Thursday, July 28, 2016

Hope Notes 7/28/16

Dear Friends of Hope ~

So, Olive started her post-surgical physical therapy this week.  One of the things she is required to do is walk on an underwater treadmill.  She doesn't like being in the tank OR in the water, but she obediently walks alongside the therapist.  How do we get her to do this?  It's all about the chicken!  A dried out piece of chicken jerky dangled at the end of the treadmill by yours truly.  (For those of you who are new to Hope Notes, perhaps I'd better mention that Olive is a pup – not a child!)  When she spies that chicken, her little legs begin to move and she fixes her eyes on that delicacy with a laser focus.  I couldn't help it; I immediately thought of two Bible verses that reflect her single minded determination.  First off is this verse: "Run in such a way as to get the prize."  (1Cor 9:24b)  For Olive, that prize was the chicken.  And run she did! The next verse that came to mind was this: "…….but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:13-14)  This is exactly what she did – she forgot all about the pain in her leg and her fear of the water and began straining towards that elusive treat with everything she had!  What about us? Can we move forward with such dedication and purpose? God's great goal is for us to pursue the prize of intimacy with Christ and our eternal reward in heaven.  If we set our earthly goals on heavenly gains, we will have a prize about a million times better than a dried out slab of chicken!


SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

7/31 – Without Faith (Hebrews 11:6)

VBS Closing

"Without" is a word with really bad vibes.  If you are "without" money or friends or hope, you are a person who is really having a rough time!  For some, the answer is to gather 'more' so that they will never be 'without'.  But they find that what they gather doesn't always fill in the gap for what they are 'without'.  Today we're going to talk about what God calls the key to everything: Faith.  And we're going to look at how being 'without faith' changes everything.  Maybe it is better to say that when we have faith, our lives work the way they are supposed to.  What kind of faith do we need?  And do you have it?

 

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.

 

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

 

MEN'S EVENING SHOOT

Friday, August 5th

Calling all men!  We're heading out to Quinton Sportsman's Club in Salem County for a manly evening of target shooting.  Cost is $20 for a round of 25 shots and dinner. (Always an option to bring your own shells!)  We are meeting at the church at 6:00pm.  For anyone who prefers to meet us at the club, we plan to arrive at 7:00 pm.   The address is 346 Jericho Road, Salem NJ  08079. We expect to end sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 pm.  Please sign up on the sheet in the lobby so that we can be sure to have enough ammo and shotguns.  See Steve Jones with any questions.

 

ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC – THIS SUNDAY

Sunday, July 31st @ 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.

 

SET UP FOR CHURCH PICNIC – THIS SUNDAY

Free Pizza & Water!

We need as many people as possible to set up tables after the second service. As a thank you for helping, we are providing pizza and water for everyone!  See Melissa McGinness or Scott LeBeau if you have questions.

 

MOVIE NIGHT

Sunday, August 7th @ 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 14th @ 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

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!

 

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 1st - 5th 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 

 

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.  Informational meeting coming in September.


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        Sara Cartella, Anki Hill

Nursery 11:00      Mark & Brenda Hallahan

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

Toddlers 11:00     Kirsten Hoy, Kristy Straub, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – K 9:00      Pat & Elisabeth DellaRova, Libby LeBeau

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

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

3rd - 5th   9:00      Mary & Scott LeBeau

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

Ushers 9:00          Bob Kerr

Ushers 11:00        Damon Briggs

Wed. Nursery       N/A

Counters              Matt Austen, Bill Berry

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.

 

 

Chosen,

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.

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