Hope Notes 7/14/16

 

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

I'm going to tell you a funny story.  When I was little, I was afraid of the wallpaper that adorned our stairway.  It was a bucolic pattern of sheep and their shepherd, some little trees and a stream.  (Don't ask me WHY my mom had this wallpaper!! Maybe it was popular back in the 40's when they bought the house!) Anyway, more specifically, I was afraid of this one particular sheep.  Right where his mouth would be was what looked to me to be a gaping hole – just ready to eat me up!  In reality, it was simply a hole left from when my dad moved the banister up a notch.  But to my four year old eyes it looked enormous!  Now mind you, I had to pass that monstrous sheep every night on my way to bed.  When I got to the part of the stairs where he loomed waiting for me, I would cross to the other side.  My mom always yelled at me to 'hold the railing!'  No way was I going to allow that sheep easy access to my tender fingers!  I never did tell her what I was so afraid of. I'm sure she would have had a good laugh, and then found a way to reassure me.  This all came to mind just recently when I somehow made the connection between those sheep, that shepherd, and my relationship with Jesus.  How ironic that, as a child, I was so terrified of that scene and that, as an adult, that scene perfectly represents believer's relationship with Jesus, our Good Shepherd.  He stands guard over us.  Protects us.  Leads us to still waters.  Gives rest to our souls.  Comforts us.  Takes us down the right paths. (From Psalm 23)  All these things were what my little soul needed as a child.  That wallpaper should have been a reminder of who Jesus is. Instead, it instilled great fear! It makes me sad that that little girl did not know Jesus. But it makes me SO happy that I have a church determined to make sure every single child knows about Jesus and His love.  We at Hope believe nothing is more important than reaching our little ones for Christ.  I am so thankful for this and am certain that if one of our little Hope Kids saw that scene, they would certainly know what it meant!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

 

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 in Pastor Mark's Office
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

 

JULY CHALLENGE VERSE

Colossians 3:1-2

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

 

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.

Please Note:  We are taking a break from our regular Bible Study during the month of July.  You are welcome to come out and help decorate for VBS instead!  See Matt Russell for further information.

 

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

 

ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC

Sunday, July 31^st @ 5:00

 

What better way to spend a summer Sunday than a morning of worship and then an evening of family fun at our church picnic?!  Make sure you come back with the whole family.  We'll have games and inflatables and, of course, lots of food!  We provide the hot dogs and drinks – you can sign up to bring sides and desserts.  Signup sheets are in the lobby.

 

MOVIE NIGHT

Sunday, August 7^th @ 6:00

Bring your family to Hope's FREE Movie Night!  We'll be showing "Do You Believe?"  This film invites Christians to take inventory of whether or not they truly believe and to the LIVE like they believe!  It also reaches out to anyone who is lost or hurting with a message of real hope.  There will be a movie just for our kids as well.  We'll have all kinds of movie candy, popcorn, soda…….oh and a few healthy snacks and bottled water, too.  But hey, this is movie night!!  Indulge and enjoy!

 

HOPE'S SUMMER CAFÉ

Sunday, August 14^th @ 6:00

Everyone looks forward to our café – it's such a fun time to get together and enjoy each other's company……and lots of yummy treats!  Not only that, but we get to see our fellow Hopers display their hidden talents!  Look for a signup sheet coming soon in the lobby.  You can sign up for talent and/or for what snack you will bring.  See Kimmi Biglin with any questions.

 

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 – THIS SATURDAY

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.

*Please Note:  For the month of July, we are pushing the breakfast back to July 16^th.

 

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!

 

ROOTED

We are taking a break over the summer but will resume again in September.  See you then!

 

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

 

CAVE QUEST VBS

July 25^th – 29^th

We are so excited for VBS!  Get ready for an over-the-top underground adventure with CAVE QUEST VBS!  Your children will come away grounded in the rock solid foundation of God's love.  This year, we are having two sessions – our 3-5 year olds will meet from 9:30 – 12:00, and our elementary kids will meet from 6:00 – 8:30pm. 

HELP NEEDED: We will be setting up two large and two smaller tents after the 2^nd service on July 17th. Hoping for 10 to 12 men or woman to assist. Estimating start time at 12:15.  Completion on or about 2:30.

 

                                                                    ANNOUNCEMENTS 

 

UGANDA UPDATE

Patty, Jess and Dave have been having a wonderful time serving alongside Josh and Kelly Hallahan in Kampala, Uganda. Most of their time thus far has been spent with the United Faith Chapel (UFC) and the University Discipleship Movement (UDM). Both organizations are largely run by university students as well as some paid staff. They seek to see university students transformed by God and equipped to bring the whole gospel to the whole world. 

 

Their days have been spent doing campus outreach, which basically amounts to street evangelism on college campuses, leading Bible studies for university students and visiting local high schools to share the love of Christ with them. 

 

God has been working in and through all three of the members of the Hope team. They appreciate your prayers thus far and covet them continually as they serve alongside local students. 

 

PRISON MINISTRY SUPPORT

Once again, we have two of our very own (Jim Jefferson & Bill McGinness) participating in this unique prison ministry that reaches inmates with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through athletics. Statistics show that the vast majority of prisoners will not attend a traditional religious program such as a chapel service or Bible study. However, inmates will gladly attend sporting events at which a gospel message is shared.

The commitment to serve in this ministry requires many sacrifices on their part, not just the personal time spent away from their families, but a financial sacrifice as well.  We can help them through prayer and through giving donations as we feel the Lord's leading.  If you would like to contribute, please see Bill or Jim and they will give you the details on how best to give.

 

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 TO SUPPORT HOPE

It's easy and convenient!  Simply go to our website at www.hopechristianfellowship.org  and click Online Giving.  Text to Give is coming soon!  More information will follow.  Contact Damon (damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com) or LaTosha (usafinancial2000@hotmail.com) Briggs with 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!

 

FIRST RESPONDERS SECURITY TEAM

We are in the beginning stages of establishing a Security Team here at Hope in the (unlikely) event of an emergency situation taking place during the service.  We want to be proactive and have people and a system set in place so that we are prepared to handle whatever circumstance may arise.  If you are a 'First Responder' (police, security, EMT, doctor, nurse, etc.) and are interested in being a part of this team, please sign up on the sheet in the lobby.  You may also contact Mike Hartwell @ mhredeemed@gmail.com for more information.

 

MISSIONARY COMMUNICATION TEAM

Do you have a heart for missions but don't want to travel the globe?  Or maybe you're good on social media, or have a knack for writing.  We could really use someone like YOU!  We are trying to establish regular communication with each of our missionaries.  Ideally, we'd like for each one to have an assigned person who would be their liaison.  We'd also like to put out a quarterly newsletter with current updates on our missionaries.  This is one of those projects where not much effort on your part yields big results!  Contact Barb Frazeur for more information at dwfrazfam@verizon.net or 609-970-8314.

 

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.

                                             

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Amy Fleck, Gail Birney, Ryan Winstel

Nursery 11:00      Leah Hallahan, Lauren Czyzewski

Toddlers 9:00       Kim Haines, Leah Aureli, Katherine DellaRova

Toddlers 11:00     Kirsten Hoy, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – K 9:00      Bill & Griffin McGinness

Pre K – K 11:00    Kim Lawlor, Prisca Ogunkanmi
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00     Nina Mattera, Michelle Abate

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

3rd - 5^th   9:00      Mary LeBeau

3^rd – 5^th   11:00     Nance Reeves, Lauren Serebransky

Ushers 9:00          Bruce Clark

Ushers 11:00        Tom Albright

Wed. Nursery       N/A

Counters              Kathy Berry, Wendy Devereaux

Greeters               Pat Keith

                             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.

 

 

He is Our Sheperd,

Lois

 

 

 

Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.