Hope Notes

Dear Friends of Hope ~

How often do you find yourself saying, "I'll do it later"?  If you are like most folks, later turns into much later which turns into never.  I would venture to say that later is probably a procrastinator's most favorite word!  We mostly use the word later to put off the unpleasant, to delay a chore, to diffuse a whining child, to keep ourselves in denial of something, etc.  We rarely use later with regards to something satisfying and enjoyable. This fact has become the catalyst for me to make the effort to stop saying 'later' when it comes to reading my Bible, doing devotions, or spending time in prayer. (Not to mention that my day is ALWAYS better when I seek the Lord first!)  In no way do I think any of that is unpleasant or unimportant.  So then why does 'later' creep into my vocabulary?  I can say it's because I'm busy or lazy, but honestly it's just because I'm not setting my priorities where they should be. There should be nothing that gets in the way of these habits.  Now that I've examined that word a little closer, I am determined not to use it in reference to my spiritual walk.  How about you?   

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE 

July 5 – Freedom to Worship

COMMUNION

As we hit July 4^th weekend, we are celebrating our country, the Land of the Free.  As believers, we are blessed that we have the freedom to worship our Lord.  So we're going to use this Sunday to take full advantage of that freedom.  This will be a very special and powerful service as we sing, pray, and worship together.  Don't miss this if you can help it – it's not the kind of service that translates well into a 'recording'.  You'll want to be with us to experience God's power, presence, and glory!

 

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

 

JULY CHALLENGE VERSE

1 Peter 4:8

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins."

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

Please Note:  Our Bible Study will be on hiatus until fall.  Look for VBS in July and August Family Nights coming up!

 

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.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

NEW FAMILIES CAKE 'N' COFFEE

Friday, July 17^th @ 7:30 pm

We like to host a get together once or twice a year for those of you who are fairly new to Hope.  Sunday mornings are just so busy that it's hard to connect with each other in a meaningful way.  We want each and every one of you to get to know us and we've found this to be a great way to do that!  You don't need to do anything except sign up so that we know how many to prepare for.  A signup sheet is in the lobby.  We look forward to the chance to meet with you all!

 

AUGUST FAMILY NIGHTS

Mark your calendars now and get ready for a month of family fun!!

August 5     Summer Cafe

August 12   Game Night

August 19   Movie Night

August 26   Summer Picnic

Each night will have snacks & treats to go along with the theme.  We're still working on those details, but you can look for more info and signups to be coming shortly!

 

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.

 

YOUTH NEWS

JULY

05:     No Youth Group

12:     Combined Youth Group @ the Hallahan's 6:00pm – 8:00pm

19:     No Youth Group     

22      Combined Youth Group @ the Nolan's 6:30pm – 8:30 pm

27-31: VBS

 

UGANDA MISSION TRIP

July 2016

In July of 2016, we have the opportunity to bring a team of Hopers to Uganda to work alongside the Hallahan Family. As a church, we have supported Josh, Kelly, and their family through our prayer and our finances but we are very excited to be able to get feet on the ground with them in Uganda. The Young Adults are heading up this trip, but there are limited spots available to the entire church. If you are interested please see Dave Hallahan ASAP for more information. A financial commitment will be necessary to secure your spot within the next couple of weeks.

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

EVEREST VBS

July 26^th – July 31st 

Embark with us on an icy expedition where kids overcome obstacles with God's awesome power. We will be exploring the rock-solid Bible truths that teach us how to deal with life's challenges.   

 

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

 

ONLINE GIVING OPTION

It's easy and convenient!  Simply go to our website and click 'Online Giving'.  You have the options to set up recurring donations (like automatic bill pay), or give one time donations as well.  The amount and frequency are up to you.  This will allow many of us to be intentional and faithful in our support of Hope.  Contact Damon or LaTosha Briggs with any questions.

 

JUNE GIVING UPDATE

Giving for June averaged $8920 per week, bringing our annual weekly giving average for the first half of the year to $6717.  Our annual giving target is $5850, so we're encouraged and excited about how the Lord is moving in you to meet our needs and to help us reach our goals on the special giving projects (gas conversion for boilers and emergency fund).  It will also allow us to relieve some of the restrictions we had placed on spending within budget so we can operate at full strength.

 

ENVELOPES FOR DESIGNATED GIVING

Sometimes, God lays it on our heart to give a little extra for His kingdom.  He may have provided the financial means for it or just the nudge in our hearts.  In order to help make this easier for you as the giver and Hope as the receiver, we have some envelopes in a wall mounted bin next to our regular offering slot.  If you'd like to give to a special project or ministry, just use one of these envelope and check off the correct category.  Please note that these envelopes are not for your usual Sunday offering. 

 

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.

 

MISSIONARY MOMENT

 

JOSH & KELLY HALLAHAN

UGANDA, AFRICA

A few prayer concerns for our missionary family:

·         They are expecting baby #4 at the end of July.

·         Josh has been asked to step in during a time of transition for our WGM Uganda team and serve as the "Acting Country Director" until the Country Director returns this year.  Please pray for him as he serves in this capacity.

·         They returned to Uganda in July 2014 fully funded.  Sadly, since then some of their champions have passed away and entered eternity with Jesus, some are battling serious illnesses with medical bills are piling up, some have lost their jobs, etc.  This has led to a drop in support. Please prayerfully consider supporting Josh & Kelly on a regular basis, or adding to your support if you already sponsor them.  One time donations are also helpful.  We have Pledge Cards in the Resource Room with more information.  You can donate online at www.wgm.org/hallahan or send a check to World Gospel Mission, PO Box 948, Marion IN 46952

 

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

 

CONNECTING AND SERVING AT HOPE

There are so many places to connect and serve here at Hope.  For a little change of pace, we are going to spotlight a different ministry each week or so and also list any immediate needs (if any) in that area.  There truly IS 'something for everyone' and we want to make it easy for you to explore all the different options!

 

SOUND & MEDIA TEAMS

Do you like hearing our Worship Team sing and Pastor Mark preach?  Then give a round of thanks to our SOUND TEAM. They also produce the recordings of services on CD's and on our website.  Our MEDIA TEAM is responsible for getting those lyrics, scriptures, and various videos on the big screens up front.  Both teams are shorthanded and will gladly train you!  You just need a willing spirit and some time!

 

IMMEDIATE GREETER NEED

The greeters are down by at least three people!  Need to fill those spots, plus always looking to add to the team.  Contact debcaranci@gmail.com if you'd like to plug in.

 

IMMEDIATE NURSERY NEED

A praise and thank you that we had two people step up to serve in Nursery.  Still in need of at least one more volunteer.   Contact Alicia Heverly if you can help at Lilfeet21@hotmail.com

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00                Faith DeWalt, Jeanne Wurst, Katherine DellaRova

Nursery 11:00               Lorraine Koch, Lynn Shute

Toddlers 9:00               Katrina & Mid Mariani

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

Pre K – K 11:00            Karen & Amanda Merriell
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00            Rich & Patty Bunnell

1^st & 2^nd – 11:00          Kathy Porch, Madison Toomin

3rd - 5^th   9:00              Deb Caranci, Dana Farrell

3^rd – 5^th   11:00            Michelle Schmidt, Kristi Tomasetti
Counters                        Mike & Lois Hartwell

Ushers 9:00                   Bob Kerr

Ushers 11:00                 Brad Hopkins

Greeters                        Sharon Sambucci

                                      Katrina Mariani

                                      Greg Corrado

                                    

                                   

 

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 Contact Us Form on our website.  http://www.hopechristianfellowship.org/contact/.  If you have any questions or would like to join the Prayer Team, please contact Bill Berry directly at billandkathyberry@comcast.net.

 

 

"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 Him First,
Lois

 

 

 

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