I was thinking about how my parents would’ve been bewildered at the idea of having to buy water and then proceeding to take it with you everywhere you went. Growing up in the 60s, we drank water from hoses, spigots, and water fountains. In my house we even had a family water jug that we kept in the refrigerator so that anyone who was thirsty could take a swig out of it (horrors)! Can you even imagine doing something like that today?! I don’t know when water became such a focal point for our health. All those places we got water from back in the day were deemed unsanitary; even water itself now needed to be filtered, bottled and toted around in fancy containers. For all the water that we are now drinking and carrying around, we are still a thirsty people. And yes, you know I’m not talking about the liquid filling our designer water bottles! Jesus knew what He was talking about when He met the Samaritan woman drawing water from a well: “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14) We could drench ourselves in water and still be thirsty for Him. I do know that water is essential to life and nothing beats it when we are feeling dehydrated. However, I know that the Living Water Jesus offers is even more essential and I am grateful that it flows throughout my soul. Let the words He spoke in John 6:35 spill over you like a fountain…..and believe: “Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Thirsty for Him ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
A Healing Savior (Luke 4:38-44)
When you or someone you love is sick, you ache for them to be healed. If it is an infant who cannot sleep because of a cold, you wish you could make them feel better immediately. If it is something like cancer, you pray that God will heal and that the doctors will be able to remove it all. Our bodies are quite fragile and we are significantly powerless to determine our own well-being. So, we pray for God’s healing power. Jesus did a lot of healing throughout His ministry. Luke records many miracles of healing. In this first batch, we see that Jesus was pretty liberal with His power, healing everyone who came to Him. Does He still heal today? Does He heal everyone who asks? What kind of healing should we want – or maybe more specifically, what kind of healing do we truly need? Let’s see how Luke describes these healings and their impact on Jesus’ ministry.
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
GIVING REPORT:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Pastor Mark is looking to establish a CLEANING TEAM here at Hope. This team would handle doing light spot cleaning at church, simple maintenance like lightbulbs and vacuums, cleaning the kitchen, Christmas decorating, and would help us put together semi-annual cleaning days. Volunteers would serve on rotation, and can serve in one or multiple areas. If you are interested in joining, please sign-up at the Connection Center. There will be a meeting on Sunday, September 14th following the second service to plan and discuss.
TRADE SKILLS NEEDED:
In addition to our Cleaning Team, our elder Mike Hartwell is looking to gather the names & contact info of any Hoper who has handyman or trade skills (carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, electric, etc.) that they would be willing to use here at church. Please respond to Mike with this information as well as what skills you have.
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 tomorrow 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
CHILD REGISTRATION:
This year’s VBS is from July21st-25th and the theme is TRUE NORTH – where you will discover how you can trust Jesus in a wild world! 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). 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!
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!
ALL HANDS MEETING:
All volunteers should join us next Tuesday, July 17th from 6:00-7:00P. This is our big informational meeting for ALL volunteers that are serving during the week of VBS — that means Registration workers, Crew Leaders, Station Leads/Helpers, Soundbooth people, everybody! There will be important information for all of you, shirts will be handed out, any housekeeping items will be taken care of, and you’ll have a chance to ask any questions you might have. If you’re serving at VBS morning or night, you should be at this meeting!
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: This Friday!
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