Hope Notes 10/23/14

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Autumn is so beautiful.  I love the dazzling mosaic of colored leaves scattered across the lawn.  But the reality is that the leaves are dying. They put forth one last unrestrained explosion of color before succumbing to death and falling to the ground. Only our God could turn death into a masterpiece.  That's exactly what He did with Jesus and the cross.  His suffering and death became our salvation.  The ugliness of what happened on that hill became the most beautiful expression of His love for us. We will never experience death in the same way that Jesus did – horrifically, sacrificially, and willingly.  But we will experience the wondrous results of what His death accomplished for us.  Let our lives be a reflection of gratitude, giving glory to the only One who could indeed turn death into a masterpiece.   

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE  

October 26 – The Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19)

The fake-out. In sports, this technique is often used by those who have great athletic skill to make a defender react to something they never intended to do.  A shooter makes it look like they are going to take a shot, only to do something else.  A pitcher makes it look like they are going to throw a pitch, only to try to pick off a runner.  If you are on the receiving end of this kind of trickery, it can make you feel foolish or even angry.  In the story of Jesus, we see a moment in His life where it feels like everything is finally coming together.  He rides into Jerusalem acclaimed as a king.  But it is only a few short days away from His death.  While this was clearly not a surprise to Jesus, His followers struggled to keep up with what was happening.  But in this moment, it feels like everything they've been working for has finally paid off!

 

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

COLLEGE ROAD TRIP

November 6^th – 7^th is the NJ Teachers Convention so Leah and Dave will be taking you on a College Road Trip! We'll be visiting Cairn University, Eastern University, Messiah College and Lancaster Bible College. We still have four spots open so if you are in 9th-12th grade see Dave Hallahan to sign up or for more details!

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL RETREAT

November 21^st -23^rd we will be taking our Middle School youth group down to OC Maryland for the Alive 2014 Youth Retreat. Register before Halloween for a discounted price! See our website or Dave Hallahan for more information.

 

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

TRUNK OR TREAT

Friday, October 31^st

4:30 – 7:00 pm

Stuff your trunks (and your mouths) with candy and come to our first ever Trunk or Treat!  Setup begins at 4:00. Kids from the neighborhood will come to the church parking lot and walk through our path of cars to collect candy. Dress up your family and your car and come out to get to know some of the neighborhood kids! It's sure to be lots of safe, non-scary, family fun! 

Note: If you haven't turned in your trunk-or-treat registration form for your car please get it to Matt Russell by this Sunday, October 26^th!! 

 

HELP SUPPORT OUR TRUNK OR TREAT

Can't make it out to Trunk or Treat but still want to help?  We'd like to gather up plenty of extra candy to make sure our trunks stay full throughout the night.  If you'd like to donate candy to the event, please leave it in the bins in the lobby.  

We're also hosting an open house to go along with our Trunk or Treat.  There is a signup sheet in the lobby for anyone who is willing to bring a dessert.

 

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 Hope4Recovery@yahoo.com 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. 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

 

NEEDS MINISTRY

A family member (female) of one of our attendees is in desperate need of a room to rent.  If anyone can help, please contact Ken Blythe on our Needs Team at kblythe99@gmail.com.

 

URGENT NEED FOR TEACHER

The Toddler class is in immediate need of a teacher!  Please see Kara Ott or contact her at karajoellxo@gmail.com if you are able to help.

 

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                          Harriet and Lesley Russell

Toddlers                        John & Rebecca Jacob, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – Kindergarten    Linda Landis, Madison Winstel
1st & 2nd                      Go Zone Christmas Program Rehearsal

3rd - 5th                       Go Zone Christmas Program Rehearsal
Counters                        Kathy Berry, Carole Baumiester
Greeters                        Matt Austen

                                      Emily Hartwell

                                      Lisa Minner

                                      Connie Matthews

Wed. Evening Nursery  Lex Paynter, Jay Hamilton

 

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

 

 

Staying Close to the Cross,
Lois

 

 

 

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