Hope Notes 5/4/17

Dear Friends of Hope ~

I recently came across a quote that spoke to me: "Everything I've let go of has claw marks on it". It made me laugh but it also brought to mind a sobering truth – that is SO me!  I will stubbornly refuse to let my husband remove a bush from the yard simply because it's always been there and I'm used to looking at that exact bush in that exact spot.  Oh dear – what will it look like WITHOUT that bush?!  (I know you're laughing at my foolishness!) And then, to my surprise, I find I like it BETTER without the bush!  You think I'd learn my lesson because that's what usually happens.  Once I relent or submit to the change, I like the outcome. My husband has been telling me for at least a year that he needs to take down the treehouse/swing set/jungle gym he built for our daughter because the wood is getting rotten, etc.  You can imagine the struggle for me to let it go.  I took pictures of it so that I would always have a visual reminder if I needed to 'look' at it again; I know the memories stay within my heart.  I'm trusting that I will enjoy looking at an uncluttered spot in our year rather than mourning the loss of said playset, lol!

Letting go isn't easy because holding on is our natural response. What do we tend to hold onto? Relationships, goals and dreams, the past, old hurts, wrong ideas and perceptions, timing, possessions, and more.  God shouldn't have to pry these things out of my tightly clenched fist.  How will I know what He has in mind for me if I continue to cling to what is familiar or 'safe'?!  How can I fulfill His purpose for me if I am afraid to release my own expectation and allow His divine hand to guide me?  I don't WANT to leave claw marks on things.  I want God to be the thing I'm holding onto the tightest; all else should be held loosely in my hand.  "It hurts when God has to pry your fingers open."  (Corrie Ten Boom)

"I cling to You; Your strong right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:8)

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

John 1:35-38; Mark 10:46-52, Matthew 5:6

Have you ever heard of a Brazilian steakhouse? There are a few different ones in the area and they vary in quality, but the point is the same at all of them. They are basically meat buffets with the added bonus of the food being brought to you instead of you having to get up and get it. Basically, the things dreams are made of. I had the luxury of eating at one of these establishments several years ago and at the time I knew I wanted to eat as much steak as possible. And so I did. It didn't take long after I left to realize that what I thought I wanted and what actually made me happy were two different things. I was miserable for the next 24 hours. Not only that, but guess what happened? I got hungry again. Life can often be like a Brazilian steakhouse where what we think we want doesn't line up with our deepest desires and where the things we hunger for, in time, just leave us wanting.

 

SPECIAL OFFERING

May 7^th

We will be taking a special offering to help fund the summer mission trip to Boston for our youth group! Not all will be called to give, but ask God if this is how He is leading you to support our teens!

Note: If you feel led to give, any checks can be made payable to Hope Christian Fellowship with the notation of 'Boston Mission Trip'.

 

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

 

MAY CHALLENGE VERSE

Proverbs 11:2

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

 

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

Young Adults Memorial Day BBQ

While we are breaking from our normal schedule for the month of May, please join us for a Memorial Day BBQ @ the Hallahan's on Monday the 29th starting at 3:00 pm! Hot dogs and burgers will be provided. Feel free to bring something to share, but there's not obligation. 

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

SMALL GROUPS 

Our final Small Group study sheet has gone out.  Please feel free to continue your group on your own, or maybe you'll want to get together for some outings and just plain fellowship!  We will resume out study sheets again in September.

 

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 currently going through a great study - The Gospel According to Pixar!

 

SPECIAL OFFERING

May 7^th

We will be taking a special offering to help fund the summer mission trip to Boston for our youth group! Not all will be called to give, but ask God if this is how He is leading you to support our teens!

Note: If you feel led to give, any checks can be made payable to Hope Christian Fellowship with the notation of 'Boston Mission Trip'.

 

PAINT PARTY

May 19^th

We will be having a paint party hosted by McArt A La Carte. This event will be held at the church, is open to 50 people, and will cost $35!  This is a fun way to have a night out AND support our youth mission trip!

To register for this event visit: http://www.hopechristianfellowship.org/where-do-i-fit/rooted-youth 

 

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

APRIL GIVING REPORT

We averaged $7793 per week in April which brings our annual weekly giving average to $7769.  This is ahead of our annual giving target of $7675 per week.  We're thankful for each sacrifice and for the investment into the work God is doing for His kingdom at Hope.  Let's keep pressing forward so we can take full advantage of the time and opportunity we have!

 

SHORT TERM MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITY

Do you love kids? Do you have the gift of teaching? Do you have a servant's heart?  There's a possibility that God may be calling you to short terms missions project helping one of our very own supported missionary couples, Jackie and Josh Frankeas from Welkom, South Africa.  Their two assistants are on leave from August 15, 2017 to November 15, 2017 and so they are in need of two assistants to help children (from Pre-K to High School) with their homework and with various activities.   Education in South Africa is crucial to a productive life in a country with high employment and an 11% inflation rate.   

You will have two areas of financial responsibility which are your plane ticket and your food. 

If you have further questions regarding any aspect of this 3 month commitment, please don't hesitate to write to them directly at jnjfrankeas@gmail.com.  

 

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!

 

GIVING AT HOPE

We make it easy to give as the Lord leads.  There are envelopes and a drop box in the back of the auditorium.  If you prefer to give electronically, we have online and texting options.  Just go to our website and check them out!  www.hopechristianfellowship.org

 

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 for the 2-3 and 4-5 year olds programs.  If you are interested in helping, please contact Matt Russell.

 

NEW REGISTRATION TEAM

HopeKids! is looking for some volunteers to help our families register and feel welcomed on Sunday mornings.  We'd love to get a team together to serve on a rotating schedule; it's an easy way to serve the kingdom!  If you are interested, please see Matt Russell.

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery 9:00        Sara Cartella, Anki Hill

Nursery 11:00      Lorraine Koch, Bethany Pineda

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

Toddler 11:00      Jason & Kristy Straub, Natalie Mariani

Pre-K/K 9:00       Bill & Griffin McGinness

Pre-K /K 11:00    Lauren DellaRova, Prisca O.

Ushers 9:00          Bob Kerr

Ushers 11:00        Dan Rozinski

Wed. Nursery       TBA

Counters              Bill Berry, Damon Briggs

Greeters               Rick Ayusa

                             Patti Bunnell

                             Paul Rochat

                             Helen Mastalski

 

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.

 

 

Hands Open to Him,

Lois

 

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