Hope Notes 1/22/15

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Can Facebook help your prayer life?  Whatever your feelings about Facebook, and for all the negative comments that have been made about it, there is one aspect where I feel it can actually have a positive spiritual influence.  You heard me correctly!  Let me explain. When we talk to someone and they tell us something they would like prayer for, most often our response is to say "I will certainly be praying for you!"  We don't usually stop right then in the middle of wherever we are and begin to pray for them.  (Although wouldn't it be nice if we did?)  For me, when a post comes across my newsfeed on Facebook involving a person or situation in need of prayer, I 'comment' that I am praying for them………………………and then I DO!  I stop, close my eyes, and offer up a prayer on their behalf immediately.  Then what usually happens is that prayer leads to another which leads to another and so on.  Sometimes just seeing a person's face prompts me to pray for them for no specific reason. I feel so much better, knowing that I have brought them to the Lord right then and there.  Often, when we tell someone we 'will be praying for them', we have the best intentions but often forget.  Give this a try the next time you're scrolling through your newsfeed.  You just might find you have yourself in a computer generated time of prayer!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE 

January 25 – Judas the Betrayer (John 13:18-30)

Benedict Arnold… traitor.  There's no real way to look at American history and see Benedict Arnold any other way.  He was a general in the American Army during the Revolutionary War who defected after his plan to surrender West Point to the British was exposed.  His name now is a shortcut for the picture of deep betrayal.  Someone you trust can trample all over you and use your trust to wound you deeply.  This possibility is painful enough to stop some from ever deeply trusting anyone – it is too dangerous and scary.  But Jesus picked His betrayer.  And it is clear that He knew Judas was going to hand Him over to the Jewish leaders.   On this night when so much is about to go very badly, Jesus is at peace, His disciples are confused and concerned, and Judas is plotting a great evil.

 

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

 

JANUARY BIBLE VERSE

Colossians 4:2

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

 

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 GROUP

1^st & 3^rd Mondays 7:00 pm – 8:40pm

God's Girls Group is a warm welcoming place where women are cared for and loved. It is a place to grow closer to the Lord and one another. We offer Bible Studies, Special Events, Retreats, Outings, and Outreaches. All women at Hope are welcome; feel free to bring a friend! Childcare is provided. Contact Jennifer Nolan at jnolan1962@yahoo.com to be added to our email list for updates and info.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 2^nd: Craft Night! Bring scrapbooking supplies to make a devotional.

February 16^th: Bible Study begins! NOT A FAN "Becoming a completely committed follower of Jesus" is a 7 session study sure to challenge and grow you alongside your sisters in Christ. Sign up on the signup sheet in the hallway.

February 22: (Sunday 2:30pm) 9th Annual Mall Walk for the Homeless!  Flyers with more info are in the resource room or contact Michelle Schmidt at LegalShell@yahoo.com.

 

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

 

Note:  Over the holidays there will be no Rooted on January 4^th.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 31^st – Camden Outreach

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

GO ZONE

Go Zone is our Sunday Morning kid's 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.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

BUMPER STICKERS & DECALS

Get your thinking caps one!  We are conducting a church wide search for a slogan to use on our upcoming new bumper stickers and decals!  Think about a short phrase that best describes Hope – something that will catch people's attention and perhaps lead them to our doors!  Send any ideas to Lois Hartwell at foolsforchrist7@yahoo.com.  Deadline is February 15^th.  Anyone interested in working on the actual design can also contact Lois; we need a creative team that can produce something that best showcases our slogan.

 

BAPTISM SERVICE

Wednesday, February 11^th

Classes for the baptism are as follows:

1^st Class – Being offered twice on Saturday, January 24^th and Saturday, January 31^st.  Both are at 5:00 at Hope.

2^nd Class – Sunday, February 8^th immediately following the service.

If you have questions, email Pastor Mark at markott@hopechristianfellowship.org or see him at church.

 

MARRIAGE CONFERENCE

February 13^th – 15^{th ♥}

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your spouse than to get away to the Hershey Lodge for a weekend!  Family Life puts on this event and it is an awesome opportunity to focus on each other.  The leaders share lots of personal stories and plenty of Bible based teaching on God's design for marriage.  Whether your marriage is amazing or facing some struggles, don't miss this chance to build what God has given you.  Rooms fill up quickly, so don't wait - register and reserve a room today!

Cost - $99.99 per couple (regular registration is $99.99 per person, but using the promotional code BOGO gets you half off through Jan. 26th!) plus $119 per night for Hershey Lodge accommodations.

Conference begins Friday night at 7 pm and ends on Sunday at 1 pm.

Register on ww.familylife.com

Group Code is HopeWoodbury

Call Hershey Lodge to reserve a room at 800-437-7439

See Dave Hallahan or Matt Russell for more info.

 

HOPE FOR RECOVERY

Tuesdays at 7:00 pm

Are you ready to let go of strongholds?  Have you tried and tried on your own with no success?

Hope for Recovery is 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.  We meet in the 1^st/2^nd grade classroom.  Enter through the rear doors. Contact Hope4Recovery@yahoo.com with any questions.

 

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

 

JOB FAIR – THIS SUNDAY!

Sunday, January 25^th

There are so many places to plug in at Hope!  We're going to make it easy for you to choose the ministry that fits you best.  After the service, we will have representatives from different ministries ready to answer and questions and help you connect with a place for you to serve.  More details will be coming, but here is just a little sample of the opportunities available:  Kids Ministry, Sound, Hospitality (coffee, special events, greeters), Meals Ministry, Building, Communications (missions, media, website). Start thinking and praying about where God would lead you!

 

CAMDEN OUTREACH

In addition to our regular bagged lunches, we will be bringing some cold weather gear to help those in need stay warm.  Please bring any hats, scarves, or gloves and drop them in the large, red collection bucket in the lobby.  All items must be in by Wednesday, January 28^th.   Thank you!

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

We are in urgent need of a helper for the 3-5 year old class.  Please contact Jenn Winstel if you are able to help at jenwinrn@comcast.net.

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEEDS

With the upcoming addition of a second service, we will be needing more help in our classrooms.  Please contact Matt Russell at mruss800@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

The following classes are in immediate need of teachers & helpers:

1^st & 2^nd grade / Lisa Fiorile at Lfiorile@hotmail.com

3^rd – 5^th grade / Mary LeBeau at marylebeau@verizon.net  

Pre-K & Kindergarten / Lauren DellaRova dellarova@verizon.net

Toddler class / Kara Ott at karajoellxo@gmail.com

 

NURSERY HELP

Our nursery is overflowing with babies!  We need to add more helpers in order to provide adequate care for our little ones.  If you can rock a baby, we need you!  Contact Don or Alicia Heverly if you would like to volunteer – lilfeet21@hotmail.com.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Our Building Team is looking ahead to winter and hoping to put together a list of volunteers to come clear our sidewalks when it snows.  If you would be willing to do that, please contact Brad Hopkins at 609-502-0510 or Bob Baumiester at 609-458-7777.

 

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

During the holiday season, we have been getting extra requests for food.  This has left us with a shortage for baby food, freezer items, tuna fish, canned goods, soup, pasta and sauce, etc.

Any donations would be 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                        Amy Fleck, Jeanne Wurst, Charlotte Zediker, Gale

Toddlers                       Dawn & John Brazelis, Tori Shute
Pre K – Kindergarten   Tina & Craig Campana
1st & 2nd                      Kelly Louis, Lucy Muhlbaier

3rd - 5th                       Deb Caranci, Dana Farrell
Counters                       Bill Berry, Don Frazeur
Greeters                       Greg Corrado

                                      Sharon Sambucci

                                      Georgia Perrong

                                      Katrina Mariani

Wed. Evening Nursery  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 Bill Berry directly at billandkathyberry@comcast.net.

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Second Service – We're targeting March 1, 2015 as the Sunday to begin having two services.  Lots of planning and work to do to make this possible.  Please pray for God's leading, provision, and strength!

Financial Projects – We have two big needs for 2015.  Looking at approximately a $15,000 cost to change from oil to gas in order to save thousands of dollars each year.  We also need to replenish our emergency fund of $10,000 (we used almost all of that to address vandalism and theft issues this past year).  Please pray as we ask the Lord to provide funding in both of these areas.

 

"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

 

Thankful for the Cross,
Lois

 

 

 

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