Weekly Update
Here's what's happening around Hope this week.

Eric Thompson •
July 20, 2026

3 Minute Read
Welcome to the July 19th weekly roundup 👋
This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days.
Sunday, July 19th
  • 11:00 am Worship Service - Join us for Sunday
    service in person or online.
  • Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during the service.
Monday, July 20th
  • Prayer Gathering - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, July 21st
  • Leadership Meeting - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, July 22nd
  • Community Mental Health Workshop - 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Thursday, July 23rd
  • Praise and Worship Practice - 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Saturday, July 25th
  • Family Day Set-Up - 10 AM - 12 PM
Upcoming Events
  • Family Fun Day - Sunday, July 26th at 11:00 am
  • Partnership Dinner - Sunday, August 2, 5:30-7:00 PM in the Kid’s Room
  • Women’s Painting Party - August 8th from 12-2 at the church
  • Kid’s Back to School Swim Party - August 9th from 4-6 PM at 116 Shadowood Court, Seneca, SC 29678
New here? We'd love to connect.
Last Week's Message

"The Necessity of Evangelism"
Pastor Eric | 1 Peter 3:15

Evangelism is not an optional activity but the natural overflow of the hope we have in Christ. Living out 1 Peter 3:15 in daily life isn't about memorizing a list of specific Scriptures or looking for arguments. Instead, it is about cultivating a lifestyle that naturally invites curiosity and being ready to respond with humility when people ask about our faith.

Watch last week’s sermon 👇


Watch Online
Community Prayer

We carry each other through the spiritual practice of prayer. Here's what our community is lifting up this week:

🙏 Family Day - That we will reach families that are far from God so that they may find Hope in Christ. That new connections will be made and that everyone has fun.

🙏 Our City – For renewal and revival across our communities.

Submit your own prayer request .here

Giving

Your generosity makes our work in our community possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.

Give Now Here


Stay Connected

📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox.

📸 Follow us on , Instagram,
and .YouTube

💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here.

Services: Sundays at 11:00 AM
3210 Blue Ridge Blvd., West Union, SC 29696
See you soon ☀️

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Up Next
From this Tag: Prayer
July 24, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Praying for Open Doors
Focus Verse: Colossians 4:3 "At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison." Even the apostle Paul asked others to pray that God would open doors for the gospel. He did not rely solely on his own boldness, his theological training, or his remarkable story. He recognized that the opportunities to speak about Jesus are ultimately God-given, and that prayer is how a believer positions himself or herself to see them. This is an enormous relief. You do not have to manufacture conversations or engineer moments. You simply have to be willing and watchful. The sermon closes with a practical challenge: pray each morning for an open door and then ask God for the eyes to see it when it appears. That second part matters enormously. Doors open all around you every day - a colleague mentioning that they are struggling, a neighbor who seems unusually discouraged, a family member who brings up something they are afraid of. These are invitations. Prayer trains your attention so that you recognize them as the gifts they are rather than letting them pass by unnoticed. One person, one conversation, one act of visible hope can change a life. Begin with prayer, and then stay alert. Today's Challenge: Pray a simple, specific prayer this morning: "Lord, give me one opportunity today to show your love to someone, and give me the eyes to see it when you do." Prayer: Father, I do not want to miss the doors you are already opening around me. Train my eyes to see the people you have placed in my path today. Give me courage to walk through the door when it appears, and remind me that you are with me always, to the very end.

Eric Thompson

Currently Reading
July 20, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Weekly Update
Welcome to the July 19th weekly roundup 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, July 19th 11:00 am Worship Service - Join us for Sunday service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during the service. Monday, July 20th Prayer Gathering - 5:30 pm Tuesday, July 21st Leadership Meeting - 6:30 pm Wednesday, July 22nd Community Mental Health Workshop - 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary Thursday, July 23rd Praise and Worship Practice - 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary Saturday, July 25th Family Day Set-Up - 10 AM - 12 PM Upcoming Events Family Fun Day - Sunday, July 26th at 11:00 am Partnership Dinner - Sunday, August 2, 5:30-7:00 PM in the Kid’s Room Women’s Painting Party - August 8th from 12-2 at the church Kid’s Back to School Swim Party - August 9th from 4-6 PM at 116 Shadowood Court, Seneca, SC 29678New here? We'd love to connect. Last Week's Message "The Necessity of Evangelism" Pastor Eric | 1 Peter 3:15 Evangelism is not an optional activity but the natural overflow of the hope we have in Christ. Living out 1 Peter 3:15 in daily life isn't about memorizing a list of specific Scriptures or looking for arguments. Instead, it is about cultivating a lifestyle that naturally invites curiosity and being ready to respond with humility when people ask about our faith. Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch Online Community Prayer We carry each other through the spiritual practice of prayer. Here's what our community is lifting up this week: 🙏 Family Day - That we will reach families that are far from God so that they may find Hope in Christ. That new connections will be made and that everyone has fun. 🙏 Our City – For renewal and revival across our communities. Submit your own prayer request .here Giving Your generosity makes our work in our community possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on , Instagram, and .YouTube 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 11:00 AM 3210 Blue Ridge Blvd., West Union, SC 29696 See you soon ☀️

Eric Thompson

July 10, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Release What You Are Carrying
Focus Verse: Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Notice that Jesus links two things together in a single sentence - receiving forgiveness from God and extending forgiveness to others. He does not let you separate them. You cannot maintain a strong vertical relationship with God while holding unresolved bitterness toward the people around you. The cross connects both directions. That is not a comfortable truth, but it is a freeing one. Unforgiveness is heavy. It accumulates quietly - a comment someone made at work, a wound that never fully healed, a disappointment that replays in your mind. When you let those things build up without releasing them, they do not stay contained. They affect your peace, your relationships, and even your capacity to receive grace from God. The daily practice of writing down the initials of people who have frustrated you - and then intentionally releasing them to God - is not a small exercise. It is the kind of daily maintenance that keeps bitterness from taking root. You release them not because what they did was acceptable, but because Jesus released you. Today's Challenge: Write down the initials of one or two people you are holding something against, pray a brief prayer releasing that person to God, and then put the paper away or throw it out as a physical act of letting go. Prayer: Father, I confess that I have held onto things I need to release. Forgive me where I have fallen short, and give me the grace to extend that same forgiveness to others. I release these people and situations to you today.

Eric Thompson

July 9, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Bring Your Daily Needs to God
Bring Your Daily Needs to God Focus Verse: Matthew 6:11 "Give us today our daily bread." There is something beautifully ordinary about this line in the Lord's Prayer. Jesus does not say "give us our five-year plan" or "grant us our long-term financial security." He says today. Daily bread. This is a prayer for what you need right now - the meeting you are nervous about this morning, the conversation with your spouse you have been avoiding, the anxiety keeping you awake at night, the physical need you are too embarrassed to name out loud. God wants you to bring all of it to him. Not just the big spiritual requests, but the immediate, practical, ordinary weight of living. When you come to him with your specific daily needs, you are acknowledging something important: you are not self-sufficient, and you were never meant to be. Dependence on God is not a weakness - it is the posture of a disciple. He is a good Father who provides, and he invites you to ask him every single day for exactly what you need today. Today's Challenge: Before your day gets moving, name three specific needs - one financial, one emotional, and one relational - and bring each one to God in a simple, direct sentence. Prayer: Father, I bring you my needs today, the ones I can name and the ones I struggle to put into words. I acknowledge my dependence on you and trust that you are a good provider. Give me today what I need.

Eric Thompson

July 8, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Align Your Heart With His Will
Align Your Heart With His Will Focus Verse: Matthew 6:10 "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Think about the last time you prayed hard for something and then added, almost as an afterthought, "but your will be done." For many of us, that phrase is a formality tacked onto the end of a request we have already decided upon. But in Jesus's model prayer, surrendering to the Father's will is not an afterthought - it is placed near the very beginning. It is foundational. When you pray "your kingdom come, your will be done," you are doing something costly. You are handing over your personal agenda. You are asking God to reign over your home, your relationships, your finances, and your plans - the same way he reigns in heaven, completely and without resistance. That is an act of trust. It requires believing that his ways are better than yours even when you cannot see it yet. The goal of prayer is not to bend God toward your desires. It is to bend your desires toward his. That realignment is where peace begins. Today's Challenge: Write down one situation in your life that you have been trying to control or force, and intentionally pray the words "your will be done" over it by name. Prayer: Father, I surrender my plans to you today. Where I have been pushing my own agenda, I ask you to reign instead. Your will is better than mine, and I choose to trust that today.

Eric Thompson

July 7, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Prayer is for Relationship
Focus Verse: Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." There is a moment many people recognize - standing in a circle, someone asks you to pray out loud, and your first thought is not about God at all. It is about the people listening. What will they think? Will your words sound right? Jesus saw this exact impulse in the religious leaders of his day, and he named it plainly: praying to be seen by others is a performance, not a prayer. God is not grading your vocabulary. He is not impressed by polished phrases or lengthy sentences. He is your heavenly Father, and he is looking for you - the real you, behind the closed door, with nothing to prove. True prayer is intimate conversation, not a public demonstration. You can come to him without a script, without the right words, and without fear. He already knows your heart. What he wants is your honest presence. Today's Challenge: Find a quiet moment today, close the door, and speak to God in plain, honest language - exactly as you would talk to someone who knows and loves you completely. Prayer: Father, I confess that I have sometimes been more concerned with how I sound than with actually reaching you. Teach me to come to you as I am, without performance or pretense. Let my prayer today be real.Share Your Prayer Request

Eric Thompson