Hope Notes 3/17/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

When change comes along and takes you by the hand, do you go willingly?  If you're like most people, chances are you do not! We tend to dig our heels in and drag our feet when it comes to change. Sometimes God calls us to make a change, other times life circumstances throw change in our faces whether we want it or not.  Looking back, I've come to realize that every God ordained change in my life has turned out to be positive. 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' (Romans 8:28)  You would think, that knowing this, I would not be reluctant to make a change.  Yet I still hold back.  Does this show a lack of trust in my God? I'm afraid so. Why do I not simply accept His direction and go willingly?  The answer is fear.  The enemy loves to keep us entangled in fear.  Those of you who were at the Worship Night service last night saw a powerful demonstration of taking our fears and nailing them to the cross of Christ. Look at what Abraham did – 'By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.' (Hebrews 11:8)  Scripture tells us how the disciples over and over again would leave what they were doing and immediately follow Jesus. I am thinking that a remedy to fear of change is to read in our Bibles the many examples recorded for us to be encouraged by.  Then the next time change reaches out for our hand we can willingly open our hands and accept.

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

3/20 – Remembering God's Faithfulness (Esther 9)

Palm Sunday – Purim

Holidays generally have some meaning behind them.  People often treat them as just a day off work (or a day of holiday pay) but throughout time, holidays have been based on something that the culture felt was important enough to remember. As we finish the story of Esther, we'll see that God's deliverance of the Jews was supernatural and stunningly complete.  In response, the Jews create a new holiday called "Purim".  The name deepens the meaning of this celebration, reminding them of the irony of the way the danger arose as well as the God who overruled man's law.  As we kick off Passion Week, let's allow this story to call us to connect with the events we remember and celebrate in the coming days!

 

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

Friday, March 25^th @ 7:00 pm

Join us for this special service as we commemorate Good Friday.  We'll have readings from all four gospels that tell the story of Jesus' death.  We'll also have special music and share communion together.  As is our custom, anything that comes into the offering that night will be distributed to individuals or families in need. Good Friday is such a special part of the Passion Week and we don't want anyone to miss it so mark it on your calendars now!

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

8:30 – Prayer Room
Do you have a heart for prayer? Our Sunday morning prayer time is open to everyone. We pray for the services that morning and for the needs in the church. If you would like to participate, just show up!  Questions?  See Bob Baumiester.  "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

 

MARCH CHALLENGE VERSE

Proverbs 4:23

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

                                                                                   

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

7:00 pm

Please Note:  There is no activity on March 23^rd as we prepare for our Good Friday Service.

The Wednesday after Easter we'll be back with regular Wednesday night Bible study.  The first two weeks will be the Exodus video (Patterns of Evidence) and then we'll dive back into 1 Corinthians.  Our Hope Kids Hangouts will be restarting too, so keep an eye out for info on that.  We're almost done our study in Esther, so we'll be starting a new series in April.  We're going to be looking at the book of Proverbs and digging into the everyday practical wisdom it has for us. 

 

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.  Contact Dave or Leah Hallahan at dmhallahan5@gmail.com.  Childcare is provided.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

HCF COED SOFTBALL TEAM

HCF teams with our brothers of Pitman Methodist.  You must be 15 years old before the close of the season (mid-July) in order to play.  Our season runs from April through July.  Games are played on week nights (except Wednesdays) at 6:30, 8:00, or 9:00.  There is a signup sheet in the lobby if you are interested.  See Lenny Little with any questions.

 

SMALL GROUPS

Our last Small Group study sheet will go out on April 17^th, however if your group wants to keep meeting through the summer, Pastor Mark will be getting some books for you to choose from so that you can study together over the summer. 

See Damon Briggs with any questions or contact him at damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com. 

 

GOD'S GIRLS WOMEN'S GROUP

Mondays at 7:00

The Bible tells us we are wonderfully made - but why do our emotions seem so complicated? That's what we'll be talking about as we resume meeting this Monday.  We will begin studying Patsy Clairmont's book, "I Second That Emotion." Join us as we learn what makes us tick, and how God

wants us to respond to the crazy emotions we all share. Signup sheets are in the lobby, or contact Mary Lebeau (316-6301/marylebeau@verizon.com) for information.

 

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

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!

 

UGANDA MISSION TRIP

July 2016

Hope Christian Fellowship is sending a team to Uganda to work alongside the Josh & Kelly Hallahan this July!  Dave Hallahan, Jim Jefferson, Anne Jefferson, Jess St.Petery and Patti Tomasetti will be raising funds over the next several months before heading to Uganda from July 8-22. The cost is about $3,200-4,000 per person. There will be several fundraisers coming your way over the next couple of months. In the meantime, the team would appreciate your prayers!  If you would like to and are able to donate to their trip you can do so by visiting their GoFundMe page. https://www.gofundme.com/83hyz9rg. If you have any questions see any of the team members!

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

GO ZONE

Go Zone is our Sunday Morning kid's service, planned especially for 1^st - 5^th graders.  Our goal is to encourage the kids to live with their focus on "GOing for GOD, GOing for GROWTH, and GOing FOREVER!" This service includes worship, games, and exploring important biblical truths in fun and creative ways before heading off to Sunday school.

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

                                                                    ANNOUNCEMENTS 

 

SPRING CLEAN UP – THIS SATURDAY

Saturday, March 18^th

Come on out and help us get the outside of our church looking spiffy for Easter!  We're meeting at 8:00am and plan to work till 12:00pm. On the agenda:  raking, weeding, planting flowers, turning over mulch, etc.  Come for as little or as long as you like and please bring your own garden tools.

 

HCF NEW DIRECTORY

April is picture month!  Look at your calendars and pick a Sunday that you'd like to be photographed for our new directory.  We'll be taking individual & family every Sunday throughout April.  Our goal is to have everyone included (you don't have to be a partner!) so that we can all place faces with names.  Still looking for people willing to sit at our registration table during picture time.  Contact Lois Hartwell @ foolsforchrist7@yahoo.com or simply hit 'reply' to the Hope Notes.

 

CALLING ALL POTENTIAL TEACHERS – THIS COMING WEDNESDAY

If you are someone who has taught adults (especially in church settings), Pastor Mark would like to invite you to a brainstorming session for Hope.  We will be meeting on Wednesday night, March 23 at church at 7:00 pm and discussing ideas on how to maximize the teaching gifts we have in those God has brought to be a part of Hope.  Our elders will take the input and look for God's leading in any new or improved teaching forums for our church!  Any questions, see Pastor Mark.

Please Note:  There is a signup sheet in the lobby.  If you are interested in coming, please sign up right away so that Pastor Mark knows how many are coming.

 

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 4 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!

 

PANTRY NEED

Our pantry is pretty bare – now's your chance to donate all kinds of non-perishable food! Our freezer could use a good stocking up as well. The only thing we don't need is vegetables.  Helping to stock our Food Pantry is an easy way for you to minister to those in need.  Contact Karen Blythe at kblythe99@gmail.com with questions.

 

NEW DIRECTORY

We will soon begin putting together a new directory for Hope - God has grown our congregation and we need to keep up! We have many different areas to serve – taking pictures, organizing, helping with sign ups, inputting data, designing forms, etc. Anyone interested in helping with this endeavor, please contact Lois Hartwell at foolsforchrist7@yahoo.com or simply hit 'reply' to the Hope Notes. 

                                             

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00                 Sara Cartella, Anki Hill    

Nursery 11:00               Karla Hopkins

Toddlers 9:00               Karen Blythe, Julia Schmidt, Leah Aureli

Toddlers 11:00             Briana Abate, Madison Winstel, Julia Neff
Pre K – K 9:00              Bill & Griffin McGinness

Pre K – K 11:00            Karen & Amanda Merriell
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00           Kathy Porch, Lil Kerr

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

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

3^rd – 5^th   11:00           Kimmi Biglin, Lauren Serebra

Ushers 9:00                  Mike Hartwell

Ushers 11:00                Damon Briggs

Counters                       LaTosha Briggs, Barb Frazeur

Greeters                       Art Muhlbaier

                                     Lucy Muhlbaier

                                     Charlotte Zediker

                                     Jeanne Wurst

                              

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.

 

 

Awaiting the Cross,

Lois

 

 

 

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