Hope Notes 4/27/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

I have something unusual on the shelf by my bed.  And I would venture to say it's a safe bet that no one reading these notes has it.  Want to know what it is?  It's a tiny, doll sized saucer filled with….……………Cheerios. Ok so now I know you're wondering why on earth I have that!  When I was training our dog, Olive, to sleep in her bed (not ours) and stay there all night long I would reward her with a Cheerio when she got back in it.  Once she was trained, it somehow morphed into her running into her bed at night and then expecting a Cheerio.  Sucker that I am, I give her one every night.  Far be it from me to disturb her nightly routine!  She is hyper vigilant about keeping all her routines (and trust me, she has many!).  I only wish I could be as conscientious about some of mine!  The one that's most important to me is spending time with God – reading His Word, praying and thinking about what He's trying to tell me.  But that seems to be the one that gets the short stick when things get busy or I get lazy.  Olive doesn't let ANYTHING get in the way of her rituals; why can't I?!  And here's the funny thing – she knows she has a reward waiting for her when she hops in her bed.  But I have a reward waiting for me as well when I open up the Bible! I have the privilege of hearing God speak to me through His words. Not only that, but I have an eternal reward awaiting me! That should be more than enough to make me guard that habit with all my might. Maybe I need to eat a Cheerio every time I read the Bible!  Seeing Olive be so steadfast every single evening is a visual reminder to me that I need to be equally as resolute in keeping my time with God a non-negotiable appointment.

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

The Proverbs Path – Exploring the Everyday Wisdom of Proverbs

5/1 – Drink from Your Own Well (Proverbs 5)

We live in a sexually charged world.  Sexual innuendo fuels the comedy and drama we take in every day.  Books are packed with it, television is filled with it, and movies are driven by it. Today's popular thought tells us that sex is an appetite that is amoral just like hunger or thirst. But this is an example of being so 'wise' that we are 'fools'.  How much devastation and pain arise from buying the lie that sexual fulfillment can be had outside of God's design.  Proverbs takes time to advise us on this very contemporary topic.  Will we open our hearts to the wisdom that can guide us past the philosophies of our world?  Will we believe that God wants our best, knows what is best, and direct our thoughts and actions accordingly?

 

UGANDA MISSION TRIP OFFERING

May 1^st

We will be taking a special offering this Sunday for the Uganda Mission Trip that Jess, Patti, and Dave

are doing in July.  Please prayerfully consider what you could give to ease the financial burden this trip entails.

 

UPDATE ON JOAN ROSELLI

Our dear sister-in-Christ died peacefully while sleeping this afternoon.  She was surrounded by her family and was at peace because she knew that she was going to be with her Lord.  We are thankful that God was gracious enough to give her family and friends the time to say goodbye to her.  We mourn her loss here at Hope and on this earth, but we rejoice knowing that she is with her heavenly Father.

There will be a viewing this Saturday, April 30^th from 9:00 – 11:00 here at Hope.  Immediately after the viewing there will be a service, followed by the burial.

 

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

 

MAY CHALLENGE VERSE

Ephesians 4:15

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

                                                                                   

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.

 

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 

 

APRIL GIVING UPDATE

We averaged $7524 per week for the month of April bringing our annual average giving to $7564.  This continues to be above our annual giving target of $6700 and allows us to propose taking on our Youth Pastor and Kids Pastor full time next month.  We are deeply grateful that God continues to move in your hearts to support His work here and that we can focus even more energy on what God is doing at Hope.  With all our hearts we believe that this opportunity will make our church stronger and even more fruitful for the kingdom of God!

 

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!

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEEDS

Our elementary age Sunday School classes are looking for both teachers and helpers to serve. Please contact Matt Russell for more information.

 

LANDSCAPING DAYS

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       Elizabeth Staley, Yesenia Marquez, Julia Schmidt

Toddlers 11:00     Jason & Kristy Straub, Leah Aureli
Pre K – K 9:00      Pat & Elisabeth DellaRova

Pre K – K 11:00    Jennifer, Samantha, & Ryan Edwards
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00     Nina & Michelle Abate

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

3rd - 5^th   9:00      Faith DeWalt, Mary Kearney

3^rd – 5^th   11:00     Michelle Schmidt, Christy Tomasello

Ushers 9:00          Mike Hartwell

Ushers 11:00        Bill Berry

Wed. Nursery       Hope & Greg Speakman             

Counters              Matt Austen, Damon Briggs

Greeters               Rick Ayusa

                             Patty Bunnell

                             Paul Rochat

                             Helen Mastalski

                                    

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.

 

 

Loved by the King,

Lois

 

 

 

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