Can you think of a time when the Lord has helped you? It may have been a prayer that was answered ‘just the way you wanted’, or a need that was met, or a dream fulfilled, or the seemingly impossible realized. There are numerous ways in which He extends His grace to us. The problem comes when we don’t remember these things. We begin to forget the miracles (both big and small) that He has wrought in our lives. At the moment they occurred, we were giving praise and thanks to Him. We may have even told lots of people what He did. But then the moment passes, life goes on, and we forget. Whenever I find myself thinking how foolish the people of Israel were to doubt God’s goodness and provision, I am reminded that I often do the same. My struggle is not that I think He CAN’T; it’s that I sometimes just don’t think He WILL. My Christian heart knows that God uses trials to teach us and grow us in our faith. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2) So, why I am often surprised to find how quickly He brings me out of a struggle, or provides just what I am praying for. Does this reveal a lack of trust in Him? Is it that I don’t believe I am ‘worthy’ of His favor? I don’t know for sure; I just know that I am always surprised at my surprise! On the flip side, I rejoice in my surprise because it keeps me in humble amazement at the mercy, the strength, and the love of our Savior. So what could we do to help us remember and not be so surprised at His mercy? In the Old Testament, memorials were often built to remember what God had done. (Check out Joshua 4:5-7) In today’s world, it’s probably not practical to place piles of stones all over our yards. But we could write down the things that God has done. I know we think we will remember them, but eventually we won’t. And I believe that looking back on them, especially in times of strife, will help us to keep our feet firmly planted on the grounds of faith. I wish I had started this practice years ago, but it’s never too late to begin building a ‘monument’ to memorialize God’s limitless mercies.
Remembering His Mercies (new every morning!)…..Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
A Word from Jim Jefferson
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY:
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).
- RUTH Led by Pastor Dan Cagey foreign relations, a nation in turmoil, and a people wandering away from God may feel like an accurate description of life today however it perfectly describes the setting for the Old Testament book of Ruth. One of the most powerful love stories in all of Scripture Ruth serves as a beautiful example of both commitment and obedience in every day life. Through this 4 week study we will explore the book of Ruth, see what it reveals about how God works in the mundane, and apply the eternal truths found to our own lives.
- DISCIPLESHIP Led by Pastor Mark What do you think of when you hear the word disciple? Maybe you think about the Twelve Disciples that we read about in the Gospels. But did you know that it also applies to the followers of Jesus throughout the book of Acts? And that Jesus told the Twelve to go and make more disciples? That means that if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a disciple. So what does that mean for you? What is a disciple supposed to do? We’re going to take four short weeks to look at this idea. After this study is over, we’re going to create opportunities for you to be discipled and to disciple others!
BAPTISM SERVICE: November 13th
Baptism is an important symbolic opportunity to declare your testimony, and decision to follow Christ, in front of the church body! We’d love you to participate if this is something you’ve yet to do in your journey of faith. To be included, you’ll need to attend two classes – each will be held after the second service on Sundays November 3rd & 10th. The sign-up sheet can be found at the front of the auditorium. See Pastor Mark with any questions!
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
It’s that time of year again! Deacon & leadership team nomination ballots are available in the lobby for all Hope Partners. We need every vote possible so make sure you pick one up and turn it in by the end of the month. Any questions about the voting process can be directed to Pastor Mark or one of our elders.
2025 BUDGET & BUSINESS MEETING:
Our proposed budget for 2025 will be available this Sunday in the lobby. Please pick-up a copy to review, and direct any questions you have to Pastor Mark or our Leadership Team. Voting for the budget will take place at our Annual Business Meeting on Sunday, November 24th following the second service. All Hopers are welcome to attend, but only partners will be able to vote.
NEW TO HOPE RECEPTION: This Sunday!
If you are new to Hope within the past few months, our staff and leadership would love to meet you and your family! Please join us for coffee and a sweet treat between services on Sunday, October 27th in our kitchen! No need to sign-up, just show up. We can’t wait to get to know you better!
COFFEE HOUSE: November 6th
We’re ready for this upcoming season of thanksgiving & celebration and we want to kick it off with our 2nd annual “Coffee House” right here at Hope! This evening will be filled with curated live musical performances on Wednesday, November 6th at 7:00pm. We’ll have a coffee bar with lattes, hot cocoa, and cold drinks along with some yummy treats for you to enjoy. You don’t need to bring anything, but it would be so helpful if you’d sign up in the front foyer so we can be sure to save you a seat. Feel free to bring the whole family, or leave the kids home and make it a date night! There will be no HopeKids! programs for this event, but nurseries will be open for parents who may need to use them. Please plan to join us for a fun night and feel free to reach out to Dana Ott with any questions.
DIRECTORY DAY: November 17th
Did you know that Hope has an online directory where you can access the contact information of other Hopers? Our directory is password protected and available to Hopers only. This tool is a great way to stay connected to one another – there’s even a mobile app! To be a part, join us on Sunday, November 17th for Directory Day. We will be registering new folks in the kitchen after each service. You’ll even get your photo taken for the site! Any questions, contact Emily DiLorenzo.
YOUNG ADULTS
FALL SCHEDULE: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 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. 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: Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
All teens (6th-12th) are invited to join us every Sunday from 6-8PM for youth group! Tired, exhausted, stressed-out, afraid? Peace can be hard to come by in the lightning quick pace of teen life, but God has a plan that not only provides peace but also guides us in holding on to it when life gets tough. Join us in our new series, Quiet Waters, as we explore God’s plan for peace through the lens of Psalm 23 on Sunday evenings.
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.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NERF WAR:
Duck, dodge, and blast your way to victory on Saturday, November 16th from 12:45-2:30 right here at Hope. Invite a friend and join us for an afternoon of fun, pizza, and prizes! All students from 6-8th grade are invited, even if they’ve never been to youth group before. No need to sign-up, just show up and don’t miss out!
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.
GOZONE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM:
It’s time for Christmas in the GoZone! Our Christmas Program is Jingle Bell Beach, an exciting musical about a beach Christmas singing competition where the competitors end up learning the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus! The program is going to be here before you know it, so mark your calendar for December 22nd at both services! Program practices are officially getting started, so look out for the parent info letter and make sure your kiddos start listening to their songs. Click here to access the GoZone Christmas music! If you have any questions, reach out to Pastor Ryan.
WONDERZONE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM:
This year, our little ones will share the good news and celebrate by putting on an “Incredible, Gigantic, Humongous VeggieTales Christmas Show!” Practices will continue every Sunday morning through Dec. 1st. Be sure to have your little ones in their regular Sunday morning classroom on time and ready to go so they don’t miss out on practicing our songs and lines each week! Listen to the songs on Google Drive and watch Miss Kara’s Motion Videos on YouTube to practice at home today! Contact Kara May with any questions.
HOPEKIDS! HANGOUT: Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
All K-5th graders are invited to attend HopeKids! Hangout on Sunday nights from 6-8PM! This program is designed to give our elementary schoolers space for extra fellowship, Bible study, and exciting games/activities with other believers their age. We’ll be digging deep into the Bible by continuing through our series “The Heart of God” and discovering what Scripture teaches us about the character and nature of our Creator!
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 is wrapping up our Alphabet Scripture Memory study! Our 3-5 year olds will be completing their scripture sashes this week, and having a celebration on October 30th! 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!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org