Hope Notes 4/21/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

All of us go through dark times.  It may be situational, relational, or spiritual in nature.  It can be sin generated.  But there's no getting around it – these things will enter our lives every now and then.  Although the darkness may be painful, it's the perfect setting for His Light.  Alone in the darkness, His Light becomes all the more obvious.  What a comfort to know that Light ALWAYS overcomes the dark. ('The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.' John 1:5) Darkness must always succumb to light.  You can't turn a flashlight on in a dark room and have no illumination.  It's impossible.  The only remedy to the blackness of night is light.  What's important to remember is the SOURCE of our light.  ('You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.' Psalm 18:28) God alone can dispel the darkness we face.  When things are at the bleakest, whether because of a situation or because of our own sin, we must turn the eyes of our heart to Jesus, the Light of the world.  Scriptures paint the picture of Jesus face 'shining like the sun in all its brilliance' (Rev 1:16) and tells us how His face 'shone like the sun' (Matthew 17:2).  I can just feel the warmth in my soul when I think of this!  There is no better way to dispel our darkness – we need just remember to do it.

 

UPDATE ON JOAN ROSELLI

She was taken to the hospital yesterday after a rough few days of nausea and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia.  This has become very serious and after testing last night, they do not believe they can fix the damage it has caused or the hernia itself, so there is nothing they can do for her. She is in ICU currently and was on a respirator overnight.  This morning, they are hoping to be able to remove her breathing tube so that she can talk and visit with her family.  Pray for the decisions being made and for the time that she is able to spend with her loved ones.  We know God can do miracles, so we pray for that, but we also pray for God's peace and strength as our dear sister faces what may be her last moments with us on this side of heaven.

Also – the family and Joan are asking that no one come to visit at this time.  They appreciate and need our prayers, but having people come visit would be overwhelming and too much right now.

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

The Proverbs Path – Exploring the Everyday Wisdom of Proverbs

4/24 – Guard Your Heart (Proverbs 4)

Would you put your money in a bank that had no locks and no guards?  If not, it probably has something to do with the fact that you don't want your money stolen.  Unguarded valuables are never a good idea.  Proverbs tell us to guard our heart.  And it tells us why we should do this.  It also tells us to guard instruction.  Underlying these commands is an understanding that these things are both valuable and vulnerable. How guarded is your heart?

 

MOTHER'S DAY SERVICE

May 8^th

Mother's Day is special because MOMS are special.  We all have a mom, and we are all blessed by the roles moms have in our church family, so we are looking forward to making their day just a bit more special.  We'll enjoy some touching presentations from our kids (tissue alert!), so it will be a great time for all of us together as a church family.  You don't want to miss this!

 

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

 

APRIL CHALLENGE VERSE

Acts 1:8

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

                                                                                   

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

7:00 pm

Join us as we dig into 1Corinthians and gain a deeper understanding of God's Word and its application to our daily lives.  Childcare is available.

 

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.

Please Note:  Young Adults is now working on a 'semester' schedule - therefore there will be no Young Adults for the month of April.  We will resume again in May.

 

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

If your small group wants to continue meeting through the summer, here are some recommended studies you can do together. These books are readily available on Amazon or at Christian Book Distributors. We will resume our regular study sheets in September.

Unoffendable - Brant Hansen

Don't Waste Your Life - John Piper

Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

One of us is Crazy - Tim and Joy Downs

Search for Significance - Robert McGee

 

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 would like 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 

 

HCF NEW DIRECTORY

Last Sunday for Pictures!

We're making it so easy for you all to be included in our new Directory!  Look for an Information Form in this week's Salt & Light (the weekly bulletin you get as you come in).  You can simply fill that out and drop it off in the box on the table at the back of the auditorium.  No waiting in line! Then have one of our photographers snap your picture! Our goal is to have everyone included (you don't have to be a partner!) so that we can all place faces with names. Remember – you do not have to be a partner to be included.  See Lois Hartwell with any questions.

 

CAMDEN OUTREACH

Saturday, April 30^th  

We will meet at the church at 10:00 am, make lunches and then hand them out in Camden. The signup sheet for donations (lunch items) is in the lobby.  All donations are due on Sunday April 24th.

 

SPECIAL MISSIONARY PROJECT

Our missionaries, Josh and Jackie Frankeas, will be leaving for South Africa the end of May.  They will be working with 'Restoring Hope', an organization that has established homes with parents and foster children.  As the Frankeas prepare to leave, they are packing a container with their own supplies to be shipped to South Africa. They have some additional space in their container that they'd like to fill with supplies for these children and families.   We here at Hope have an opportunity to be a part of this missionary outreach.  Near each of the two entrances of our building, will find a large box marked for the Frankeas.  We are looking to fill these boxes with school supplies, some baby supplies, and footwear of all sizes.  Boxes are located by each entrance and have a detailed list of supplies needed next to them that you can take. We have until April 24th to fill the boxes.  Any questions, see Barb Frazeur.

 

ENVELOPES FOR DESIGNATED GIVING

If God has laid it on your heart to give a little something extra for His kingdom, we have provided envelopes for you to do so!  These are not for your usual Sunday offering; they are for you to use if you'd like to give to a special project or ministry.  The envelopes are in a wall mounted bin next to our regular offering slot.

 

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.

 

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!

 

LANDSCAPING DAYS

Saturday, April 23^rd – This Saturday!

We will be meeting at the church at 9:00 am to rake and relocate mulch.  Gloves are needed.  Rakes and tarps welcome!  See Ken Blythe with questions.       

Saturday, May 7th

Let's make Hope look pretty!  We are meeting at the church at 10:00 am.  Asking for volunteers to help plant flowers.  Black mulch will be down, so bring something to kneel on and a tool to dig with.  See Ken Blyth with questions.

 

FAMILY PROMISE MINISTRIES

We are gathering a team to serve in Family Promise Ministries, which helps homeless families in Gloucester County get back on their feet.  We would be working in conjunction with other churches to help these families by providing meals, shelter, and transportation.  If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please sign up on the signup sheet in the lobby.  Pastor Mark will be holding an informational meeting soon, but would like to know how many are interested right away.

                                             

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00                Lorraine Koch, Lynn Shute

Nursery 11:00               Jessica Thoden, Shelley Udzinski, Ryan

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            Pat & Elisabeth DellaRova, Prisca Ogunkanmi
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00              Nina & Michelle Abate

1^st & 2^nd – 11:00           Ann Schweigart, Debbie Davis

3rd - 5^th   9:00              Michelle Schmidt, Nance Reeves

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

Ushers 9:00                   Bob Baumiester

Ushers 11:00                Damon Briggs

Counters                      Matt Austen, Damon Briggs

 

Greeters                       Paul & Donna Hoffman

                                     Lisa Minner

                                     Patti Tomasetti

                                    

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.

 

 

In His Light,

Lois

 

 

 

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