WITNESS

Our anchor Scripture for 2026 is both a promise and a plan.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses...”
Acts 1:8

This is power with purpose. The purpose is to witness. To carry the presence, truth, and hope of Jesus into every space we inhabit. To tell the story His story. To live as bold, credible ambassadors of the gospel in a watching world. But notice the sequence: first power, then witness. Jesus doesn’t say “go immediately.” He says, “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

Why? Because witness is not self-generated. It flows from the life of the Spirit within us. A life formed in hidden places before it ever becomes visible in, and to, the world.

The early disciples did not move from Jesus’ resurrection to local and global mission overnight. Previously, they had been apprenticed in they way, and by, Jesus. They were strengthened in secret to be strong in His story. They had learned to rest, to pray, too fast and feast, to listen, to dwell in the Scriptures, to receive grace around a shared table, strengthening for what was to come at Pentecost. These weren’t spiritual accessories. They were the foundations of their authority, clarity, and power. And from Pentecost onwards, the power they received was sustained by the practices Jesus had already formed in them.

This series Witness, invites Hope Presbyterian into that same journey. It is not about doing more, trying harder, or performing better. It is about allowing the Holy Spirit to form, and strengthen within us the life of Christ, so that when the moment comes to speak, to act, to move, to stand, to love, what overflows is not effort, but Christ’s grace.

Witness is not just about saying the right thing at the right time. It is about becoming the kind of people who live with open hearts, open eyes, and open hands. It is about learning to notice where God is already at work, responding to the Holy Spirit, and joining Jesus in His mission through everyday conversations, invitations, prayer, hospitality, courage, and love.

As a church, we believe God is calling us to be outward focused, to help people take a step towards Jesus, and to become a warm and inviting community that people are happy to call home.