Hope Notes 3-27-2008

Dear Friends of Hope ~

What a tremendous blessing it was to see our church packed to overflowing with people on Easter Sunday! God is so faithful; when we do as He asks and follow His call, He just pours out the blessings. What a beautiful thing to see hearts touched and lives changed on Easter morning.

SUNDAY SERVICE

The Antichrist Revealed (2 Thess 2:1-4)

Are we in the last days? Paul gives us some clear teaching about the end times and specifically about a man that we often call the "antichrist". This passage makes it clear whether we are in the tribulation or "Day of the Lord". This person will act in certain ways that are easily visible and identifiable. An understanding of this teaching will help us feel the urgency of sharing our faith. We don't need to live in fear and dread, but we should live in an awareness of the coming return of our Lord. Paul didn't want the Thessalonians to be unsettled, and we too can find security and comfort as we study what is written about the last days.

CD'S AVAILABLE

Please remember that our services are available on CD immediately following the service for FREE! Pick up a copy for yourself or for anyone they want to share Hope with. Pastor Mark's messages are also available on our website, www.hopechristianfellowship.org.

BIBLE READING FOR APRIL - 2 John, 3 John, Jude

2 John stresses that our love for one another and for God will show itself most when we obey God's commandments. It warns against false teaching and wordly thinking that wants to deceive us into walking away from our faith.

3 John is bit of encouragement for all of us to continue to live out our faith and to treat servants of God with the kindness and hospitality due them.

Jude warns the church against following immoral teachers and those who teach false doctrine. Jude calls us to persevere in the face of whatever opposes our faith, and he helps us to endure by reminding us of the promise of our final reward.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

COMMUNITY CLEAN UP / BUILDING FUNDRAISER

April 19th 9:00 am (April 26th Rain Date)

Come out and join Hope as we raise money for our new building. This is a great family activity which will help our community as well as our building fund! Get ready to get dirty and pick up some trash! Trashbags, rakes, and gloves provided. Sign up sheet on Activities Board. See Poppy Gillin for more information. 856-401-0553

MEN'S SKEET SHOOT

Sunday April 20th 2:00 - ?

Come join us at the Piney Hollow Shooting Range in Williamstown for an afternoon of fellowship and fun! We will go out to lunch afterwards. Sign up sheet is located on the Activities Board in back. See Ray Gillin with any questions.

RIVERSHARKS FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT

May 10th 5:00 - ?

Campbells Field in Camden

Fireworks pre & post-game. Christian bands pre-game & during 7th inning stretch. Rob Baumiester (Bob and Carole's son) and his band, Compelled, will be playing! Sign up sheet located on Activities Board in back. We have a limited number of tickets reserved at $11/person, so sign up right away. Money is due to Wendy Lynch ASAP.

CO-ED SOFTBALL

Hope is forming it's first official softball team! There will be no games scheduled for Wednesday nights or weekends. Practices will be held mainly before the season begins. These things will make it easier for you to be a part of the team and not take away from your commitments to church and family. The sign up sheet is in the back of the church. See Damon Briggs with any questions.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Becoming a Contagious Christian Workshop - May and June

Ice Cream Social - June

Adult Picnic - July

Family Picnic - August

Harvest Crusade - October 3rd to 5th

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

We are moving forward in our study about living free from enslavement to stress. The last issue we explored was about how making a decision to leave conflict unresolved adds to our stress. If you have missed a few weeks, or have never been a part, don't miss another week! We meet at Pastor Mark's house, and for those who need to bring their children, they can play in the basement while we study from 7:30 to 8:30 (sharp!). A small investment of an hour can mean so much to your week!

20-SOMETHINGS BIBLE STUDY

Kickoff on Friday, April 11th @ 7:30 pm

You don't want to miss the "opening night" of our Bible study! After our time of study, we will be enjoying an evening of fellowship, games, and food. If you would like to bring a game that would be great!

This study will be meeting every other Friday at Brad & Karla Hopkin's home,

208 Landing Rd. Hilltop, NJ (228-5845). Anyone in this age group is welcome to come, whether you are single, married, have kids or not!

GIRLS OF HOPE BIBLE STUDY

We will be meeting on Fridays for the month of March. Thank you!

GRIEF GROUP

The next meeting for the Grief Group at Lorraine Otis' home is April 18th.

SMALL GROUPS

We offer a variety of Small Groups here at Hope. We have groups for men, women, teen girls, teen boys, and an assortment of groups teaching on specific topics. You can pick up a flyer with full descriptions on the front table, and contact the leaders with any questions. NOW is the time to plug in and get connected!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP NEEDED

Charlotte Zediker could use some help putting siding on the shed in her backyard. Glenn Johnson is organizing a work team of men who would be willing to put in some time on a Saturday in the near future. Contact Glenn at 856-853-7303.

WEB SITE LAUNCH

Our church website has a new look! Take some time to check it out - knowing what is on our website can give us confidence in using it as a resource for ourselves and as a tool to share Hope with others. See Steve Jones with any questions or comments.

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS ARE:

SIGN-IN TABLE: Dolores Incarvite

LAMB'S MINISTRY: Lenny Little, Kara Ott (T)

Helen Mastalski, Meagan Tareila (I)

Natalie & Dustin Davis, (C)

GREETERS: Mike Elliott

COUNTERS: Damon and ?

CLEANERS: Poppy

PRAYER REQUESTS

Ed Yost - Just diagnosed with liver cancer. Please pray for all the treatments he will have to go through.

Help us to remember to pray, Lord. Not just for these specific requests, but "in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Ph 4:6

Our God Reigns,

Lois

Hope Notes 3-19-2008

Dear Friends of Hope ~
Let's make a real effort to be considerate and aware of our visitors on Easter Sunday. It would be great for them to see a friendly face, hear some welcoming words, and be offered a heartfelt handshake. We need to be praying that God will bring a harvest of both visitors and of people who will receive Christ as their Savior this Sunday.

EASTER SUNDAY
Communion Service at 10:00 am
A short service which will include music, the story of Jesus' death, and communion.
Easter Morning Worship Service
The Ripple Effect (Matthew 27:51-53)
The Easter story tells us that Jesus Christ died a terrible death, but that He rose again! When all seemed lost for Jesus, a miracle brought Him back to life. Seems like a great story of hope and the power of God, but that's not all it is. There is a little story included in the Gospel of Matthew that shows us how Jesus' death and resurrection have an effect that spreads and reaches to each of us. This Easter, we want to clearly understand how this story included an opportunity for each one of us.

EASTER CAFE - THIS WEEK !
Thursday March 20th 7:00 pm
A night at the "cafe" is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts for Easter. Don't stress if you want to come and forgot to sign up....................just bring a snack and show up!! Be sure to invite your families and friends! See Kim Biglin with any questions. (THERE WILL BE NO WED NIGHT BIBLE STUDY THIS WEEK 3/19 BECAUSE OF THIS EVENT)

CD'S AVAILABLE
Please remember that our services are available on CD immediately following the service for FREE! Pick up a copy for yourself or for anyone they want to share Hope with. Pastor Mark's messages are also available on our website, http://www.hopechristianfellowship.org/.

BIBLE READING FOR MARCH - PSALMS (Book 4,Psalms 90-106)
The Psalms are a collection of 150 songs and poems written by various authors. They give us a beautiful glimpse of the nature of God, of His undying love for us, and of what true love for God is like. The Psalms have provided comfort and encouragement to believers for thousands of years, and will do the same for you!

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

MEN'S SKEET SHOOT
Saturday April 20th 2:00 - ?
Come join us at the Piney Hollow Shooting Range in Williamstown for an afternoon of fellowship and fun! We will go out to lunch afterwards. Sign up sheet is located on the Activities Board in back. See Ray Gillin with any questions.

RIVERSHARKS FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT
May 10th 5:00 - ?
Campbells Field in Camden
Fireworks pre & post-game. Christian bands pre-game & during 7th inning stretch. Rob Baumietser (Bob and Carole's son) and his band, Compelled, will be playing! Sign up sheet located on Activities Board in back. We have a limited number of tickets reserved at $11/person, so sign up right away. Money is due to Wendy Lynch ASAP.

CO-ED SOFTBALL
Hope is forming it's first official softball team! There will be no games scheduled for Wednesday nights or weekends. Practices will be held mainly before the season begins. These things will make it easier for you to be a part of the team and not take away from your commitments to church and family. The sign up sheet is in the back of the church. See Damon Briggs with any questions.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Becoming a Contagious Christian Workshop - May and June
Ice Cream Social - June
Adult Picnic - July
Family Picnic - August
Harvest Crusade - October 3rd to 5th

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY
There will be no study on 3/19 due to the Easter Cafe. Make sure to join us on 3/26 as we move forward in our study about living free from enslavement to stress. This past week, we began to look at how a decision to leave conflict unresolved adds to our stress. If you have missed a few weeks, or have never been a part, don't miss another week! We meet at Pastor Mark's house, and for those who need to bring their children, they can play in the basement while we study from 7:30 to 8:30 (sharp!). A small investment of an hour can mean so much to your week!

20-SOMETHINGS BIBLE STUDY
Kickoff on Friday, April 11th @ 7:30 pm
This study will be meeting every other Friday at Brad & Karla Hopkin's home,
208 Landing Rd. Hilltop, NJ (228-5845). Anyone in this age group is welcome to come, whether you are single, married, have kids or not!

SMALL GROUPS
We offer a variety of Small Groups here at Hope. We have groups for men, women, teen girls, teen boys, and an assortment of groups teaching on specific topics. You can pick up a flyer with full descriptions on the front table, and contact the leaders with any questions. NOW is the time to plug in and get connected!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FREE FURNITURE
Jim Marciano is moving in a few weeks and has the following furniture available to donate to someone with a need: Entertainment center, birch/blonde queen bedroom set, dining room set, and two blue area rugs. Contact Jim at 609-313-2349 or jwmarcian@comcast.net for more info.

GIRLS OF HOPE BIBLE STUDY
We will be meeting on Fridays for the month of March. There is no study on 3/21 - Good Friday. Thank you!

WEB SITE LAUNCH
Our church website has a new look! Take some time to check it out - knowing what is on our website can give us confidence in using it as a resource for ourselves and as a tool to share Hope with others. See Steve Jones with any questions or comments.

"LEFT BEHIND" BOOK SERIES
Lorraine Otis has the complete "Left Behind" series available at the Faith Table. Anyone who would like to read them can pick up a few and then return them as they read through the series.

MISSIONARY UPDATE
We here at Hope believe in helping to further God's kingdom by sponsoring missionaries who are bringing the light of Jesus to a dark world. We currently sponsor Lauren Pupchick who is serving in Guatemala. We are looking to expand our outreach by sponsoring another missionary. If you know of anyone doing the Lord's work in the mission field, please let us know. We want to prayerfully consider all those who could use our help and let the Holy Spirit lead us in our choice. Anyone with information please contact Karen Jones (728-8031).

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS ARE:
SIGN-IN TABLE: Dolores Incarvite
LAMB'S MINISTRY: Lenny Little, Kara Ott (T)
Helen Mastalski, Meagan Tareila (I)
Natalie & Dustin Davis, Drew Ott (C)
GREETERS: Mike Elliott
COUNTERS: Karen J and Lois
CLEANERS: Poppy

PRAYER REQUESTS
Ed Yost - Just diagnosed with liver cancer. Please pray for all the treatments he will have to go through.
Peggy Kemp - Has the flu (complicated by COPD).
Bernie Kemp - Also has the flu.

Help us to remember to pray, Lord. Not just for these specific requests, but "in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Ph 4:6

The Tomb is Empty!

Lois