Hope Notes 12/29/16

Dear Friends of Hope ~

After a run in with a chef's knife sidelined me for a few weeks I am back! To those who have been asking me about my finger, I truly appreciate your concerns.  Still very tender, but I can once again type.  Thank goodness I don't need to be on Worship as a guitar player! Many thanks to my daughter Emily, who filled in for me during my forced hiatus.  Now……..on to more important things!

I was thinking about the remnants of all the gifts under the Christmas tree.  By now, most have been put away; but there are probably some stragglers left.  Sadly, those are most likely the ones we didn't care for so much.  Then I thought about how God is the perfect gift giver. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights…"  (James 1:17).  He knows exactly what gift you need the most – the gift of salvation.  But not only does He offer us this gift of eternal life, He gives us 'good and perfect' gifts every day.   Surely none of His gifts would ever be stragglers left behind.  Or would they?  Think about everything God has given you and be careful not to treat His gifts carelessly; be sure to give them the regard and care they deserve. Don't leave our Father's precious presents/presence thoughtlessly 'under the tree'.

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

THE WORDS OF JESUS SERIES

(A Study from Luke)

Because we trust and follow Jesus, we thought it would be a great idea to take a walk through the gospel of Luke and dig into the words of Jesus Himself.  We'll find them challenging and full of insight.  And with open hearts, we'll allow the Spirit to instruct us on how we should walk as Christians in this world.

 

January 1st – Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-26) 

We kick off a new year filled with possibilities and hope.  What this year becomes depends largely on what we do with the time we're given.  What goals will we pursue?  What will we value?  How courageous will we be?  Of course, many things are beyond our control, and we have to choose to walk by faith in those things.  But how do the words of Jesus affect how we look at life?  We're going to start our series by looking at some of the more famous words He spoke that we call the Beatitudes.  What He says and what they mean may surprise you, and they will definitely challenge us all.  Hopefully, they give us clear vision about this life and the next life so that we'll use this year for what matters!

 

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

 

JANUARY CHALLENGE VERSE

Matthew 28:19-20

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

UPCOMING WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY – "FIND REST"

7:00 – 8:15 pm

PLEASE NOTE:  Bible Study will resume 1-11-17.

Are you constantly worn out and racing from one thing to the next?  Maybe this has more to do with the condition of your soul than the overload of your schedule.  Join us on Wednesday nights in January as we look at what brings rest to our hearts and souls.  It may change your choices in scheduling stuff, but it will probably go much deeper than that and invite you to a completely different life!

 

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 – THIS MONDAY!

January 2nd

Join us to kick off the New Year in style! We'll be enjoying a night of games and snacks! Don't be shy; if you've never come to Young Adults, this is a great chance to jump in and see how much fun we have! See Dave Hallahan for more details.

 

ANNUA CHURCH BOWLING EVENT

January 29^th 3:00-5:00pm

Mark your calendar for our annual church outing at the Deptford Brunswick Zone! Cost is $5 per bowler and includes 2 hours of bowling & shoes. Bring the whole family! Be sure to reserve your spot by signing up in the front lobby at church.

 

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!

 

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

 

UPDATE ON KIMMI BIGLIN

Please continue praying for Kimmi. She is having her trach replaced with one that will be a better fit for her and then will continue her stay at Good Shepherd as they wait for a second opinion on whether or not she has to stay on the ventilator permanently.  Your prayers are most coveted for this situation; obviously this would mean some serious changes for Kimmi.  She is still being nourished via a feeding tube and communicates through a letter board and some very deliberate mouth motions.  She is in good spirits, but we all know she is quite the 'people person' and is feeling rather isolated.  If anyone is able to visit, that would be a real blessing for her!  Her address is listed below for cards and/or visits. 

Good Shepherd Penn Care Rehab
1800 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Room #5054
Visiting hours are 9am - 9pm
(There is a parking garage within a block at: 1740 South Street)

 

MARRIAGE CONFERENCE – "WEEKEND TO REMEMBER"

February 17^th – 19^th

The annual opportunity to invest in your marriage is coming again!  And between January 2nd and 23rd, Family Life is offering a 'buy one, get one' on registrations, taking the price from around $250/couple down to $175.  Hotel reservations (at Hershey Lodge) are separate, and if you are planning to go, you should reserve your room there now (800-437-7439). Ask for the Family Life Weekend to Remember rate of $122 per night.  If you have any questions, you can check their website (www.familylife.com/weekendtoremember) and use our church code to register (HopeWoodbury).  Or you can see Pastor Mark.

 

'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!

 

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 UN-DECORATING

Tuesday, January 5^th @ 7:00

One final Christmas announcement!  Sad as it is, we have to take our beautiful decorations down.  If you could lend a hand, that would be wonderful!  Just show up and we'll make quick work of it!  Thanks in advance – Barb Frazeur and Deb Caranci.

 

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!

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        TBA

Nursery 11:00      TBA

Toddler 9:00        TBA

Toddler 11:00      TBA

Pre-K/K 9:00       Linda Landis, Libby LeBeau

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

3^rd – 5^th 9:00         TBA

3^rd – 5^th 11:00       TBA  

Ushers 9:00          Rick Ayusa

Ushers 11:00        Damon Briggs

Wed. Nursery       N/A

Counters              Mike & Lois Hartwell

Greeters               Greg Corrado

                             Sharon Sambucci

                             Jane Hanuszczyk

                             Pat Keith

 

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.

A Grateful Recipient of His Gifts,

Lois

 

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