A house that was home to a church

It was September, 1997 when we arrived at 100 holly Drive from Graystone Road in Lancaster County. We had no idea how long we would be living here. We'd been told by our United Methodist leadership to not even move because if Hope Church could not become viable as a financially independent church soon it would be closed. We thought about that, and then moved anyway.

Our home was always ours, never a church parsonage, but Hope Church dedicated it that fall as Hope's church office, Pastor's office,  and small group meeting space while we worshiped temporarily at Pine Forge seventh Day Adventist Church. For six years.

Mike Sobel was a part of Hope LONG before he was a member of Hope.  he has always had a heart for keeping church IT up and running.

Here the Reigles, Gail and Fran Loughead fold bulletins for our Sunday service.

Teams and small groups  met in the lower floor office and basement meeting rooms to study Scripture, pay bills, plan plans and pray.

 Lots of praying went on at 100 holly Drive.  It still does.

Nan Horn and Gail Grady work away helping Pam Lloyd manage the office.

 Hope had been around since it's inception in 1990 by the remaining congregation of Searles UMC in Pottstown. But many firsts took place in our home over the years I was appointed as pastor here.

The celebration Team began under Pam Rader's (now Frame's) leadership soon after I arrived and still plans our services throughout the year at Hope.
Here Bob Simcox, Judy Reinert and Judy Bonetz and I work together on some regular Monday evening.

 And who would EVER dare leave out our Hope Heavenbound Youth Group. Here are just a couple of the kids who did some of their growing up in the basement group room at our home / Hope's office. Simcoxes, Hegeman's, Lucas's, Weaver's, and more.

 Then, almost suddenly, in 2003, everything changed.  We built and dedicated our first church building and the church moved out of 100 Holly.  All except the pastor's office, that is. And that Christmas we moved our tree down to the new family room.  Which became Mona's library and the room where gently Used Books got it's start as a warehouse and book sorting center.


Hard at play this Christmas is the Shoemaker DeWalt family playing with our train set (now Khalif's) under the tree and on the futon given to us for our new room by the Grell's.

Now, 11 years later, we prepare to depart 100 Holly, it's fireplace, and Mona's reading room, for new digs.  well, as you know, actually NO digs at all since it's a rolling house from now on.

A fall 2013 image of the moon over our front porch reminds us that where we will be heading there should be little to no snow.  The old country song 'Heading for Sunny and 75' speaks to us now every time we hear it.

Today we're packing up the few things we feel we might want to use down the road if we, or when we, come off the road for good.  And we're choosing carefully the things we want, or will need, to have with us in our 400 square feet above the basement in the coach.

If there's one thing we've learned about life in the last 20 years it's this.  Beyond our loving God, there is nothing so permanent as... CHANGE.

-Ken