Hope Notes 12/1/16

Dear Friends of Hope ~

Just the other day I came across this quote on Facebook: "Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever." (Rumi) It brought to mind the following verse - "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

Now I don't know who Rumi is, whether or not he's a believer, or if he ever read the verse in Jeremiah, but I do think it's interesting how inscribing something on a person's heart is depicted as a forever thing.  God obviously set the precedent in His covenant with the people of Israel; He knew that the heart was the place to put something in order for it to be eternal.  We have seen that God's law written on tablets of stone could be broken, and we know that God's law written on parchment can be lost or destroyed. But when it's written on our hearts, it will remain for evermore.  It will permeate our whole being; it will influence our thoughts, words, and actions.  In order to achieve this we need to read our Bibles daily, to pray and ask God for understanding, and to make sure we are attending church and Bible studies.  Let the Word of God soak into our souls and saturate us through and through. And remember, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Luke 6:45)

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

Christmas Series

12/4 - Your Christmas Mission (Luke 2:8-18)

Have you ever noticed that Christmas includes a lot of gift giving?  That's probably a dumb question, but it's significant that this time of year is connected with giving.  Obviously, giving one another gifts – often through personal sacrifice – is reflecting the gift God gave us in His Son Jesus.  So somewhere down deep inside we get it: the Christmas story calls us to a mission.  But that mission is not to find the 'perfect' gift and wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree.  Are we spending more time in the trappings of Christmas than in the message of it?  Have we been more careful to make sure our house is decorated and that our gifts are wrapped than in responding to the call of the Christmas mission?  Let's take a look at that mission as it first started on the night Jesus was born.

 

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

 

DECEMBER CHALLENGE VERSE

John 1:14

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

7:00 – 8:15 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:  Bible Study is on hiatus for the rest of 2016 while we have choir rehearsals, children's rehearsals, and our business meeting on 12/7.  Bible Study will resume 1-11-17.

 

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

 

YOUNG ADULTS NEW YEARS PARTY

January 2nd

Young Adults is taking the month of December off, but join us January 2nd to kick off the New Year in style! We'll be enjoying a night of games and snacks! See Dave Hallahan for more details.

 

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.

 

GOD'S GIRLS WOMEN'S GROUP

1^st & 3^rd Mondays at 7:00

Contact Mary Lebeau for more information

856-316-6301 or marylebeau@verizon.net

 

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!

 

ROOTED CHRISTMAS PARTY

Dec 18th

It's time for our annual Christmas party! Come ready for some games, snacks and the yearly appearance of the Grinch! Bring a gift for the gift exchange as well! $5 max on the gift.

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT GROW GROUPS

7:00 – 8:15

Please Note:  Grow Groups are taking a break through the month of December and will resume January 11, 2017.

 

ASCENT RETREAT

January 6^th – 8^th

Last years' Ascent retreat was an awesome weekend for our youth group! Don't miss this years! All middle and high schoolers are welcome! The cost is $75 (payment assistance available). See Dave Hallahan for more details!

 

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

 

NEW PARKING FOR SUNDAYS

We are asking those who park on Warner to park on only ONE SIDE on Sunday mornings.  We will be putting out safety cones on our side of Warner in front of the church.  Parking on both sides causes a safety issue by creating such a narrow passageway for people as they leave the 9:00 service and others arrive for the 11:00 service.  Don't worry, there are almost always parking spaces available in the rear lot, even after the service begins, so you can just drive around back!

 

'HOPE SHARE' LAUNCH

DON'T THROW IT OUT – SHARE IT!

There's a new feature on our website!  It's called Hope Share.  Simply put, it's a place to share things we no longer use and look for things we need.  In a culture that feels like we're always trying to 'catch up' financially, Hope Share will allow us to be wise in both asking if someone has what we need and is ready to give it away - and also to share the stuff we're ready to get rid of without having to throw it away. It's a place where we can maximize our ability to help one another and also to avoid wasting things that others could use.  Go on and check it out to see how you can upload photos of things you'd like to give away and to search for that special item you just might need!

 

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING – THIS WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, December 7^th @ 7:00 pm

We will be voting on our 2017 budget which is posted on the bulletin board by the Sound Booth, and reviewing this past year's story.  It won't be a long meeting (30 minutes or less).  All are welcome to attend but we especially need our partners there to conduct business and to be ready for the upcoming year.

 

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*******

CHRISTMAS AT HOPE

Here's what the Christmas season looks like at Hope!

 

CHRISTMAS CANTATA

December 11th

Our cantata this year is entitled 'Almost There'.  Invite your friends and family to come and hear what our choir has put together for us.  It's sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!

 

HOPEKIDS CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

December 18^th

'All About That Baby' is the program our elementary children will be presenting to us this year.  Nothing says Christmas more than a bunch of sweet kids singing about Jesus and His birth!  This is a great Sunday to invite lots of friends and family members out to Hope.  Who could resist an invitation for something as endearing as this?!

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES

December 25^th

We will have services at our usual times – 9:00 and 11:00.  Each service will only be an hour long.  We'll have lots of special music, sing some Christmas carols (of course!), and have readings from Scripture that remind us what this day is really all about.  These services are designed for the whole family to be together; no nursery or separate kids' programs.  Come and celebrate the birth of our Savior with us!

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 RESPONDER TEAM

The invitation is always open to join our First Responders, even if you didn't sign up for the initial push.  If you are in the law enforcement or medical fields, all you need to do is let Chris Cartella (or Mike Hartwell) know that you are interested.  We want to make sure our team members know each other in order to be easily identified in case of an emergency.

Contact Chris at: cacartella@comcast.net.  Contact Mike at mhredeemed@gmail.com.

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Lorraine Koch, Lynn Shute

Nursery 11:00      Don & Alicia Heverly

Toddlers 9:00       Karen Blythe, Brittany & Rachel Hackett

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

Pre K – K 11:00    Jennifer, Samantha, & Ryan Edwards
1^st & 2^nd – 9:00     Christmas Program Practice

1^st & 2^nd – 11:00   Christmas Program Practice

3rd - 5^th   9:00      Christmas Program Practice

3^rd – 5^th   11:00     Christmas Program Practice

Ushers 9:00          Mike Hartwell

Ushers 11:00        Damon Briggs

Wed. Nursery       None

Counters              LaTosha Briggs, Barb Frazeur

Greeters               Jon Pinero

                             Mary LeBeau

                             Janice Simpson

                             Michelle Schmidt

 

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.

Remembering His Word,

Lois

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