Hope Notes 4/13/17

Dear Friends of Hope ~

When our daughter Emily was around four years old, we went to the mall to do some Easter shopping.  The Easter bunny was there and he must have been on break, because he was wandering around the mall.  Now, our family didn't make much of the Easter bunny so Emily didn't really have the concept of who he was.  She looked puzzled as he walked past us.  She turned to me and said, "Mommy, why is that man at the mall in his pajamas?"  Somehow the towering ears and gigantic fluffy tail didn't faze her!  I also wonder why she assumed it was a man!  Anyway………that story makes me think of the difference between what believers and much of the world are celebrating at Easter.  I often wonder what IS the world celebrating?  I guess it's the beginning of spring and warmer weather bringing flowers and sunshine.  All very nice things, but not the focus of Easter for believers.  Easter is the saddest and then most joyful time for Christians.  The suffering that Jesus went through leading up to His death on the cross is unimaginable.  And then they joy when the tomb was found empty!  Luke 24:2-3 "And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." The empty tomb is a powerful witness to the fact that Jesus was resurrected.  It is a symbol of hope for believers. It's not all cute and fluffy like the Easter bunny, but for me the empty tomb and the cross are the true symbols of Easter. 

 

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.

 

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE – THIS FRIDAY

Remember With Us

April 14^th @ 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 Scripture that tells of the journey of Christ to the cross and His sacrifice for us.  We also 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

 

APRIL CHALLENGE VERSE

Romans 12:18, 21

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

A Study on 1Corinthians

7:00 – 8:15 pm

Make sure to carve out time in the middle of the week for Bible study.  It keeps us grounded in God's Word and connected to each other.  It's also a much needed spiritual boost to help get us through the week!  Childcare is provided.

 

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

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

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 5^th.  We will be going through The Gospel According to Pixar.

 

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

 

CHOICES OF THE HEART BABY BOTTLE REPORT

Amount Raised by Hope Christian Fellowship: $2,364.34

·         Bottles Given Out: 160

·         Bottles Returned Full: 92

·         Bottles Returned Empty: 11

·         Bottles Still Out: 57

Thanks to our support, and the support of many other churches, Choices has raised over $50,000 this year.  This enables them to sustain the center's operations that allows them to commit to saving the lives of His precious little children. 

NOTE:  If you have any empty bottles, please return them to Hope and we will use them next

           year.

 

HAPPY TOGETHER

Married & Loving It!

April 28^th & 29^th

Friday Night 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Saturday Morning 9:00 am - 12:30 pm (Hot Breakfast included)

Cost: FREE 

Your marriage can be MORE - no matter how it is today. The power of Almighty God is available for any couple who turns to Him in faith and is willing to let Him lead their home.  We want to unleash that power and that hope in your marriage, so join us for this weekend as we start the journey to "Happy Together: Married and Loving It".  Pastor Mark and Dana will be sharing from their relationship as well as from the things they've learned through marriage training and study.  Join us for this event and build your marriage the way God designed it to work!

PLEASE NOTE:  In order to attend the conference, you need to register online via our website (hopechristianfellowship.org).  Just click on the red arrow on the left that says 'Marriage Conference Register Here'. This also makes you eligible for giveaways and prizes at the event (must be present to receive)!  Doors open Friday at 6:45 pm, Saturday at 9:00 am.  Please register by 4/23.

 

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 a 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.

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEEDS

WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAM
HopeKids Hangout for this spring includes nursery, 3-5 year olds, and 1st-5th grade. We want Wednesday nights to be a place where the whole family can enjoy and participate. We are still in need of volunteers, who will help us in each of the kids programs! If you are interested in helping, please contact Matt Russell.

 

NEW REGISTRATION TEAM

HopeKids! is looking for some willing volunteers to help our families register and feel welcomed each Sunday morning.  If you feel you are gifted in this area and are interested in signing up to help this new team, see Matt Russell.

VBS IS COMING 

We couldn't be more excited for this year's VBS and we're excited to get the planning underway!  HopeKids! is looking for some creative people to help lead our decorating teams for this summer's VBS. If you are creative, artistic or decorating savvy, contact Matt Russell to join the team!

 

BABYSITTERS NEEDED

April 28^th & 29th 

We are looking for any baby sitters who are available Friday evening (4-28) and/or Saturday morning (4-29). Couples with kids may be looking for childcare in order to attend the Happy Together: Married & Loving It Conference. We'd like to supply a list of names and numbers to assist them in their search. All payments are between the parents and the baby sitters. If you are available for either of these times, please let one of our staff members know!

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Don & Alicia Heverly

Nursery 11:00      Sherry Gaventa, Jeanne Wurst

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

Toddler 11:00      Rebecca & John Jacob, 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        TBA

1^st & 2^nd 11:00      TBA

3^rd – 5^th 9:00         TBA

3^rd – 5^th 11:00       TBA

Ushers 9:00          Rick Ayusa

Ushers 11:00        Tom Albright

Wed. Nursery       TBA

Counters              Kathy Berry, Wendy Devereaux

Greeters               Lorraine Koch

                             Jacki DeCrosta

                             Lisa Minner

                             Patty 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 Hap Cunningham at hapcunn01@gmail.com.

 

 

He is Risen!

Lois

 

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