We had our missionaries from Guatemala, Alejandro and Lauren Tipaz, with us at Hope a few Sundays back. Alejandro talked about how building homes for those living in shacks was such an encouragement and blessing to him, let alone to the people on the receiving end of those new homes. Now that is the heart of a missionary! But he said something else that really struck me. He said that, as wonderful as those homes were, Jesus has a much better home waiting for us in heaven. Maybe I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but I honestly never thought to compare the two. That comparison gave him a beautiful starting point to share the love of Jesus with his people in Guatemala. I’ve been thinking about it ever since! I know Scripture tells us that this earth is not our home. “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT) I know that our actual community is in heaven. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” (Philippians 3:20 NLT) However, I never thought to compare my actual house with the place that God Himself has prepared for me. No matter how nice of a home we live in, our eternal home is beyond the scope of my imagination. Imagine how the recipients of Alejandro’s team must feel when they walk into their new home, complete with a roof and windows, must feel. And then to hear the Gospel and how Jesus has something even better than that must truly be hard for them to picture. Not just one room, but many! “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) I am thankful there are missionaries all around the world like Alejandro and Lauren who are meeting people’s basic needs and pointing them to Jesus. And thankful for the wonderful new gem of a thought that Alejandro placed into my heart that Sunday morning.
Till the whole world hears ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Casting Out A Demon (Luke 4:31-37)
Sometimes life can make you think that a dark cloud hangs over you. Nothing seems to go right, and you get bad news on top of bad news. This kind of pattern often causes people to think that someone is out to get them – maybe even dark spiritual forces. As Christians, we should know about the spiritual enemies that we face. In Jesus’ ministry, He often demonstrated His power to set people free from demonic work and influence. But we should be careful assigning every hard thing to Satan. As Jesus begins His ministry, the very first miracle that Luke records is the casting out of a demon. Let’s see what it tells us about our spiritual battles and about the power of Jesus.
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
We’re looking for friendly faces who want the chance to be the FIRST Hopers to say hello to folks on a Sunday morning. Our parking team greets everyone who comes out to church and helps direct people to available spaces. For those who are coming out to Hope for the very first time, this team is the first “line of defense” in welcoming them and helping ease their anxiety! It’s a special opportunity and makes a big impact for a small commitment. If you are available to join our crew, please contact team lead Mark Buzby.
SUPPORT YOUNG LIVES: Sponsor Anne Jefferson
Our very own Hoper, Anne Jefferson, is partnering with Young Lives – a ministry that is dedicated to introducing teen moms and expecting adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. They do this by building authentic relationships with teen parents ages 13-21 with children. This summer, Anne will be leading a group of young moms & their babies to Young Lives Summer Camp at Lake Champion for a week. This week is designed to give them the best week of their lives while creating space to encounter Jesus in a fun, adventurous, and distraction-free environment. To make this happen, Anne needs to raise $750 to cover one mom’s camp costs. This amount will allow her to spend an entire week investing in teen parents, sharing God’s love, and helping them take steps toward starting a relationship with Jesus. Would you consider partnering with Anne by making a donation to help her reach this goal? To contribute, contact Anne – any amount, big or small, would be a huge blessing! Most importantly, she would love your prayers as she prepares to bring the gospel to a generation of teen moms from Gloucester County who need the love of Jesus.
WONDERMOMS PARK TOUR: July 10th
All moms of preschoolers (and their kiddos!) are invited to join us for our third annual Summer Park & Playdate Tour! We’ll be meeting the second Thursday of July and August from 10:30-noon at different parks for a time of fellowship & fun. Our next meetup will be July 10th at Chestnut Branch Park. Be sure to join our Facebook Group so you don’t miss any information! Or you can contact Emily DiLorenzo with any questions.
LADIES SIP N’ DIP:
Hey Ladies! Summer is around the corner and what’s more fun than a poolside picnic lunch with friends? We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, August 2nd from 11:00am–2:00pm. This will be at the Baumiester’s home (750 Fairview Ave. Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097). There are two sign up sheets in the front lobby – one is to let us know that you can attend and the other is if you’d like to bring a dish to share! We’ll supply the cold drinks but we’ll need a headcount for set up and supplies. Remember your bathing suit and towel if you’d like to swim – and by the way, the pool is amazing! This is an event for all our ladies post high school and up and feel free to invite a friend. Contact Dana at danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org for more info and plan to join us!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
JULY 21st-25th:
Our Preschool VBS for potty-trained 3-5 year olds takes place in the mornings (9:30am-12:00pm). Our Elementary VBS for K-5th graders runs in the evenings (6:00pm-8:30pm).
VBS CHILD REGISTRATION:
Can you believe that summer is almost here? VBS season is NOW, so get ready for an exciting adventure in the great outdoors! This year’s VBS theme is TRUE NORTH, and where you will discover how you can trust Jesus in a wild world! Your child will participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, and learn amazing lessons about how putting your trust in Jesus will help you navigate all that life throws at you. It will be an unforgettable week celebrating God with one-of-a-kind Bible Adventures, collecting Bible Memory Buddies, and exploring the wonders of God’s creation. Your family won’t want to miss it, so register now!
VBS VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION: Spots still available!
We still have opportunities to join our amazing team of VBS volunteers! For our preschool session (mornings), we are in need of crew leaders, registration team members, and nursery volunteers. For our elementary session (evening) we could use a few more volunteers for our nursery. Come be a part of the fun – register now! If you aren’t able to serve the week-of, you can join us on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 for our decorating nights. We’ll be prepping everything we need to transform the church!
DONATION BOARD: Don’t forget to bring items to the kitchen!
As we plan and prepare to make an eternal impact in the lives of all who attend, we need support from people like YOU who are willing to donate items for the various activities, games, and decorations that will help inspire and energize the VBS experience! We have various options for items you can donate on the wall by the GoZone, next to the HopeKids! bulletin board—just pick an item, tear off the slip (feel free to take more than one!), and leave your donations in the HopeKids! donation baskets in the kitchen. Thank you for your support!
VBS DECORATING DAYS:
We will be meeting Tuesdays in July from 7:00-9:00P to make the decor that is going to transform our church into an Alaskan frontier! In addition to Tuesdays, we’ll have a decorating afternoon on July 17th from noon until 5:00P, July 19th from 9:00A-3:00P, and July 20th after the second service. Even if you aren’t able to help out with VBS the week-of, you can join us for any of our decorating events!
YOUNG ADULTS
REGULAR MEETINGS ON HIATUS FOR JULY & AUGUST
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!
YOUNG ADULTS BBQ: July 18th!
You’re invited to a Backyard BBQ & Swim Night at Pastor Mark and Dana’s house on Friday, July 18th at 5:00pm! We’ll grill burgers, hot dogs, and provide drinks and side dishes too. All you need to do is sign up and let us know you’re coming – if you can bring a dessert, there’s a spot to include that too. Be sure to throw in your bathing suit and towel and come ready for some backyard games, plenty of food, and the opportunity to hang out with each other! Ott home address is: 6 East Avenue, Clayton, NJ 08312. Contact Dana with any questions!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
POOL PARTY: July 11th
Summer is here and you know what that means; Hope Youth pool parties are back! Join us for the first of the season on Friday, July 11th from 3-6pm at 973 Johnson Road, Sicklerville for an afternoon of fun in the sun! We’ll have free grill food, plenty of snacks, a diving board, and of course a pool to jump into! The Hope Youth Pool Parties are a summer staple and you won’t want to miss out on the fun and fellowship that’s about to take place! Use the link to sign-up so we can get a head count for food and bring as many friends as possible!
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.
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org