Read about what's going on in our HopeGateWay Community Newsletter November 28, 2025.
If you don't find the information you're looking for in the newsletter, on this page or within the website, please send us an email!
Sundays at 10am EST
In person at 515 Woodford St in Portland, Maine
& on Zoom
Dial in audio: 1.929.205.6099
Meeting ID: 533 469 2118
Advent Against Empire
This Advent we will be guided by Liberated Together and Erna Kim Hackett who writes: Advent arrives as a guide in the middle of all the confusion. It orients us when we feel pulled in a dozen directions and numbed by unrelenting trauma. Advent reminds us to pay attention to how God actually chose to enter the world. What we are getting in Jesus is the most practical and embodied demonstration of how he expects those with power to live and wield their power. He scrubs off and lays down all of his glory, power, and control, and moves into the limits of a womb and the limits of a human body.
Advent, at its core, is a radical re-education of power. It’s a divine intervention for anyone who has been taught that dominance is leadership and control is the goal. It’s an invitation to unlearn. Matthew’s opening chapters read like a manual for that unlearning:
Joseph - a masculinity not driven by fear.
He refuses to weaponize purity, piety, or patriarchy.
Herod - a warning about what power does when it’s afraid and lacks empathy.
A mirror showing how empire deforms the soul.
The Magi - they follow a star instead of a colonial enforcer.
They refuse to become errand boys for empire.
And Jesus - the undoing of it all.
Power remade in vulnerability.
HopeGateWay Kids
December 7 • 9am
Calling all HopeGateWay Kids ages 4-10! You're invited to gather on the first Sunday of the month from 9-9:45 am, starting in October. Our theme for the fall is: Being Church Together
HGW Kids is a time of exploring what it means to follow Jesus in community through singing, storytelling, discussion, and sensory play. We can't wait to wonder and listen and play with you! Parents are invited to enjoy coffee and conversation together during the kids' meeting time..
Dates and Topics:
- Dec. 7 Serving others. Putting together warming kits for our neighbors.
Caroling, Cookies, and Cocoa!
Saturday, December 21 • 1-3 pm • Monument Square, Portland
Join us for a classic HopeGateWay tradition, infusing Monument Square with joyful energy and connecting with passersby amidst the holiday bustle. Join HopeGateWay friends as we sing carols and pass out free hot chocolate and cookies in Monument Square, near the city Christmas tree!
MultiFaith Prayer Vigil near Cumberland County Jail
Wednesdays • 2:45-3:15 pm
You are invited to join leaders from the Greater Portland MultiFaith Organizing group who will host weekly vigils to lament the harm inflicted on all those caught up in the immigration system, and to affirm the inherent worthiness of all people. Each gathering will include songs, silence, prayer, or other spiritual practices. We are planning this action to pray for those detained by ICE locally at the Cumberland County Jail and those who are a part of that system that is detaining them.
Advent Conspiracy 2025 • Maine Solidarity Fund
Each year, HopeGateWay participates in Advent Conspiracy, a movement to keep the holidays focused on what is truly important: to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. In this spirit, HopeGateWay chooses an organization to support with our Advent giving. This year we have chosen Maine Solidarity Fund as our recipient to highlight.
When our neighbors are under attack, we stand together. Right now, immigrant and Trans Mainers are facing unprecedented threats. Over the past few months, we’ve seen families afraid to leave their homes. People are detained without warning and without due process. Essential healthcare is becoming inaccessible. Government actors are growing more emboldened, and we must act now.
We refuse to let this happen on our watch. As frontline organizations, we’ve been responding to crisis after crisis, but we realized we needed a better way. In July, the People’s Coalition for Safety & Justice (PCSJ) launched the Maine Solidarity Fund to provide immediate, direct support when crisis hits. No bureaucracy. No delays. Just rapid response when our neighbors need us most.
You can learn more about their work here.
Meditation & Conversation Small Group
Second & Fourth Thursdays 7-8pm • 515 Woodford Street
Are you looking for a chance to ground yourself? A time to step away from the chaos of life? A chance to connect with God and others? Join Pastor Sara at 515 for 20 minutes of guided meditation and 40 minutes of conversation. Let's talk about the longing of our own souls, the questions we have, and our own experiences of the Divine. This is an open group — you can join any week.
Tai Chi Practice
Tuesdays at 10am • 515 Woodford St
You are invited to practice Tai Chi and Qigong at HopeGateWay, led by Bronwen and Francis. This practice encompasses beginners and those who have practiced before. Tai Chi and Qigong - described as meditation in motion - are ancient Chinese practices promoting physical, mental and spiritual well-being through soft flowing motion harmonized with the rhythms of breathing.
Classes are wide open, warm and welcoming for anyone interested. They run a little over an hour in length and people participate as their schedules allow. There is no fee; however, modest donations, based on whatever participants can afford, are welcomed.
If you are interested, please contact Bronwen so that you can be placed on an email list that is just used if class is cancelled for that day. Otherwise, classes are every Tuesday at 10 .m.
Gather and Grow with HopeGateWay Small Groups
HopeGateWay offers a number of small groups. Recovery groups meet weekly on most nights of the week. We're always planning ahead for our next book study, film or podcast discussion. If you're interested in being part of a small group or if you have an idea for either a short-term or longer-term small group, email hello@hopegateway.com.
Community Care: Caring for One Another
At HopeGateWay, we follow Jesus' invitation to "love one another as I have loved you." Sometimes we offer our gifts and support and at other times we find ourselves on the receiving end. This is community, the kind of community that we want to be, graciously giving and receiving. Currently, we are providing meals for two families and we are looking for drivers willing to give rides to one or two people before and after worship on Sunday mornings. Please contact our Care Coordinator if you'd be willing to help! If you need assistance with some home cooked meals, groceries, errands or a visit, please contact us as well!
Looking to serve in a new way in 2025?
Consider Volunteer Opportunities with Hope Acts!
Hope Acts is seeking new volunteers as housing mentors, English language program support, transportation needs, and more. Check Hope Acts' volunteer page for more information. If you prefer, please call the Hope Acts office at 207-274-6005 or 207-228-1140 to discuss volunteer opportunities. Contact Alice for the ASAP program, Sarah for HHELP and Martha for anything/everything else. Volunteering is an act of hope AND a gift of hope. Reach out today.
HopeGateWay Conversations and Sermon Podcasts
If you'd like to learn more about what's going on within our HopeGateWay community, simply connect to our podcast page. You will find our weekly sermon podcasts at the same link. We encourage you to stay connected; let us know if there's something you'd like to know about HopeGateWay. Art McClanahan puts his heart and soul into making these conversations come alive.
Gateways Daily Reflection
Gateways is a daily email offering inspiring words for your daily time with God from HopeGateWay. Each morning we send out a prayer, reflection, poem, or other thought-provoking work along with a question or observation to take with you into your day. If you would like to try adding this to your daily spiritual practice, please sign up and join us. Subscribe here.
Sing along with the HopeGateWay Virtual Choir
Do you ever have worship songs going through your mind long after worship? You can now sing along at home any day of the week! Kelly and the HopeGateWay Acapella Virtual Choir creates a new song recording for worship every week. So our library of songs is growing! You can listen at this link.
Thank you for your faithful Stewardship!
Your generosity fuels HopeGateWay's Micah 6:8 mission to "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God." You can access all of the materials to make your pledge commitment for 2024 here. You may also make a one-time or recurring gift through our website or send a check to 515 Woodford Street Portland, ME 04103. We are grateful for your generous support of HopeGateWay's ministry and programs.
Grab a CLYNK Bag and Support HopeGateWay
Support the ministry and mission of HopeGateWay in a super easy way! Just pick up one of our Clynk bags in the green tote in our lobby, fill it with returnable bottles and cans, and return it to a Clynk collection site near Hannaford. If you have a personal Clynk account, you can also donate your balance to HopeGateWay!
UPCOMING EVENTS