Ministries
Living Hope church has a variety of ministries: such as worship services, support programs, Bible studies and outreach opportunities for all ages. In addition, we offer a broad network of small groups that allow people to go deeper and connect relationally with others. Our purpose is to lead people to Jesus, to membership in his family and to develop Christ-like maturity so they are equipped for ministry in the community and the world.
Adult Ministries
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is love your neighbour as yourself. Matt. 22:39
Jesus said to them, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them. Matt. 28: 18-20
Adult Ministries are here to equip people to love God, to love others as ourselves, and to make disciples, as Jesus has called us to do.
Click on the headings below for more details on each program.
At Living Hope, our Tuesday Women’s Coffee Break morning is a time for women of all ages and stages of life to:
- grow in their faith as they watch a video or study God’s Word,
- support and encourage one another in small groups,
- reach out to others in their community.
September – May: Tuesday mornings 9:30am – 11:30am (free childcare provided). There is also a Monday Evening and Wednesday morning Zoom option, email Emmy at eschmidt@livinghope.on.ca to receive an invite.
At Living Hope, our Women’s Ministry is there to help connect all women at Living Hope in various events, such as, host a speaker to challenge and inspire us, a fun evening together, connecting to help women in our community. As we plan these events we will share them here, so stay tuned!
Also, once a year, the Women’s Ministry runs a retreat, where women can get away from the daily grind of life for a whole weekend to recharge spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially. We host a speaker who shares with and challenges us in our walk with God and in our daily living. There is also time for rest, fun, and great meals that we don’t have to cook! This is a great weekend away!
The Men’s Ministry, or how we like to say Ministry to Men (M2M), encourages discipleship/connections amongst men and helps to build strong families. M2M provides opportunities that help men grow in their faith and equips them to share God’s love in tangible ways in their families and in their community.
Group studies will be offered in the future, as well as men’s events. Check here for future details.
In the book of Acts, in the New Testament, Stephen was chosen to provide caring ministry to those in need. At Living Hope, we believe that our Stephen Ministry is “Christ caring for people through people.” – people in our church take a course to be trained as Stephen Ministers.
Our Stephen Ministers provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care and support to people experiencing grief, divorce, cancer, job loss, loneliness, disability, relocation, and other life difficulties. If you are in need of care, a Stephen Leader (a leader within the ministry) will contact you to become more familiar with your situation and answer any questions you may have. If you are interested in having a Stephen Minister (a person who provides pastoral care to you), arrangements will be made for you to meet with them. You will meet (or be in contact) about once a week and the relationship will last as long, or short, as you like. If you are interested in either receiving care or becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact the church.
Living Hope has just started this ministry to young families. We hope to partner with parents to equip them as spiritual leaders in their homes. We hope to create intentional space for the children to meet Jesus, which will motivate them to live a life of faith, where they have a growing personal relationship with Jesus. Even though they are young they can still experience God!
Prayer at Living Hope envisions to be the corporate body listening to Holy Spirit as He directs His church to grow spiritually, to love one other and love our neighbours.
For the vision to become mission, Living Hope church commits to meet at least twice monthly mid-week and Sunday mornings before the service, to intercede in prayer, on behalf of the church leaders, the congregation, the community beside us, and to the world around us, as well as listen to what our Lord Jesus Christ has to say to His church.
The Prayer Ministry of Living Hope will encourage and motivate His children to develop and practice a deep personal prayer life, to lift each other up in prayer, to seek God’s will, to listen to guidance of Holy Spirit and act upon it, which is all part of following God into intimate relationship with Him.
Prayer meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm, and 9am Sunday mornings, in the prayer room.
If you are interested in being part of this, please email Emmy at eschmidt@livinghope.on.ca.
Living Hope’s Library provides Christ-centered resources that help people emotionally, financially, relationally, and spiritually. These resources support and enhance the quality of Christian living, discipleship, financial peace, prayer, marriage, parenting, etc., as well as provides fiction for enjoyment.
In Connect Groups we:
At Living Hope we believe that involvement in a Connect Group is incredibly important to people’s personal and spiritual growth. Groups also allow us to condense the big church feel of a Sunday morning into smaller and more relational parts. We are firmly convinced that everyone can grow and benefit from being in a Connect Group.
- Generally meet bi-weekly (depending on the group) on a set day throughout the year
- When together, they will either study scripture, look at a topic of interest (i.e finances, parenting, Sunday’s sermon) or will be involved in serving their community.
- Fun and confidentiality are treasured values.
To get involved in a Connect Group contact the office, or email Emmy at eschmidt@livinghope.on.ca
VISION: Understand God’s design and purpose for covenant marriage and how to live it out in your relationship
MISSION: Explore scripture and Christian resource materials, to learn and employ tools that will help to build strong marriage relationships within the church and the community.
PURPOSE: Strong marriages build strong families, strong families build healthy community, a healthy community loves, supports and helps one another to grow.
Difficult times can divide us rather than bring us together. The good news is that you can actually become closer than ever. It’s all about how you communicate and how you respond to the difficulties you’re facing.
Contact : email to marriage_ministry@hotmail.com or call/text 705-957-8737 to connect you with a marriage mentor or marriage sessions.
Date night Challenge: Click here.
Children’s Programs
Our diverse children’s programs are nurturing learning environments, designed specifically to meet the physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of Living Hope’s children.
Each Sunday morning, after a time of family worship, we dismiss all children to their respective classes. Little Lambs & Preschool newborn to JK, King’s Kids Grades SK-2, and Adventure Kids for Grade 3 to 5. The Kids Zone Check-In Desk will be open from 9:30-10:00 and again when children are dismissed from the service for late arrivals.
The Kids Zone is the check-in desk found in the Fellowship Hall. All children register prior to the service, or after the children’s dismissal for late comers. Upon dismissal from the service, please walk your child to their classroom. Their classroom is also where you will pick them up at the end of the service using our safety check-in system. If you are needed during the service for any reason, a text message will be sent to your phone via this system, so please keep it available on vibrate and make sure we have your updated information.
Children aged 0-JK. Little Lambs is divided into two rooms: Infant and Preschool. The Infant Room is designed for newborn to crawling babies, while the Preschool Room is designed for more explorative, independent children up to JK students. These classes provide our youngest children the opportunity to express their creativity and curiosity in a safe environment, with a team of caring volunteers. The program facilitates each child’s learning and play experiences in a way that encourages a relationship with God through songs, games, and activities.
for Grades SK-2, and 
for Grades 3-5
Children will develop a biblical worldview through studying God’s Word and meaningful discussions. With intentionally planned activities and a stimulating atmosphere, we aim to teach biblical truths at every child’s level of understanding. We close the morning with prayer and practical steps on how to apply the biblical principles they have learned.
We ask that all families do a health screening at home, prior to coming to Sunday School. Any child that shows symptoms of being unwell (ex. Cough, runny nose, fever) will be asked not to participate and families will be notified if symptoms arise during class time.
Child Offering Envelopes are available at the check-in desk. The donations from our Sunday School collections have gone toward amazing mission projects: We have sent school supplies to Kenya, invested in a clean water project in Nicaragua, funded street missions in the Philippines and Sierra Leone, and we contributed to the Hope Grows mission.
Outreach
Our goal is to train and inspire all people of the church to be ready to reflect the gospel of Christ with the world around us. God, through the Holy Spirit, has given many gifts to the church, some to evangelize, some to heal, others to help, but we can all show grace and love in our daily lives. We have used the term “inwardly strong, outwardly focused” this reflects our attention to be in prayer and in the Word of God, to be Spiritually strong. We then focus on discipleship in extending the love God has shown us, to our community, thus being focused on the needs of those around us. Jesus did say we are to love God above all else but also to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Outreach is also helping those in our community who need assistance in more tangible ways, like sharing meals at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter through the Better Together program. We also partner with PTBO Free Methodist Church to run the “Come Cook with Us” program at Otonabee Valley PS, teaching children from the community how to cook and prepare meals.
God is at work in our city! Our goal is to join that work in progress and follow where the Holy Spirit leads us. We support and partner with local ministries already thriving in our city: Youth Unlimited, Ptbo Pregnancy Support Services and Disciple a City to name a few.
Everyone can be part of the Outreach team, as 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (in Christ). But do this with gentleness and respect…”
Contact Mike Broersma for more information or for service opportunities.
Youth
Hey there and welcome to Living Hope’s youth ministry. We fully believe that a life lived with God is the best way to live. Think we’re crazy? Come and ask your questions, bring your doubts and your faith. We’re here to help any way we can. Big questions, small questions; come and ask them all.
We’re about BEING CHANGED and CHANGING THE WORLD! Find YOUR place in this world, YOUR place at Living Hope. Check out the ministries on the right and get plugged in!
K2 is the program to come to if you are in grades 6-8. We invite you to join us on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 (mid September – mid June). This age group is an absolute riot, and we love it. It is a place where be who we are and hang out with others learning about God. We love the enthusiasm, curiosity, and energy that our students bring. This is a place where faith can grow when you have questions, or blossom while making it your own! We would love to welcome you to join us.
The Underground is a program for high school students in the Peterborough area. We invite students in grades 9-12 to join us with their friends on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8 at Living Hope Church (mid September – mid June). We strive to be a place where you want to take your friends and grow in your faith. We keep it fun, keep is social and keep it interesting. We play games, challenge ourselves with issues of faith and life, give people a platform to express themselves and ask questions. We love questions, this is a safe place to ask questions, no question is too big or too insignificant.
Worship
“Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” – Psalm 33
Our goal is to present the Gospel of Christ in the best possible way every Sunday using all the creative gifts and expressions God has given to us!
We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to participate fully in worship and to use their Spiritual gifts to freely express authentic praise and worship to the triune God.
We embrace a contemporary style of worship and have multiple praise teams to lead us in music and song, but there are many ways to worship. We can use creative expression like theatre arts or liturgical dance. Visual arts in stage design and using creative installations to enhance the worship visually. Photography and other forms of art are also expressions of worship. God is the father of all creativity, and we use the arts to prepare us to to receive the Word of God, which is the central component of our Sunday morning service.
We have a strong AV team that manages our lighting and sound booths for recording or live worship. We are moving into the world of live streaming as so many churches have recently, recognising that worship is not reserved for Sunday mornings anymore, so we make worship recordings available for people to watch from their homes whenever they are available.
If you would like more information about our worship teams please contact Mike Broersma, our Worship Ministry Director.