Have you ever found yourself feeling ‘trapped’ in a conversation with a person who Just. Won’t. Stop. Talking? You try your best to listen but after a while their words begin to run together in one continuous stream. You no longer want to even try to interject a thought; you just want them to take a breath so you can make a run for it! Well did you know you weren’t even really IN a conversation? The dictionary defines a conversation as ‘an exchange of ideas with spoken words’. So when it’s all one sided, it’s truly just a monologue. And I get it – everyone wants to be heard. But we have to LISTEN first in order to earn the right to be heard. James 1:19 tell us to be “quick to listen and slow to speak”. We are not to be ‘that person’ who holds another captive with our endless droning. Listening is an important communication skill – and it’s active, not passive. God wants us to hone that skill. When I’m caught with a nonstop talker, I try and tell myself that perhaps they need to be heard and I can choose to give the gift of being ‘quick to listen’. I will try and hear what’s really being expressed underneath all that chatter. Are they lonely, anxious, afraid, or hurt? This is not easy, and I certainly don’t always succeed. But it’s something to strive for; if it’s important enough to be included in God’s Word and it’s something we all could improve on.
Practicing the gift of active listening……Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Stuff That Should Be Gone (2 Cor. 12:19-21)
Have you ever known a person who seemed to criticize others a lot? Soon enough, it begins to feel like that person doesn’t think they ever do anything wrong. But of course they do, because we all do. It isn’t unusual for someone with secrets to hide to go on the offensive and throw darts at others. If people are looking at others, it can distract them from the critics own issues. As Paul starts to wrap up his letter to the Corinthians, he gives a summary of why he has taken so much space comparing himself to the ‘super apostles.’ The Corinthians are so full of accusations against Paul, but Paul says that he is worried that they have significant problems they are not addressing in their own lives. So, when he gets there, because he cares so much about them, he’ll have to address those things. Maybe there are some of these things in our lives as well. If there are, then those things need to go.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY:
Putting Wisdom to the Test led by Pastor Mark
We are studying two Old Testament books in the “Wisdom” genre. Some people think that life is all about making right choices so that you don’t face the fallout of bad choices. Reading Proverbs can make it seem that this is Biblically true. But Job and Ecclesiastes examine what we should learn when the foundational ideas of wisdom don’t seem to work. Job is a pretty familiar character to many people, but we’re going to try to sort out the details and dialogue so that we can see the message and purpose of the book as it connects to the teachings of Proverbs. Ecclesiastes is not as long of a book but it has similar connections to the wisdom found in Proverbs. Let’s take a journey together through “real life” and the confusion that derails many people when good people suffer unfairly, or when you seemingly have it all but feel so empty inside. Join us Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for coffee & donuts followed by our study at 7:00. We’ll have HopeKids! and Hope Youth programs for kids 0-12th grades!
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
Join us this January as we support the Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries in their mission to serve our community. We’re collecting non-perishable food items to help stock their pantry and provide for families in need. Donations such as canned goods, pasta, rice, peanut butter, and other staples are greatly appreciated. Drop off your contributions in the designated collection bins located at the front and back doors. Let’s come together to make a difference and bring hope to our neighbors this new year! For more information, please contact Jodi Jacoby.
NEW TO HOPE RECEPTION: This Sunday!
If you’re new to Hope within the past six months, our leadership and staff would love to get to know you! Join us in the kitchen between Sunday morning services for hot coffee, a donut, and fellowship.
NEW TO HOPE CLASS: February 5th
If you’ve recently visited or started attending Hope, we want to invite you to join us for a Wednesday night designed especially for you. We have a New to Hope Class from 7:00-8:00P on February 5th where we will answer your questions, introduce our ministry, and get you started on knowing your way around Hope. Please sign-up in the lobby to let us know you’re planning to join us. Don’t miss this helpful and fun night!
PARTNER CLASS: Starts February 12th
If God has brought you to Hope and convinced you over time that this is the church for you, we’d love for you to officially join us. This is our way of doing ‘membership’, but we use the word ‘partner’ instead because it connects us to the Biblical idea that we are called to partner together in ministry. We are now offering our partner class on February 12th, 19th, and 26th at 7:00P. The classes will cover the way our church functions as well as what we believe. Current partners are also encouraged to attend! Please sign-up in the lobby. To read more about what it means to become a partner at Hope, click here.
GALENTINE’S BRUNCH: February 15th
Calling all Ladies! Our annual Galentine’s Brunch is right around the corner and we’re excited to get “Pretty in Pink” with all the best gals around! Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 15th from 10:00A-noon and plan to join us – feel free to invite your girl gang, too! We’ll have a yummy brunch, some fun games, a photobooth, and we’ll take a few minutes to talk about the unrelenting love of Jesus. Our women’s events are for all women post-high school and up, so look for the event on Facebook and sign up in the front foyer today. If you’d like to bring a sweet treat to share, you’ll see a spot on the sign up sheet for that too! Contact Dana at danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org for more information.
YOUNG ADULTS
Meets the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00P
Here at Hope, our Young Adult group provides a place to connect, serve, apply God’s Word to real life, and live in relationships with others. Hope’s Young Adults is a great way to grow your faith and find help to navigate the big decisions on the horizon. Open to anyone post high school through their 20s!
FEBRUARY 4TH: Under the Influence
There are substances that affect us all around us, all the time. Many people use nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, CBD or just straight-up weed, and many others. How do you decide what you want to allow to affect you and to what degree? Or do you even make a conscious decision? Some substances can have life-altering consequences. Others are seen as safe. People use them to help them cope and to manage the burdens and stresses of life. What should someone following Jesus do about substances? Bring your experiences, your ideas, and yourself to be a part of this discussion. We need every one of you so this can be as full and rich of a discussion as possible!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
Through varied lessons, small group, worship, and fellowship we teach students 6th-12th to see how much God loves them, how valuable they are, and the peace that a relationship with Jesus can lead them to.
FRESH START:
Welcome to the New Year and welcome back to Hope Youth! It’s resolution season and there’s no better time to start something new. Whether you want to start working out, try a new hobby, or kick a bad habit it can be hard to stay committed after that first week. In this new series we will take a look at what a fresh start really means and how to make it stick by exploring the mercy the God gave us through His son and the tips and tricks the Apostle Paul provides to hold firm to this transformation.
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAYS:
We talk about diving deep into God’s Word on Wednesday and this year we plan to go even deeper. Before we start our Biblical survey series (coming February 2nd) we are going to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, specifically the theology of creation, on Wednesday nights at 7:00P! Together we will explore creation, hear some competing theories, and see what all of Scripture has to say concerning the subject.
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.
HOPEKIDS! HANGOUT: Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
All K-5th graders are invited to join us for special snacks, games and activities that expand upon what we’re learning on Sunday mornings. We’ll continue studying “The Heart of God” to see how we can reflect God in our everyday lives, this year and every year!
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN WONDERZONE:
Our Nursery 1 team is excited to care for your infants (0-18m) while our Nursery 2 team loves on your toddlers (18m-2yr). As we start a new year, our Preschoolers (3-5yrs) will dive into a brand new “Growing with God” study designed to help preschoolers learn about the reality of God’s love through play and apply it in their daily lives! You won’t want to miss out on this awesome opportunity to prioritize and pour into the foundation of faith for your little ones — we hope to see you there!
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN GOZONE:
GoZone Remix is back for 2025! K-5th graders will love our fun and exciting midweek program, where we review Sunday morning’s Bible story with new video, new games, and new small group activities to remix the experience. Plus, a WEEKLY Scripture Memory Verse Challenge with prizes to reinforce the Bible story of the week! You don’t want your elementary kiddo to miss out on this opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Bible and fellowship with other HopeKids!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org