Hope Notes 10/2/14

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Have you ever had one of those nights when you wake up and just can't get back to sleep?  In the late hours of the night – so late they become early?  It's dark outside, which signals 'night', but the hour becomes early morning.  When exactly does this transition from late night to early morning take place?  This thought has been running though my head lately.  I guess there is no correct answer.  All I know is that those silent hours are the perfect time to pray.  Perhaps God has awakened you for a specific reason. Maybe He couldn't get your complete attention during the day.  Instead of tossing and turning, and fretting about how I need to get back to sleep, lately I have decided to simply rest in the Lord's call and ask Him what I need to pray about.  He is faithful; He ALWAYS brings something or someone to mind.  Prayer in and of itself is soothing – prayer in the quiet of the velvet darkness is all the more so.  It soothes my soul, calms my spirit and resonates in the heart of God as I lift up praises or concerns.  Why not give it a try the next time you find yourself staring into the darkness trying to decide if it's late night or early morning?!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE  

October 5 – Dead and Alive (John 11:38-44)

In your experience, are all batteries the same?  Does Energizer work better than Duracell – or vice versa?  Having the power you need in your devices (or to start your car) is really important.  Just having a battery isn't enough – you want one with enough power to do the job.  In the final part of the story of Lazarus, we see the kind of power Jesus has.  It is also the exact level of power we need for our lives.  Only Jesus can take the hopelessness of death and, through resurrection, restore life again.  Spiritually, this is salvation. But it is also in the many places where only the power of Jesus can bring life and healing and hope.  As we look at this story, let's remember the kind of power Jesus holds and what He can do with the situations that are beyond our ability to fix!

 

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 from 9:15 – 9:45 am in the Prayer Room. We pray for the services that morning and for the needs in the church. If you would like to participate, just show up!

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

 

OCTOBER CHALLENGE VERSE

Proverbs 15:1

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word can stir up anger."

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

1 CORINTHIANS / 7:00 – 8:15 pm

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.  Contact Jenn Winstel with any questions at jenwinrn@comcast.net.

 

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

1^st & 3^rd Mondays 7:00 pm – 8:40pm

Studying "Becoming More than a Bible Study Girl" by Lysa TerKeurst.  Snacks are provided; please bring your beverage of choice.  For women high school age and up.  Contact Jennifer Nolan at jnolan1962@yahoo.com with any questions.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

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.

 

SMALL GROUPS

Small Groups are a vital part of getting connected with others and forming deeper relationships than a quick 'hello' on Sunday mornings. Study sheets can be found in the Resource Room or downloaded right from our website. You can contact Damon Briggs at damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com with any questions.

 

YOUTH NEWS

 

ROOTED MIDDLE SCHOOL

Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30

 

ROOTED HIGH SCHOOL

Sundays from 6:30 – 8:30

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

READY? SET... GO!

HopeKids! has launched the Go Zone as the new name for our kids Sunday morning service! We are GOing for GOD, GOing for GROWTH, and GOing FOREVER! The Go Zone is a service entirely focused around the kids, in which we connect by playing games, worshipping with one another, and hearing a message from God's Word in fun, creative ways before heading off to Sunday school for the rest of the service.

 

HOPEKIDS! CHRISTMAS PROGRAM REHEARSALS

Attention all parents of 1st-6th graders: We are excited to announce that rehearsals for this year's Christmas program will begin this Sunday, September 28th! Rehearsals take place every Sunday morning immediately following the Go Zone from now until December 13th. Every kid is welcome to be a part! The dates for this year's Christmas program will be December 19th and 20th so be sure to mark your calendar!  

 

Follow HopeKids! Ministries on facebook at:  facebook.com/HCFHopeKids

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

SEPTEMBER GIVING REPORT

We averaged $5579 per week for the month of September which brings our annual average giving to $5466.  That means that for the month we were almost at our target of $5600 per week, but we still have some catching up to do for the year.  If you're with us, please do all you can to support what God is doing through Hope!

 

VOTING INFORMATION

October is Voting Month!  Voting forms are available in the Resource Room for partners to vote on deacons and elder candidates.  Instructions are on the forms and partners who are voting can refer to the partner list and the officers list posted on the bulletin board by the sound booth.  Forms must be completed, signed, and returned to Pastor Mark by Sunday, November 2^nd.  See Pastor Mark with any questions.

 

HOPE FOR RECOVERY

Tuesdays at 7:00 pm

A Christian based, 12-step approach for those struggling with addictions of any kind.  The group is a safe and confidential place for men and women to find strength and HOPE through sharing and fellowship. Contact Liz McCool with any questions at irelandjim@netscape.com.

 

TRUNK OR TREAT

Friday, October 31^st

4:30 – 7:0 pm

We're inviting our neighborhood to bring their kids to our church parking lot on Halloween.  We'll have cars set up and decorated around the lot.  Each car will be decorated with a 'theme' and will give out candy to the kids.  It's a one stop, safe and fun alternative to marching around the whole neighborhood - and a great chance to get people out to our church.  Signing up means you'd be bringing the car, the decorations/theme, and the candy for the kids.  See Matt Russell with any questions.

 

CHRISTMAS CHOIR OPPORTUNITY

Here at Hope, we love to celebrate the Christmas season with music! This year, we are hoping to include our adults with a Christmas Cantata on Sunday morning, Dec. 14^th.  This opportunity is open for all adults (senior high and up) who like to sing. There will be a brief informational meeting following the service on Sunday, Oct.5^th.  If you are interested please plan to be there. We'll need to gauge interest, signup, and give information on practice times, etc. If you have any questions, please contact Dana at danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM REHEARSALS

Christmas program rehearsals are beginning.  Both pre-school (3-5 year olds) and elementary (1st-5th grades) are putting together songs and speaking parts for our Christmas celebration.  Make sure your kids are here each Sunday so they can be a part and they are ready to perform.  Performance dates are December 20^th at 6:00pm and December 21^st at 10:00 am.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

VEHICLE NEED FOR OUR MISSIONARY

We recently had Roberta Nagel (our missionary from Malawi, Africa) here to update us on the work she is doing. One of the many slides she showed us was of the muddy roads there.  During the rainy season, those roads are almost impossible to navigate.  We have found out that she is in need of a four wheel drive vehicle to navigate the traveling she has to do.  We are asking for help in meeting that need, whether it be through prayer or donation.  If you feel led by the Lord to help financially, please contact Wendy Devereaux at robwendydevereaux@comcast.net for further information.

 

MEALS MINISTRY

Here at Hope we like to take care of our people!  When we know someone who recently had a baby, has an illness in the family, or any other occasion where having the burden of preparing a family dinner removed would be a big help – we like to take care of that for them!  If you would be interested in occasionally making or delivering a meal, contact Pat Nolan at pationolan@comcast.net.

 

FOOD PANTRY

Brrrrrrrrrr…..it's extra cold in our freezer because it's almost empty!  Donations of hot dogs, hamburgers, frozen dinners, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

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. Thank you!

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery                         Jeanne Wurst, Diana Brown

Toddlers                        Kit Foster, Diane Beardsworth, Emily Foster
Pre K – Kindergarten    Lauren and Elizabeth Dellarova
1st & 2nd                      Go Zone Christmas Program Rehearsal

3rd - 5th                       Go Zone Christmas Program Rehearsal
Counters                       Bill Berry, Mike Hartwell
Greeters                        Art Muhlbaier

                                      Lucy Muhlbaier

                                      Charlotte Zediker

                                      Jeanne Wurst

Wed. Evening Nursery  Linda Landis, Lisa Minner

 

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 Bill Berry directly at billandkathyberry@comcast.net.

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Children's Christmas Program – Let's keep all the children, their parents, and the helpers in prayer as they prepare; it's a big job but it has a big result!

"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

 

 

 

Seeking His Face,
Lois

 

 

 

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