HOPE NOTES 2/26/15

Dear Friends of Hope ~

THIS IS IT!!!  This is the Sunday we begin having two services!  I don't know about you all, but I think it's exciting and yet bittersweet at the same time.  I am always slow to warm up to change, but this time I know for sure that the circumstances necessitating the change came directly from our God!  He couldn't have made it any clearer that we just don't have the capacity to hold all of His people in the auditorium at one time.  And one thing I know for sure is that when God calls us to something, He ALWAYS equips us to do it!  Obviously, we will go through some bumps and hiccups in the logistics of things, but eventually it will be smooth sailing.  I have to admit I did feel a little sad when I tossed out a few boxes of our old business cards with the 10:00 service time.  But then I gave myself a pep talk about how cool it will be to have new business cards with our two service times!  We bid a fond farewell to the past ten years, and look forward in celebration to what God will do with our future at Hope!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE 

March 1 – The Counselor (John 14:25-31)

What should I do?  Maybe you're the advice-giver or the advice-needer, but in any case, figuring out the right answer is a tough job.  Some people think that God is watching what we choose so that He can judge us on whether or not we get the right answer.  That can be a lot of pressure – especially when the Scriptures are full of warnings about taking the right path or living with the fallout.  So what's the answer?  Jesus teaches about how we can know what is true and right from what isn't.  His answer is a source of real and deep peace.  Plus, it is one of the most amazing miracles and privileges that any human being can ever experience.

 

SCHEDULE FOR TWO SERVICES

We now have two services, one at 9:00 and one at 11:00! Here's a brief rundown of the new times for our basic pre-service activities:

Ø  Prayer Huddle (for both services) 8:40-8:45 am Sundays

Ø  Prayer Time - 8:30 in prayer room

Ø  Teachers in Class/ Greeters at Posts - 1st service 8:45, 2nd service 10:45

Ø  Worship Team Morning Run Through - 8:15 am

 

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

8:40 – 8:45 for Both Services

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 8:40 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 at 8:30 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

 

MARCH CHALLENGE VERSE

Galatians 5:1, 13

 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  "You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.  Rather, serve one another in love."

 

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

Studying "Not a Fan-Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus"

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.

                                                         

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 also contact Pastor Mark at markott@hopechristianfellowship.org with your email address and he will send you the current study sheet at the same time it is sent to our webpage.  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

 

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

 

FEBRUARY GIVING REPORT

We averaged $5493 per week for the month of February which brings our annual average giving down to $5684 per week.  Obviously, the nasty weather has had an impact on people being able to come out, so now we have some catching up to do!  Pray with us as we step forward into 2 services that the Lord will provide in abundance so that we can minister effectively to all that the Lord brings our way!

 

HAVE OUR ELDERS PRAY WITH YOU

The New Testament has this wonderful ministry for the elders of a church - PRAYER.  And we'd like to offer it to anyone who is in need of healing (physical or otherwise) or who needs the power of God to be at work in their lives in a special way.  If you or anyone you know would like to take advantage of this ministry, contact Pastor Mark to set up a time after one of our Sunday services for the elders to pray over you.

 

BUMPER STICKERS & DECALS

Coming March 15^th

We are getting ready to 'unveil' our new decals and bumper stickers!  We are giving them out for FREE, so we are asking that you please take just one per car.  Our tee shirts will also be available for a mere $10 each!  It's fun to have these different ways to spread the word about our church!

 

CHOICES OF THE HEART BABY BOTTLES

The Choices of the Heart baby bottles are here! Simply take home a baby bottle as a reminder to pray for the unborn and fill the bottle with spare change or a check made out to Choices of the Heart. Choices is a local crisis pregnancy center that supports women who choose to keep their babies through free pregnancy tests and  Ultrasounds, with ongoing counseling & group support. They also offer post-abortion services, help for male partners, and high school prevention education. All bottles are due back March 8^th.

 

HOPE CO-ED SOFTBALL TEAM

§  Must be 15 years old before the close of the season (middle of July)

§  Teams with Pitman Methodist

§  Season runs from April through July

§  Games are played on week nights with the exception of Wednesdays (6:30/8:00/or/9:30)

§  Sign Up is on the Sign Up table in the lobby

§  See Lenny Little with any questions

 

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

 

BIG NEED

A family in Elmer lost everything Sunday when their home caught on fire. No lives were lost thank the Lord, but all they have are the clothes on their back. Kimmi Biglin's aide is a friend of the family.  Husband Steven & Wife Marni. They are raising money to rebuild at http://www.gofundme.com/mzleyc.

A collection of clothing and household items is being taken on February 28^th at Hanger Community Center, 1 South State Street, Elmer NJ.  Clothing sizes are as follows:

Dad:   Mens 3XL - pants 42x32 - shoe size 12 1/2
Mom: Ladies medium shirt - 7 pants - Shoe -8 1/2
Son: Mens XL or L - pants 34x30 - shoe size 10
Daughter: Junior size 3, shoe size 9
Baby Girl: 18-24 months

 

SPECIAL NEEDS TRANSPORTATION

A situation has arisen where a gentleman with MS needs transportation to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia so that he can visit his wife who is going through chemo over there.  He has an oversized wheelchair that requires the use of a specialized van.  Sadly, he DID have a van like this; it was totaled earlier this year.  He lives in Mullica Hill.  Prayer for his situation is very welcome; if anyone has access to such a van, please contact Heath Gravener at 609-331-0101

 

WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY TEACHERS WANTED 

Have you been thinking about leading a small group of adults in a short-term Bible study?  The elders are looking for teachers who are interested in doing month-long Wednesday night workshops.  The door is wide open for a variety of topics.  If you're interested, get a summary of your curriculum / study to Pastor Mark by Easter.  The elders will seek God's direction for which classes to include for our next round of workshops in May!

 

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

 

FOOD PANTRY

We have a shortage of 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 Carole Baumiester with any questions or if you are interested in helping with our pantry. Thank you!

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery                        Karla Hopkins, Carole Baumiester, Leah & Dave Hallahan

Toddlers 9:00               Kit Foster, Katrina Mariani, Emily Foster

Toddlers 11:00             Rebecca & John Jacob, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – K 9:00              Lauren & Elisabeth DellaRova, Libby LeBeau

Pre K – K 11:00            Bill McGinness, Maurice Brazelis, Sammy Swedo
1st & 2nd                     TBA

3rd - 5th                       Anne Jefferson, Faith DeWalt
Counters                      Bill Berry, Mike Hartwell
Greeters                       Art Muhlbaier

                                     Lucy Muhlbaier

                                     Charlotte Zediker

                                     Jeanne Wurst

Wed. Evening Nursery Mary LeBeau

 

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 - Please pray for God's leading, provision, and strength as we move forward with two services!

Financial Needs – The recent bad weather has put us behind financially for the year and we need to catch up!  We also need to make some progress SOON on our Emergency Fund and Boiler Replacement.  Please join us in asking the Lord to provide for us in those 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

 

Looking Forward in Him,
Lois

 

 

 

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