Anyone who knows me well knows how much I dislike puppets. Listening to all the testimonies of how people came to know Jesus at the baptism Wednesday night brought to mind something that happened about 32 years ago. Our then 4-1/2 year-old daughter knew that a puppet show was happening at our former church this one particular evening and of course she was begging to go. It was cold. It was dark. I was tired, and let’s not forget I don’t like puppets! However my daughter did. And she kept insisting she wanted to go. Somehow in the midst of all my objections, I heard the Spirit whisper to me, “Take her!” It wasn’t an audible sound but there was no mistaking it. So I begrudgingly bundled her up and off we went. Want to know what happened that evening? My sweet daughter gave her life to Jesus! I felt so ashamed that I had tried to stand in God’s way for an event that He knew would reach her little heart.
Every single believer knows the voice of God, whether or not they actually attribute it to Him is another matter. In John 10:27, Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” I heard His voice and I had a choice – to obey or disregard. His call to obedience always demands our response. God’s greatest blessings often come as a result of our willingness to do something that appears very insignificant. I had a bunch of reasons why it wouldn’t matter if I took her or not and many reasons NOT to take her. I am so thankful that I chose obedience! “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God….” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28) Our heavenly Father knew all along that those puppets would reach my child and have an effect on all our lives that would reach into eternity. Next time you think you’re hearing God’s voice nudging you towards something, choose obedience. I promise that is one choice you will never regret.
Choosing obedience…Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Praise Service
Each year, the Sunday before Thanksgiving is a special service for us. We set aside this service to worship and praise our wonderful Savior. And then we give our church family an opportunity to give thanks. People will share what God has done or just give thanks. It is a service that is precious to our church family and we hope you will join us for all of it. Don’t miss one moment of this kickoff to our week of Thanksgiving!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: On Hiatus
Our Wednesday night studies are on hiatus for the months of November and December, but make sure to check out the announcements below to see the other Wednesday evening events we have planned!
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
Voting for the budget will take place at our Annual Business Meeting this Sunday, November 24th following the second service. All Hopers are welcome to attend, but only partners will be able to vote. Please join us as we discuss the proposed budget as well as our vision for 2025. (We will have ballot box out for those who are unable to stay for the meeting.)
LEADERSHIP AMA: Tonight!
Have you ever wondered why a certain decision was made at Hope or had questions you wanted to ask about our direction? Whether you are an official partner or simply a Hoper, we’d love to invite you to join us for a conversation with our Leadership Team on Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00P. Our entire Leadership Team is planning to be there to answer any questions you may have. We’ll do it in a public format, and we’ll answer what we can to the best of our knowledge and without breaking any confidences. We may have to have follow-up conversations afterwards to give more specifics, or to come back with answers after we research a little, but we’ll do our best to use that evening wisely for all who attend. There’s always an invitation to “ask us anything,” but we set this night aside to do that as a large group. Please be a part of this conversation as the Lord continues to lead Hope forward into the coming year.
HOPEKIDS! MOVIE NIGHT: Tonight!
We’re excited to invite our HopeKids! friends out for a movie night! We will be joining together, revving up the popcorn machine, and cozying up in front of the GoZone projector for a relaxing, fun evening to close out our Fall Wednesday nights. All Pre-K (3-5 year olds) and Elementary (K-5th grades) HopeKids! can be dropped off and pick up from the GoZone — they’ll be glad they came for this special night!
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD: Last call!
Join us in spreading joy and hope across the globe by participating in Operation Christmas Child. Forget to return your box last Sunday? Be sure to bring it out this week! We will not be able to accept boxes past November 24th.
TOY DRIVE FOR GWCM:
Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries is collecting unwrapped toys for all ages now through December 8th. We love partnering with them and want to extend the collection to Hope! Unwrapped toys can be place in the collection bins at either entrance now through Sunday the 8th!
HFFFL: Watch Party
If you’re a part of this year’s Hope Fella-ship Fantasy Football League, don’t miss the watch party on November 24th for Eagles vs. Rams Sunday night football! It will be hosted at the Ott’s home: 6 East Avenue, Clayton. There will be snacks and smack (talk.) Don’t miss out on this chance to fellowship! Any questions contact Dylan Ott (856-469-7629).
LADIES CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA: Sign-up Now!
Christmas is just around the corner, so mark your calendars now and save the date for Friday, December 6th at 6:30pm. All ladies (post high-school and up) are invited to our “Think Pink Christmas” Extravaganza and Ornament Exchange! We’re so excited for this opportunity for our ladies to get together for some holiday games, fun, food, and friendship! Please sign up in the front lobby and indicate if you’re able to bring a snack or dessert to share. Also, bring a wrapped Christmas tree ornament ($10 or less) for a fun exchange! See Dana Ott with any questions or reach her at danaott@
CHRISTMAS AT HOPE:
Mark your calendars for the special services we have planned for the month of December! And be sure to share our social media post and pick up a card from the lobby to invite out your friends and family!
- December 1st: Morning of Worship
- December 8th: WonderZone Christmas Program
- December 15th: Christmas Cantata, “The Story”
- December 22nd: GoZone Christmas Program
- Candlelit Christmas Eve Services at 3:30p, 5:00p, 6:30p
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!
CHRISTMAS PARTY: December 3rd at 6:30P
Join us for our “Christmas Morning” party to close out the year! We’ll meet at Sean & Taylor Ball’s home (38 S. Columbia St. in Woodbury) at 6:30pm. Come in your pajamas and slippers – and make sure to bring your appetite! We’ll have Christmas morning food including Chick Fila minis! There will be games and many presents to be won. ALL young adults welcome!
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.
WINTER RETREAT: Beyond the Weekend
Hope Youth is embarking on a weekend retreat for all students from 6th-12th grade from January 24th-26th! Join us for a weekend of powerful worship, impactful sermons, intense sport tournaments, and the delights of an indoor swimming pool! Last year was a smash hit and we can’t wait to jump back into Keswick’s Beyond the Weekend! We want to make sure that everyone can come out so invite a friend and don’t forget to fill out and hand in the permission slip linked HERE. Let’s make this another awesome retreat to remember!
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@
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.
WONDERZONE JINGLE JAM:
As we continue gearing up for the Christmas season, we’re excited to be hosting our second annual Jingle Jam event for our WonderZone children and their families! Save the date for this special event on Saturday, December 14th from 10:30am-noon. We’ll build gingerbread houses, make Christmas crafts, hear the real Christmas story, enjoy a hot drinks bar, and even take pictures with Santa! Sign your preschooler up today! Contact Kara May for more information.
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!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.
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