If you’re anything like me, you may find yourself occasionally overthinking and under-praying things. I wish I could say that prayer is always my first instinct. But if I’m being honest? I often tend to worry and try to fix it myself first before I remember to turn to God. And why is that? Because I think my problems are too small to ‘bother’ Him with. Does this sound familiar to anyone? However, that’s not what Scripture tells us. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) God wants us to bring everything to Him. Big or small. Health scares or hard conversations. Lost keys or lost hope. If it matters to us, it matters to Him. We do not need to figure it out on our own. We all have His power and strength to tap into, yet we fail to avail ourselves of this. We neglect the privileges we have as sons and daughters of the King. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18) We are invited to kneel before His throne at any time; He is always there, waiting to help us. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT) May we all remember to turn to Him first, not as a second thought or last resort. Once we turn the prayers on and our brains off we will find the true peace that only He can offer.
Think less / pray more …Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
A Call For Repentance (Luke 3:7-20)
If you have been alive for any length of time, you will know the weight of your mistakes. Whether they are premeditated or reactionary, the result of misplaced intentions, or flat out selfishness they all pile up. We can lie awake at night wondering how we could have done things differently, tip toe around relationships we once thought we were secure in, or feel that desire to do enough good to outweigh our wrongs. Jesus brought a change to this kind of hollow living, salvation that would see not only life return, but also forgiveness and joy. It is this attractive alternative to our own efforts that often draws people to Christ, but there was one who would prepare a way for Jesus, and preach a message of repentance. John the Baptist would pave the road for Jesus’ ministry with a series of hard hitting sermons that called for repentance, the basic principle of turning away from sin and toward righteousness. And whether you have been a follower of Christ for decades or are just beginning to wonder if Jesus might be the answer you are looking for, John’s call for repentance remains compelling and applicable even two thousand years later.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Colossians
Have you ever had a person or group of people who desperately needed your help and guidance, even while you were yourself going through an incredibly difficult time? It can be tough to stand with the people who need you during times of intense personal struggle, and, with the world always trying to distract us, it can be even harder to keep our focus on Jesus. In Colossians, Paul is writing to a young, energetic, enthusiastic church full of brand new believers. He knows they have passion, but he also knows the dangers that will come as they begin their walk of faith. So, despite his own imprisonment, Paul writes a letter to the church in Colossae—and we see a man facing hardship who comes through with a beautiful, articulate faith, communicating the good news of Jesus and God’s plan for the world in an inspiring way that teaches the Colossians how to spot Christ at work in their own ordinary lives. Join Pastor Ryan for these next four Wednesday nights as we study the book of Colossians and see how we can be filled with faith and hope, as Paul was, and as he taught the Colossians to be. 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
Help Kids Alley equip children for a successful school year by donating new backpacks and school supplies for their annual “Back to School Rally.” This event provides students from underserved families in Camden County with essential tools like notebooks, pencils, crayons, and more—each child receives a fully stocked backpack to start the year with confidence! We will be collecting donations throughout the month of June. You can find the full list of items needed here. Donation bins will be located in the front lobby and at the back doors of the church. Every contribution helps Kids Alley empower children with the resources they need to thrive academically and personally. Thank you for being a part of this effort to make a lasting impact!
SEEDS OF HOPE: Opportunity to Serve
We’re looking for several Hopers to serve with Seeds of Hope on Saturday, June 7th at 8:00am. SOH engages in various community initiatives, including weekly outreach breakfasts, street outreach programs, and support for children of incarcerated individuals. While volunteering you will be assisting with serving meals and distributing clothing to people in need. Please reach out to Stacy Reid to sign up, or if you have any questions.
PARTNER CLASS: Tonight!
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 May 28th, June 4th, and June 11th 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! To read more about what it means to become a partner at Hope, click here.
HOPEKIDS! REGISTRATION TEAM: Come be a part!
We are looking for friendly faces to join our HopeKids! Registration team. Volunteers in this position serve to be a warm welcome and helping hands as families check-in their kiddos before dropping them off to class. Our registration team often gets to be the first to welcome new families to the HopeKids! experience. Come make a big difference in the lives of our kids and their parents. There are opportunities to serve either service! To join, contact Pastor Ryan!
SANDY COVE WOMEN’S RETREAT: Sold Out!!!
We had such a great response that we are now completely booked for the Women’s Retreat! However, we are working with Sandy Cove to see if they have any more available space. If you are hoping to go, please keep an eye out for more information coming in June!
ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC: June 22nd
We’re having our annual church picnic earlier this year, so be sure to mark your calendars! Join us at 3:00 for yard games, an epic waterslide, bounce house, and more fun outdoor activities! Then we’ll have delicious FREE dinner at 5:00. But we need your help to make this tremendous event possible! Make sure to sign-up in the lobby to bring a dish to share, or to help with the activities by signing up to staff the inflatables or serve dinner. You don’t want to miss out on participating in this amazing tradition at Hope!
TENT SET-UP: June 21st
Many hands make light work, and we’d love your help setting up our big tents the church picnic! Join us on Saturday, June 21st at 9:00 for a quick set-up that will make a BIG impact on the guests and volunteers coming through Hope event on Sunday! Sign-up in the lobby or contact Drew DiLorenzo to help.
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! And starting in May, all high school seniors are invited to join us!
JUNE 3rd: Is Everyone Lonely?
About one third of Americans report feeling lonely all the time. More than that feel lonely on a weekly basis. Is that just personality or is there something in loneliness that is harmful? Are some people just doomed to feel like they don’t belong in any group of people? Let’s talk about our experiences with loneliness and what we’ve tried or seen in response. And then let’s ask if there’s anything that the church should be doing in this area. The Bible pictures believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul talks about us being a connected body. How does that impact our tolerance for loneliness as a norm within our church family? Maybe most importantly, what can we do to make a difference in people who feel isolated but wish they were not?
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.
CURRENT SERIES: Don’t Panic!
Papers for school due tomorrow, you’ve got a new song to learn for band, and you’re already late for your shift at work. Between 40 hours a week at school, homework, extra curricular activities and part time jobs, teens might be living some of the busiest lives in our culture. Maybe that’s why 1/3 teens are being diagnosed with anxiety disorders while roughly 70% of teens are reporting stress and depression as major issues among them and their peers. While we can blame social media, the contentious state of our world, or Tik Tok all we want, the reality is the blame game won’t help our teens handle anything. That’s why Hope Youth is inviting all students from 6th-12th grade to join us for our new series called Don’t Panic where we explore what Jesus has to say about worry and anxiety and how we can apply His teachings in ways that will really change our lives for the better.
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.
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.
5th GRADE DINNER:
Pastor Ryan and Pastor Dan are passionate about helping students and families seamlessly make the transition between Go Zone and Hope Kids Hangout to “Big Church” and Hope Youth. That’s why they’re hosting a 5th grade dinner for students and their parents to help shed some light on the process, deliver vital info on making the transition, and encourage the powerful partnership that can make students’ lives at Hope so enriching. We hope you’ll consider joining us from 6-8pm on Friday, June 6th for a Chik-Fil-A dinner and to learn about the next steps in your student’s journey. Please register here so we can get a headcount and be sure to save you a seat!
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