Hope Notes 5/2/13

Dear Friends of Hope~

This Sunday we celebrate communion.  Normally, I like to write a little something about how special it is, or just remind us about what it symbolizes.  But this time, I thought I'd share some hints on how to make the actual experience flow more smoothly for us all.  We've gotten so big that serving communion can sometimes be a challenge.  Here are a few things we can do to make it easier – pay extra attention to how we are standing.  We need to try and spread ourselves out as evenly as possible; wrapping all the way around the auditorium, including across the front where our worship team usually stands.  If we have small children, let them stand in front of us.  The goal is to keep people from getting jammed up together in the corners.  Also, when the servers come around, remember to keep our cups steady and not raise them up to try and 'help' the server.  Those poor guys are then trying to pour a heavy pitcher while holding it up around their shoulders!  If we can do these couple things, it should be a much smoother and distraction free experience.  That allows all of us to focus on what's REALLY important during the service and keep things as reverent as possible.

 

SUNDAY MESSAGE

May 5 – Our Testimony (2 Peter 1:16-18)

COMMUNION

An eyewitness is a unique person.  They have first-hand experience that cannot be replaced.  Others can have opinions about what happened – and they may well be correct.  But an eyewitness knows the truth in a different way because they saw it for themselves.  As believers, we have a personal story of our experience with Jesus.  We don't need anyone to fill us in; the story is our own.  As Peter talks about his story, he reminds each of us that he saw for himself the deity of Jesus Christ.  No one could talk Peter out of what he had experienced, and he was eager to share his testimony with whoever would listen.  May each of us encourage others in the same way as we share what God has done and is doing in our lives!

 

SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE

Our next Saturday night service will be at 70:00pm on May 18^th. It 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.  We want to be sure we have enough books for everyone, so please sign up right away!  Classes begin May 8^th.  Childcare is provided.

 

The Land Between (Bob Baumiester)

Author Jeff Manion explores the way in which the Israelites' reactions to leaving Egypt, but not yet being in the Promised Land, can provide insight and guidance on how to respond to God during our own seasons of difficult transition. These situations offer our greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. God desires to meet us in our chaos and emotional upheaval, and he intends for us to encounter his goodness and provision during these upsetting seasons.

 

Sun Stand Still (Damon Briggs)

Does the brand of faith you live by produce the kinds of results in your life that you read about in the biblical stories of men and women of faith?  Author Steven Furtick challenges you to believe that the audacious faith that we see in the Bible, the faith that caused a man to pray and see the sun stand still in the sky, is the same faith we can claim for ourselves today.

 

Too Busy NOT to Pray (Mike Hartwell)

The urgent need for prayer is clear, but busyness still keeps many of us from finding time to pray. True prayer, prayer that changes us and allows us to participate in God's work in the world, can't happen on the fly.  In this book, Bill Hybels takes a look at the struggle each believer faces to slow down in this fast paced life and spend some time in conversation with our amazing God.  We each need that deep connection with our Lord everyday; this book gives us the tools to do just that.

 

The Basics of Christianity (Steve Jones)

Whether you are a new Christian, or a long time believer, this study provides the opportunity to explore your faith and God's Word for yourself.  In this study, each one of us will be able to see for ourselves what God says about some of the basic issues of being a Christ follower.  From eternal security, to the inspiration of the Bible, to the person of Jesus Christ, we'll tackle issue after issue and learn how to study God's Word and know what it says from first-hand experience.

 

 Do I Have to Live Stressed Out (Pastor Mark)

We all face stress.  It surrounds us every day.  It is constantly poured into our lives in various forms.  But what should a child of God do with that?  We will take a look at why we live stressed out, and how to turn from the choices that will keep us there.  This study will begin by looking at God's promises for our lives – what He wants us to experience.  Then we'll take a practical look at some of the ways we turn from what God has provided and live in less than what He wants us to have.

 

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

CHUCKLES & CHOCOLATE

LADIES NIGHT AT HCF

Sunday May 5^th @ 6:00 pm

Come join us for an evening filled with sweets and fellowship, along with lots of laughter and inspiration from Sue Duffield (www.sueduffield.com). Please bring a dessert to share so that we can have plenty of goodies!  Come prepared to give a love offering (if you are able) to help support Sue's ministry. A signup sheet is in the lobby – feel free to bring a friend if you'd like – but please sign their name as well so we are prepared with seating.  See Lorraine Otis with questions.

"Kind words are like honey (or chocolate!), sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24

 

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 term, don't despair! We will be doing a Small Group Sampler for 3 weeks in August.  It will be open to anyone who wants to participate, and all you'll have 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!

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.

 

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.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

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.

 

FREE GAS STOVE

We are getting rid of the gas stove in Hope's kitchen.  It is available for free to anyone who can come and pick it up.  Contact Brad Hopkins (609-502-0510) if you are interested.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

IMMEDIATE NEED – URGENT

We have no teacher for our Pre-K class for the next two weeks (May 5^th & 12^th).  If we are unable to secure a teacher, there will be no class for the Pre-K children for those two weeks. Please Note:  This need is for new teachers and helpers to join our team so that those already serving can continue to serve where The Lord has placed them.  Contact Franne Harkin at fhark7@gmail.com.

 

VOLUNTEERS FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEEDED

We are in immediate need of a teacher and 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!

 

CHILDCARE NEEDED

We are in need of volunteers to provide childcare during our Workshop Wednesday classes.  Please see Pastor Mark ASAP in order to fill this need!  Thank you.

 

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.

 

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                          Nicole Babli, Lisa Landis

Toddlers                         Karen Blythe, Diane Beardsworth, Emily Foster
Pre K – Kindergarten     TBA
1^st – 3rd                         Lisa Fiorile

4^th & 5^th                         Kim Biglin, Kerry Crowley
Counters                        Kathy Berry, Melissa McGinness
Greeters                         Rick Ayusa
                                       Judy Gotshall
                                       Helen Mastalski

                                       Georgia Perrong
                                     
Wed. Evening                 Mary & Scott LeBeau

 

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

Saturday Night Service – Please lift up the service as we prepare and go forward with our first Saturday evening worship!

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

 

Rescued from Darkness,
Lois

 

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