Hope Notes 10/27/16

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Can you think of a time when the Lord has helped you?  It may have been a prayer that was answered 'just the way you wanted', or a need that was met, or a dream fulfilled, or the seemingly impossible realized.  There are numerous ways in which He extends His grace to us.  The problem comes when we don't remember these things.  We begin to forget the miracles (both big and small) that He has wrought in our lives.  At the moment they occurred, we were giving praise and thanks to Him.  We may have even told lots of people what He did.  But then the moment passes, life goes on, and we forget.  Whenever I find myself thinking how foolish the people of Israel were to doubt God's goodness and provision, I am reminded that I often do the same.  My struggle is not that I think He CAN'T; it's that I sometimes just don't think He WILL.  My Christian heart knows that God uses trials to teach us and grow us in our faith.  So, I am often surprised to find how quickly He brings me out of a struggle, or provides just what I am praying for.  But WHY should I be so surprised?!  Does this reveal a lack of trust in Him?  Is it that I don't believe I am 'worthy' of His favor?  I don't know for sure; I just know that I am always surprised at my surprise!  On the flip side, I rejoice in my surprise because it keeps me in humble amazement at the mercy, the strength, and the love of our Savior.

In the Old Testament, memorials were often built to remember what God had done.  In today's world, it's probably not practical to place piles of stones all over our yards.  But we could write down the things that God has done.  I know we think we will remember them, but eventually we won't.  And I believe that looking back on them, especially in times of strife, will help us to keep our feet firmly planted on the grounds of faith.  I wish I had started this practice years ago, but it's never too late to begin building a 'monument' to memorialize God's limitless mercies.

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

10/30 – Are You in Danger? (Proverbs 29)

If you watch the news on any given night, the chances are quite high that you will hear information on some type of danger that threatens you and your family.  Whether it is the type of food you buy, the places you go, or what is happening in the world, we all perk our ears up at a warning so that we know if we need to adjust something to increase our safety.  Solomon uses this human tendency to talk about danger that comes our way spiritually.  This danger is highly destructive, but that doesn't stop many from falling into the trap.  We'll take a look at three areas that are spiritually devastating to see if we are walking toward this danger in our own lives!

 

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

MUSCLES NEEDED

Tuesday, November 1st

We've got quite a few 12' x 4' pieces of sheetrock to carry into the building.  Looking for teens, young adults, and any men who will be around between 3:00 – 5:00 Tuesday, November 1^st.   Just head over to church and meet up with Ken to lend a helping hand.

 

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 DEADLINE THIS SUNDAY

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  this Sunday, October 30^th.

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

Thanks to all who took home our 200 shoeboxes!  (If you did not receive one of the free shoeboxes, you can use your own or pick one up at a Dollar Store.)  Extra labels are on the OCC table at Hope.

Here's how to make this easy & fun:  CHOOSE a boy or girl and the age category.  FILL WITH a quality 'wow' item, then add other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. PRAY for the child who will receive your gifts; you can include a personal note & photo.  If you'd like, you can donate $7 online and receive a tracking label to discover the destination of your shoebox.  www.smaritanspurse.org/operation-chirstmas-child/follow-your-box

Finished shoeboxes are due back at Hope by Sunday, 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!

 

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!

 

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.

         

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Paige Thomson, Lesley Russell

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          Bruce Clark

Ushers 11:00        Damon Briggs

Wed. Nursery       TBA

Counters              Kathy Berry, Wendy Devereaux

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. 

Still Amazed,

Lois

 

 

 

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