Hoope Notes 10/20/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Ever since my brother's death in July, I've been up to my eyeballs in paperwork and disposing of his personal things.  It has really driven home to me the Biblical perspective of how we are not to 'store up treasures' here on earth, but rather to focus on our 'treasures in heaven'.  He surely had a lot of things here on earth, but I do not believe he held anything of eternal value.  He vehemently opposed anything Biblical.  Over the months, I've watched as his 160 acre property, all his vehicles and equipment, handmade furniture and guitars, etc. were disposed of.  His finances have been dissolved and distributed.  All the things he held during his time on earth no longer belong to him. As an old pastor friend of mine used to say, "Hearses don't pull U-Hauls".   Even if I could believe he was in heaven (although only God truly knows), those things would still be here.  The things closest to his heart have been sent to me and I've been sorting through all the papers, photographs and family trinkets. It is incredibly sad that one person's entire life can been reduced to a single dusty cardboard box.  It reaffirms in me the desire to leave more than tangible objects; I want to leave some sort of legacy that points to living a Christ centered life.  To remember that I must hold loosely to all the things of earth that are fleeting and instead hold tightly to Jesus.  This is hard to do –especially with loved ones.  But we cannot hold even them tightly.  They too belong to Jesus.  All in all, this whole process has made it crystal clear to me that the things of this world should hold no real value in our lives.  It's the things of eternity, the things of His Kingdom that hold true worth and that can make our lives have everlasting impact.

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

10/23 – Watch Your Words (Proverbs 27)

Have you ever been walking along a sidewalk, quietly enjoying your stroll when suddenly you trip over something unseen?  Maybe it is an uneven seam in the concrete or some object you didn't notice, but the front of your foot somehow found it anyway.  These tripping hazards aren't big and certainly aren't unavoidable, but their small size somehow contributes to their dark power to cause your downfall.  One area where we find ourselves spiritually tripping over little things all the time is in our words.  Today, we're going to look at a few areas where the truth is obvious, but all too easy to trip anyway.  We all probably struggle in one or all of these areas, so let's allow God to remind us of the ways we can trip over danger with our words.

 

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

 

OCTOBER CHALLENGE VERSE

 Psalm 84:10

 "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

 

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

TRUNK OR TREAT

Sunday, October 30 from 3:30 - 6:00pm

It's almost here!  We need to get busy handing out flyers, taking a yard sign to post in your yard, and making sure to sign up to be a trunker!  We have the signs in the back of the auditorium and registration forms for your car are on the sign up table.  Once you fill out your form, just drop it in the offering box or give to Matt Russell.  Another way you can participate in this super fun event is by bringing a treat to share. You can sign up in the front foyer to bring cookies, brownies, donuts, Hawaiian punch and more! We want to be sure everyone who comes out - whether church family, friends, or neighborhood kids - gets to enjoy the warm welcome we are so used to here at Hope. See Dana Ott with any questions.

 

SMALL GROUPS

We want everyone to be a part of a small group! If you have a small group together, use a REGISTRATION FORM to list the when and where of your group as well as the people who are included.  Give that form to an elder or the pastor, or drop it in the offering slot. If your group needs some more members, post your partially filled group registration form on our 'Small Group" bulletin board so others can sign up for your group. If you don't have a group, you can sign up on one of the groups posted on our Small Group Bulletin Board or start your own! Study sheets are available online at our website under 'Small Groups" (www.hopechristianfellowship. org) and in the Resource Room.

 

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.

 

YOUTH NEWS

SUNDAY NIGHT ROOTED YOUTH GROUP

6:30 – 8:30

Our middle school and high school groups meet right here at church! Come out for another amazing year as we grow closer together and closer to God!

Please Note:  Youth Group will NOT be meeting on October 30^th.

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT GROW GROUPS

7:00 – 8:15

Our middle school and high school groups meet here at church. We are doing a series called, 'Can I Really Ask That?' where we'll be looking at questions regarding doubt, hell, forgiveness, evil, sex, and more.  

 

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 

 

VOLUNTEER POSITION

Kids Alley, a ministry to children and families living in the City of Camden is in need of volunteers for its Saturday program. Our most urgent need is an adult bible teacher and a middle school boy's teacher/mentor. You can volunteer once a month or every other month. 

The Saturday Live program runs every Saturday at St. Mary's Episcopal Church at 18 White Horse Pike in Haddon Heights.  Volunteers are asked to arrive at 9:00 for a meeting and preparation and stay till 100 pm to help clean up. The actual program time is 10:45 am - 12:45 pm. For more info contact Brenda Hallahan @ 856-546-1098 or brendah@kidsalley.org. 

 

FREE TV

Karen & Steve Jones have a 27" Toshiba regular TV with remote available for FREE.  Call them at 856-728-8031 and arrange a time to pick it up!

 

VOTING MONTH

October is Voting Month at Hope!  During this month, all partners are needed to vote for deacons and elder candidates.  Voting forms are available in the Resource Room. Please take one and vote for the partners that you believe would be good deacons or elders.  We need to grow our teams for the coming year and we need every partner to help us find the right people.  Please make sure that if you are a partner, you submit a voting form to Pastor Mark by October 30.

 

MUSIC MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY

Looking for an opportunity to 'sing and make music unto the Lord'? If so, we would love to explore the possibility of finding a fit for you in the music ministry here at Hope. There are lots of places to serve besides our Sunday morning worship team such as Wednesday night Bible Study, Kid's Ministry in the GoZone, and even with our teens in Youth Group! If you are a gifted singer and/or instrumentalist, we want to invite you to come out for an informational meeting and audition on Thursday, Nov.10th at 7:00pm. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer so you'll need to start there, then contact Dana Ott (danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org) for more information or with any questions.

 

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 coming in January. 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.

*******CHRISTMAS ANNOUNCEMENTS*******

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD – SHOEBOXES

Kickoff Sunday, October 23^rd

Please stop and pick up a FREE shoebox (for the first 200 people). You can also use a plastic box or a regular shoebox from home. We also have ideas to help you decide what to send to your child. We have a pamphlet that tells you how to select your child by gender and age. Remember, you can also TRACK where your shoebox goes by paying the $7 shipping online and getting tracking info.

 These children are changed by the love of God they see through your gift selections. We encourage you to write a note to your child and select gifts carefully so that they inspire and surprise.  See Wendy Devereaux with questions.  Shoeboxes are due back to Hope by November 13^th.

CHRISTMAS CHOIR

Calling ALL singers!! Christmas Choir is back!! It's time again to gather up and gauge the interest for our Adult Christmas Cantata (9th grade and up). The performance date will be Dec.11th for the both the 9 and 11 o'clock services and choir practice will be Wednesday nights starting at the end of October (definite date TBA). There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer and we need you to start signing up NOW!  The chorus books are here and in the front of the auditorium.  If you take a book, please be sure to sign your name and what part you will be singing.  See Dana Ott with questions.

 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Christmas will soon be upon us, and come November, HopeKids will be gearing up for another great year of celebrating Jesus' birth, through a musical program!  We need volunteers who are willing to help with all of the preparation including teaching the songs and script, supervising practices and putting the program together.  Please contact Matt Russell if you are interested. 

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!

 

PANTRY NEEDS

Our pantry is pretty well stocked with food items, however there are some things that we don't have!  We are looking for those personal hygiene items such as toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, etc.  These donations would be greatly appreciated by those families in need!  Thank you.

 

KITCHEN TEAM

Would you like to help at church but don't have a lot of time? The KITCHEN TEAM is looking for a few people to help keep the kitchen neat and tidy. On your week, you can simply come a little early before Sunday service or stay a little later afterward. It'll only take about a half hour. We're hoping enough people will pitch in and you will only need to take a turn once a month or even less! Email Lauren Miller at lmlauren.miller@gmail.com or call 609-617-3763. 

                                             

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Sara Cartella, Anki Hill

Nursery 11:00      Melissa McGinness, Bethany Pineda, Ryan Winstel

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

Toddlers 11:00     Kirsten Hoy, Kirsty Straub, Natalie Mariani
Pre K – K 9:00      Linda Landis, Libby LeBeau

Pre K – K 11:00    Karen & Amanda Merriell
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00     Nina & Joe Mattera

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

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       TBA

Counters              LaTosha Briggs, Melissa McGinness

Greeters               Paul Hoffman

                             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.

 

 

He is Lord,

Lois

 

 

 

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