Hope Notes 4/10/14

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Once again it's time to have our refresher course on 'Visitor Consideration'.  Although this year we will be having two services on Easter Sunday, we are still expecting many visitors and a rather full house!  Let's just remember that coming to church may not be the norm for all people, and it can be very intimidating to have to walk all the way up front to look for a seat.  If we can just scoot up and in a little further than we normally sit, it would make for a much easier 'seating experience' for our visitors.  Not to mention it would make it easier for our Ushers to find seats for everyone!  So come on; get up close and personal with Pastor Mark and the Worship Team on Easter Sunday!  They don't bite and I promise you'll have a bird's eye view of all the action!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

April 13 – Better Logic (John 7:14-24)

In a court of law, the proceedings are set up to allow each side to make an argument and then to have a judgment made.  One key element to this process is logic.  You cannot argue that you didn't commit a crime by proving that you were at the scene of the crime.  The logic just doesn't fit.  Often, faith gets labeled as illogical.  However, faith should be the most reasonable point of view available.  Once you choose to accept the truth of God's existence and work, logic really comes to the front in all that we see.  As Jesus interacts with those who hate Him, He exposes the twisted logic they are using to discredit Him.  Are we clear headed as we think about Jesus' work in our lives?

 

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

Friday, April 18th

We will be having a Good Friday service this year at the same time as always (7:00 pm) and this year there will be music, Scripture reading, and communion.  We'll reset the auditorium to seating in the round and reflect on the amazing gift that God gave in His Son Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  This is a time you don't want to miss!  We would like to offer childcare for the preschoolers, so if anyone is interested in serving the church family that night in this way, please let Matt Russell know.

 

EASTER SUNDAY SERVICES

9:00 and 11:00 am

Have you noticed how full our auditorium is on Sunday mornings?  Can you imagine Easter Sunday?!  We have decided to hold two services on Easter – both will have fully staffed childcare and our regular children's classes will be running.  Our prayer huddle will move to 8:40am (instead of 9:30).  All workers for both services are invited to join us at this time.  We are so excited that God has given us the opportunity to reach so many people on Easter Sunday!  Obviously, there will be challenges for us as a church family in doing something like this for the first time on Easter, but we're confident that our church family will rise to meet the occasion and take full advantage of the moment for the kingdom of God.

 

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

 

APRIL CHALLENGE VERSE

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

APRIL DAILY PRAYER CHALLENGE

Pastor Mark has CHANGED OUR CHALLENGE for the month of April.  He is challenging everyone to deliberately take some time each day to pray for Hope – for God's work in our church and for the people from Hope that God puts on your heart.

 

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.

 

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

This study meets 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

 

LADIES POTLUCK & MOVIE NIGHT – THIS SATURDAY

Saturday April 12^th @ 5:00pm

Come join us for an evening of fellowship, food, and a movie!  We will be watching "The Hiding Place" at Lorraine Otis' house (102 Mirror Lane, Deptford, 686-1557) Signup sheet is in the lobby.

 

HCF SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Root, root, root for our ball team!  Games are played on week nights.  Fields are in Sewell and Pitman.  Come on out and support our players!  Look for the schedule in the Salt & Light or contact Lenny Little for details at littlemanlenny@yahoo.com.  

 

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. See Steve Jones with any questions.

 

MEN'S MORNING PRAYER MEETING

Every Friday at Church

6:00 am – 7:00 am

A fellowship of praying men contending for His will done on earth as in heaven.

 

YOUTH NEWS

 

ROOTED WEDNESDAYS

Stay tuned…….

 

GROW GROUPS

Meets at the Hallahan's house at 7:00 pm.

 

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

SAVE THE DATE for VBS!

Vacation Bible School will be July 28-August 1 for children 3 years old and up to 5th grade! We'll meet each night 6-8:30pm. The theme this year is Weird Animals. God filled the world with a lot of crazy creatures...including you! When kids feel weird, different, or even lost in a crowd -- nothing compares to the extraordinary love of Jesus!  So mark your calendars! We'll need plenty of volunteers to help out, so if you're interested in being a part of this amazing ministry contact Matt Russell: mattrussell@hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

CHURCH PARKING LOT

I don't know if you all have noticed……..but our parking lot is a disaster!  We put a Band-Aid on it with some black gravel, but we truly need to pave the entire lot.  We've been putting it off due to financial constraints.  We have about $20,000 but need closer to $40,000 to get the job done.  We are asking for you to join us in prayer as we put this situation before the Lord.  We are looking for God to lead us to reputable contractors to do the job and, of course, the funds to do so when it's time. Our God is mighty and able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20)

 

HOPE'S COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

Have you noticed our bulletin board lately?  It's to the left when you walk in the back doors.  The bulletin board fairy has been decorating it monthly to reflect the season and to hopefully catch your eye as you walk past.  We want to remind everyone to make use of the board – post items for sale, job opportunities, community events, or services rendered.  Make it a habit to take a quick look as you go by; you never know what helpful info you might find!

 

ADDICTIONS RECOVERY MEETING

This group will be meeting weekly on Tuesdays with a start time of 7:00 pm.  Contact Liz McCool with any questions at irelandjim@netscape.com.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Don't be shy!  Jump in and get engaged in some spiritual conversations via social media stuff like facebook and twitter.  We'd love for you to share your thoughts and your spiritual journeys so that we can walk through life a little more 'together'.  Find us on facebook at Hope Christian Fellowship or on twitter at @HCF_Woodbury, @HCF_YoungAdults, or @HCF_Rooted.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

HELPERS NEEDED

We have an immediate need for two helpers in our 1st & 2nd grade class. No teaching involved, just an extra set of hands. Rotation is you are on for 2 weeks and then off for 8 weeks. Contact Kathleen Toomin if you are willing to serve! jktoomin.98@comcast.net

 

COFFEE MINISTRY

Isn't it great to be able to come to church, grab a cup of coffee from our café and chat with friends before worship?  I'm sure for many of you this has become a Sunday morning ritual.  But what if there was NO CAFÉ??!!   Our Coffee Ministry Team could really use some help setting up on Saturday evenings.  It only takes maybe 15 minutes to do so and look at all the enjoyment it provides on Sunday!  A little effort with a big result.  If you would be willing to take a few minutes some Saturdays, please contact Jeff Toomin at jktoomin.98@comcast.net.

 

SAINTS PRISON MINISTRY

We have two missionaries right here in the body at Hope!  Jim Jefferson and Bill McGinness travel with the prison ministry's softball team to bring the gospel to those in prison.  They sacrifice their family time and finances to do this.  We can help ease their burden and support them by praying for them and giving as we feel God leading.  Each man needs to raise $1000 in order to cover their own expenses.  If you are able to give, simply write a check made payable to Jim or Bill and offer it to them.

 

FOOD PANTRY

Hello There Hope People!   My name is Freddy Freezer……….I can be found back in Hope's Food Pantry. I'm searching for my friends; you may know them……..Benny Bread, Papa Pizza, Michael Meats, Isabella Ice Cream, Vera Veggie and all my other Frozen Friends. If you have any of them, please tell them I'm lonely and there is plenty room for them to visit me!

Please check the expiration dates of any donations and place in the basket located outside the kitchen door. Contact Karen Blythe with any questions or if you are interested in helping with our pantry.

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery                         Lucy & Art Muhlbaier

Toddlers                        Grace Brown, Kacy Maska, Prisca O.
Pre K – Kindergarten    Karen & Amanda Merriel
1st & 2nd                      Lisa Fiorile

3rd - 5th                       Anne Jefferson
Counters                       LaTosha Briggs, Carole Baumiester
Greeters                        Matt Austen

                                      Emily Hartwell
                                      Lisa Minner
                                      Connie Matthews            

Wed. Evening                TBD

 

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

Easter Sunday Services – Please pray for God to go ahead of us and smooth the way as we prepare to hold two services for the first time.

Anonymous - Recently a close friend of my father passed away from cancer. He's devastated and I just want him to be okay again.

Sunday Morning Children's Opening – Let's keep Matt Russell in prayer as he leads in this venture for our children.

"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

 

My Hope is in Him,
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.