April 7, 2020:
Good Afternoon Church Family,
We hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather. We are so excited to celebrate Resurrection Sunday with you and your family online this coming Sunday. There is a lot going on this week, so here are some updates:
1. Easter Sunday & Good Friday Online - This coming Sunday, we will have our Easter Sunday service streamed online via
hawthornegospel.org and also on Facebook and YouTube at 10 am, and additionally at 5 pm, on Sunday.
Please encourage family, friends, neighbors, virtual neighbors, and pretty much everyone you know to join us online for church on Sunday to celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death!!
Additionally, we will stream our Good Friday service online this Friday at 5 pm and 7 pm at those same sites.
2. Frontline Prayer- This Thursday, we are asking our church family to take time to pray specifically for the medical professionals, first responders, and so many others on the frontline during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. We want to cover them in prayer for the entire day from 7 am until 11 pm, and we're asking you to be involved. Go to
hawthornegospel.org/prayer , and click the link that says "Thursday Frontline Prayer Sign-up" and commit to a 10-minute "shift" to pray specifically for those on the frontline from wherever you are that day.
3. Daily Devotionals- This week, our Pastoral Team is leading us in some great passages of Scripture leading up to Good Friday and Easter. Be sure to check these devotionals out via our church Facebook and/or YouTube.
4. Giving- Thank you so much for your financial support over these past few weeks, and we would encourage you to please continue giving during these tough times. Remember, you can mail your gift in, give online through the app or website, come by the church office to drop off your gift, or let us know if you live locally and need us to pick it up.
5. Prayer Meeting- This coming Wednesday evening, we will again host a time of prayer via our website, YouTube, and Facebook at 7 pm. You can continue to submit requests via the link at the bottom of this message.
6. Support & Encouragement- We want to continue to pray with you and for you. If you are in need of prayer or encouragement, our staff is here for you. At this time, the church office is still open, and you can call and speak with a pastor here. Also, the following three church leaders are available to pray with you:
We look forward to being together "virtually" throughout this week!
Faithfully His,
Kirk De Boer
Executive Pastor
April 3, 2020:
Good Afternoon Church Family,
We miss you all and want to let you know that we are praying for you. It is so encouraging to see the fellowship among our church family that has been taking place "virtually" throughout these last few weeks.
As we head into the weekend, we want to provide you with some updates.
1. Palm Sunday Online - This Sunday, we will have our Palm Sunday service streamed online via
hawthornegospel.org and also on Facebook and YouTube at 10 am, and additionally at 5 pm, on Sunday . It will also be available online thereafter, if you are unable to watch at these times. Good Friday and Easter Sunday will also be online. We'll send details out about that next week.
2. Daily Devotionals- We trust that you've been blessed by the daily online devotionals from our Pastoral Team. If you haven't watched them yet, be sure to check those out on a daily basis via our church Facebook and/or YouTube.
3. Giving- Thank you so much for your financial support over these past few weeks, and we would encourage you to please continue giving during these tough times. Remember, there are multiple ways to give. Y ou can send your gifts via mail or give online through the app or website. You can also feel free to come by the church office to drop off your gift. If you live locally and can’t leave your home, we would be happy to have someone pick up your gift.
4. Prayer Meeting- This coming Wednesday evening , we will again host a time of prayer via our website, YouTube, and Facebook at 7 pm . You can continue to submit requests via the link at the bottom of this message.
5. Support & Encouragement- We want to continue to pray with you and for you. If you are in need of prayer or encouragement, our staff is here for you . At this time, the church office is still open, and you can call and speak with a pastor here. Also, the following three church leaders are available to pray with you:
Have a great weekend!
Faithfully His,
Kirk De Boer
Executive Pastor
March 27, 2020:
Good Afternoon Church Family,
We just want to take a minute to send out some updates and reminders as we head into the weekend.
1. Sunday Service Online - Once again, we will have our Sunday service
streamed online via hawthornegospel.org and also on Facebook and YouTube at 10 am, and additionally at 5 pm, on Sunday. It will also be available online thereafter, if you are unable to watch at these times.
You can find a link to the weekly bulletin
here. Remember, there are no worship services on campus this weekend.
2. Daily Devotionals- Our desire is to provide you with plenty of resources to help you grow in your faith and stay connected to the church community while we are apart from each other and while you may be at home. With that in mind, the Pastoral Staff has been preparing short devotionals for our church family to view via our church
Facebook and
YouTube. Be sure to check those out on a daily basis, as we post a new one each day from Monday through Friday.
3. Giving- Thank you so much for your financial support over these past two weeks, and we would encourage you to please continue giving during these tough times. You can send your gifts via mail
give online through the app or website. You can also feel free to come by the church office to drop off your gift. If you live locally and can’t leave your home, we would be happy to have someone pick up your gift.
4. Prayer Meeting- This coming Wednesday evening, we will again host a time of prayer via our
website, YouTube, and Facebook at 7 pm. Be sure to join that time of prayer as we gather as a church community virtually. You can continue to submit requests via
this link.
5. Support & Encouragement- We want to continue to pray with you and for you. If you are in need of prayer or encouragement, our staff is here for you. At this time, the church office is still open, and you can call and speak with a pastor here. Also, the following three church leaders are available to pray with you:
Mark Schaefer ( mschaefer@hawthornegospel.org)
Robert Vander Pyl (rvanderpyl@hawthornegospel.org)
Phil Horn (hornphilip@yahoo.com).
Also, if you are unable to leave your home and need help running errands, please let us know. We have several people in our church family who have expressed interest in helping do these types of tasks for others in need.
We miss gathering together as a church family with you, but we continue to lift you up in prayer. Keep looking to Christ as your hope during these difficult times.
Faithfully His,
Kirk De Boer
Executive Pastor
March 20, 2020:
Good Afternoon Church Family,
We just want to take a minute to send out some updates and reminders as we head into the weekend.
1. Sunday Service Online - Once again, we will have our Sunday service
streamed online via hawthornegospel.org and also on Facebook and YouTube at 10 am, and additionally at 5 pm, on Sunday . It will also be available online thereafter, if you are unable to watch at these times. Praise the Lord, last Sunday’s service reached over 5,000 people, and Wednesday's online prayer time reached over 1,000 people.
You can find a link to the weekly bulletin
here. Remember, there are no worship services on campus this weekend.
2. Giving- While this is a difficult time for us all, the bills and expenses to operate the church continue. In addition, our missionaries around the world are dependent on the financial support that is made possible only through your generous contributions.
During this time, we ask that you please continue to give your tithes and offerings to the church. You can send your gifts via mail or
give online through the app or website. You can also feel free to come by the church office to drop off your gift. If you live locally and can’t leave your home, we would be happy to have someone pick up your gift.
In light of the current financial state and trusting in the Lord, a large number of our staff have voluntarily and sacrificially agreed to go without their pay for the next two weeks to help offset some of the expenses of the church. This is a true testament to the very heart and character of the staff that we are blessed to serve with, here at HGC.
3. Prayer Meeting- This coming Wednesday evening , we will again host a time of prayer via our
website, YouTube, and Facebook at 7 pm . Be sure to join that time of prayer as we gather as a church community virtually. You can continue to submit requests through
this link.
4. Support & Encouragement- We want to continue to pray with you and for you. If you are in need of prayer or encouragement, our staff is here for you. At this time, the church office is still open, and you can call and speak with a pastor here. Also, the following two Elders are available by phone to pray with you: Joy Christian (201-491-3755) and Douglas Groenewal (201-819-6515).
Also, if you are unable to leave your home and need help running errands, please let us know. We have several people in our church family who have expressed interest in helping do these types of tasks for others in need.
We will continue to update you weekly during these difficult times while we are apart from each other. Know that our staff is praying for you and is here to support you through these times. We continue to keep our focus on Jesus Christ in the days ahead, and we thank you for your prayer, encouragement, and financial support.
Faithfully His,
Kirk De Boer
Executive Pastor
March 17, 2020:
Good Afternoon, Church Family!
These are certainly unique and difficult times for all of us, but we want you to know that we are regularly thinking about you and lifting you up in prayer. We know that we have a powerful God who is in control of all situations, and we cling to the hope we have in Him in the midst of seemingly hopeless times. As we closely monitor the situation with the Coronavirus, we want to update our church family on what is happening with church events and activities.
Sunday Services - All Sunday Services for March 22, have been canceled. We will once again have a service streamed online via our website and social media on Sunday at 10 am, and available thereafter.
Weekly Activities - All activities are canceled from now through Monday, March 23 rd . The Lending Library will also remain closed.
Prayer Meeting & Requests- Wednesday evening prayer meeting will be online this week. You can go to our website or social media at 7 pm on Wednesday evening as our Pastoral Team leads us through a time of guided prayer. You can also submit prayer requests
here. Those prayer requests will be shared (if you allow us) with our church family so we can be praying for you.
In Need of Assistance- If you are unable to leave your home and need help running errands, please let us know. We have several people in our church family who have expressed interest in helping do these types of tasks for others in need.
Church Office- The church office will remain open at this time. If you plan on coming by for any reason, please call before you come to verify that we are open and let us know the reason for your visit. If it is not urgent, we might ask you not to come in, but you can certainly still speak with a pastor over the phone.
Continued Financial Giving- We thank the Lord for your financial donations! Our weekly donations have dropped drastically due to the cancellation of last Sunday’s in-person worship service and now moving into our second Sunday service being canceled. Please continue to give regularly by the following:
1) Give on our website, via our app, or by clicking below, using a debit or credit card or linking a bank account. 2) Mail a personal check or send directly through your bank, to 2000 Route 208 Hawthorne, NJ 07506. 3) Drop off at the church office between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday (call before you come).
Please continue to pray during this time.
Faithfully His,
Kirk De Boer
Executive Pastor
MARCH 13, 2020:
In light of the threat of COVID-19, we have decided to cancel all services for this Sunday, March 15th. However, we will have our service streamed online at 10 am on Sunday, so we can meet as a church family. You can access this service by going on to our website, www.hawthornegospel.org, and clicking on the announcement banner that comes up. In addition to our live streaming, if you cannot make it at 10 am, you can watch the service afterwards as it will be posted on the website.
Other Important Details:
1) The March 15 th Congregational Meeting will be canceled at this time and rescheduled in the future. More information will be provided next week.
2) All activities/events for this weekend, beginning Friday evening, will be canceled.
3) Hawthorne Community Bible School will be canceled for this Monday, March 16th.
4) We will email the church community and update our website and social media with more information at the beginning of the week.
5) We certainly appreciate your financial support at this difficult time. You can continue to give financially to support this ministry by giving online on our website or the app.
Please continue to pray for the safety and health of our church family and people worldwide and for the wisdom needed for decision-making in the days ahead.
