When change comes along and takes you by the hand, do you go willingly? If you’re like most people, chances are you do not! We tend to dig our heels in and drag our feet when it comes to change. Sometimes God calls us to make a change, other times life circumstances throw change in our faces whether we want it or not. Looking back, I’ve come to realize that every God ordained change in my life has turned out to be positive. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) You would think, that knowing this, I would not be reluctant to make a change. Yet I still hold back. Does this show a lack of trust in my God? A lack of obedience? I’m afraid so. Why can’t I simply accept His direction and go willingly? The answer is fear. The enemy loves to keep us entangled in anxiety and apprehension. In all honesty, I highly doubt that I could do what Abraham did – “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) Scripture tells us how the disciples over and over again would leave what they were doing and immediately follow Jesus. I regret to say that I would probably asked a lot of qualifying questions before making the decision to go. I am thinking that a remedy to this fear of change would be to read in our Bibles the many examples of other’s responses to God’s calling that have been recorded for us. I believe these would give us a measure of peace and encouragement. Then the next time change reaches out for us, we can more willingly open our hands and accept.
Faith over Fear……Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Nothing is Impossible (Luke 1:26-38)
Have you ever been driving somewhere on a road that you use all the time and zoned out? You get to where you are going, but you didn’t ever really pay attention to anything along the way. You are so familiar with everything on that road that you can basically tune it all out. With Bible stories, that can happen too. Today, we’re going to look at a story that gets read every Christmas. You may be very familiar with it. But Luke includes it as part of his eyewitness testimony about the story of Jesus. As we read through this and study what it says, we’re hoping that we will truly see the message God sent by sending His Son to earth. And this story is the beginning of all of it.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY:
Tonight we’ll wrap up our series on Biblical Doctrines. We’ll have two special Wednesday nights (Coffee House & Baptism Service) before we start our next study in Habakkuk on April 23rd! Join us tonight to be better equipped to know some of the systematic doctrines in the Bible! Come out 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
Easter is just under a month away and we want you to start inviting friends and family to join us now! This year we’ll be having three identical Easter Sunday services: 8:00a, 9:30a, and 11:00a. We’ll also be having a Good Friday service at 7:00P with special music, scripture reading, and communion. HopeKids! programs will be available for all ages! We hope you and your family with join us for both of these services!
DIRECTORY DAY: This Sunday!
Did you know we have an online directory exclusive to Hopers? This is a great resource to stay connected to one another. There’s even an app you can get for your phone! To be a part of our directory, stop by the kitchen after either service on Sunday, March 30th. We’ll get you registered and even take your photo! For any questions, contact Emily DiLorenzo.
HOPEKIDS! DONATION BOARD:
Looking for an opportunity to support our HopeKids! Ministry? Check out our updated Donation Board outside of the GoZone! This is an easy way to make a big difference in our children’s experience each week. Stop by and “shop” the board — choose an item to donate, grab a slip off the board, and be sure to drop your donation off in the HopeKids! baskets in the kitchen! Check out this donation link for ways to donate directly from Amazon!
SEEDS OF HOPE: Service Opportunity
We’re looking for six volunteers to serve with Seeds of Hope on Saturday, April 5th. If you are interested please contact Stacy Reid, sreid0905@gmail.com to sign-up. Stacy is also collecting clothing for Seeds of Hope. If you have the following items to donate please contact her: men’s jeans, sweatpants, sweatshirts and women jeans, leggings and sweatshirts.
COFFEE HOUSE: Sign-Up to Attend
We’re getting ready for the upcoming Easter & spring season and we want to kick it off with a free Coffee House right here at Hope! This evening will be filled with live musical performances from Bethany Gabriel, Dylan Ott & Emily DiLorenzo, and special piano selections from Rich Bunnell on Wednesday, April 2nd 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 at the Connection Center 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 (or nursery) for this event, but nurseries will be open for those who may need to use them. Pease plan to join us for a fun night and feel free to reach out to Dana Ott with any questions.
LADIES BOARD & BRUSH NIGHT: May 2nd at 6:30P
Hey Ladies! It’s time to get crafty! We’re excited to have Board & Brush Studio owners guide us through a fun night of do-it-yourself wood projects right here at Hope! Using this link and access code “HCF25,” you’ll register for the event, choose your project from a gallery of options, and pay. Board & Brush will provide all the materials and instruct us step-by-step to create a beautiful piece for home, office, or for a gift. The cost for your project is $40 regardless of which size/style you choose. Please note that registration is required since we are working with an outside vendor and there is limited seating, so don’t delay in getting registered.* You will receive an email confirmation of your registration & payment which will act as your “ticket” when you show up, so please print it or have it accessible when you arrive! We’ll have snacks & sweets to munch on and cold drinks & coffee too. We hope you’ll join us for this fun Friday night – feel free to bring a friend! This event is for all ladies post-high school and up. *There is no sign-up for this event, your registration serves as your sign-up – all registrations/payment goes directly to Board & Brush, but if you have questions or need help, please see Dana Ott or contact her at danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org. Deadline to register is April 27th.
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!
APRIL 1st: The Fear Trap + Cookie Bar!
How much of your life is touched by reacting to fear? Fear can seem wise. It can seem to promise safety if you listen to it. It can give you a sense of being more aware or more plugged-in than others. But it also brings discouragement and the feeling of being trapped and powerless. At its basic level, fear is supposed to help us survive. But if your goal is simply survival, you probably won’t be very satisfied with your life. Let’s talk about where fear shows up in our lives and how it affects us. Then let’s ask what we can find in the Bible that can show us how knowing Jesus offers a different way – one filled with freedom and even joy!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
Please Note: There will be no youth group on March 30th due to 30 Hour Famine
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.
CURRENT SERIES: Flowing Through Scripture
Every year Hope Youth challenges the world’s tendency to turn Scripture into bite sized sayings by doing a survey of the entire Biblical narrative! This year we’ll be focusing on the theme of water. Whether it’s the parting of the Red Sea or the miracle of Jesus walking on Water, God has used this powerful element to communicate key truths about His character time and again. Join us on Sunday nights as we journey from Genesis to Revelation, explore key stories along the way, and apply God’s grand message to our own lives!
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAYS:
The book of Daniel follows a young man who was kidnapped from his home land and exiled to a foreign country. Far from home and surrounded by ungodly influences, Daniel had to find a way to remain true to his faith. Join Hope Youth on Wednesday nights as we study the book of Daniel and see how this young man not only held fast to his faith, but stood out and stood up for what he believed. Most teens struggle with that familiar desire to fit in, but in a world growing further away from God, He seems to be asking us “Are you willing to stand out?” Come find out how at Wednesday Night Bible Study from 6:30-8 and enjoy some complimentary coffee and donuts while you’re at it.
LAUNCH EVENT: It’s not too late to join!
Jump into Spring with us at the annual Hope Youth Launch event! In place of our normal youth group, we’ll meet at the Deptford Launch Trampoline park for a night of frantic fun! Trampoline basketball, foam pits, arcade, and so much more! Fill out the sign-up here and meet us at Launch Trampoline park of Deptford on April 6th from 6-8pm!
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
HOPEKIDS!
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 EASTER JAM:
We’re excited for this year’s egg-stra special WonderZone Easter Jam event on Saturday, April 5th from 10:00-Noon! This year, we’ll be hosting all of our WonderZone-aged children (infants-PreK) and their grown-ups for songs, games, the Easter story, the Easter Bunny, and an Easter egg hunt (weather-permitting). You won’t want to miss the fun! Click here to sign-up today!
GOZONE EGG-STRAVAGANZA:
Sign up to join us for a special Easter celebration at HopeKids! Hangout on Sunday, April 6th from 6PM-8PM. Our GoZone kids (K-5) are getting eggstravagant this Easter with an all-new event including intense competition, energetic music, delicious snacks, and lots of candy-filled Easter eggs as we dig into the story of how Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death itself! Register here!
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). Our Preschoolers (3-5yrs) are doing a “Growing with God” study designed to help them 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