Hope Notes 12/31/15

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Christmas is already in the rear view mirror – can you believe it? Now the New Year unfolds before us like a satiny ribbon unfurling from its spool. At the beginning of anything, the possibilities are always endless.  There have been no endings, no completions, and no finales yet.  You have the chance to start fresh, make new habits, or get rid of old ones that do you no good.  Yet I don't know why we so often feel we must wait for the New Year to do this!  God gives us a fresh start each and every day. "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23)  We don't have to worry that what we did or who we were yesterday will change His love for us, or cause Him to pull back on His mercy and grace.  The possibilities to receive His love and mercy are endless.  Every morning is a new day, a chance to start anew.  He is gracious enough to give us breath for another day.  What better way to start your morning than by simply thanking Him for that, putting your day and your life into His hands, and starting fresh with new resolve to make that day count for eternity.  You don't need to wait for the New Year to do that; our almighty Father gives us the opportunity each and every day!

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

1/3 – Tug Of War Relationships (Esther 1)

Have you ever watched a tug of war contest?  Two teams (or sometimes more) are pulling on a rope with all they have, but they are making very little progress.  It is obvious why they aren't getting more accomplished – they are pulling against one another.  When relationships feel stuck or exhausting, it often has to do with this dynamic.  We work for our own desires and agendas, looking for some way to get the advantage over the other person or people. Or we are constantly defending ourselves against the power plays of other people.  We're going to begin a study in the book of Esther by looking at a story about a king and his wife.  And we'll try to learn for ourselves where this couple goes wrong!

 

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

 

JANUARY CHALLENGE VERSE

James 4:11  

"Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."

                                                                                   

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

7:00 pm

We have finished with our regular Bible study in 1Corinthians for the year.  We will be on hiatus through the month of December. Our kids programs will be following the same schedule.  This gives everyone a chance during this busy season to focus on their families and all the activities the holidays bring!  We'll all catch our breath and then jump back into things in January! 

TEASER: Coming in January, we'll be talking about what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  Look for more details coming soon!

 

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.

NOTE:  YA will be taking a break for December - the next meeting will be Monday, January 18th at 7:30.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

SMALL GROUPS

Small Groups are a fantastic way to connect on a more intimate level with the body of Hope.  It's never too late to join a group, or even to start up a new one!  Check out our Small Group Bulletin Board next to the Prayer Room.  More details on Hope's small groups can be found on the yellow info sheets in the Resource Room. Study sheets can be picked up in the Resource Room or downloaded directly from our website. See Damon Briggs with any questions or contact him at damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com. 

NOTE: The first study sheet for 2016 will be going out on January 10^th.

 

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.

 

COMING SOON – NEW FAMILIES FELLOWSHIP

February 19, 2016

If you are new to Hope, or maybe you missed our last fellowship back in June, you'll want to mark your calendars now for this event!  Watch for more details to come…….

 

YOUTH NEWS

YOUTH GROUP

Our middle school and high school groups meet at the church on Sundays from 6:30-8:30 all year long! Come out for another amazing year as we grow closer together and closer to God!

 

1/3 - Youth Leaders Meeting - No Rooted

 

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 

 

TRANSPORTATION NEED

A need has arisen from one of our attenders, Linda Lennox, for transportation to and from work four days per month. She is willing to pay for gas and time.  Any woman who might be interested in helping meet this need can contact Linda at 609-828-6230.

 

WEEKEND TO REMEMBER MARRIAGE CONFERENCE

February 12-14, 2016

Here's another great deal coming up for this conference!

Family life is running a 'Buy One Get One Free' registration!  This offer will be available from January 4^th – 25^th, 2016.  Everyone who registers during this time frame with our group name (HopeWoodbury) will receive TWO regular priced registrations for the price of one!  Go to www.familylife.com for more information.

 

UPCOMING JOB FAIR

January 24^th

If anyone is looking for a place to serve at Hope, you can see anyone on any of our deacon teams (posted on the Sound Booth) or you can talk to anyone who is currently serving in the ministry you are interested in.  Additionally, if you are interested in launching a new ministry, you can speak to any of our elders and give them a brief description of your idea so that it can be considered and coordinated.  We will be having a January Job Fair, which will make it super easy for you to find a place to serve.  Please be in prayer about where God would lead you to serve!

 

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. 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

 

CONNECTING AND SERVING AT HOPE

There are so many places to connect and serve here at Hope.  Keep your eyes on this section to be aware of all the different opportunities for you to effectively serve at Hope. There truly IS 'something for everyone' and we want to make it easy for you to know all the different options!  Special Note:  We will be hosting a 'Job Fair' on January 24^th which will make it super easy for you to find a place to connect and serve!

                                             

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00                 TBA       

Nursery 11:00               TBA

Toddlers 9:00               Amy & Brooke Mariner, Katherine DellaRova

Toddlers 11:00             Rebecca & John Jacob, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – K 9:00              Linda Landis, Libby LeBeau

Pre K – K 11:00            Lauren DellaRova, Prisca Ogunkanmi
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00           Lisa Fiorile, Charlotte Zediker

1^st & 2^nd – 11:00         Kelly Louis, Lucy Muhlbaier

3rd - 5^th   9:00             Mary LeBeau, Nance Reeves

3^rd – 5^th   11:00           Anne & Jim Jefferson

Ushers 9:00                  Bob Kerr

Ushers 11:00                Joe Sambucci

Counters                       LaTosha Briggs, Karen Jones

Greeters                       Melissa McGinness

                                     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.

 

 

Face Down Before the King,

Lois

 

 

 

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