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Nov 03, 2016

Local Church Spreads HOPE Throughout Texas City

St. George’s Episcopal Church is spreading HOPE to their neighbors in an effort to counterbalance a contentious and toxic election year. Church members have enlisted the help of local Boy Scout troops, businesses and neighbors to create literal signs of HOPE to place around the community and remind people that coming together in unity is paramount. Five hundred hand-painted signs of HOPE will be blessed at the church at 10 o’clock on November 19 during the church’s annual bazaar and the congregation invites other “Ambassadors of HOPE” to come and help them spread the message throughout the community. 

 

"Our hope is that our community will come together following the elections, no matter who is elected, for the good of our community, the nation and for the good of our kid’s future,” said the Rev. Robin Reeves, rector of St. George’s. The Church also wants to know what people hope for so that they can pray for those hopes.  

 

The seeds of the idea were planted several years ago when Reeves, in a meeting with Mayor Matthew Doyle, learned that his deepest concern was "for our youth and their lack of a vision or a hope for a future.”  In response, St. George’s built a community garden, in partnership with Blocker Middle School, Galveston County Food Bank and DSW Builders so local kids could learn how to grow and eat nutritious food. 

 

Most recently, St. George’s worked with Scout Troup 236 to create signs for a field of HOPE for the dedication on November 19. "You may have seen pumpkin patches,” Reeves said, but they have to be replanted. HOPE is eternal and we want to cover the field with 500 hand-painted signs of HOPE, then invite people to pick one and carry it into the community to plant them throughout our neighborhoods.” 

 

She added that the congregation is committed to spreading HOPE “To bless our city.” The 500 signs of HOPE are a reminder that the bigger story is always one of HOPE and LOVE. "We get to choose,” Reeves said. “Let us choose HOPE over fear and trust in God's goodness. We hope to see these signs in people’s gardens or in a window like several of the businesses on 6th St. in Texas City.  

 

Paint your own HOPE signs on Monday’s in November at St. George’s (510 13th Ave. North) from 6 to 8 p.m. or at the new Art League (606 6thStreet.) Go to St. George’s Facebook page (facebook.com/stgeorgestc/) share your HOPE and join the community on November 19 at 10:00 a.m. for the blessing of the HOPE signs. We want to hear what you HOPE 4 and ask you please resist political statements. The point is there is a story bigger than the political one of this present time. God's love is our HOPE!