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Username: Password:	3rd Annual New Hope Christmas Celebration 1400 people experienced the broadway inspired musical live this year and another 249 watched online from all across the United States. With 92 people making a decision for Christ, this year's production was an overwhelming success. This year's Christmas Celebration - held December 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th at 7:00pm nightly - brought back favorites from years past, as well as adding new selections. From the Dicken's style costumes and carols to dancing elves and surfers, original songs and well-known favorites to the birth of a King, this year's production was again full of the nostalgia, celebration, joy, and meaning of Christmas. The New Hope Christmas Celebration was made free to the public thanks in no small part to the generous contributions from businesses and individuals from our community and across the United States. If you would like to help make the 2010 Christmas Celebration possible, sponsorships can be made at any time throughout the year at www.NewHopeChristmasCelebration.com. DVD's of this year's production can be pre-ordered anytime by calling the church office at (972) 330-4490, and will be available on January 17th, 2010. If you were unable to attend this year's production, Sunday's performance can be seen HERE. Mercy Speaks Concert Series visits Ennis Pastor and songwriter Tom Sterbens joined New Hope on October 18th at 6:00pm for a free concert to benefit the People For Care and Learning, whose focus is missionary outreach to buddhist Cambodia. Pre-order sales of the Mercy Speaks concert DVD and CD are available now HERE, with every penny of the proceeds going to the missionary efforts to Cambodia. The CD's and DVD's will be available February 1, 2010. The concert - already filmed in Sevierville, TN and still to be performed in Fort Myers, FL, Atlanta, GA, and Washington, D.C., is comprised of all original works written and orchestrated by pastor Sterbens. Every one of these inspired songs will lift your spirits and touch your heart. If you would like more information, please contact the church office, or visit the Mercy Speaks Concert website. New Hope Hosts 1st Annual Give a Kid a Chance School supplies, uniforms, haircuts, backpacks, vision and hearing tests, scoliosis check, dental checkup, coats, clothes, shoes.... Getting ready for the new school year can be one of the most expensive and stressful times of the year for many families. This year, New Hope church helped to lift that burden from more than 50 families by supplying all of these needs to the 115 students who participated in this year's "Give a Kid a Chance". Partnering with more than a dozen community resources, local businesses, and churches, New Hope transformed it's campus into an assembly line of giving. Lunch was served, the Tribe praise team performed hourly, and a message of hope was given by Pastor Jeramy to all who attended. With this year's event being such a success and the overwhelming response from everyone involved, New Hope expects the event to grow to serve more than 200 families and 400 students next year. We would also like to thank the 53 volunteers who gave up their Saturday to help make this event a success. Worship & Arts Camp 2009 Identity. There are many things in our life that can define us - some good, some bad. For the nine students who journeyed to Sevierville, TN for the two week Worship and Arts camp, their identities are forever altered. Leaving after Sunday Morning service on July 5th, the students travelled through the night to arrive by 8:00am for registration, and spent the next thirteen days diving into classes that reflected their passions. The camp welcomed seventy-six students from five states, and the attendance next year is expected to double. This year's camp was centered around finding worth and identity not in talent but in a loving, holy God who knows each of us by name. The students worked throughout the camp to prepare for a one night only show that would portray this message to the community. With every position being filled by students - including sound, lighting, video, camera, acting, instrumentals, dance, vocals, costume, and set design - the showcase was a monumental success, and an experience no one can stop talking about. A photo gallery of the performance is available HERE, and downloadable versions of all the pictures in the gallery can be found HERE in high resolution and free of charge. We would like to take a moment to congratulate our students for their hard work, tireless dedication, and inspiring message of hope. Along with the new friendships, expanded talents, and renewed passions, every student returns home more confident not only in themselves and their abilities, but also in who and what they are in Christ. Sermon Series: Bobble-Head Jesus He ate lunch. He got tired. He worked. He sweat. He got dirty. He drank wine. He laughed. He loved. He cried. He shouted. He became angry. He bled. He died. Jesus was God in the flesh. Many of us view Him not as a man but as God only. We feel that we can never really be like Him because He is so different from us. Christian religion has insulated, re-packaged and misrepresented the real Jesus in such a way that He has become in the minds of many an unapproachable fictional character. He is no more real or relevant than a bobble head doll. The truth is, Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus stripped Himself of equality with God and submitted to the source of worth to accomplish redemption. In other words, He was certainly God but He was also FULLY MAN. He was tempted like us, lived like us, laughed like us, hurt like us and He did all of that so WE could be like Him. In this exciting new series Pastor Buck pulls away the veil of religious perspective and helps us encounter this "man" called Jesus in a fresh, attainable, real way. New Hope's 3rd Annual Easter Celebration On Sunday, April 12 - New Hope once again provided community families the opportunity to spend the afternoon together in celebration. The service was filled with performances from ReSounding Hope - our youth choir, and Ignition - our drama and dance team, as well as the fifth and final part to Pastor's sermon series "Temptation." The day, as well as a volunteer team of more than 60, welcomed 450 people to the celebration, and the mood was bright, even if the skies were not. With rain in the forecast, New Hope took the festivities indoors - which many felt made the day even better. Following the morning services in which adults as well as children of all ages participated in progressive and interactive services, New Hope hosted - for the third year - the New Hope Easter Celebration. Along with live music and a performace of "Lifehouse's "Everything" from the 'Ignition' Drama Team, the day was filled with bounce houses, free food, free games, our largest ever Easter egg hunt with 15,000 easter eggs! each filled with candy and prizes, and a givaway for children of every age with prizes including bicycles, scooters, iPod's, an Xbox 360, and a Wii. Services began at 10:30am with the celebration following immediately afterward. New Hope Gets a New Number For several months, New Hope has been testing a new internet based (VoIP) phone system to expand our ability to communicate with you better. While we have been testing the system, our old phone number has remained active. However, as of today - Wednesday, March 11th 2009, our old phone number will no longer work. You can now reach us at (972) 330-4490. Please note that this new system has an automated voice system, and you will need to press "1" to speak with a member of the staff. If you have any questions or problems with the new system, please email at any time. Thank you for your patience and flexibility during this transition. New Hope Celebrates Two Years While Easter marks the first official service as New Hope Church, our doors actually opened in February 2007. With a huge push to Easter and the campus renovation, those first six weeks went by in a flash, but thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteer army, we were able to completely change the look and feel of our campus and grounds, as well as welcome 600+ visitors from the surrounding community. We haven't stopped since. From Polkafest and Tribe missions trips to Fall Free For All and the Christmas Celebration, we have had a very busy two years. More than 300 have made a decision for Christ, and our numbers have grown almost tenfold from 25 to 230 average Sunday attendance. Some of our members can credit one of our community outreach programs like Family Movie Night or Parent's Night Out, some say a big event like Easter, the Christmas Celebration or Fall Free For All, and still others say "Joana forced us to come", but we cannot disclose their identity for their protection. Whatever the reason, New Hope is changing lives and making a difference in our community and around the world. Family Movie Night: Prince Caspian While standing on a British railway station in 1941, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are magically whisked away to a beach near an old and ruined castle. Peter soon realizes that they are in Narnia, where they once ruled as the Kings and Queens. They discover the treasure vault where Peter's sword and shield, Susan's bow and arrows and Lucy's bottle of magical cordial and dagger are stored. The horn that can call Aslan is not there, however, for Susan left it in the woods the day they returned to Britain after their first visit to Narnia. Join us Friday, March 6th for the second installment of 'The Chronicals of Narnia.' The doors will open at 6:15pm with games, trivia, and music, and the movie begins at 7:00pm. Snacks and drinks are all $1.00 with the proceeds benefiting The Tribe student ministries, and - as always - POPCORN IS FREE!!! New Hope's 1st Annual Valentine's Day Banquet February 14th captures the heart of every woman, and this Valentine's Day, New Hope set the stage for couples. With live entertainment, a three course meal, flowers, and a candlelit hall, romance was definitely on the menu. The cost for the entire evening was only $60.00 per couple - less than the cost a meal in Dallas, and childcare was also provided. The proceeds from the event benefitted the Tribe Student Ministries as they raise funds for Tribal Escape 2009. Included in the evenings activities was a sweetheart auction, live music, dancing, and "The not-so-Newlywed Game". Make Plans now to join us February 14th, 2010 for a wonderful evening as The Tribe serves up another evening of romance and fine dining. African Children's Choir Visits New Hope The acclaimed African Children's Choir joined us live in concert on Sunday, January 11th at 7:00pm. The Children's Choir has been performing community concerts across North America and around the world for 24 years, raising awareness of the plight of Africa's most vulnerable, but also showing the beauty, dignity and potential of each African child. Many of the children in the choir have lost one or both parents to poverty and disease, yet in spite of the tragedies that have marred these young lives the children radiate hope. They demonstrate the potential for a better life for themselves and the millions of other children on a continent in turmoil. The children charm audiences with their radiant smiles, beautiful voices and boundless energy. A mixture of traditional African songs and dances, well-loved children's favorites and familiar gospel songs have concert-goers clapping, cheering and singing along. The African Children's Choir is currently providing care and education for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa. For more information on the African Children's Choir please visit thier website at www.africanchildrenschoir.com or email info@africanchildrenschoir.com 2nd Annual New Hope Christmas Celebration The 2008 Christmas Celebration was a huge success! 1318 people were in attendance live, and 184 people in 17 states and 3 countries tuned in live online. Sunday's performance was seen by a capacity crowd of 411, and in all 85 people made a decision for Christ. This year's Christmas Celebration was met with even more rave reviews than last year's. The Broadway-style production featured more than 250 hand-crafted costumes, live animals, music, singing & dancing, a cast & crew of 145, sound & lighting designed by top industry professionals, special effects, and all of it with an irresistible price of admission - FREE! CALL (972) 330.4490 for your DVD today! 2nd Annual Fall Free For All October 31st. All Hallow's Eve. Halloween. These bring one thing to the minds of millions. CANDY!! New Hope once again brought families in the surrounding communities together for a night of food, music, games, contests, fun... and of course, candy. This year, New Hope saw more than 350 people join us for the festivities, and there was even a sighting of Elvis in the crowd. Families enjoyed the return of some of last year's favorites - especially the jail. An expanded game section, costume contest, and pie eating contest were also highlights on the evening. From a duck pond and football toss to bobbing for apples and sack races, creating a safe, family-friendly environment in which to enjoy this wonderful time of year is one more way that we are helping this community find new hope for a better life. Ignition Performs to Thunderous Applause August 24th, 2008 marked the last day of summer for Ennis ISD, and the members of Ignition - the Tribe's drama and dance team - celebrated by performing "Love Addict", a high-energy, fast paced song that screams from the rafters the benefits of loving God more than a boyfriend / girlfriend. The dance was choreographed by the students, who also chose the 'costumes' - school uniforms with a punk hairdo and face paint. New Hope also took the opportunity to pray over the students and teachers returning to school for the upcoming year, making the day complete. We would like to thank the families of those students who normally attend other area churches for supporting the Ignition drama & dance team this Sunday. Ignition is made up of teens from several area churches, and meets for rehearsal every Tuesday night at New Hope. Ignition has also performed Lifehouse's 'Beautiful' recently, and is only growing better with time. Mission to Ecuador: ACCOMPLISHED! Our team of 16 adults and students arrived safe and sound in Quito, Ecuador late Tuesday night - July 2. Many children in this country, some as young as five years old, work the streets of large cities every day to help make money for their families. They are on their own and depend on feeding centers to provide the only meal they get each day. Our mission was to visit two such feeding centers, Genesis 7 in South Quito and Pan de Vida (Bread of Life) in Atucucho. We were there to clean, paint and remodel the feeding centers and share the love of Jesus in various ways to the kids. We installed doors, windows, painted, cleaned and spent several hours just singing, playing sports and loving on the kids there. Our third project was at a downtown church in Quito. There the students cut weeds in pavement using spatulas, painted the church walls and street curb and also put on a puppet show for the children in the low income school the church provides. It was not all work however. On Saturday we took a trip to the top of the Andes Mountains and in a rainforest zip lined across a gorge! We were 14,000 feet above sea level, 900 feet above the river below and the zip lines were 1,200 and 1,500 feet long! We had the adventure of a lifetime yet nothing has impacted us more than serving those precious children of Ecuador. We tried to show the love of Christ in various ways. It was done by giving clothes, shoes, soccer balls and school supplies. It was through working and remodeling. And, it was also accomplished by simply jumping rope, teaching American football or simply hugging and loving on them. We tried to do exactly what Jesus would do if he were there. Thank you to all who prayed for us and help send us there. We will never be the same. The Tribe Student Ministries Featured on Front Page of the Thursday's readers of the Ennis Journal will read the following headlines: Global Impact Ennis youth spend vacation helping change the world "For a group of Ellis County teens, the answer to the question "What did you do this summer?" is amazing. Eight teen girls and seven adult leaders from New Hope Church went to Ecuador to minister to the poor and to make their lives better." The recent mission's trip to Ecuador by our students was recently featured on the front page of the Ennis Journal newspaper. The Managing Editor J. Louise Larson interviewed Pastors Buck and Rhea along with staff members Michelle Perry and Youth Director David Marshall. The article also included portions of interviews of students Megan Elder, Meredith Kingsley, Kailene Ott and Julia Gardner. To read the article in it's entirety, click HERE. New Hope would like to thank the Ennis Journal and Editor Larson for their interest and kind treatment of New Hope. Family Movie Night: The Polar Express A young boy lies awake in his room one snowy Christmas eve, excited and alert. He's listening for a sound he's afraid that he might never hear - the ringing bell's of Santa's Sleigh. The boy is startled by a thunderous roar. Clearing the mist from his window he sees an amazing sight... Friday, November 21st, New Hope was host to it's largest Family Movie night crowd to date. Featuring a New Hope favorite: The Polar Express, those in attendance enjoyed free popcorn and free hot chocolate, and as a special treat, the movie was also shown in 3D. Ryan Horton in Concert October 12th, R&B recording artist Ryan Horton joined New Hope in service for a fantastic concert of original music as well as popular contemporary hits. Ryan's soulful melodies and tight harmonies were a highlight on the day, and concluded a weekend of music and worship. Friday saw Ryan headlining a fifth quarter with 125 area teeens in attendance after Ennis high school's 56-13 win over Cleburne. Free pizza and a free concert made for a succesful - and safe outlet for the students to enjoy. Saturday morning, Ryan graciously offered a worship clinic for New Hope's youth band and worship team, teaching them not so much how to sing and play, but how to lead others into worship. We would like to thank Ryan for his time and efforts this weekend. New Hope Welcomes Home One of It's Own Elias Ruiz has been serving our country in Iraq for more than a year, and is now finally home safe. We are grateful for his service,his safety, and his ministry while there. Eli has returned to his loving wife - Brenda, and two daughters - Jenna and Ali. Eli was able on occasion to participate in services by watching our live stream. Though our Sunday Morning services began at 8:00pm for him, he "got ready for church" anyway. The ability to watch our services helped him feel more connected to the 'real world' back home. We are proud of Eli and support all our troops overseas and at home. Their commitment and dedication allow us the freedoms we enjoy. Thank you. New Hope Now Broadcasting LIVE! Streaming Services Easter marked several new beginnings this year for New Hope Church. Not the least of which is the start of a global outreach using streaming video of services over the internet. Every Sunday beginning at 10:30 am and every Wednesday at 7:00 pm, people from all over the world have the opportunity to see a message of hope right at their computer. Sermons will be archived and available for viewing at anytime as well, making this service and invaluable tool in our goal to bring New Hope For a Better Life to the community and the world. 2nd Annual New Hope Easter Celebration Easter came early this year - actually, it was the earliest anyone will ever see it. New Hope was ready though, and host to an Easter Celebration like none other. After taking communion, Pastor's message, entitled "Meeting People Where They Are" included several video illustrations as well as a drama presentation to end the service. The service also featured three firsts - our youth choir, singing "There's No One Like Our God" - as well as our newly formed children's choir, singing "He Riegns" - both performed for the first time. Our third addition had been under lock and key for weeks, and was unvieled on Easter as well. Our newly renovated "Beach Room" is the new home of the Jungle Adventurers on Wednesday nights and a staging area for them on Sunday mornings. The unvieling was met with much excitement and screams of joy from the seventy-six children in attendance this past Sunday. The "Beach Room" is sure to put a WOW! on your child's face too! After service, the 400+ people in attandance spent a few hours enjoying free food, free games, free cotton candy, free ice cream,and free prizes. There was a 10,000 - yes, ten thousand egg Easter egg hunt that lasted a little longer than last year's. The preschool ages and the elementary ages were divided up, giving the little ones a fighting chance. The prize drawing included three Apple(r) Ipod's, two Nintendo(r) Wii's, Bikes, Scooters, and more! Easter Sunday also marked the launch of Life groups for the spring semester. From bible study to bowling, singing to scrapbooking, music to motorcycles, there are others just like you who want to be with people interested in the same things they are. This is the basis of Life Groups at New Hope church. New Hope Christmas Celebration 2007 - A Huge Hit! December 7, 8, and 9 saw New Hope's 1st annual Christmas Celebration presented live and free to the public. The Broadway inspired musical had already reached tens of thousands in Florida and Tennessee, and New Hope brought that same true message of Christmas to Texas. Tickets were in demand and sold out in just a few days. A total of just over 1000 people attended over the three night event, and at least 82 people received Christ. Tens of thousands of man hours went into bringing the musical to the community. From the handmade costumes, customized lighting, sets made from scratch, and countless rehearsals there was plenty to do. Everyone involved said that every minute of work was worth the outcome. Many members of the community, city leaders and business owners have already sent New Hope complimentary messages expressing thanks for hosting this event. The musical featured an all volunteer cast, live animals, theater quality lights and sound, and enough laughter and nostalgia to make even Ebenezer Scrooge smile. The musical is an annual community outreach produced by New Hope with the intention of giving the surrounding areas a hope that might otherwise be missing. The audience is drawn in during the first two acts with Dickens's style costumes and carols, energetic and uplifting singing and dancing, and heartwarming specials. After intermission, the audience is given the chance to witness the true meaning of Christmas, the gift of the savior, Jesus Christ. New Hope would like to thank everyone who volunteered, and those who attended. We expect next year to be even better! Fall Free For All October 31st. Halloween. FALL FREE FOR ALL!!! Around this time of the the kids want one thing... CANDY! This year, New Hope turned the parking lot into a harvest festival with games, contests, costumes, music, giveaways, food, and of course, candy. The biggest attraction had to be the jail, where the bounty was only a buck and so was bail. Some of the more nefarious individuals spent a good portion of the night there and there were so many fugitives and escapees that the sheriff had to deputize anyone willing to assist. Kids ran from game to game, contest to giveaway, and parents did everything they could to keep up. It was fun to watch. The evening wound down with gifts and a massive 250+ pound candy giveaway. Dentists county-wide quietly smiled at the future business. You are welcome! Church-Wide Garage Sale New Hope was host to a church wide garage sale on Saturday, October 24th. We are so grateful for all those in the community that turned out for this great day. Donations from clothes to copiers, toys to T.V's, and books to beds came in for weeks leading up to the event. With volunteers buying up items as fast as the customers it was a wonderful success. New Hope would like to thank all those who donated or volunteered their time to the event. Without you it would not have been possible. We would also like to give a special thank you to Misty Gardner for coordinating the event. New Hope's Friend Day Fun On Sunday, September 23rd, New Hope welcomed the community as we enjoyed the First Annual Friend Day Celebration. Friend Day is designed to give the members of New Hope Church a new reason to invite their friends, and a better reason for those people to say 'yes!' During the service, Rhythm of Hope's elementary ages performed "Friend of God" to thunderous applause. After Pastor Buck's sermon, 'A Place For You', the teenage Rhythm of Hope performed "Mercy Seat", leading to several in the audience receiving Christ or rededicating their lives. After service, everyone was invited outside to enjoy bounce houses, horseshoes, volleyball, and jousting. A partial potluck dinner with brisquette provided by Buddy's BBQ was a huge hit, as was the live music and another performance by Rhythm of Hope to Toby Mac's "Catchafire". The festivities continued with giveaways and impromptu comedy show by Pastor Buck. The children of Jungle Adventurers also got to enjoy the day by throwing water balloons at Pastor Jeramy. There is an ongoing investigation into the incident, as Pastor Jeramy was able to catch most of the balloons and return fire, soaking many of the would-be assailants. In the end however, Pastor Jeramy was soaked to the skin as a tub of water was poured on him to the delight of the crowd. New Hope would like to thank all those who volunteered their time and efforts in making Friend Day such a success, and also to the first time guests who joined us for the day. We hope to see you again soon. Letters from the Field - One of New Hope's Own Eli Ruiz has for many years been a part of the New Hope Church family. He and his wife have served faithfully with the sound and media ministries and Eli has been known to volunteer his time in many other special projects. The Ruiz family is an integral part of New Hope Church. Eli recently has been deployed to Iraq. Elias Ruiz II started his military career in the early 1990's with the 3rd Ranger Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment of the 1st Special Operation Command. He spent three years with the Rangers and was a specialist in hostage rescue antiterrorist tactics raids. After leaving the Rangers he went to the 2nd Battalion 29th Infantry Regiment. He then was an instructor at the US Army School of Infantry. He trained entry level soldiers on their weapons and tactics and was also an instructor for the School of America's where he traveled for the Army. Eli left the army in 1998 and served as a Police Officer in Navarro County. After a ten year break from the service he decided to come back into the Army after the war on terrorism began. He felt the call to rejoin the military so he could evangelize the troops utilizing his unique experience and skills. He was assigned to the Texas Army National with the 36th Infantry Division with C/Troop 1st Battalion 124th Calvary Regiment. He was further assigned to Scout Platoon which specializes in recon intelligence surveillance and target acquisition. He was recently ordered to active duty as a part of Iraqi Freedom in support of the global war on terrorism. Assigned to the 2nd Battalion 131st Field Artillery as a gunner on a gun truck Eli will be conducting prisoners of war in Southern Iraq. In his own words, Eli states, "My belief as a Christian soldier is to fight the battle that God has ordained as our government was founded as one nation under God." Eli and his family covet your prayers for God's protection of Eli and provision for his family. Care packages may be sent to the address below. SPC Elias Ruiz II 3rd Plt HHC 391st MPBN A 2/131st FA MLRS APO AE 09375 A Summer of Fun New Hope church and the Tribe was host to an area wide back to school lock in last month with 80 youth and more than 10 area youth groups represented. Laser Tag, Fear Factor, Frisbee Football, Pizza, ping-pong, billiards, video games, and movies filled the night. The night started with a service with Everneed leading worship and Pastor Buck delivering a message to compliment the night's theme - Let it Go. The night concluded with a "close encounters" session where the youth are split and had the chance to ask questions relevant to their lives, with biblically based answers, and forthright explanations. Children's Ministries spent the summer with a once a week day camp on Tuesday's called Super summer 7. The kids learned about the armor of God, making each piece to help reinforce the week's lesson. Also on the agenda was water games and a weekly movie. The men of New Hope had a difficult weekend as the ladies went to Women of Faith the 24th and 25th of August. Thirty-three women caravanned to Dallas for the two day conference that was filled with tears of joy, side-splitting laughter, and an education in their "purse"onality. A beautiful rendition of "You Raise Me Up" was many of the women's favorite part of the weekend, while others thought Sandi Patty was the highlight. Everyone was in complete agreement that the weekend was truly a wonderful time of sharing, community, and sisterhood. The men, on the other hand, found out just how difficult raising small children alone can be, and most never want their spouses to leave again! New Hope Celebrates July Fourth With Silverton Village New Hope Church enjoyed a day of food, games, music, and fellowship with the residents of Silverton Village this past Independence Day. Though continued rain and threat of thunderstorms caused a postponement of the outdoor festivities, the celebration continued inside the Silverton Clubhouse. Many kids and families were on hand to enjoy the food, games and prizes. Along with face painting and a magician, Children's Pastor Jeramy Collins and Youth Pastor Mark Prince spent the afternoon being the masters of ceremonies, playing games, giving away prizes and just having fun with the children. We would like to thank all who volunteered and a special thanks to Silverton Village for allowing us to host the event at their facilities. New Hope is planning to reschedule the outdoor event and will provide details as they are available. Servant Evangelism at PolkaFest New Hope Church participated in the 41st Annual Polka Festival held May 26 & 27 in Ennis, TX. For the first time New Hope secured a booth for a Servant Evangelism. In the center of all the downtown festivities many volunteers spent all day Saturday passing out free popsicles to the patrons of this year's festival. The weather was so rainy that it actually forced a cancellation of the Sunday afternoon activities. Undeterred, the New Hope volunteers still gave away over 1000 free popsicles. Many people were curious why anyone would give something for nothing and all seemed very appreciative for a church that simply wanted to show God's love in a practical way. New Hope wishes to thank all those who gave of their time and made this event a success. New Hope also wishes to thank the Ennis Chamber of Commerce for allowing us the opportunity to give back to our community. New Hope Easter Festival a Huge Success Thanks to our neighbors for visiting and making the New Hope Easter Festival a great time. The festival began with 618 people joining in the Easter Sunday services. There were 200 kids in the Little Dreamers Nursery, the preschool Ocean Explorers and the elementary Jungle Adventurers Kids Church. The adults enjoyed contemporary praise and worship, and dance and drama performances by the Rhythm of Hope dance team complimenting the pastors' message entitled, "A Place for You." The festival continued with the super Easter Egg Hunt for 6,000 Eggs. These were scooped up by our neighborhood children within ten minutes! The festivities also included inflatable bounce houses, slides and an obstacle course, followed by a community picnic that featured free food, games, and giveaways! Children won prizes from toys to new bicycles, PlayStation 2's to an Xbox 360! The Easter Festival is a free community event and is held each year on the New Hope campus. Ennis Church of God becomes New Hope Church The Ennis Church of God was founded in 1934 in Bristol, Texas. It moved to Ferris, Texas and finally made it's home in Ennis in 1941. Pastors Buck and Rhea Marshall began planting New Hope Church in Ennis in August 2006. The Ennis Church of God began a pastoral transition in December of that year and Pastor Buck was appointed pastor of the church. The Ennis Church of God and New Hope Church came together as one congregation and adopted the Vision and Mission as well as the name of New Hope Church. The church buildings and campus then began a thirty day renovation. Everything from the landscaping to the carpet, stage lighting to beautifully themed rooms for children's ministries was made ready for the 2007 Easter Festival. The Vision of New Hope Church is to, "Love God, Love people, Learn hope, Live truth and Lead others to do the same." New Hope Church seeks to continue in faithfulness exemplified by the former Ennis Church of God. New Hope recognizes the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church being the sum of those who have been born again by faith. Therefore, we are interdenominational in spirit while being in fellowship with the Church of God, Cleveland, TN. For the mission of the church, click here. For further information on what we believe click the media tab and then the forms and documents button, or simply click here.