This is that transitional time of year – it’s not quite full blown autumn yet, with the glorious display of fall foliage, and it’s definitely not still summer with the vibrant greens and the brilliant multicolored flowers. The sunlight hits my window at a different angle, and it reveals more yellow than green on the leaves outside. They look faded and tired, as though they have grown weary of holding on to the branches. They look ready for the wind to carry them to the ground, as though they just can’t hold on any longer. We all know that shortly they will give one last burst of energy and explode into those beautiful colors we love before letting go and drifting onto our lawns.
Is there something in your life making you feel weary, as though you just can’t hold on any longer? Are you worn down and ready to give up? I would encourage you to muster up just enough strength to ask God for His help. When you give up, you are missing out on what God has to offer. He alone can provide us with the strength we need just when we need it. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
No matter how hard those leaves might try, they can never stop the natural progression that causes them to lose their grip. Unlike the leaves, we are not at the mercy of the wind and nature’s life cycle. We have an awesome and loving God to draw strength from. He will give us the strength we need to continue holding on. We just need to stop trying to hold on with our own power. Let go and raise your hands to Him; He will not allow you to fall.
-Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
War on Loneliness and Isolation | Small Group Kickoff
(Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18; John 13:34; Gal. 5:13; Col. 3:13; Gal. 6:2; 2 Cor. 13:11; Rom. 15:7; Eph. 4:14-16)
It probably comes as no surprise to you that people in our country and culture are struggling more than ever with the feeling of loneliness. Some long for connection with others but cannot seem to find it. Others wall themselves off from connection after experiencing some of the harsh wounds that can come from connection. But what may not seem as obvious are the spiritual implications of loneliness and isolation. They are being used to great effect to stop the Gospel from spreading as the Good News that it is. The Gospel has lost none of its power, but without lost people connecting with believers, it does not reach where it should. And disconnected believers are more vulnerable than ever to the tactics of the enemy to destroy and overwhelm with despair. We’re proposing that we undertake together a war on loneliness and isolation. This will mean that we will all be ready to do the work in the battle against these forces in our church. We will be on high alert for the discouraged, the isolated, and the broken. Instead of leaving them to try to survive on their own, we will build connection intentionally and relentlessly so that the power of God will be fully unleashed in us and through us. Join us in this war and let’s see God do miracles.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Starts Tonight!
Join us at 6:30 for coffee & a sweet treat before we head into classes at 7:00. We’ll have HopeKids! and Hope Youth programs, in addition to our studies for adults (see details below).
- 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
One of the ways we share the goodness of God is through fun and celebration! Let’s gather together for our second annual Hope Harvest on Saturday, October 19th from 3:00-6:00! Mark your calendar now for this FREE fall family event including giveaways, contests, live music, food and drinks – plus this year we’re also doing pony rides! In order to make this awesome event possible, we need our Hopers to team together and help us run our food and activity booths. We also have items needed for donation. Sign-ups will be held at the back of the auditorium on Sunday, September 15th following both services, so be sure to swing by and put your name down on a spot (or two!) For general inquires, you can contact Emily DiLorenzo.
SEPTEMBER COLLECTION: Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries
We’re excited to announce our hygiene donation drive for the GWCM Food Pantry! Throughout September, we are collecting toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disposable razors, deodorant, and dental floss. Please make sure items are full sized not travel size. These items need to be no taller than 10 inches in height. At the end of the month, we will host a packing event at Hope, where we will assemble these items. Your donations and participation can make a significant impact this Christmas. Please drop off your items at donation bins located at the front and back entrances and join us for the “packing and pizza” event on Sunday, September 29th at 12:00 in the GoZone. Contact Jodi Jacoby for any questions
PARKING TEAM: Volunteers Needed!
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)
LADIES BLACK & WHITE NIGHT:
Who doesn’t love a fun theme night with friends? Come out and join us for our next ladies event, “Black & White” Night on Friday, September 27th from 7:00-9:00 here at Hope. We’ll enjoy some black & white desserts, coffee, and cold drinks too! Of course, we’ll have some fun games and a short devotion on living in harmony with like-minded friends and especially with friends who might think differently than we do. For an extra fun time, feel free to get fancy in black, white, or both! Please sign up in the front foyer and let us know you’re coming and if you’d like to bring a sweet snack, check out the sign up sheet with some black & white ideas! Contact Dana Ott with any questions.
HOPE YOUTH OC RETREAT: Food Donations Needed!
Every year Hope Youth receives financial donations from Hopers like you that make a big impact on our teens. Such donations have allowed students to attend our annual Ocean City Weekend retreat who otherwise may not have the opportunity – such a blessing! This year Hope Youth wanted to make a different kind of request to those who are eager and willing to help. We are looking for food donations to help feed the teens for every meal during the trip. Though buying a box of pasta or pop tarts may seem like a small thing, these kinds of donations help us to keep the retreat cost low so more students can experience the power of a weekend with God! Take a look at the list of items here and please consider donating whatever God puts on your heart! Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to Pastor Dan for any questions regarding drop off and timing as some items may be perishable. We thank you in advance for your servant’s heart and look forward to another awesome retreat!
FALL SCHEDULE: September 17th Kickoff
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 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
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAY:
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: This Sunday!
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:
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:
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: This Sunday!
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