I was reading an article while waiting at the doctor’s office and came across something that caused me to let out a derisive snort and make all heads turn my way. I promptly slunk down in my chair and hid behind the magazine. Now I’m sure you all want to know what precipitated this outburst, so let me tell you. It was an app for your phone called ‘Freedom’. You create a list of sites/apps you want temporarily restricted and you won’t be able to access anything on that list for the amount of time you select. Come on now people! Are we that unable to control ourselves? Never mind the fact that true freedom comes only from Jesus Christ. I know there are those who struggle with all forms of online addictions and perhaps this would be a useful tool for them. However, this article was directed towards those who feel compelled to constantly check all the social media and emails. If we’re going to use an outside source to help us resist temptations, why not go right to the Holy Authority, the ultimate source of strength? No matter what the temptation, be it large or small, He is the One who provides us with the power to say no. The power comes from using these two basic principles: His Word and prayer. God provides us with His Word to give us direction. If you google ‘Bible verses on resisting temptation’, you will find a plethora of them! And Jesus Himself told us to pray in order to resist temptation. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38) So there you have it! My embarrassing eruption in the waiting room and the thought process that followed.
Sharing my waiting room thoughts ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
REST: My Yoke Is Easy | Communion
(Matthew 11:25-26, 28-30; Hebrews 4:9-1)
Are you tired? Exhausted? Do you regularly feel like you don’t know if you can keep up the pace at which you are living? All of us live in a very hurried world. It is hard to imagine a life that is characterized by peace and rest. This makes the invitation of Jesus to come and find rest for our souls seem wonderful and out of reach all at the same time. We think of rest as stopping from all our activity. We’d like to go somewhere and have nothing to do for a while. That is what seems like rest, even though honestly it is more like recovery than rest. Is it possible to live productively in this life and live in rest? Jesus says that this is the very nature of what it means to follow Him. Perhaps we’ve missed something really important. What if all of God’s people were able to understand and live out Jesus’ words? Let’s see if we can start learning what it means to live a life of rest.
FAMILY NIGHTS:
Doors will open at 6:15 for FREE dinner for the whole family before we head into our classes at 7:00. We know weekdays can be hectic with school and work – so consider your Wednesdays taken care of! Come feed your stomach and your soul! We’ll have HopeKids! Programs for all our our little ones, starting from nursery up through 5th grade. Hope Youth will also have a class for our teens. Even if you can’t make it to dinner, join us for programs at 7:00.
BIBLE STUDY:
Forgiveness: Finding Freedom From Hurt
As Christians, we are forgiven. It is a fundamental truth that defines our relationship with God. But we also are called to forgive. When faced with the unforgivable, this can feel like a duty that we aren’t sure we want to fulfill. In fact, it can feel like it minimizes the damage done to us and makes us vulnerable again to the same kind of pain we faced before. But what if it isn’t really any of those things? What if forgiveness is freedom? If you are struggling with knowing how to let go of wounds and the fear it brings (or if you just want to learn more about this vital truth), join us for the next two Wednesdays as we learn together what it means to forgive and how we can do it.
Coming Soon: Parenting – Raising Them Up
Pastor Mark and Dana are going to lead a five-week course on parenting through the month of October. Most of us come from homes that normalized deep dysfunction and passed it on to us as “normal”. We want to do better for our kids, but we just don’t even know where to start. And even if you were raised in a great home, you can easily feel overwhelmed and exhausted as you try to parent your kids. We are going to use Andy and Sandra Stanley’s book, “Parenting: Getting It Right,” as a basis for our discussion. Come with your questions and thoughts and let’s try to dig out a Biblical and Spirit-based approach to parenting. (You don’t have to buy the book or read it to be a part of the class). If we can get this right, Hope will be a church that is truly a light to the world. Homes are the hotbed for formation of tomorrow’s Christian marriages and parents, so let’s break unhealthy cycles and lean in to the ways we can hear and follow God’s leading in our homes.
NOTE: With this and the Partner Class in October, we are out of space and unfortunately do not have a room for general Bible study this month. We apologize for having to specialize in this way but we believe these two classes are important enough for this sacrifice.
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
If you’re a teacher or enjoying working with children from K-5th grade, our GoZone team needs YOU! With both our Sunday morning and Wednesday night ministries booming in the GoZone, we are in need of more small group leaders, teachers, and AV helpers in order to best serve all the children God is bringing our way! Serving on one of our GoZone rotations has such a huge and eternal impact on the lives of our kids, and we would love to have you be a part of the fun! To get plugged in with the GoZone, please reach out to Kara May at karamay@
SEPTEMBER COLLECTION: Due back Sunday!
This September, we’re collecting toiletries for the Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries to bless our neighbors in need this Christmas. Items needed include: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disposable razors, deodorant, and dental floss. Please make sure donations can fit into a gallon-size ziplock bag (no travel-size items). Last year, Hope packed and distributed 102 hygiene bags, and with your help, we’d love to meet – or even exceed – that number this year! Donations can be placed in the bins at either entrance at church.
NEW TO HOPE CLASS: Tonight!
If you’re new to Hope within the past year, you’ll want to join us for a special evening just for you next Wednesday, September 24th at 7:00! Come learn how we do things (and why we do them!) here at Hope. This class will be taught by one of our Elders. Sign-up at the Connection Center to attend!
MORNING OF WORSHIP: October 5th
We are excited to lift our voices in praise as we give thanks for God’s great faithfulness to us! Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Plan to join us as we spend the morning reminding one another and our own hearts of the many ways He has shown Himself faithful all through our lives! Special note: We know God is doing great things in our Hopers lives and we’d love to hear from you on what He has brought you through or is bringing you through. Click here to share a short testimony and we’ll include it in our Morning of Worship!
PARTNER CLASSES:
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 become a partner. 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 (Philippians 1:3-6). As partners, we share the burdens and work of the ministry together, and we serve our Lord as a team. Sign-up at Connection Center to attend our next round of Partner Classes on October 15th, 22nd, & 29th at 7:00P. Classes will cover the way our church functions as well as what we believe. You will also have an opportunity to fill out a partnership form and submit it to leadership!
CHURCH WORK DAY:
We need all hands on deck for our huge church workday on Saturday, October 18th at 9:00am, rain or shine. We will be working on cleaning projects, organizing projects, light maintenance work, and outside landscaping / cleanup. We could use every person who can come for an hour or two and stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of our church family. Sign up today at Connection Center and let us know if you prefer to work inside, outside, or either. When you arrive on that morning, we will have a list of projects and help you get to one that fits what you can do!
MISSIONS FELLOWSHIP EVENT:
You’re invited to join us on Sunday, October 19th following the second service for a special time of food, fellowship, and service! We’ll enjoy lunch together before rolling up our sleeves to bless others in our community. We’ll be packing Christmas toiletry bags for Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries, and kids will have the chance to make Christmas cards to tuck inside. We’ll also be creating warm, “no-sew” blankets for Seeds of Hope. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to serve side by side and share God’s love in practical ways. Please sign-up at Connection Center — we’d love for you to be part of it! If you have any questions, please reach out to Jodi Jacoby at 856-371-7227.
BABY | CHILD DEDICATIONS:
We believe that children are some of the most incredible gifts that God gives to families and to our church. Many parents want to dedicate themselves and their children to the Lord. Our next Child Dedication Service will be on October 19th. There will be a class after the 2nd service on October 12th for all parents participating. Please sign-up at Connection Center and grab a book to participate! If you cannot make that class, please contact Pastor Mark to set up a time to go over the information before that class. We are excited to pray over these families and children and to witness the declaration of parents committed to raising their children as God directs.
WOMEN’S RETREAT: Waitlist Open!
We are 2 months away from our Fall Women’s Retreat and have run out of space to attend – praise God for such a great response! However, the retreat coordinator at Sandy Cove has told us there may be some cancellations in other bookings which would mean some spots may be open for us to fill! If you were hoping to go and are interested in being added to a waiting list, we are taking names now! Please email your name and contact information to Emily DiLorenzo and you will be added in the order in which your email is received. This does not guarantee you a spot, but in the event that spaces are available, we’d love to provide the opportunity for you to join us!
YOUNG ADULTS
If you are post high school through your 20s, our Young Adult group provides a place to connect, 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. We meet the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00P in the GoZone!
WATCH YOUR WORDS: October 7th
Is it a sin to curse? In a world where ‘curse words’ have become everyday words, it seems like this is a foolish question. But there are places in Scripture that ask us to look at what comes out of our mouths. So what types of things are ‘out of bounds’ for a believer? If we follow Jesus as Lord, then He is in charge of our tongues as well. Let’s take some time to explore what Scripture says and then try to get our hearts around what it means for us in each of our lives today.
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For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
HOPE YOUTH:
Please Note: There will be no youth group this Sunday, September 28th due to our Ocean City Retreat
All 6th through 12th graders are invited to join us on Sundays from 6-8pm for a brand new year full of adventure and the unexpected! We’ll be starting off the school year with a new series called Into the Unknown. Maybe you’ve just moved to a new town, are looking ahead to life after school, or are joining youth group for the first time! Or maybe you’re going through a tough transition in life and you just don’t know what the future holds. Whatever the case, growing up is about stepping out into the unknown. New relationships, responsibilities, and risks. Thankfully you don’t have to alone. In this series we’ll be exploring how we can step into the unknown with confidence, and how Jesus walks right beside us as we do. So whether it’s your first year at youth group or your last, we hope you’ll join us!
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAYS:
Join us on Wednesday nights from 6:15-8:00P! We’ll have food for your body and your soul as we enjoy a meal together and dive into God’s Word as a Youth Group. Our teens will be exploring the narrative of Joseph in the Old Testament and seeing how his journey of slavery, imprisonment, and rejection is a reflection of Jesus Christ and how we can reflect Jesus in our own lives! You won’t want to miss one or morsel or one moment! See you then!
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 ON WEDNESDAYS:
Wednesday nights at Hope are BACK, and we are so excited to have our WonderZone programs up and running again! We can’t wait to snuggle and care for your infants (0-18m) in our Nursery 1 class, while our Nursery 2 team builds connections with your toddlers (18m-2yr) through lots of playtime! As we jump back into our normal midweek programs, our Preschoolers (3-5yrs) will continue our “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!
GOZONE ON WEDNESDAYS:
The GoZone team is excited and ready to launch into Wednesday nights with your 1st-5th graders! We’ll have a chance to review Sunday morning’s Bible lesson in a new way — new lesson videos, new games, and new small group activities will help to reinforce these important Bible truths! You don’t want your elementary kiddos to miss out on this opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Bible and fellowship with other HopeKids!
HOPEKIDS HANGOUT:
Our Sunday evening program for elementary aged children is taking a hiatus in for fall, with updates to come in January. However, our GoZone kiddos will still GO for God, GO for growth and GO forever during our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening programs made just for them! See you there!
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For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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