Hope Notes 3/23/17
Dear Friends of Hope ~
I'd like to take a little incident that happened last Sunday at church to illustrate a much bigger point. I innocently walked into the Ladies Room and came across some women cleaning up a mess of broken glass. Large pieces had also fallen into the toilet. To make a long story short, we needed to get those pieces out! It was a rather comical sight – three ladies staring into the depths of the toilet bowl, trying to think of ways to fish the glass out. I finally decided to take the plunge (literally), rolled up my sleeve, reached in and pulled out the biggest pieces. Success! Victory! We had a flushable loo and a camaraderie born out of working on this problem together. Not to mention the good laugh we all shared! Now, do you think that when I walked in that bathroom the thought of thrusting my hand into a toilet bowl even entered my mind? Of course not! But sometimes (and here comes the actual bigger point) God asks you to do things that are unexpected. Or out of your comfort zone. Of seemingly impossible.
The glass excavating experience just is a tiny little example. I'm sure you've all had times where you felt God calling you to move outside the safe zone and do something scary. Crazy, even. If you're like me, then your first instinct is probably to pretend like you couldn't possibly have heard Him correctly. But our God is a relentless God. When He wants your attention, He will continue to pursue you until there is no way you can ignore Him. So you may as well listen up the first time! God will never call you to do something where He won't give you what you need to do it. He has to stretch us in order to grow us. And it's really cool when we obey and do something that we know is purely through His strength because then HE gets the glory. We read in 2 Corinthians 12 that God's 'power is made perfect in weakness' (12:9); so we need not fear when we feel weak or unqualified. If God is the one asking you to step out in faith for something, be assured that His strength will be at work within you.
I promise you – when you follow God's call in obedience and submission to Him, your spirit will soar because you know firsthand that He is faithful and true in supplying whatever you need to do whatever it is you must do. Even if it's just conquering the mighty toilet bowl's murky waters.
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.
March 26 - Do Not Worry About Your Life (Luke 12:22-31)
COMMUNION
Do you have anything to worry about? It seems that there is no shortage in any person's life of opportunities to stress out over what could be coming. From sickness, to potential financial crisis, to world events, to family pressures…. there is a constant stream of potential dangers and pains that could be coming our way. What is the healthy and life-giving way to face these worries? Jesus simply says, "Don't". While all of us may agree that living without worry is better than living overcome with worry, many of us struggle to let go of worry. So what does Jesus have to say on the subject that could set us free from worry?
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
Remember With Us
March 14th @ 7:00 pm
We set Good Friday aside to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. Join us for a memorable service 'in the round' as we read from Scripture, enjoy special music, and celebrate communion together as a church family.
MESSAGES AVAILABLE
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 in the Youth Room 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! "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20) Bob Baumiester leads this prayer time – feel free to contact him with any questions at rbaumiester@gmail.com.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
MARCH CHALLENGE VERSE
Psalm 16:8
"I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY
A Study on 1Corinthians
7:00 – 8:15 pm
Just a Reminder – There are NO ACTIVITIES this week; 0ur regular Bible Study and all Children's Programs will resume next Wednesday, April 5th.
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
HOPE'S CO-ED SOFTBALL TEAM
It's that time of year again! Softball season runs from April to June on weeknights. You must be 15 before the end of the season to play. Signup sheet is in the lobby. See Lenny Little with any questions (littlemanlenny@yahoo.com).
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 (www.hopechristianfellowship. org) under 'Small Groups" and in the Resource Room.
GOD'S GIRLS WOMEN'S GROUP
1st & 3rd 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
Grow Groups is an opportunity for our middle and high school students to dig deeper into Gods word and the issues that are relevant to their lives.
We are on hiatus and will return April 5th. We will be going through The Gospel According to Pixar.
CHICK-fil-A SPIRIT NIGHT – THIS MONDAY
Monday, March 27th
4:30 – 7:00 pm
Join Rooted Youth Group at the Chick-fil-A on Clements Bridge Road - be sure to bring a flier with you (available in lobby) and a portion of your order will go to support this summer's Boston Mission Trip! For further questions contact Dave Hallahan.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS
GO ZONE
Go Zone is our Sunday Morning kid's service, planned especially for 1st - 5th 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
HOPEKIDS! CONNECTION EVENT – A JOURNEY TO THE CROSS
Friday, March 31st from 6:00 – 8:00 pm
All 1st-5th grade students and parents are invited to join us here at Hope for "A Journey To The Cross." This event will kick off with an EGGcellent Family Easter egg hunt and Chick-fil-A dinner. Following dinner, we will have a special time of worship and reflection, as we take a hands on journey through the crucifixion, using different interactive examples.
This Sunday is your last chance to sign up for this event! You can sign-up in the GoZone! Make sure you reserve your spot. This is a great opportunity to invest in some quality time with your kids and show them the importance of Easter!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS – TEACHERS WANTED
From time to time, Hope changes gears on Wednesday nights and breaks into smaller groups. The focus of these groups are different topics of interest that can help us take real steps forward in our walk with God. We're going to be holding these workshops for the month of June (and September) this year. The elders are inviting anyone with teaching gifts who would like to lead a 4 week workshop to contact Pastor Mark and get an outline and topic to him by the end of April. That way, our Leadership Team can review and approve the teachers and topics and have a signup list available through May for participants in each workshop. For more info or questions, see Pastor Mark.
HOPE HAS A PHONE NUMBER!
Many of you have been asking about this, and now we are happy to announce that we have a phone number connected directly with our church! It will be displayed on our website, Google Maps, etc. and will make it easier for people to connect with us. Our number is 856-537-1165. Run and write it down in your directory, add it to your phone, and spread the news!
HOPE SHARE
DON'T THROW IT OUT – SHARE IT!
Make sure to check out Hope Share on our website – it's place to share things we no longer use and to look for things we need! It's easy to upload photos of items 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. Contact Damon (damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com) or LaTosha (usafinancial2000@hotmail.com) Briggs with questions.
TEXT TO GIVE
Given the sheer amount of cell phones users and text messages sent, we decided that offering text giving as another digital channel for giving made a lot of sense. All you need to do is text an amount to Hope's designated number (609-251-4223). For more details on how to give, simply go to our website (hopechristianfellowship.org), click on 'About' and then 'Online Giving'. You'll find instructions at the bottom of that page. Contact Damon Briggs with any questions at damon.briggs@mitchellandness.com.
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. There truly IS 'something for everyone' and we want to make it easy for you to know all the different options! You can check out our Ministry and Service Opportunities brochure (on the glass tables and in the Resource Room) and also keep your eye on this section as we post any pressing needs.
IMMEDIATE HOUSING NEED
We have a need for a single man here at Hope looking for a room to rent. If anyone has information on a possible solution, please contact Barb Frazeur at dwfrazfam@verizon.net.
THIS WEEK'S WORKERS
Nursery 9:00 Sara Cartella, Anki Hill
Nursery 11:00 Mark & Brenda Hallahan
Toddler 9:00 Karen Blythe, Jackie DeCrosta, Eva Owens
Toddler 11:00 Briana Abate, Madison Winstel, Julia Neff
Pre-K/K 9:00 Pat & Elisabeth DellaRova
Pre-K /K 11:00 Jennifer, Samantha, and Ryan Edwards
1st & 2nd 9:00 TBA
1st & 2nd 11:00 TBA
3rd – 5th 9:00 Deb Caranci, Dana Farrell
3rd – 5th 11:00 Lauren Serebra, Need Helper
Ushers 9:00 Bruce Clark
Ushers 11:00 Ryan Winstel
Wed. Nursery N/A
Counters LaTosha Briggs, Melissa McGinness
Greeters Irene Riddell
Pat Keith
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 Hap Cunningham at hapcunn01@gmail.com.
Conquering thru Christ,
Lois
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.
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