Hope Noes 9/15/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

We were on vacation last week and I spent most every morning sitting on the dock in the early light of day, watching as the sun spilled liquid gold onto the water.  The gulls flew overhead and occasionally a fish would jump out of the canal.  It was so quiet and peaceful - the perfect place to reflect upon God's Word.  One morning an elderly man across the canal stepped out onto his deck and began throwing bread into the canal.  Almost immediately a seagull appeared, then another, and another.  Pretty soon there was a whole flock diving after the pieces of bread.  I don't know where they all came from or how they knew to come.  Some secret seagull language, I suppose.  The very first thought that popped into my head when I saw this was the passage in Ecclesiastes 11 about 'casting our bread upon the waters'.  Because it was literally happening right in front of my eyes!  I highly doubt the man across the way was thinking about that; he was simply feeding the gulls.  Probably a morning ritual for him and a predictable feeding time for the birdies.  But since God put those words into my mind, I looked up the passage and then embarked on a study involving different commentaries and some Google searches.  My point in telling you all this is not to launch into a discourse on Ecclesiastes, but to encourage you to pay attention when God drops an object lesson in front of you (i.e. a man, a piece of bread, and some seagulls!) and a verse pops into your head.  Move forward with it, meditate on it, search out the things you don't understand, pray about it.  The Almighty God is speaking to you; don't miss the opportunity to find out more about what He wants to tell you!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

9/18 – God Is In Control (Proverbs 16)

Control is an everyday topic.  We want more of it and we find the idea of control appealing.  We like to have self-control (or think we should); we like to have a say in things like elections and employment; we wish for a say over the major (and sometimes even the minor) circumstances of our life.  But the frustrating thing is that we really don't have control over much.  Proverbs confronts us with the truth that God is the one in control.  While there are struggles to understand what that means about evil and tragedy in our world, there is some very practical application to our lives.  Are we living like God is in control and that we can trust Him to do good?

 

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

 

SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE VERSE

 Proverbs 1:10

"My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them."

 

WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS

Once again we are offering our Workshops during the month of September.  Signup sheets are in the lobby. Our HopeKids Program begins again in October; for the month of September there will be no childcare. A brief description of each workshop is listed below.

 

Excellence, Run with the Horses (by Eugene Peterson)

Led by Chick Dougherty

Life is difficult.  Daily we must choose whether to live cautiously or courageously.  God calls us to live at our best, to pursue righteousness, to sustain a drive toward excellence.  This guide helps us discover our destiny -- and shows us [through the life of Jeremiah] the resources God has given us to fulfill it.

More Than Just 'The Talk'

Becoming Your Kids' Go-To Person About Sex

Led by Dave Hallahan

The old ways of having 'the talk' just won't cut it anymore. Sadly, the number one place today's young people go to for answers about sex is Google. Meanwhile, kids view nearly 14,000 sexual references a year on television, and 70 percent of teenagers have encountered pornography online. If we want our children to know the truth about healthy sexuality, we need to create a comfortable climate of continual conversations.

I'm New to Hope

Led by Steve Jones

Have you recently started attending Hope?  We'd love the opportunity to introduce our church to you and fill you in on what God has been doing over the past 12 years.  We'll take your questions and get you up to speed on all the important info like core values and what we believe.  And we'll get to know one another as well.  If God is going to take us forward together as a family, it makes sense that we spend some time in conversations like this.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover what you should know about our church family. 

High Anxiety

Led by Pastor Mark

Does panic stalk you every day?  Are you under siege by anxiety?  Does life seem overwhelming with danger and expectation?  We'll take a look at what the Bible ha to say on this topic and discover some very practical help for facing this battle.     Some of these steps may surprise you, and others you many already know, but let's spend a few weeks really digging God's prescription for anxiety.

 

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: In September, we begin our Workshop Wednesdays in place of Bible Study.  Regular Bible Study begins again in October.

 

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

 

SMALL GROUP KICKOFF MONTH!

September is the time for us to jump back into small groups. Our first study sheet (the questions that get discussed at small group) will be out on October 2^nd.  If you've been a part of a group before, you know how incredibly God uses them. And if you haven't, we encourage you to get in a group!  If you're already in a group, add some new members.  Or split your group and multiply by adding new members to each part of your group. But if you're not in a group, there's good news: This year we have two different kinds of groups.  The first is familiar (Study Sheet Groups) and the second is going to be a growing part of our small group year (Topical Groups)

 

STUDY SHEET GROUPS

Anyone can form a group - gather up a bunch of friends or meet some new ones and you're a group.  More details on Hope's "Study Sheet' small groups can be found on the yellow info sheets in the Resource Room. Once you have a group (or the start of one), fill out a registration form.  If you're full (with 8-12 adults), give the form to Damon Briggs to register your group. BUT if you still have space in your group, we're inviting you to post your registration form on the Small Group Bulletin Board in our hallway (next to the prayer room) so that anyone can sign up to be a part of your group. You'll need at least a facilitator, a host (with location listed), and a date and time (so people know when and where you'll meet).  On the flip side, if you're looking for a group, take a look at this board throughout the month and sign up for a group that fits you.  If you're having any trouble finding a group, or if you have any questions, see Damon Briggs.

 

TOPICAL GROUPS

Becoming a part of these groups is going to be really easy. We have a few teachers who have picked a topic and are going to organize a scheduled meeting date, time, and place.  These groups will have signup sheets posted on the 'Small Group' Bulletin Board in the church hallway. Just pick a topic you like (or select by day / time / location) and signup.  It's as easy as that!

 

MEN'S BOWLING LEAGUE

Monday Evenings

Hope's first church bowling league! Open to men ages 16 and up.  Signup sheet is on the table in the lobby.  See Bruce Clark for more info.

 

GOD'S GIRLS WOMEN'S GROUP

Mondays at 7:00

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 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 

 

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Our directories have arrived!  Now you can finally place some of those elusive names with faces.  They will be on a table in the back of the auditorium; make sure you stop by and pick one up!  Please just one directory per family.

 

AUGUST GIVING REPORT

For the month of August, we averaged $6345 per week which brings our annual average weekly giving down to $7459 per week. This means that for this past month we were well behind our target giving of $7375 per week, but we remained above our target for the year.  Thank you to everyone who continues to sacrifice and give to our work to build God's kingdom at Hope.  We're looking forward to what God is going to do in our church this fall!

 

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!

 

MEDIA TEAM

Do you enjoy the announcements that play up front on our screens?  Or how about being able to see the words to our worship songs?  That's our Media Team's doing!  They could use some volunteers.  They will gladly teach you exactly what you need to know………..they promise it's not hard!  Contact Rick Mounce (rick861@mac.com) if you are interested, or just see one of the guys up in the sound booth!

 

BUILDING PRE-SERVICE CHECK TEAM

Looking for volunteers to do a basic check of our building before each service.  This includes checking the auditorium for trash, looking for lights that may be out, making sure restrooms are clean and stocked, etc.  After each service trash needs to be removed from the building.  This is done on a rotating schedule; each person only needs to be available one or two Sundays per quarter.  See Ken Blythe if you are interested or email him at kblythe99@gmail.com.

 

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.  See Steve Jones with any questions. 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        Amy Fleck, Gail Birney

Nursery 11:00      Leah Hallahan, Lauren Czyzewski

Toddlers 9:00       Karen Blythe, Brittany & Rachel Hackett

Toddlers 11:00     Brianna Abate, Madison Winstel, Julia Neff
Pre K – K 9:00      Pat & Elisabeth DellaRova

Pre K – K 11:00    Karen & Amanda Merriell
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00     Lisa Fiorile, Charlotte Zediker

1^st & 2^nd – 11:00   Katie Newshel, helper

3rd - 5^th   9:00      TBA

3^rd – 5^th   11:00     TBA

Ushers 9:00          Rick Ayusa

Ushers 11:00        Dan Rozinski

Wed. Nursery       N/A

Counters               Lois Hartwell, 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.

 

 

Always Seeking,

Lois

 

 

 

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