The "Hope It Forward" Movement
Hope Heals is not just a blog anymore folks!
As we've jumped into full-time ministry with Hope Heals, we've desired to do 2 big things:
- Communicate a MESSAGE OF HOPE, and
- Cultivate a MOVEMENT OF HOPE
Sharing our story has always been a very natural way to communicate a message of hope. More recently, we've explored sharing that message through other mediums like film and art. We want the hope of the gospel to be communicated in lots of different ways in order to heard by lots of different people. Communicating that message will always be a very important part of our life and our ministry. But wait there's more...
As we've received so much hope over the years, it only seemed natural to find ways to share it with others. Hope presents us with an incredible cycle of action--receive hope, then give it to someone who needs it. Cultivating this movement of hope in a hopeless world has increasingly been a holy burden on our hearts.
We don't want to just tell people about our hope; we want them to know that real hope too and then give it to other people, who give it to other people, and on and on...
We affectionately refer to this idea as the "HOPE IT FORWARD" Movement. Over the next several months, we will launch 6 ongoing "Hope It Forward" projects which will present simple opportunities to know hope and to show hope to others. Each of these projects was inspired by a specific way in which we were shown hope when we needed it most, such as...
* a digital network of prayer requests and prayer warriors, all over the world, most of whom we will never know this side of heaven, praying hope and healing over me and my family, literally affecting my outcomes through their intercession
* artistic expressions of hope, beauty from ashes, hope made visible in places of hopelessness
.jpg)
* tangible representations of hope to hold on to (sometimes to hold on to for dear life) -- "tokens of hope", modern day Ebenezers reminding us that God has helped us thus far and inspiring a deep hope that He will continue to help us in the future
* mailed notes of hope by the truckload, letters, and packages from friends and strangers; the ongoing feeling of childlike joy from finding just what I was hoping for in my mailbox, unexpected expressions of grace
* a home full of hope and healing, surrounded by reminders of God's goodness and of new life for once-discarded things
* quotes and mantras of hope, printed prayers and Bible verses; communicating hope when other words failed
Over time, we will have even more projects inspired by our personal experience of hope, but for now, we pray you will be encouraged by these new expressions of our hope, so much so that you feel the uncontrollable urge to "Hope It Forward". Thank you for your continued support friends.
We launch our first "Hope It Forward" project this Friday! Stay tuned...