Greetings from Detroit Hope,

This year has been a great year, involving a lot of improvement, growth, and building as we have all been blessed by the spirit flowing in is and around us. Many have come to support the mission that Detroit Hope has, and many more are needed to help in the future. Let us tell you about some of the goals reached, some of the emergence achieved and some of the real life changing stuff that we have accomplished in 2007.
In February we took this years budget and combined it with a missionary grant from the world church that allowed us to hire Jeff Stoker as a part time stipend position here at the church and help with C.F.O. responsibilities as well as many other helps, with our Adult bible study, with Pizza Church and with Sunday evening worship. Above this, he has coordinated some efforts to help the witness of the Detroit Hope Ministry come forth.
In late April we put up a basketball goal that was something that the community has been hoping for, for a long time. Putting it next to Restoration towers has offered up some friction, so in the first week, we set up some rules and regulations that stated exactly how a basketball goal supported by the Community of Christ should be used and appreciated and the seniors hours of bed time should be respected, among other rules about language and fighting. This has really been supported by the community. Seniors come out on their porches and patios, and watch the games, they appreciate that we are giving youth something to do, and the youth really do stay out of trouble because of the atmosphere we have created here.
On Memorial Day week, we had a mission trip come all the way up from Northwest Florida-Alabama Mission Center. They were well-received by the Brighton congregation, and they commuted every day to Detroit Hope to split each day up into thirds, and provide help in these areas:
The first third they helped with building projects, to help get the font ready, to build a sign, to plant a community garden, to clean the attic and organize clothing in the basement, to organize the kitchen and many other projects, they did this between 8:30 and 12 each morning.
The second third gave them an opportunity to be ministers helping Detroit Hope. They canvassed the community; they visited, did worship planning, led pizza church and Sunday church, visited restoration towers, and visited congregants’ homes. All between 1 and 4:30 in the afternoon.
The last section of the day was the sight-seeing. They enjoyed this and went to the Henry Ford Museum, they went to Laser Tag, they played basketball and had a talent show and water fun day with the youth of the congregation, they went to see a movie, and it was a good relaxing end to each day.
Then when we were all done with the day, Jake Goodson (Rachel’s Father) led the group in devotion each night, and it really geared them up for the next day, spiritually feeding them after they had completely served to their potential.
In June and July we had our Community Technology Center Summer camp, and we had the blessing of over 50 kids attend, we did classes such as cooking, recreation, music, crafts, computers, job preparation, and peacemaking for ages 8-18. This was a good camp and the grant moneys allowed the Community Technology Center Summer Camp to take the youth on field trips they otherwise would not have been able to afford.
From this summer camp and the growing status of having a C.F.O. and starting to have some of the ministries come online, we have been fortunate enough to also have our first two baptisms; the baptisms of David Raphael McCray and Victoria Childs. Because of them, and our commitment, we have become an emerging congregation, with enough members to reach this level, we are on our way to becoming more self sustaining, and able to stand as a congregation in the mission center again, not just a seed, but a planted congregation someday soon.
As you will notice our programming support from the mission center has increased. This is due to the fact that we will be trying to get a working sound system for Detroit Hope this year. Our old one was stolen by previous renters before we were here, and it has left us with nothing to be heard over the background sounds of the city. This was okay when our services were between 15 and 30 but now we are averaging in the 47-52 range for pizza church on Wednesday nights. Our sound system might need more than 3000, but we were graciously given this projected support from the mission center finance committee and we are going to try to assemble this sound system in 2008. Another thing we are going to have as a goal is to have more training at Detroit Hope dealing with Generosity. It has worked in Baltimore Maryland in their church plant, and building projects, so I want to talk with Jeff Anderson, and figure out what it will take to start moving towards Financial Stability soon with the membership at Detroit Hope. I know this is a daunting task, but we are ready to meet small goals that get us to the greater goal of standing on our own two feet.

Sincerely Your Brother in Christ,

Jacob Blakesley

Hi, this is Pastor Jacob,

Here is a list of some of the news items that we have had from the past year. I hope you enjoy reading the list, a letter I am preparing for the confrence will come later.

Detroit Hope News

Public Relations, Three Pamphlets
Emerging congregation
Congregational Partnerships
Field Fundraising
Upgrades on Facility,
Mission Trip
Detroit Hope Garden
3 service discipleship sessions, Adult biblestudy 5:00 Tuesday,
Pizza Church 5:30 Wednesday,
Sunday Evening 5:30 Service
Ventures
2 Baptisms this summer
Looking to get Tech Center Re-Opened
57 Last Wednesday
19 Sunday
18 Adult Bible Study
Starting Stewardship and Discipleship
Seminary Study
January and May Intensive Seminary Study
October Preservation of Safe Night, Angels Night, Halloween
Christmas Program December 18th
Field Meeting
Church Planter Retreat
Adult Biblestudy reading the New Testament, Currently Romans

David's Testimony

This Is My Testimony, By: David McCray
I guess being baptized is a really good feeling, especially with all the support you get from other people and sometimes from people you don't even know. To be excepted into to a family that dose'nt even know you that well, and for them to except you so wellingly is hard to put in words. When you think about all the bad things on the news and just bad things impiticular you forget where the world even started and who created it. We are downgrading ourselfs in society and my goal is to let people know it's not all bad and I would like to build my community based on Joy, Hope, Love, and Peace. So to be excepted into a family that basically has the same goals as myself is more that I could ever hope for. I am honored to be a part of this family and I wish to to change every persons life I am invited into. I have so much more to say but I am trying to make this as brief as possible, so thankyou for being my brothers and sisters I love you all.

Your brother forever, David R. McCray