Now that I’m in my ‘Golden Years’ ha-ha, I find it is easier and easier to get distracted. It goes something like this: I walk into a room and can’t remember why I went in there. Or I start a task only to suddenly remember something else and dart off to do that before it slips my mind. Sometimes I get distracted from my Bible reading. It’s right there by my chair, but one thing or another can pull me away and next thing I know, its evening and I still haven’t gotten around to reading it!
I don’t think I am the only one to have struggles with distractions. King David knew a thing or two about how life’s distractions could get you on the wrong path. David got distracted when he saw Bathsheba bathing on a rooftop, which sent him far off course. It led him to trouble, heartache, and away from the Lord. “Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instruction; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” (Psalm 119:33-35, 37) Basically, David was asking God to teach him, to give him understanding and clear instruction, to make him walk along God’s path, and keep his eyes from worthless things (Hello Bathsheba). Isn’t that what we want as well? And all those things can be found with consistent time in God’s Word.
I have to work harder now at staying on course and not getting distracted with the things of life. However, I don’t want these things to keep me from reading my Bible. And you know what? Every single one of the things that distract us will eventually disappear. But Isaiah 40:8 assures us that, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” That’s worth keeping all those other distractions at bay, don’t you think?
Staying (mostly) focused…..Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
New Series! Biblical Giving | Communion
METHOD – Part 1 (2 Cor 8:1-9; Matt. 6:19-21, 24)
Some churches talk way too much about money. Our church tends not to talk about it enough. But we’re walking through the second letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament, and Paul takes a significant amount of space to teach them about giving. What Paul tells us in these verses is how giving is a key part of growing in our faith and living as mature believers. If those connections are hard for you to see, Paul will explain. We give sacrificially and we give like Jesus. In fact, we’ll start by looking at Jesus’ words on the topic. Every person at Hope needs to understand this important concept. It is essential to our spiritual health. And it is essential to our ability to maximize the glory we bring to Jesus as we serve His kingdom.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY:
We’re on hiatus for the remainder of the summer, but you can look forward to restarting this midweek spiritual boost on September 4th! We’ll have HopeKids! and Hope Youth programs, in addition to our studies for adults. Join us at 6:30 for coffee & a sweet treat before we head into classes at 7:00. Stay tuned for more details!
PRAYER HUDDLE:
If you’re volunteering on a Sunday morning, whether its greeting, HopeKids!, in the sound booth, etc., please join us for a team prayer huddle! We want to gather together everyone who is serving to pray for the services. Meet at 8:40 in the GoZone!
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER:
Anyone can join us Sunday mornings at 8:30 in Pastor Mark’s office to pray for that morning’s services. Contact Bob Baumiester for more information (rbaumiester@gmail.com).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Didn’t seeing our littlest Hopers performing on Sunday morning just light up your heart? If you’re looking for a way to invest in our kids and have midweek availability, we need YOU! On Tuesday mornings and afternoons, we are looking to grow our staff childcare team (Church Nannies!) that serves while our staff meets & works preparing all of our Hope ministries. On Wednesday evenings, we are looking to double the size of our Nursery team to allow for both a Nursery 1 & Nursery 2 room during Bible Study kicking off in September! Being a part of one of these behind-the-scenes teams truly has a massive impact on our church family and supports our ability to serve the continued growth we are seeing! To get plugged in, please reach out to Kara May at karamay@hopechristianfellowship.org today!
KIDS ALLEY OPPORTUNITY:
Thank you so much to every Hoper that donated to our Kids Alley school supply collection! We’d love if you would go one step further and actually stuff those backpacks full of all the school essentials! Volunteers are needed to help fill backpacks on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:00-7:00pm at Kids Alley (4106 Terrace Ave, Pennsauken Township, NJ 08109). Volunteers are also needed for our Back to School Event on Saturday, August 24th from 10:00am-2:00pm. Please contact Jazmine Brinkley at 856-340-6242 or jazminebrinkley@kidsalley.org. We need your help to assist with games, crafts, food, and distribution of backpacks.
WONDERMOMS PARK TOUR:
If you’re a mom to a preschooler (0-5) we’d love for you and your kiddos to join us on the last leg of our summer Park Tour! Meet us at Fasola Park splash pad on Thursday, August 8th from 10:30-noon, and be ready to get splashed! We’re going to have so much fun and you won’t want to miss – this is our last meeting before we take a hiatus for the fall! For more info, join our Facebook Group here.
MEN’S BREAKFAST:
All men post high school and up are encouraged to join us on the second Saturday of every month for an amazing time of fellowship, prayer, and of course FREE hot breakfast! We’d love for you to come out on August 10th from 8:00-9:30. Please sign-up in the lobby so we can get a headcount for food. Feel free to bring a friend!
LADIES LUAU:
“Aloha”, Ladies of Hope! You’re invited for a backyard luau with some yummy island appetizers & sweets, fun games, and lots of great fellowship with friends – old & new! The date is Friday night, August 16th from 7:00-9:00pm at the Ott’s house (6 East Ave. Clayton, NJ, 08312). Feel free to don some fun Hawaiian attire and we’ll do our best to help you feel like you’ve stepped out of New Jersey onto the islands! All you need to do is sign-up in the front foyer so we can get a headcount for set-up and snacks. Feel free to invite a guest, just be sure to sign them up as well! If you have questions or need more information, see Dana Ott. “Mahalo!”
NEW TO HOPE RECEPTION:
If you are new to Hope within the past year, our staff and leadership team would love to get to know you and your family! Join us in the kitchen in-between services for a hot coffee and sweet treat on Sunday, August 25th. No need to sign-up, just show up!
SUMMER SCHEDULE & SERIES:
The Young Adults ministry at Hope is a group of post-high school through their twenties adults truly seeking to explore life, engage culture, and empower change while remaining ground in the Word of God. We’ll be diving into “10 Questions Jesus Asked” on August 20th at 7:00pm. Plus we are going to have a fun event:
- S’mores & More, Friday 8/9 at 7:00p at Taylor & Sean Ball’s (38 S Columbia St, Woodbury)
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Brian & Wendy Ball at: briwensean@aol.com
HOPE YOUTH
POOL PARTY: August 23rd
Summer is coming to a close and a new school year is just around the corner. Before you pack your lunch box and buy your school supplies though, let’s end the summer with a splash with another Hope Youth pool party! Students who will be attending grades 6-12th are invited for an evening of grill food, games, and of course plenty of pool time. Our last pool party turned out to be one of the biggest Hope Youth events in years so you won’t want to miss our summer closer! Bring a towel, a friend and join us 5:00-8:00pm on at 973 Johnson Road, Sicklerville! See you there!
OCEAN CITY RETREAT: September 27th-29th
Nothing says the start of a new school year quite like the annual Ocean City weekend retreat. And while the new school years *feels* like a million miles away it’s closer than you think! Don’t waste a second in signing-up and being a part of this amazing retreat. It’s a great opportunity for our high school students to connect with other teens, grow deeper in their relationship with God, and kick-off the school year with a bang! We hope that your high schoolers (9th-12th grades) will join us for this great event, bring a friend, and make it a retreat to remember! Click here to register!
HOPE YOUTH CALENDAR:
Parents, stay up to date with everything happening on our calendar here!
JOIN OUR TEXT THREAD:
Stay in the loop for all of the most important notifications! Text “”hopeyouth” to (856) 420-6078 to start receiving updates this week!
For any questions about Hope Youth contact Pastor Dan at: danlein@hopechristianfellowship.org
HOPE KIDS
SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAMS:
We offer childcare and classes from our littlest Hopers to our 5th graders every Sunday morning at both services. Each classroom is staffed with friendly, enthusiastic, background-checked team members to ensure your child’s safety. Our WonderZone! serves our youngest children from infants through Pre-K, who are full of wonder about who God is! K-5th graders gather in the GoZone! where we GO for God, GO for growth and GO forever.
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org