Hoopeston Church of God News

Church announces Easter services

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2013-03-16T13:46:06-07:00

Easter falls on Sunday, March 31, this year, and we’re ready to announce our Easter services!

Crossing concert coming November 10

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-09-18T10:16:06-07:00

We’re excited to welcome Irish/Celtic powerhouse The Crossing on Saturday, November 10 at 6:00 P.M. for a special autumn evening of music and fellowship! The band is famous for making music to move the feet and stir the soul.

Known for their intricate arrangements of multiple instruments, the Crossing has been performing a mix of traditional Irish and Scottish songs along with their own original compositions since 1984. They’re based in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, and they’ve been bringing hope to Illinois’ largest city and to the world at concerts, festivals, pubs, college campuses, and various other appearances for years. The members of the band share a Christian worldview, but their shows feature an overall mood of hope, joy, and celebration that appeals to people of all convictions.

Their seventh studio album, “Home,” was released in 2010. The group is exceptionally talented and boasts multiple musical threats throughout the lineup:

Tony Krogh - guitar, lead vox, Highland pipes, Scottish smallpipes, high- and low-D whistles, bouzouki, bodhran
Mark Hall - flute, whistles, harp, bones, bodhran, vox
Jennifer Ingerson - fiddle, vox
Hilde Bialach - cello, lead vox, keys, bodhran
Eric Clayton - guitar, bouzouki, bodhran, djembe, vox

This is a community event for the people of Hoopeston and the surrounding area, and anyone else who would like to make the trip. We’re looking forward to bringing believers and non-believers together for a top-notch musical act that many may not have had the opportunity to experience before.

We’ll have a comfortable, no-risk setting without an altar call so you can come and focus on the incredible music. There is a $2 suggested donation at the door per person, but no one will be turned away!

More information and free sounds from the band’s record label, Facebook, MySpace, PureVolume, and BandCamp.

Get directions here. For more information, contact associate pastor and music director Dan First.

Free haircuts for schoolkids coming in August

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-07-22T09:01:53-07:00

Budgets are tight these days, and few expenses are tougher than the beginning of school for many families. The kids all need school supplies, checkups, physicals, new clothes, and fees. (Just to name a few.)

We’d like to help this year. Introducing our new school haircuts ministry, coming August 11 from 9 am to 1 pm.

If you live in Hoopeston or a nearby community, or if you know someone who could benefit, we’re excited to help your kids get a stylish ‘do in time for the morning bell.

For more information, contact our office.

Special concert on August 19 with Shorewood Church

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-07-15T09:36:35-07:00

On Sunday, August 19, musicians and vocalists from our friends at the Shorewood Church of God will share their talents in a 5:00 P.M. worship concert.

Video: Jansky paints Jesus in fewer than 15 minutes

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-06-25T21:28:50-07:00

Artist John Jansky visited us Sunday and created this stunning depiction of Jesus Christ at the crucifixion. Watch everything unfold in fewer than fifteen minutes (set to music by our own Dan First) right here.

Speed painter John Jansky creates stunning Jesus portrait

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-06-24T10:01:44-07:00

We’ll be adding video soon, but here’s a photo of John Jansky and Dan First posing with John’s gripping portrait of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Pastor announces service time changes July 1

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-05-27T08:40:32-07:00

Pastor Micah announced big news this morning!

As you know, the new building is here, but the 10:30 service is already at full capacity. After months (if not years) of prayer, God has led us to make a change:

Effective July 1, worship services will now take place at 9:00 A.M. and 10:45 A.M.

The second service will continue to feature contemporary music. The first service, however, will feature a blended approach between the music our regular attendees know and love, and more contemporary fare added in. There will be something for everyone!

Moving the first service back by one hour will help more families attend and attract anyone looking for an earlier start on Sundays. While the Spirit will always have the authority to extend our worship, we’re planning to keep both services a little shorter than you might be used to. So while the second service will start later, it should still end pretty close to the same time.

Since we expect more families to attend at 9:00, child care and junior church will now be available during both services.

As for Sunday School, classes will now run from 10 to 10:30 A.M.

Finally, coffee, cappuccino, and hot chocolate will be served from 8:30 to 9:00 A.M., and again from 10:30 to 10:45 A.M.

New motorcycle ministry revs up

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-05-14T20:30:00-07:00

A brand-new ministry will hit the road on Saturday, May 26!

A Mother's Day Message from Skit Guys

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-05-13T09:22:39-07:00

Here’s that special Mothers’ Day video we showed you this morning from our favorite Christian comedy tandem, the Skit Guys.

For teens: Free day camp this Saturday

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-04-30T19:00:23-07:00

All teenagers are invited to attend the Amp It Up day camp sponsored by Illinois Ministries this Saturday, May 5.

George Family Singers return to Hoopeston!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-04-15T08:59:41-07:00

We’re thrilled to announce the return to Hoopeston of the George Family Singers! The big day is May 9.

C-N pets column highlights HCOG youth

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-04-08T07:48:56-07:00

Danville Commercial-News pets columnist Mary Wicoff interviewed Church of God attendee Crystal Platteter, the event’s organizer, for this week’s piece.

Teens raise $1016 for animal shelter

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-03-24T18:34:01-07:00

HOOPESTON -- Teens from the Hoopeston Church of God recently raised $1,016 for all-volunteer animal shelter Citizens for Animal Rescue and Adoption of Tilton.

The fundraiser took place on Saturday, March 17, on the church office grounds.

Just the Facts covers youth fundraiser

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-03-22T18:22:22-07:00

The Hoopeston First Church of God Youth’s C.A.R.A. fundraiser made Just the Facts this week!

Youth to hold animal shelter fundraiser

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-03-14T17:58:13-07:00

This Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM, youth of the church will host a rummage and bake sale to benefit a local animal shelter. That’s two sales for the price of one!

Citizens for Animal Rescue and Adoption (CARA), located in Tilton, is a state-licensed, non-profit animal shelter with a no-kill policy. An all-volunteer staff treats homeless animals with compassion and love until they can be placed in new homes.

Pictured, L to R: Awwwwwwwwwww.

CARA also provides low-cost spay and neutering services and vaccines. You can find more information about CARA and its mission at the organization’s website*.

The bake sale will have lots of yummy treats for purchase, and the rummage sale promises to feature household items, all sizes of clothing, furniture, toys, baskets, knick-knacks, and way too many other items to list. Everything starts this Saturday March 17 at 8:00 A.M. and the youth will close down shop at 1:00 P.M.

Click here for directions or here to request more information.

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* Warning to those with limited bandwidth: page contains many images and background music plays automatically.

Easter services set for 2012

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-03-07T17:59:15-08:00

Easter falls on April 8 this year, and we’ve just finalized our service schedule for that special date -- and the week before it.

Budget passes 34-0

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-02-26T15:50:45-08:00

At tonight’s business meeting, the proposed church budget for fiscal 2012 was passed by a vote of 34-0.

To review a copy, please contact the church office.

Pastor Micah also announced we are accepting suggestions for our global giving fund. Please contact Pastor Micah if you know of missionaries abroad who can use our support for their Godly devotion and evangelism.

Moving Day is finally here!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-01-22T10:13:42-08:00

The moment we’ve all been waiting for:

Moving Day has finally arrived!

Join us next Sunday, January 29, for a New Building Dedication Service. Breakfast will be served at 9:30 AM, and a unified church service will start at 10:30 AM. We’ll be welcoming special guests and far-flung friends for this occasion as we praise God for his generosity and dedicate the use of the building to the glorification of Him.

We’ll see you there!

Search re-enabled

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-01-15T08:54:56-08:00

Note: We’ve detected and fixed a bug that was preventing search results from being displayed. Search is back! We apologize for the inconvenience.

Help Alex! (Updated 1/17)

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2012-01-13T17:33:33-08:00

Update 1 (1/17): Annette McMillan is hosting a Signature HomeStyles Candle Fundraiser for the Pickett Family. Scents include Sugar & Spice, Apple Pie, Sandalwood, Cranberry, Ocean Breeze, Toasted Vanilla, Key Lime, and Lilac Blossom. Normally they sell in packages of 3 for $35, but for this fundraiser they are $10 each with $5 from each sale going to the family. Make checks out to the Hoopeston First Church of God and contact the office for more information or to order.

Update 2 (1/17): A charity auction and bake sale is being scheduled for February 14 at Hoopeston Area High School. Organizers are currently soliciting donations for free pickup. Please contact the office to be put in touch with the people in charge.

Longtime church attendee Alex Pickett has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma and pulmonary metastasis.

Alex Pickett

Alex is 15 years old, a sophomore at Hoopeston Area High School, and an avid fisherman and hunter. His parents are Brad and Amy. In the coming months Alex will be undergoing chemotherapy treatments in Indianapolis and his family will incur travel, lodging, and medical expenses as he battles this disease.

A fund has been established to help the Picketts as Alex begins his journey on the road to recovery. Donations can be made to the Alex Pickett Benefit Fund at Community Bank in Hoopeston (click for directions).

Every donation counts! Let’s show Alex and his family the love of Christ through our generosity and prayer.

You may call the bank at 217-283-7733 to make arrangements or contact the church office for more information.

Where'd all the music posts go?

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-27T17:04:12-08:00

Answer: To the brand-new music blog! Set your bookmark to http://hoopestonchurch.org/music to get there faster!

Come welcome 2012 with us!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-27T14:19:27-08:00

A brand-new year is almost here, so let’s celebrate!

We’re having a New Year’s Eve party at the church starting at 7 PM and going until everyone leaves, sleep takes over, we run out of food, or some combination thereof. You can come and go as you please; no need to stay the entire time. (But you’re welcome to!)

Also, for New Year’s Day on Sunday, we’ll have one service at 10 A.M. with no Sunday School. Classes will resume next Sunday after the Christmas/New Year’s break.

Goodbye, 2011. Hello, 2012!

Website streamlining update completed

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-26T18:30:42-08:00

We’re happy to let you know that we’ve just rolled out an update to the site to keep our address links shorter and make it easier to send short links to others.

Remembering the meaning of Christmas

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-25T09:40:38-08:00

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire.

A Christmas card from the Mobleys

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-18T08:49:57-08:00

A few nights ago Micah and I were discussing how many Christmas cards we should order, and we quickly concluded that the church has experienced such tremendous growth that we would never be able to ensure that everyone “made the list.” So, we decided to write a Christmas letter instead.

Alanna Story rocks God's house!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-11T08:30:00-08:00

Videos are still to come, but we wanted to share these photos as soon as possible. Alanna Story just finished their show and they were awesome, as you will soon watch and hear!

Update: Two Alanna Story shows on Dec. 11

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-04T10:29:24-08:00

We’re beyond excited to host Alanna Story for not one but two shows this coming Sunday, December 11!

Unified Christmas service on December 25th

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-12-04T09:50:43-08:00

Are you ready for Christmas? It’s almost here! And since the day is quickly approaching we’d love to share our plans with you a little early.

Parking expansion almost complete

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-11-06T08:48:25-08:00

Great news: The parking expansion is already halfway done! The former infield directly behind the church is now parking, and soon some of the field to the north of the church will join it.

National Church of God updates website

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-10-30T15:55:00-07:00

Congratulations to the Church of God of North America (our parent church) on their brand-new website!

North American Church of God highlights Hoopeston for worldwide audience

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-09-16T19:45:38-07:00

Our building project recently made the front page of the North American Church of God website!

Church sponsors Courageous movie premiere

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-09-12T07:28:27-07:00

On September 30 and October 1, Courageous will premiere in theaters nationwide.

Alanna Story IN CONCERT on December 11!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-09-11T07:27:45-07:00

We’re very excited to announce Indianapolis-based Alanna Story will be performing in concert on December 11 on Sunday morning in our brand-new sanctuary!

Just the Facts reports on car show results

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-08-25T19:24:23-07:00

The Hoopeston First Church of God inaugural Car Show made Just the Facts this week! Winner Larry Jahn is pictured on the front page with his best of show trophy.

Note: Webcam temporarily unavailable (updated)

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-08-17T15:03:28-07:00

You may have noticed the Construction Cam has gone offline. Unfortunately, this afternoon we lost the internet connection required to operate the camera. We’re investigating the cause and hope to have it back up and running again soon.

CWC rescheduled to 9/9 for Labor Day

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-08-16T04:09:00-07:00

CWC has rescheduled its September meeting to give everyone time to enjoy the Labor Day holiday. Everything will take place as normal, except on September 9th instead of September 1st. This change is also reflected in the Calendar.

Women of Faith announce Aug. 6 car wash

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-07-25T10:57:29-07:00

With all the heat and dry days we’ve had this summer, your car is probably looking pretty dusty by now. Rising gas prices mean less money for automatic washing, and it’s just too hot to go outside and wash it yourself.

Videos posted on the building blog

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-07-18T19:39:42-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know we have video of the groundbreaking service and an interview with Pastor Micah over at the Building Blog!

Groundbreaking ceremony and dedication service set!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-06-29T22:07:42-07:00

Straight from the pastor’s office, we’ve just been given the details of our upcoming Groundbreaking Ceremony and Worship Service!

Church welcomes the Animal Man

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-06-29T22:00:00-07:00

We can’t wait to welcome Dan Breeding, the Animal Man, for his free show this Saturday at 10 AM! He will be presenting his Creatures of Creation program featuring animals like insects, vultures, gibbons, alligators, pythons, lambs, and more.

Church car show coming August 13th

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-06-26T09:55:20-07:00

The inaugural First Church of God Car Show is coming August 13th, 2011. Registration will start at 9 a.m. and run until noon. After the judges tour the entries and deliberate, the awards ceremony begins at 3 p.m.

More Spring Fling pictures!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-06-20T21:27:44-07:00

A very special thanks to Molly Dazey for sharing her photographs of our Spring Fling.

Meta: Website stats

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-06-12T06:46:08-07:00

Our website is now seven months old, and we’re very thankful to everyone who has made it an important part of his or her week. As we prepare to build a new physical church, we wanted to share with you a little information about the growth of our online church.

Spring Fling slideshow!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-05-29T20:12:32-07:00

Just a few photos from our Spring Fling last Sunday!

Church will host two Easter services

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-04-03T16:30:00-07:00

Easter Sunday is frequently the busiest church attendance day of the year, so the Hoopeston First Church of God will be holding two identical services on April 24th:

Old sermon audio coming soon

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-03-26T15:59:05-07:00

Soon you’ll be able to take a trip down memory lane to hear some of Pastor Jeremy Morton’s sermons from his time in Hoopeston. Starting today, we’re heading deep into the audio archives to post every sermon we’ve got. You’ll see them appear in Sermon Central over the next couple weeks or so, and each will be tagged with the proper time and date when it was delivered.

We've got search!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-03-26T15:56:49-07:00

We’ve added search functionality to the website! Check it out right here.

Calendar updates: MOPS, blood drive, more

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-03-10T18:39:56-08:00

After a big round of calendar updates, we wanted to help make sure you won’t miss any of the exciting events coming up!

Church welcomes guest pastor VP Palmer

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-03-06T09:59:30-08:00

We’re very excited to welcome VP Palmer as a guest pastor next Sunday, March 13th!

Winter Jam 2011 is coming soon!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-02-12T19:48:00-08:00

It’s time once again for some of the best artists in Christian music to take over the Assembly Hall in Champaign!

Video: Blizzard timelapse

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-02-03T17:47:31-08:00

With the forecast warning of a major winter storm, we set up a camera in the church office just to see what would happen.

Marriage study starts February 17

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-01-21T20:10:56-08:00

The “Marriage Built to Last” study with Pastor Micah will begin on Thursday, February 17th, just a few days after Valentine’s Day!

Marriage strength study starting soon

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-01-14T20:36:28-08:00

For more information on the Marriage Built to Last study, co-authored by former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, his wife Brenda, and Dave Ramsey, see Pastor Micah. Meetings are starting soon.

CWC sets date for Valentine's luncheon

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-01-14T20:33:26-08:00

The Christian Women’s Connection will hold a Valentine’s Day luncheon called A Heart Full of Blessings on February 13 after church. Be ready to bid on an awesome couples’ gift basket! A freewill offering is all they ask for the afternoon. Other gifts will also be available for bid and purchase.

Ministry fair coming Jan. 23

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2011-01-09T08:04:04-08:00

The all-church Ministry Fair has been scheduled for Sunday, January 23 during the 10:30 a.m. service.

Memorial poinsettias now available

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2010-12-12T08:58:33-08:00

Remember your loved ones this holiday season with a beautiful, white poinsettia.

New history added!

office@hoopestonchurch.org — 2010-11-29T08:00:00-08:00

We’re very excited to add a new History section to this website! Beautifully presented by our former congregant Sadie Evans, the article describes how the church has grown from a small farm meeting to its present size. And what local business now operates out of our old home? Find out here.