Hope Notes 12/29/11
Dear Friends of Hope~
Here we go, folks, the last Hope Notes of 2011! Can you believe it? A year seems to pass so quickly. Whenever we come to a marker of some kind, be it a birthday, a holiday, or perhaps a new school year, I always feel a little bittersweet about the whole thing. I am not one to easily toss aside the past year and run with open arms into the next. I would rather hold on to what I know than to embrace change with excitement. GOD, however, does not want me to do that! He knows that He has prepared a future for us all that is completely good and safe and perfectly His. He has shown me quite a lot about letting go these past few years, and I plan on continuing to trust Him to lead me. But……...I still don't think I'll ever fling myself towards the future with complete abandon!!!
SUNDAY MESSAGE
1/8 – The Path to Failure (2 Samuel 11:1-13)
When we look at people who do terribly wrong things, we can easily start to think that they are somehow abnormally evil or callous. But the truth is that most people who make very large mistakes begin by making very little mistakes. The pathway to the 'big' sins is through little choices that probably feel inconsequential, but which take us into danger. As we look at one of the major failures in David's life, we'll see how a seemingly small choice leads to unbelievable sin in the life of this godly king. We'll look at the process by which David is drawn deeper and deeper into evil, and learn how we too are drawn by these forces to go further and further into wrong. Let's take this opportunity to learn from David's life and be better prepared for the deceptive power of our own flesh.
MESSAGES AVAILABLE
Did you know that Sunday's worship service is available on CD immediately following the service for FREE? Pick up a copy for yourself or for anyone you would like to share Hope with. Pastor Mark's messages are also available on our website, www.hopechristianfellowship.org.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER TIME
Our Sunday morning prayer time is open to everyone. We start at 9:15 am in one of the classrooms. We pray for the services that morning and for the needs in the church. If you would like to participate, just show up! Contact Jim Bradshaw at Prayer Team with any questions.
BIBLE READING FOR DECEMBER – ACTS
The book of Acts is the place to look if you're curious about the history of the church. There's a lot of encouragement to be found in reading about the miracles of the early church, the persecution it endured, and the great things it accomplished through the power of the Spirit of God. Acts traces the history of the church from the time Jesus ascended to heaven, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and through the exploits and trials of New Testament heroes of the faith, such as Peter and Paul.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
7:00 – 8:15
You don't want to miss our study of 1Corinthians! The Christians at Corinth were like so many of us today – they knew Christ, but they still needed His cleansing! Gathering together midweek to dig into God's Word is key in staying connected to our church family and to our Lord. Childcare is provided.
WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
Our Children's Program runs at the same time as Bible study. We currently offer classes for 2-3 year olds, 4-5 year olds, and 1st thru 5th graders.
ALL WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAMS RESUME JANUARY 11TH, 2012
YOUNG ADULTS
Meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month at 7:30 in the Youth Room at church. Anyone who has graduated high school up to their early thirties is welcome. We now have childcare available. We have a schedule so that everyone can volunteer to take a week and keep the childcare going. See Pastor Mark or Dana for more information.
WOMEN'S PRAYER GROUP
Meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Prayer Room at church. All women are invited to attend.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP
LOVE AND RESPECT CONFERENCE
March 2-3, Friday night and Saturday morning
The conference will be held at Calvary Chapel in Philly. The cost is $35 per person (before Feb 20th). You can register by going to www.loveandrespect.com and choosing the Philadelphia conference. Since this conference is within driving distance, it is a very economical way to build your marriage. Of course, there are local hotels available, so you can also make it into a weekend getaway if you'd like. But whether your marriage is everything you want it to be or not, it is always beneficial to spend a few days focused on one another. You won't be disappointed in what God does if you take this opportunity!
PS - the "Weekend to Remember" conference that we've attended the past several years is also available locally including Hershey Pa in February, the Poconos in March, and Washington DC in March and April... for more information about this conference, you can go to www.familylife.com and go to Weekend to Remember.
SMALL GROUPS
Small Group study sheets are in the back of the auditorium, or you can print a copy right from our website! At Small Groups, we'll take a look at how the Bible emphasizes God's plan for us to grow and be healthy through relationships within our spiritual family. Anyone still looking for a Small Group to plug into can see Damon Briggs; he will help you get connected!
Please Note: Our Small Groups will be on hiatus during the Christmas season, so we will not be putting any new study sheets out. Feel free to meet and celebrate the holidays with your group if you so desire! Next study sheet will be out January 8th.
YOUTH NEWS
YOUTH GROUP
Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30
This is a great mid-week boost for our teens to stay connected, grow in the Lord, and have a fun time with each other! See Dave Hallahan with any questions.
Youth Group will resume after the Christmas holidays on January 11.
"POST CHRISTMAS" CHRISTMAS PARTY – THIS FRIDAY
Friday, December 30th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Come dressed as your favorite Christmas character from any Christmas movie. There will be prizes for best dressed and most creative costume! Also, please bring a gift for the White Elephant Gift Exchange. It can be something you already own, or purchase with a $5 MAX limit. The goal is laughter, not awesome presents! See Dave Hallahan with any questions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANK YOU FROM OUR PASTOR
A HUGE Thank You from Dana and I to our church family for their amazing generosity in our Christmas Gift. We are absolutely overwhelmed with the support and love we have from each of you, and we are ready to begin another year of adventure together for God's kingdom.
From Pastor Mark and Dana.
DECEMBER GIVING
We averaged $5581 per week for the month of December, which brings our annual average giving for 2011 to $4390 per week. We are so thankful for the faithfulness and sacrifice of our church family this year. And we ask each person who is a part of Hope - especially those who have never done so before - to take some time and ask the Lord what sacrifice you can make in the New Year to be faithful and supportive of what God is doing at Hope. We need each family to respond to God's call in giving so that we can keep going forward and be prepared for the growth that continues to come our way!
DO YOU "LIKE" HOPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP ?
For those of you on Facebook, this is just a reminder for the new year to go on our Facebook page and "like" it so you can keep up with what's happening. It's a great way to stay current with all the activities at Hope. Don't forget our Young Adults and our Youth Groups pages as well. Even if you don't fall into that age category, it's fun to check them out and see what they're up to. Plus, fun pictures get posted!
FREE TV'S
Ken Blythe has a lot of 20" cable ready, color TVs with remotes available for FREE! These are not flat screen. If you are interested, contact Ken at kblythe99@hotmail.com. He will bring them to church and you can pick them up there.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING – THIS COMING WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00pm
We will be having our annual business meeting in place of Bible Study. This will be a night where we take a look at this past year and see what the Lord has done. It is also a very important time of vision for the new year where we can all see the challenges ahead that we need to take on together. We will be voting on officers and the new budget, so we need our partners to join us. And as always, this meeting is open for anyone who is a part of Hope!
Please Note: There will be no Children's Ministry or Youth Group on January 4th.
OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE
Do you want to truly feel like you are a vital and connected part of Hope? Then find a place where you can serve! Here are some ideas!
CHILDCARE HELPERS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Our Young Adults meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Those who have small children are often unable attend. Come be a blessing to these couples and this ministry – volunteer to take a turn in the Nursery! Let Pastor Mark or Dana know if you can help.
WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
We are still in need of a helper for our 4-5 year old classes and a teacher/helper for our 2-3 year old classes. Please search your heart to see if God is calling you to help with this ministry. We will have to cancel classes if we do not get the volunteers we need.
Contact Jen Winstel at jenwinrn@comcast.net or Pastor Mark to volunteer.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY MEETING
Sunday, January 15th
We are in need of a few new teams for the Toddler and Pre-K/Kindergarten classes for the upcoming year. We will have a quick meeting with all Toddler and Pre-K/Kindergarten teachers and helps, along with anyone who might be interested in serving this ministry. We will be meeting the Toddler Room. Contact Franne Harkin (fhark7@yahoo.com) with any questions.
VBS PROGRAM 2012 MEETING
January 8th
We are excited that so many people showed an interest in coordinating VBS at our first meeting! We will have another meeting immediately following the morning service January 8th.
MEALS MINISTRY
Needs Team is updating the Rotating Meals Ministry list. We could use some other willing hearts to prepare the occasional meal for a family during a time of need. Anyone who would like to be added to this list please see Lorraine Otis or contact her atlorraineotis@comcast.net
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Want to help us with the most effective and powerful ministry at Hope? Join in as part of our Kid's Ministry! Here's what to do:
Nursery
Contact Brian or Naidona Ott
856-589-2047 or ottbriant@netscape.net
Toddlers & Preschool
Contact Franne Harkin
609-458-2124 or fhark7@yahoo.com
Elementary
Contact Anita Little
856-783-7168 or alittleshopper@gmail.com
Wednesday Night Program
Contact Jen Winstel
856-782-7798 or jenwinrn@comcast.net
SOUND AND MEDIA TEAM
Our Sound and Media Team can always use more helpers. Don't be scared; they will train you! Contact Steve Jones for sound at jones.stephen.d@gmail.com or Jim Bradshaw at spaceheadjim@yahoo.com for media.
Just pick where you would be most interested in helping and give that person a call. They will fill you in on the current needs and tell you whatever you need to know!
THIS WEEK'S WORKERS
Nursery - Kacy Maska & Kristy Straub
Toddlers Judy Gotshall & Abbey Harkin
Pre K – Kindergarten Franne Harkin
1st – 5th TBA
Counters Rick Mounce & Damon Briggs
Greeters John Brazelis
Lucille Franchetti
Lisa Fiorile
Helen Mastalski
Wed. Evening No Programs
HOPES PRAYER TEAM
If you have a prayer request, please fill out a prayer request card and drop it in the offering slot at the back of the church on Sunday or use the "Prayer Request Form" on our website. If you have any questions or would like to join the Prayer Team, please contact Jim Bradshaw directly at Prayer@hopechristianfellowship.org.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Jerry & Carol Bryt – For Carol's father who is in the hospital after a massive stroke. He has been taken off all support and they are simply waiting. Please pray for peace as they prepare to say goodbye.
Youth Pastor – Please pray for our new Youth Pastor, Dave Hallahan, as he beings the task of ministering to our teens, planning programs for them, and moving forward with God's call on his life here at Hope.
Kids Ministry Director. Please pray for God to connect us with the right people at the right time and let Him have His work in all of this!
Young Adults – Please pray that God would give the young adults here at Hope a heart for our new ministry so that they can grow in the Lord and forge closer relationships with each other.
Glory to God,
Lois
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.
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9:26 AM
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