If you've attended our Sunday gatherings the last couple of weeks you've noticed a recent addition to our new building: the Ephesians 412 Bookstore.
What is it and how does it work? Great question!
The Ephesians 4:12 Fund
For a number of years, members and friends of Sovereign Hope have generously donated to a fund called "The Ephesians 4:12 Fund." The fund's goal was to support efforts that help us, "equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). The elders of Sovereign Hope are dedicated to advancing a culture of gospel-shaped ministry from the pulpit and in our ministries, but these monies are dedicated to additional, and specific, resources that help equip ordinary Christians for ministry by providing theological training and development.
In the past, the Ephesians 4:12 fund has brought in speakers for seminars on marriage and parenting, as well as systematic theology and community group leader training. As we launched the capital campaign for our building purchase and remodel, we suspended the fund to help prioritize the purchase of the building. Even as we labor to pay off our building by 2029, we are excited to reopen the fund and begin providing new resources to you and our members.
The Ephesians 4:12 Bookstore
If you spend any time reading the New Testament letters, you'll quickly notice that Paul and the other apostles spend lots of time warning the churches of writers and teachers who on one hand, aren't helpful, and on the other hand, are dangerous. In our digital, Amazon-source world, finding resources and authors you trust can be harder than it should be. We want to help you by providing and promoting books and authors we believe hold to the biblical gospel and assist us in our goals to grow "to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
We are excited to offer these books to you at a discount by using the Ephesians 4:12 fund to supplement the costs. For the first month, all the books will be $5. To purchase a book, scan the QR code at the bookstore, or pay with cash, card or check at the Information Desk.
Additionally, you can visit our list of Amazon resources here for a more robust, and growing list of resources we recommend. The Amazon list links to full-price items, but you can browse by category and even find a vast collection of media resources, shows and documentaries that you can search for on your favorite streaming platform.
Support for the Ephesians 4:12 Bookstore
As of right now, the operating budget of Sovereign Hope does not actively support the Ephesians 4:12 fund. This means these discounted resources, future seminars and other free tools, are entirely dependent upon saints giving back to the saints. If you have been blessed by these resources and feel led to help underwrite them and other education opportunities, consider giving to the fund by visiting sovhope.com/equip.
