Hope Notes 5/16/13

Dear Friends of Hope~

For me, spring is a great symbol of new life, rebirth, and hope.  Over the winter, everything was dead and barren – seemingly incapable of change – and yet things begin to come alive again in spring.  What we forget is, that all throughout the winter, things are happening underneath the ground, in the depths of the trees, and in every branch of every bush.  Things don't just miraculously burst forth all fresh and new overnight.  This should be an encouragement to us to realize that just because we can't 'see' things happening, especially in the difficult situations of our lives, we should not fear that there is no hope of change.  God is always at work bringing new life and rebirth to our lives.  That is why we place our hope in Him and can look to spring as a tangible example of how He often works!

 

SUNDAY MESSAGE

May 19 – God's Word (2 Peter 1:19-21)

SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE PREVIEW

In our world, it is popular to discredit the Bible as a book of edited stories created a long time after Jesus lived and died.  There are debates over books that were excluded, over miracles that could not possibly have happened, and about the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  Peter talks in this passage about the reliability and inspiration of Scripture.  How can we know that what we have is God's Word?   Did men write what they thought, or was more happening than just the experience and wisdom of man?  We'll take a look at what Peter teaches about God's Word.

 

SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE – THIS WEEK

Saturday, May 18^th at 7:00 pm

There will be the same music and message as Sunday morning (an identical service) but there will be no other programs happening on Saturday night (no nursery or children's classes).  After giving it a try a few times, we'll have a better idea to see if this is a way for us to reach more people and see if we can handle the challenge!

 

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.

 

PRAYER HUDDLE

9:30 – 9:35

The prayer huddle is open to anyone who would like to come pray - but it is specifically intended for those who are serving on that Sunday.  So if you're scheduled to be in kids' ministry, greeting, in the tech booth, on worship team, or any other ministry role for a given Sunday, join us at 9:30 sharp to pray together for God's power in each of us.  We can do all things through Christ, and nothing of worth without Him, so let's come together each Sunday to ask for God's Spirit to fill us and use us!

 

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 Pat Harkin at Prayer Team with any questions.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

 

MAY CHALLENGE VERSE

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

 

WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS

7:00 – 8:15

We will be putting our study of 1Corinithians aside for spring and breaking into individual classes.  The groups offered are shown below. Everyone is welcome to join the groups in progress. Childcare is provided.

 

The Land Between (Bob Baumiester)

Meets in 1^st-2^nd Grade Classroom

 

Sun Stand Still (Damon Briggs)

Meets in Pre-School Room

 

Too Busy NOT to Pray (Mike Hartwell)

Meets in Prayer Room

 

The Basics of Christianity (Steve Jones)

Meets in Coffee Room

 

 Do I Have to Live Stressed Out (Pastor Mark)

Meets in Auditorium

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

7:00 – 8:15

Keep Jesus fresh in your child's mind and heart!  We have classes for children ages 3 – 5 and for those in 1^st – 5^th grades.  Nursery is provided for infants thru age 2.

 

YOUNG ADULTS

7:30 in Youth Room

First and Third Monday of every month

Anyone who has graduated high school up to their early thirties is welcome. See Pastor Mark or Dana for more information. Childcare is provided.

WOMEN'S PRAYER GROUP

7:00 in Prayer Room

First and Third Monday of every month

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

YOUNG ADULTS FIESTA DE MAYO

Monday May 19^th @7:00 pm

Calling all young adults (high school grads thru early 30's)!  We're having our annual fiesta/dinner and you don't want to miss out!  We go all out for this event – lots of Mexican themed decorations, food, goodies, and maybe even a sombrero or two! Of course, we will have games and enjoy each other's fellowship as well. You can sign up to bring different items on the signup sheet out in the lobby. 

 

HCF SOFTBALL TEAM

Softball Season has begun! Bring your friends and family to come root for our team.  It's a fun evening of fellowship!  Be sure to check the Salt & Light for the weekly game schedules.  See Lenny Little with any questions.

 

MEN'S BREAKFAST

Second Saturday of Every Month

8:30 am

Come and join us for a delicious breakfast and a good time of fellowship/sharing with the men of Hope.  Feel free to bring a friend!  Open to men 18 and older.  If anyone would like to help set-up and/or prepare, we meet in the kitchen at 7:00 am. See Bob Rice with any questions.

 

SMALL GROUP SAMPLER

If you didn't get to be a part of our Small Groups this past term, don't despair! We are doing a Small Group Sampler on the first 3 Wednesdays of August.  The groups are open to anyone who wants to participate (whether you've been in a group previously or not) and all you need to do is sign up for the weeks you're available.  We will schedule the Small Groups and assign everyone to a different group each week.  So if you sign up for all three weeks, you'll get to mix with three completely different groups.  Then, as we set out to form groups in September, you'll be one step ahead in the process because you'll have met lots of other people in a small group setting!   Look for the signup sheet to be out in a few weeks.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Women of Faith – September 6^th & 7^th

Annual Church Picnic – September 8

 

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.

Next Week at Youth Group (5/22) - We will take our first look into what it means to be a Christian and if we need to go through a rebranding and how we can do that.

GROW GROUPS SR. HIGH STUDY

2^nd and 4^th Monday Evenings

If you are between 9^th – 12^th grades, this is an awesome opportunity to grow closer to each other and closer to God.

Next Time at Grow Groups (5/27) - A few weeks ago we had a guest speak talk about apologetics and arguments for God. Come to this meeting with evidence for God NOT found in the Bible.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RENT-A-KID

The first fundraiser for our mission trip is in full swing. Check out the pictures in the hall showing each youth available for 'rent' for three hours of service at your convenience.  Do you need a babysitter, landscaper, housecleaner, lawn mower, etc?  There are just a few weeks left, so make sure to get your bids in on these kids!

 

HOPE'S COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

We now have a bulletin board just for Hope attendees!  The board is located across from the Youth Room in the hallway.  If you're a part of Hope, feel free to use the board as a place to advertise your business or services, showcase an item for sale, or place a 'help wanted' ad.  We just ask that you keep things no larger than a 4x6 index card and remove when no longer relevant.  Check with Wendy Devereaux if you have any questions.

 

SAINTS PRISON MINISTRY

Were you aware that we have our own prison missionaries right here at Hope?  Bill McGinness, along with Anne and Jim Jefferson, are actively involved in the Saints Prison Ministry.  Their mission is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prisoners through athletics and to provide them with opportunities for spiritual growth.  The Saints compete against inmate teams in softball, basketball, soccer and women's volleyball, and then present the Gospel to them right on the playing field.  They need to raise their own support in order to participate in this ministry.  Please consider helping them out with your prayers and any financial contribution you can give.  Current needs are: Bill McGinness is $950, Jim Jefferson $850 and Anne Jefferson $350.  Checks should be made payable to the individual.

 

DIRECTORY ADDENDUM

Copies of the addendum to Hope's Directory are now available in the Resource Room.  Come pick one up and put it in the back of your current directory.  This way, you will have contact information for those not in our existing directory, as well as any updates that have been made.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

VOLUNTEERS FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEEDED

We are in immediate need of a helper for 1^st thru 5^th grades and a helper for the 3-5 year olds for Wednesday evenings in May and June.  We need to have all our workers in place by May 8^th.  Please see Pastor Mark right away if you can volunteer your services!

 

VBS – COLOSSAL COASTER WORLD

July 15^th – 18th

Can you believe it's time to start thinking about VBS already?  There will be plenty of different options and opportunities to help. More information will be coming.  Contact Anne Jefferson at annemarie523@juno.com if you'd like to volunteer to be a part of this exciting program for our children.  There is a signup sheet in the lobby.

Please Note:  There will be a brief VBS meeting right after the service this Sunday, 5/19, in the prayer room for anyone who signed up to volunteer. 

 

FOOD PANTRY

We are in need of the following items for our pantry:

Non-refrigerated beverages such as juices, Snapple, or water.  No soda please.

            Ground beef, hot dogs, meat, poultry, french fries, etc. for the freezer.

See Karen Jones with any questions regarding the pantry.

Please remember to check the expiration dates and leave all donations in the basket located outside the kitchen door.

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery                          Jason & Kristy Straub

Toddlers                         Franne Harkin, Maurice Brazelis
Pre K – Kindergarten     Linda Landis, Linda Ellison, Ryan Winstel
1^st – 3rd                         Kelly Louis

4^th & 5^th                         Anita Little
Counters                        Bill Berry, Mike Hartwell
Greeters                         Rick Ayusa
                                       Judy Gotshall
                                       Helen Mastalski

                                       Georgia Perrong
                                     
Wed. Evening                 Pam Rozinski

 

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 Pat Harkin directly at Prayer@hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Baumiester and Mastalski Families - Please lift Bob & Helen and their families in prayer as they mourn the loss of their mother. 

Saturday Night Service – Please lift up these services as we move forward in seeing if a Saturday evening service is a good fit for us.

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!

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18

 

More of Him - Less of Me,
Lois

 

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