In honor of Hope’s 20 year anniversary, I am ‘cheating’ a bit and re-sharing the testimony I gave on Sunday. For anyone who missed the service, be sure to watch online and hear all about how God worked to bring people to Hope. Sorry for the longer than usual opening.
Four years before Hope became a church God allowed our paths to cross with the Ott family. Emily began taking voice from Dana, and during her lessons, I had the pleasure of getting to know their four young children and talking with Mark about all kinds of church things. During that time our family was becoming increasingly unhappy with the church we were attending. Little did we know what God had in store for us! In a way that only our God could have orchestrated, Mark began hosting a Bible study at their home and we attended. We soaked up his teachings like the spiritually dry sponges we were. When Hope Christian Fellowship was born in Bob’s backyard, we happily attended a few services. This was enough to whet our appetites for more. Although I was personally very much afraid to leave the security of the church we’d been attending for 16 years, Mark’s Bible study and the church services made it abundantly clear where God was calling us to go. A few months later we made the move.
By this time Hope was meeting at The Friends of Israel. I remember our first Sunday listening to worship and looking out of the floor to ceiling windows at the beautiful view. I knew without a doubt that we were home. Any fears I was harboring were quickly erased and I never once looked back. Hope soon outgrew the FOI and moved to the Almonesson Fire Hall, which came complete with a disco ball in the center of the room! We have many wonderful memories of the small intimate Bible studies there, the morning coffee and donuts, and happy birthday announcements made to unsuspecting members of the congregation on any given Sunday. From there we came to where we are currently meeting. By the way – each move brought Hope a little further from our home. I always feel like God did that on purpose. If our first introduction to Hope had included the 30 minute ride we probably wouldn’t have even thought about attending! And Hope was where He obviously wanted us to be.
Mark and this church have nourished our souls, helped us grow in our spiritual walk, and allowed us to serve God for His kingdom. It has given us a treasured church family and friends. It brought our daughter’s husband to her and gave her a job that she loves. I never dreamt on that day some 24 years ago that our lives and the Ott’s would become so intertwined and our unmet spiritual needs would be fulfilled in a church that wasn’t even a thought in Mark’s mind yet. What a testimony to the ways God is always at work on our behalf to accomplish ‘more than we could dream or imagine’. (Ephesians 3:20)
So thankful for Hope….Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Biblical Giving: MOTIVATION
(2 Cor. 8:10-15)
People often give to church because of guilt. And churches often use emotional manipulation to motivate people to give. But this is not the way Paul describes the motivation behind a believer’s giving. Instead, he points to the reality that we see the value in what God is doing, so we naturally want to give to His work. That enables us to be faithful and not give up. Not everyone gives the same amount, but everyone sees what they have as coming from the Lord. So we give in gratitude and worship, bringing our hearts and lives into a practice that honors God as the source of all that we have.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Starts September 4th
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 (see details below). Join us at 6:30 for coffee & a sweet treat before we head into classes at 7:00.
- IDENTITY: Finding The Way To Know You Have Enough Worth Led by Pastor Mark We live out of our value (or our perceived value) all the time. If we are worried that we aren’t a good parent, we live chasing the target of “always doing exactly the right thing” so that the feedback of criticism or blame will never come our way. If we believe that we are a misfit or an outcast, we live pulled back from everyone and everything, or when we do engage, we do it with caution and self-protection. At work, at school, in our relationships, and even in our worship, we bring our own ideas of worth into all that we do. Younger adults often struggle from feeling like a ‘fake’ or ‘fraud’ and run from anything that might expose their façade. Older adults struggle with regret and shame (or with pride and arrogance) based on how they perceive their own accomplishments in life. Every single one of us need to know how to know we have true and lasting worth. We’re going to look at a few of the Satanic traps that wreck people. And we’re going to look at the miraculous way we can find all the value we’ll ever need which can bring stability, contentment, and satisfaction in life.
- MALACHI Led by Pastor Ryan In the book of Malachi we arrive at a point in the Old Testament when God’s people had once again turned away from Him, even though they didn’t quite realize it. God speaks to His people through Malachi and calls them to turn away from their sin – a corrupt priesthood, rote worship, disrespect for the sanctity of marriage, disregard for the social plights of their neighbors, and neglecting to tithe appropriately – so that they can re-enter relationship with their Heavenly Father. It is a small, but powerful, book full of important wisdom for Christians today on how to maintain a healthy relationship with God!
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
“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! 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!
MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE:
All men post high school are invited to join Hope’s Bowling League! We play every Monday night beginning September 9th at 6:20 at Bowlero in Deptford. Sign-up in the lobby or contact Bruce Clark (609-820-4858) to join.
PARKING TEAM: New!
More people at Hope means more cars in the parking lot, and if you’ve ever tried to navigate getting in and out between services, you’ve probably experienced some chaos! We are excited to be launching our Parking Team to help guide and streamline our parking lot logistics in between services. Parking lot attendants would serve from 10:00-10:30 rain or shine. If you are interested in being a part of this team, sign-up in the lobby, or contact Mark Buzby (215.485.9494)
WONDERZONE: Midweek Serving Opportunities!
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!
FINAL SUMMER MEETING: August 20th at 7:00p
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 finishing our series “10 Questions Jesus Asked,” on Thursday, August 20th.
FALL SCHEDULE:
We’ll kickoff our fall series on Tuesday, September 17th at 7:00p and meet on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month from there. Join us as we start a new study in the book of James! And as always, we’ll have plenty of snacks and fun fellowship at each meeting!
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!
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAY: Begins September 4th
If you’ve ever imagined that the Prophet Jonah sat and prayed on the tongue of giant whale, then this series is for you. At Hope Youth On Wednesday students will be taking an honest look at the famous Sunday School story and exploring what really happened, and crucially, how readers are meant to respond. Leave your picture bibles at home and get ready to get into the nitty-gritty of The Book of Jonah.
HOPEKIDS! HANGOUT & HOPE YOUTH KICKOFF: September 8th
All HopeKids! K-5th and Hope Youth (6th-12th) are invited to join us on Sunday, September 8th from 6-8PM for our joint Hangout Kickoff! We will be joining forces for an awesome night of worship, water games (bring a towel!), and ice cream to celebrate the start of the school year. We’ll learn how to continue deepening our relationship with God! If you have a teen or K-5th grader in your family, you won’t want them to miss it!
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.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN GOZONE: Starting September 4th
1st-5th graders will love our fun and exciting midweek program, where we review Sunday morning’s Bible story with new videos, new games, new small group activities, and a WEEKLY Scripture Memory Verse Challenge! You don’t want your elementary schooler to miss out on this weekly opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Bible and fellowship with other HopeKids!
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN WONDERZONE: Starting September 4th
Our Nursery team is excited to love on your little ones (0-2), while our Preschool team dives back in with our Alphabet Scripture Memory study! Our 3-5 year olds will pick up where we left off, learning a new Bible Verse each week and earning letters to add to their Scripture Sashes from the spring! Your kids will want to join us each Wednesday night to plant God’s Word in their hearts, earn all of their letters, build a foundation of faith, and even have a chance to connect with our Elementary kids every week!
HOPEKIDS! HANGOUT & HOPE YOUTH KICKOFF: September 8th
All HopeKids! K-5th and Hope Youth (6th-12th) are invited to join us on Sunday, September 8th from 6-8PM for our joint Hangout Kickoff! We will be joining forces for an awesome night of worship, water games (bring a towel!), and ice cream to celebrate the start of the school year. We’ll learn how to continue deepening our relationship with God! If you have a teen or K-5th grader in your family, you won’t want them to miss it!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org