July 9 – 13.

Those items are:

Toothbrushes

Ink Pens

Construction Paper

Glow Bracelets

Leeann and Alene left for Haiti on Fe. 8 and will return to us on Feb. 18.  They ask and need our prayer each and every day they are away from us.  May God bless them and their work on this trip.

UPDATE 2/18/12: Alene and Leeann have returned safely to us and relate what a profound impact this trip had on their spiritual lives and they have a new perspective of what it means to be truly “poor.”  They both spoke about the friendliness of the Haitian people and their hunger not just for food but for God’s Word. They are to looking forward to returning next February to work on building a school.

According to Cumberland Presbyterian records, New Hope is first mentioned sending delegates to a presbytery meeting as an organized church in 1812.  The church can trace its history back to a group of Christians that came over from North Carolina and settled in the “Cumberland Country” in 1799.  The “Banner of Peace”, published in 1868,  relates the early history of this church:

Clip from the Banner of Peace (1868):

In 1799 a few persons, members of the Presbyterian Church, mostly from North Carolina, agreed to meet every Sabbath to read the Scriptures and pray with and for each other. They afterward constituted the Cumberland Presbyterian Church which was organized at New Hope, Wilson County, Tennessee. Their names are William and Catherine Gray, James and Margaret Stewart, Andrew and Elizabeth Bay, Alexander and Jane Kirkpatrick, John and Ann Kirkpatrick, David and Rebecca Kirkpatrick, Samuel and Sarah Motheral, Elias Morrison, Joseph Kirkpatrick, and Margaret Motheral. “These all died in the faith.” The same year (1799) the Rev. William McGee preached the first sermon in the bounds of this congregation. From this time until 1810 they enjoyed occasional circuit preaching by Samuel King, Alexander Anderson, Hugh Kirkpatrick, Thomas Calhoun, Alexander Chapman, James B. Porter, and David Foster–all of whom have joined the sacramental host beyond death’s stream, where parting is no more.

In the fall of 1810 this congregation, afterward noted for camp-meetings, held their first camp-meeting near the “Double Islands,” on Cumberland River. At this meeting they were much revived and encouraged; so much so, that the next year (1811) they purchased a lot of ground, erected camps, and held a second camp-meeting one mile above their first encampment. The Rev. William McGee, who was present, called this new camp-ground New Hope. Here, in 1812, the Rev. Hugh Kirkpatrick, with the names designated above, organized a Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and preached once a month till 1816, when he was succeeded by the Rev. John Provine, who preached monthly until 1830. From this date to 1843 they were supplied with preaching by the Rev. George Donnell and the Rev. John L. Dillard. The former served four, the latter nine years. The Rev. M.S. Vaughan then accepted the charge and preached until 1850, when he was followed by the Rev. J.E. Davis, who continued two years.

In the fall of 1852 the Rev. William D. Chadick was regularly installed pastor of this church by the late Rev. F.R. Cossitt, D.D., and continued his labors till 1855, when the Rev. J.C. Bowden supplied the congregation one year.

The Rev. M. S. Vaughan again received a call to this congregation and preached until 1859, when he was succeeded by the Rev. William A. Haynes, who served as pastor, with the exception of two or more years during the late war, till the spring of 1866. The Rev. W.W. Suddarth succeeded Mr. Haynes, and labored till the fall of 1867, at which time he received a call from Lebanon congregation, and the Rev. M.S. Vaughan was called for the third time to New Hope.

From these facts, which I find in the church records, we learn that New Hope has enjoyed the means of grace from 1799, and an organized existence of fifty-six years’ standing. During this time the church held and supported fifty-three camp-meetings. At these meetings hundreds, if not thousands, of sinners were brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and obtained through grace a good hope of a happy immortality beyond time. Among these are many able ministers of the gospel. Some of them have laid down the gospel trumpet for glittering crowns in glory. Others, trembling under the effects of age and hard service in their high vocation, are yet preaching Jesus to a perishing world, each cheered on in his “labor of love” with this most precious promise of his divine Master? “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life,” FELIX H. TAYLOR, Clerk.

Children’s Worship: This is a high energy high volume children’s program that allows kids to have fun and learn morals and values from the Bible that will last them a lifetime.  This program will take place every Sunday during the 10am adult worship time beginning January 8th . We will call this class “New Hope Kidz!”

Monday               Aug 1                     First full day of school

Monday               Sept 5                   School Holiday – Labor Day

Wednesday        Sept 14                 ½ Student day A.M.

Thursday             Sept 15                 Parent Teacher Conference

                                Oct 3 -14              Fall Break

Wednesday        Oct 26                   ½ Student day A.M.

Friday                   Nov 11                  No School (stockpile day for professors)

Wed-Fri                               Nov 23-25            Thanksgiving holidays

                                Dec 19-30            Winter Break

Monday               Jan 2                      Holiday

Tuesday               Jan 3                      No school (stockpile day for professors)

Monday               Jan 16                    Holiday (Martin Luther King)

Wednesday        Feb 8                     ½ Student day A.M

Thursday             Feb 9                     Parent Teacher Conference

Monday               Feb 20                   Holiday – Presidents Day

                                Mar 12-23            Spring Break

Friday                   April 6                   Holiday – Good Friday

Wednesday        April 11                                ½ Student Day A.M.

Monday               May 28                  Holiday – Memorial Day

Wednesday        May 30                  Exam Day

Thursday             May 31                  Exam Day

Friday                   June 1                   No School

Saturday              June 2                   Report Card Day

More and more news is coming into the Missions Ministry Team about CP churches and CP families that have been hit by the storms. We will update this page as that information comes in concerning folks who can use some help.

Update on 6/14/11:

Joplin, Missouri
An F5 tornado ripped through the Heart of Joplin, MO on Sunday afternoon, May 22, 2011. The death toll in that small town stands at 153 (including deaths following the tornado). The tornado cut a path of destruction nearly 14 miles long – nearly 7 miles of which were in city limits – and up to 1 mile wide. The southwest Missouri city has a population of about 50,000.

There will be an opportunity for those coming to Springfield, MO for General Assembly and the Women’s Ministry Convention to respond to the clean-up and recovery efforts in Joplin. Monetary donations will be collected for the purpose of purchasing Clean-Up Buckets through Church World Service. Each bucket costs approximately $56 (with an additional $3 for shipping/processing costs).

Upcoming Work Trips within the Denomination

1) February 9-18, 2012 — Work Trip to Fond-des-blancs, Haiti. Cost: approximately $600 plus airfare. Lots of coordination required so please contact Pat Driskell at patprespax@yahoo.com as soon as possible.

2) Tornado Relief in Hillsboro, AL — rebuilding a home. To bring a work team for a day, a weekend trip please contact Pat Driskell at patprespax@yahoo.com. (Note: No youth groups, please).

Update on 5/6/11:
1) Hickory Grove CPC outside Moulton, AL (pastor Don Thomas) – nearby Mt. Hope community was devastated. They still need adult volunteers to help with debris removal. You can contact Don Thomas at (256)306-0025.

Updates:
Folks across the denomination have expressed a desire to help and reach out. Of course, the most efficient way to help is by making a financial contribution (checks payable to Missions Ministry Team, and indicating it is for “Spring Springs” – 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414). In the Madison, AL area we’ve received a list of “Constant Need” supplies. If your church wants to collect up items for recovery efforts there, you can ship them to Christ Church of Monrovia, 1580 Jeff Road, Huntsville, AL 35806. More than likely these are items that can be of use in any of the storm-damaged areas, so if your church is willing to be a collection point, just let us know.

Constant Needs: (Printable List (word) (PDF)

• Ice
• Water
• Gatorade
• D-cell batteries
• AA batteries
• Battery-powered lanterns
• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Pull-ups
• Adult Depend/Diapers
• Feminine Hygiene products
• Exam Gloves (m/lg)
• Salad Dressings
• Washcloths
• Bath towels
• Blankets
• Adult Tylenol
• Styrofoam Coolers
• Tarps
• Work Gloves
• Bubblewrap
• Duct Tape
• Packing material
• Canned Cokes (regular & diet)
• Men’s & Women’s Underwear
• Toilet Paper
• Little Debbie Snacks
• Kosher salt
• Dish towels
• Hair ties, etc.
• Power Strips (4) (15 amp breaker)
• Trouble Lights (4)
• Vegetable Oil
• Fruit Cups
• Cleaning Supplies
• Laundry Detergent
• Bleach

Update from George Estes (5/2/2011):

I was in Huntsville and Birmingham Sunday and Monday (May 1 & 2). The city of Tuscaloosa and several smaller communities in western Alabama seem to have suffered the worst damage, though parts of Birmingham, Cullman and Madison County (where Pam Phillips-Burk lives) were hit hard as well. Volunteers from Homewood Church in Birmingham were working yesterday (Sunday), and I know there are other work teams being organized by CPs.

As of Sunday night, there were still 458 persons missing in Tuscaloosa, and I saw in the paper today 45 people confirmed dead there. (One of those was on the block where Micaiah Thomas lived, daughter of Lynn Thomas who was in off-campus housing at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa). I also became aware of severe damage in the Bartow (GA) CPC community where Mark Rackley is pastor, and Oldham Chapel CPC in Ashville, AL. [We have since learned that Oldham Chapel is OK, but several members' homes sustained severe damage]. I’ve communicated with folks in those areas offering to assist with Disaster Relief.

Sam Suddarth and Charles McCaskey have each expressed plans to organize work teams. We know of a couple of CP churches in the hard-hit areas who are able to host work teams – Christ Church in Monrovia (where Pam is pastor) and Branchville CPC in Odenville, AL (where Keith Mariott is pastor). If there are other churches in the hardest hit areas that can accomodate work teams, please let us know (pam@cumberland.org) and we will post that contact information here. We will also try to keep the Missions Ministry Team facebook page updated as well.

I have emailed Melvin Orr regarding possible need for flood relief again in the Dyersburg area. There may be others who would have additional information about this need.