Hope Notes 9/5/13

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Back-to-school time is here again, and even though we don't have any back-so-schoolers at our house, I still feel the shift in rhythm.  There's a change in the traffic patterns as teachers, teens, and buses full of elementary kids make the trek to the almighty school buildings.  Store displays change from beach gear to backpacks.  Instead of highlighting watermelon and lemonade, the grocery stores are packed with lunch box fixins'.  Whether you have school age children or not, use those clues as a reminder to pray for all the teachers, students, school administrators, and parents as they face yet another year of academia. The school year presents lots of challenges and opportunities for us to pray.  Let's be sure to keep them all covered with prayer.

 

SATURDAY EVENING & SUNDAY MESSAGE

September 8 – Who Are We?  (The Mission of Hope) – Acts 4:12; 2 Corinthians 5:20

Have you ever had an identity crisis?  Sometimes people go through questions about themselves in their teenage years or young adult life.  We talk about people trying to 'find themselves.'  Others go through mid-life crisis, asking deep questions about their life and its purpose.  As a church, it is healthy for us to return to our identity from time to time.  Reminders like this are used by God to refresh our calling as a church family, and to invite everyone to re-dedicate themselves to what God has given us to do.  So let's open our hearts again and allow God to challenge us anew with the mission of Hope.

 

SATURDAY EVENING SERVICES

We will be having service on Saturday evenings most every week through December.  However, there are a few times where there will be no Saturday evening service!  Here they are:

September 15^th & 29^th, October 6^th, November 24^th, and December 15^th.

 

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

 

SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE VERSE

Psalm 27:13-14

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY

7:00 – 8:15

1Corinthians

Make sure you set aside time to come and study God's Word mid-week.  This helps keep you rooted in Scripture and connected to each other.  Childcare is provided.

 

MARRIAGE GROUP

Pastor Mark and Dana will be leading a short tem group on marriage at the church this fall.  The group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday nights of September, October, and November at 7:00pm.  Begin praying about if this is something God is calling you to do in order to strengthen your marriage. Signup sheet is in the lobby. Please sign up by September 8^th so Pastor Mark can plan accordingly.

 

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.

 

GOD'S GIRLS

Women's Bible Study – Bible Bus Stops

Beginning September 16^th, this study will meet the 1^st and 3rd Monday of each month from 7:00 – 8:30pm.  There will be discussion and reflection on the Proverb of the Day taken from the One Year Bible. It's like riding the bus; jump on and off anytime you are available!

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

PRIORITY ONE MEN'S RETREAT

September 12^th – 15th

Steve Sonderman (author, national men's leader) will be challenging us through the long weekend, and the activities at this beautiful Lake Champion facility are crazy fun!  Go to www.priorityone.org and enter Stephen Jones-HCF as the group name when you register.

 

MEN'S BREAKFAST

Second Saturday of Every Month

8:00 – 9:30am

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 you are willing to help set up – we meet in the kitchen at 7:00am.  See Steve Jones with any questions.

Please Note:  There will be no Men's Breakfast in September!!

 

ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC – THIS SUNDAY

September 8^th

You don't want to miss this!  Immediately following our morning worship service, we make our way outside and spend time eating and enjoying each other's company!  Signup sheets are in the lobby for help with setting up or bringing food.  We need plenty of volunteers to make this event run smoothly – if you'd like to help contact Anita Little at alittleshopper@gmail.com or 856-373-2090.

 

 

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.

 

OCEAN CITY SR. HIGH RETREAT

Calling all Sr. Highers (9th-12th graders)! Mark your calendars for Sept. 13-15th. You won't want to miss this weekend! More information will be made available NEXT WEEK so keep your eyes open!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

AUGUST GIVING UPDATE

We averaged $4404 per week for the month of August.  This brings our annual average weekly giving to $5245.  Our weekly giving target for the year is $5400, so we remain somewhat below that target so far.  Please pray that the Lord will provide abundantly for His work here at Hope, and please give as God allows and provides!

                                            

PART TIME JOB – BUS AIDE

Dawn Brazelis is looking for a bus aide for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, 1:00 – 5:00pm.  You can contact Dawn at 856-881-0789 or 856-896-9480 (cell) for more information.

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY MEETING

Sunday, September 15^th

There will be a brief meeting for our 1^st – 2^nd grade teachers in the classroom.  Contact Kathleen Toomin if you have any questions.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

MEALS MINISTRY

One of the ways we serve the body of Christ here at Hope is by providing a meal when certain situations come up.  Sometimes it is a happy occasion, like the birth of a baby.  Other times, there has been a surgery or illness that makes receiving a meal a relief and a true blessing.  If you have the time and the availability to provide a meal and deliver it, this would be a great ministry for you!  Having a list of reliable people means each person would only be called on every so often.  There is a signup sheet in the lobby.  Contact Carole Baumiester (needsministry@gmail.com) with any questions.

 

FOOD PANTRY

Please help!  Our freezer door was left open and we lost all our freezer items!

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

          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                          Karla Hopkins, Charlotte Zediker

Toddlers                         Rebecca & John Jacob, Natalie
Pre K – Kindergarten     Tina & Craig Campana
1^st – 3rd                         TBA

4^th & 5^th                         Kimmie Rice
Counters                        Kathy Berry, Melissa McGinness
Greeters                         Art Muhlbaier
                                       Lucy Muhlbaier
                                       Jeanne Wurst

                                       Charlotte Zediker
                                     
Wed. Evening                  TBA

 

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 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

 

Relying on Him,
Lois

 

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