Weekly Update

Holden Chapel's newsletter and bulletin

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This Sunday:

Worship Service: Join us at 10:00am for worship as we begin a new series on the Psalms, “Where does my help come from?”

This Week’s Scripture: Prepare your heart for the sermon by reading and reflecting on Psalm 1. Here is an excerpt from this chapter:  

3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Worship Songs: Enjoy listening to and learning a few of this week’s worship songs prior to coming to service by visiting www.holdenchapel.org/worship.

Sunday Café: Fellowship with us and meet someone new after the service in the Welcome Center.

Main South Outreach: Second Sunday of each month, 11:30am – 2:00pm. Join a team from Holden Chapel as they reach out to the poor of Worcester by meeting their spiritual and physical needs. Contact Mike or Ginni Hanlon at mvhanlon8@gmail.com.

Special Events:

Medicine Bottles Collection for Dr. Rick Sacra, our Missionary to Liberia: Dr. Rick needs our help to collect 2,500+ used medicine bottles. The bottles will allow Dr. Rick and his team to dispense smaller amounts of medicine from large bottles for young children and infants. Bottles need to be 4 oz or less and relatively leak proof. If you have any, please clean the bottles and remove prescription labels (or use a sharpie to black out your info). There will be collection bins located in the lobby starting this Sunday through March 30.

Financial Peace University: Current session has been closed; however, there will be another session this spring that will be announced soon. This 10-week Biblical-based class will take you through budgeting all the way through to retirement and beyond. Purchasing this class and workbook is $150 online, though Holden Chapel is only asking for a $25 reimbursement for the workbook. If you choose to take the class a second time, you may continue to use the same workbook and attend the class at no cost. If interested, sign up for the next session at the Connect Desk or on the Church Center App. Note: No childcare provided; however, programs are available for children in K-12 grade at the same time.

Life Groups:

For Men and Women

For Men

For Women

Bible Studies:

Women's Monday Evening Bible Study: Mondays, 6:30-8:00pm in the Welcome Center.

Men’s Tuesday Morning Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-11:00am in Balcony Room A and via Zoom.

Women’s Thursday Morning Bible Study: Thursdays, 9:30-11:30am in the Welcome Center.

Precept Bible Study: Thursdays, 6:30pm via Zoom. Contact Wendy Stewart at 508-845-9585 or hs7777ws@townisp.com for the Zoom link. Note: Next study, “Covenant”, begins on February 13.

Men's Ministry:

FMO (For Men Only): FMO is for men who wish to be free from sexual addiction, using Biblically-based materials. If you or someone you know needs help in this area or for more information, contact Dan Marinone at dan.marinone@gmail.com or at 617-312-2567.

Women's Ministry:

Fireside Chat: First Friday of every month, 6:30–8:30 pm in the Welcome Center. Studying The Daniel Dilemma: How to Stand Firm & Love Well in a Culture of Compromise by Chris Hodges. For more information, contact Jean Tatis at zionjt3@gmail.com.

Galentine’s Celebration: Friday, February 21, 6:30pm in the Community Room. Bring a crockpot of your favorite soup or a loaf of bread and join us for some fun and fellowship! RSVP today. Contact Tanya Legro at tlegro@holdenchapel.org for more information.

Youth Ministry:

Youth Group (Grades 6 thru 12): Wednesdays, 6:30–8:30pm in the Youth Center. See Josh Curtis, Youth Ministry Director, for details or email jcurtis@holdenchapel.org.

Children's Ministry:

Kids Worship:

  • Infants: Pre-K Wing, Room A. We have teams of people available to lovingly care for our littlest ones so parents can fully engage in worship. Check in begins 10 minutes before the worship service begins.
  • Toddlers and Preschoolers: Pre-K Wing, Room B. Our toddler and preschool-aged kids have the opportunity to hear Bible stories and play together. Check in begins 10 minutes before the worship service begins.
  • Elementary-aged Kids: K-2nd Grade in the Community Room, 3rd-5th Grade in the Small Chapel. After checking in at the KIDS desk in the lobby, kids begin with their families in the sanctuary to worship God in song and participate in communion. After communion, kids are invited to the front where they will be prayed for then dismissed to their classes where they have the opportunity to dig into God's Word and participate in activities that reinforce what they have learned.

Kids Grow: Foundations for Kids (Grades K through 5): Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00pm in the HCA Kitchen. Kids in Kindergarten thru fifth grade are invited for fun, fellowship and discipleship based on the book Foundations for Kids. See Tanya Legro, Children’s Ministry Director, for details or email tlegro@holdenchapel.org.

Prayer:

Prayer Meetings: Sundays, 9:00-9:50am (Balcony Room A); Tuesdays, 7:15-8:00am (Sanctuary), Third Saturday of Each Month, 7:00-8:00pm (Sanctuary). Praying together allows us to join in a unified voice for the needs of family, friends, community, and the world. It is an opportunity to experience the Spirit and power of God tangibly and often brings miraculous results when believers unite in faith.

Prayer Requests: If you have a prayer request, we have a team of people who are ready to intercede on your behalf. Submit your prayer request here.

Prayer Calendar: Join us in praying for Holden Chapel this month.

Prayer Calendar - February 2025

Holden Christian Academy:

HCA is our Pre-K thru Grade 8 school that is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International.

HCA Sunday: Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year has begun! Holden Chapel is hosting “HCA Sunday” on March 2 where Pastor Tom and the HCA staff will talk about the original vision for HCA, give an overview about the school, open enrollment, support, etc., and have guided tours of the school.

Pathways Newsletter: Check out all that is going on at HCA each month by visiting holdenchristianacademy.org/pathways.

Job Opportunities: Visit holdenchristianacademy.org/jobopportunities to learn about job openings at Holden Christian Academy. We are currently looking to add to our list of Substitute Teachers.

Missionary Spotlight:

Our Missionaries, Eric and Julie S. (Wycliffe): For many years, Eric and Julie have served with Wycliffe Bible Translators at the International Linguistics Center in Dallas, Texas by making quality videos that train current and future missionaries as they continue to fulfill the vision of translating the Bible into languages for every people group. Eric’s work at the International Linguistics Center ended in the fall of 2024. Eric and Julie believed God wanted them to continue their mission work with Wycliffe, so they applied for another position within the ministry. God opened doors for Eric to continue making videos for field missionaries in North and South America. Please pray for them during this transition. Here is the second excerpt from what Eric is calling “Life in the Edit Bay” as he shares about this journey:

Life in the Edit Bay can be technical at times. You need to know about film editing. You need to know how your video editing software works. You need to know how your computer works. Life in the Edit Bay can also be creative – such as creating motion graphics in a totally new and creative way or finding a way to use some creative video material in a project. God is highly technical, think of DNA, or the laws of physics, for example. But He is also highly creative, each tree that gets cut down and opened up at a sawmill reveals a unique grain pattern for each board. When I attempt to be creative in photography or the arts, really what I’m doing is revealing God’s creativity, not so much mine. To God be all the glory!