If you are looking for a place where Jesus Christ is the center of life together then on behalf of the Hope family, I would like to extend a warm invitation to for you to join us as we seek to do life together, celebrating the joy of life in Christ.  We look forward to seeing you.

Rev. Chad C. Fernald, Pastor

Who We Are

Hope Community Church is an Advent Christian congregation with long ties to the city of Dover. 

We invite you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30am

Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.

February 17 is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season.  While our church does not formally observe these days, I will post daily readings on the website.  These readings, which I had written a few years back in a little devotional called 'Reflections for the Lenten Season: 40 Days in the Presence of the Crucified Savior' consist of Scripture passages, brief comments and a prayer for the day.  I hope they will be a blessing to you.

'A Word of Hope'

‘A Parable in my Backyard’

When we moved into our house in 2001, we noticed that the landscaping had not been maintained very well.  All along the back were thorn bushes and creeper vines; hedges that were at least 15 feet high!  I am talking about the type of vines that wrap around everything they touch; vines with deep roots and stalks as thick as my upper arm.  We found an old apple tree that had been consumed and had to be removed.  When I was done with the hedges I had reclaimed about 500 square feet of my backyard.  It was a long and laborious task to remove these unwanted nuisances (eight years later, I am still finding shoots here and there!)

There was one poignant moment in all this.  One afternoon I was on a ladder, trying to un-wrap a particularly stubborn specimen from around a tree.  (You need to understand that some of these vines went up 20-30 feet into the trees!)  I felt that these things were more animal than plant; they fought at every turn.  Thorns bit into my hands and younger, but equally as dangerous offshoots, lashed at my arms and face as little by little the vine gave way.  Bits of tree broke and fell, but I knew that if the tree was to live, the vines needed to be torn out.

Then it hit me.  My horticultural battle was the story of sin and redemption being played out in the tree.  Sin, we are told in Scripture, ‘easily entangles us’ (Hebrews 12:1).  It starts small (the beginnings of the vines look harmless and weak) but once it takes hold it grows stronger every day.  It chokes the life out of us and if it isn’t removed, all that remains is an ugly, empty shell where there once was life and beauty.

As I looked at my bleeding hands (these thorns went right through my gloves), I was reminded, powerfully, of the battle that Jesus Christ waged on the cross to tear the thorns of sin out of my life.  It was not easy.  He bled, he suffered, he endured immense pain, but He knew that if I was to live, the vines of sin needed to be removed.  Bits of me get ripped out, but the scars will heal and I will be better for the ‘momentary light afflictions’ (2 Corinthians 4:17) that are for my good.

I got to the tree too late.  It survived a few summers, but the damage done was apparently too great.  I will likely take it down this year.  Praise God that He found me in time.  In fact, God is never late and no one is beyond hope.  I pray that we will all let Jesus continue to do His loving work of tearing the sin vines from around us that we may be the strong and healthy people He intends for us to be.

God bless you all in the Name of the great and awesome gardener, Jesus Christ!