“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) These comforting words from Jesus are part of the Sermon on the Mount. They’re simple, yet deeply powerful instructions on how to draw closer to God. To ASK means to request. Additionally, asking is an act of humility. When I ask the Lord for help, whether for wisdom, healing, strength, or direction, I’m admitting that I can’t do it on my own. God doesn’t roll His eyes when we bring Him our needs. No matter what we’re asking for, He’s listening. To SEEK means to go in search of. If I’ve asked for wisdom, I should seek it in Scripture. If I’ve asked for healing, I can seek the doctors, counselors, or resources He places in my path. Sometimes, the act of seeking is what changes us. God may not answer right away, but He often uses the process to prepare our hearts for what’s ahead. We all know what it means to KNOCK. Spiritually it’s a version of saying, “Lord, I’m here, and I’m serious.” When someone comes to your front door, you don’t open it unless they knock. The same goes for our faith life; we need to knock boldly to show that we truly desire His presence and guidance. God doesn’t limit what we can ask for or when we can come to Him. He wants to be involved in every detail of our lives, from our biggest heartbreaks to the smallest annoyances. The key is to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking, because each one draws us closer to His heart. Even if it feels like the door stays closed longer than we’d like, remember, He hears every prayer. He answers in His time, not ours, and every door He opens leads to His best for us.
Blood Bought ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
CHOOSE: You Decide If You Follow
(Josh. 24:14-18; Prov. 22:3; Gal. 6:7-9)
Sometimes, there are too many choices. Have you ever been paralyzed by an array of options because there are just too many of the choices that you like? Or maybe your health journey has suffered because you have too many options to choose from for eating and exercising, so you wind up never really committing to anything. Being a disciple requires certain holy habits that you choose and to which you are devoted. We’re going to talk about this reality that has always been a foundation for God’s people. In the Old Testament, Israel consistently made choices to move away from God and towards the idols of those around them. Even though God saved them, they kept taking the opportunity God gave them in their free will to choose something else. Today, a disciple must choose who to follow and to recognize that their choices have a harvest. If you don’t like the crop you’re getting, it’s time to look at the seeds you’re choosing to plant!
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.
CURRENT SERIES: Parenting – Raising Them Up
Pastor Mark and Dana are going to lead a 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).
BAPTISM SERVICE:
Baptism is an important symbolic opportunity to declare your testimony, and decision to follow Christ, in front of the church body! We’d love you to participate if this is something you’ve yet to do in your journey of faith. Our next baptism service will be held on Wednesday, November 5th at 7:00P. To participate, you’ll need to attend two classes – each will be held after the second service on Sundays October 26th & November 2nd. To participate, grab a booklet and sign-up at the front of the auditorium. Any questions can be directed to Pastor Mark.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
For the month of September, we averaged $9569 per week bringing our annual average down to $9889. Our target weekly average for the year is $9700 per week. We missed that target for the month of September, but we remain ahead of it for the year. This target did not include the room for an Assistant Pastor which is a high priority for our church, so we do need to significantly exceed our target going into next year to enable that vital addition. Our other major priority is a new home for Hope. Our building fund averaged $551 per week in September with an annual average of $654. Thank you to every Hoper who faithfully sacrifices to support the eternal work God is doing at Hope. Our prayer is that each of us will do all that the Lord asks so that our church will thrive and see many follow Jesus in power and grace!
SECURITY GUARD:
We’re excited to share that we are now staffing a security guard to be present during Sunday morning services. We are thankful for this resource and the ability to better serve our church! If you see them, share that same warm welcome that you would with any other Hoper! We’re glad they are a part of our Sunday morning!
MIDWEEK SERVING OPPORTUNITY:
If you’re looking for a way to invest in our kids and have midweek availability, we need YOU! On Tuesday mornings and afternoons, we are looking to grow our childcare team for our staff kids while staff meets and works to prepare our areas of ministry at Hope. To get plugged in, please reach out to Kara May at karamay@
NEW TO HOPE RECEPTION: This Sunday!
If you are new to Hope within the past 6 months, our leadership team and staff would love to get to know you and your family! Swing by the kitchen in between services on Sunday, October 12th for a sweet treat, hot cup of coffee, and to meet our team!
MISSIONS TRIP OPPORTUNITY:
In August 2026, our church will be sending a team on a 10–12 day mission trip to serve alongside the Frankeas family at Restoring Hope Village in Welkom, South Africa. This unique ministry is a community made up of orphans, foster children, and their host families, and it provides both physical care and the hope of the Gospel. We are still looking for 5–6 more team members who feel called to join us on this life-changing trip. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve, encourage, and be the hands and feet of Jesus to children and families in need. If you over 18 and are interested, please stop by the next missions team meeting to pick up an application. We will meet in the flex room on Sunday, October 12th, after the second service.
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.
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!
MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND: October 21st
Transitioning into adulthood comes with the added bonus of making your own decisions. Once you reach the magic age of 18, you are fully vested with the authority to live life as you see it. But often, in this process, people get stuck in an immature idea of independence. Does it mean that you don’t take advice from others? What’s the actual difference between advice and manipulation? How can you stand on your own two feet without being threatened by those who have more experience and confidence than you? Some of us as young adults have traveled this road and others are in the middle of navigating it now. Come out and lend us your thoughts and experiences as we see what the Bible has to say about being free and carrying our own load.
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For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
HOPE YOUTH:
All 6th through 12th graders are invited to join us on Sundays from 6-8pm for games, bible study, worship, and more!
NEW SERIES: Fight Like Heaven
It is common practice in our current culture to win arguments at any cost. Whether that be by twisting facts to meet your message or hurting others with the truth even Christians can get dragged into the fray when emotions are high on heated topics. That’s why Hope Youth is diving into a series on Conflict Resolution and learning how the Bible teaches us to defend our faith with truth and love. Rather than diving into every controversial topic, we’ll be taking an in depth look at how we can disagree well, encourage others to see the truth of Scripture, and navigate arguments with grace and patience.
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!
NEW CHURCH CENTER APP:
We are excited to be rolling out a quicker, more reliable way to check your children in and out of our HopeKids! classrooms using an app called “Church Center”. Click here to find instructions on how to download so you can check your children in on your phone before even arriving at church! Then simply scan and print your tags at registration! As an added benefit of using this app to check in, all adults linked to your account will be able to easily pull up the security tag for pick up after services right on your phone! If you have any questions or need help connecting another adult to your account, please contact Kara May at karamay@
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM PRACTICES: Starting this Sunday!
Christmas is one of our favorite seasons in HopeKids! This year, our WonderZone will celebrate TWO separate Christmas programs with our Toddlers program for all 2-3 year olds on Dec. 7th and our Preschool program for all 4-5 year olds on Dec. 14th! Our GoZone program for all K-6th graders will be on Dec. 21st. Practices will be kicking off in all classrooms on October 12th during regular Sunday morning services. You’ll want to have your kids in class and on time so that they don’t miss out on practicing our songs and lines each week leading up to their program date! If you have any questions, please contact Kara May.
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!
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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