When I was little, I decided it would be a good idea to do some chin ups on the towel rack in the bathroom. Don’t ask me why or how I came up with this brilliant plan, but needless to say, one chin up and I had pulled the rack right out of the wall! So I did what any normal six year old would do – I locked the bathroom door, climbed out the window and hid the key so my parents ‘wouldn’t know’. I’m sure you can spot ALL the faulty logic in my thinking. But it just goes to show you how deep-rooted our sense of guilt and fear is. When we do something we know is wrong, many times our first instinct is to try and hide it. Sounds a little bit like a certain couple in the Garden of Eden, doesn’t it? Adam and Eve felt the same way after they ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did exactly what I did: they tried to hide what they had done. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you?”(Genesis 3:8-9) We may try to hide things from your parents, spouse, or friends, but the Lord knows all, and there is no hiding from Him. Thankfully, we have His reassurance found in Jeremiah 31:34. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Just as my parents were ready to forgive me when I showed my remorse, God’s forgiveness is received through a sincere act of repentance. It is a beautiful gift of His mercy and grace.
Forgiven and free ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
LEAD: Pointing the Way for Others
(Mark 10:35-45; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
Some people think the world is divided into leaders and followers. But the truth is that many people don’t realize that they are already leading. They may be leading in an unhealthy or dysfunctional way, but they are having an influence over those who are following them. Most people are both followers AND leaders. We submit ourselves to those in charge in some areas, and we find ourselves setting the tone and direction in other areas. When we do lead, do we adopt the world’s way of leading? Do we lead in whatever way we think is best? What does following Jesus have to do with leading? All of us are called to ‘lead others to Christ,’ so in one sense we are all called to lead. In addition, Hope needs more leaders who know how to lead like a Christian walking by faith and living for eternal things. Jesus was pretty clear on how we should lead. What does that look like for each of us?
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
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@hopechristianfellowship.org today!
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 Fellowship & Luncheon this Sunday in GoZone to pick up an application.
MISSIONS FELLOWSHIP EVENT: This Sunday!
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.
PARTNER CLASSES: Begins 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 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: This Saturday!
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!
WOMEN OF HOPE:
Our women’s bible study meets the 1st & 3rd Mondays of the month at 6:30P in the GoZone. All ladies post high school are invited to join us for our current series, “Unstuck.” It’s easy for us to find ourselves caught up in the life of cluttered schedules, rhythms, and routines dictated by our culture. Many of us feel stuck in the routine of life—our jobs, relationships, and daily circumstances. Join us as we let God’s Word help us get unstuck and back on the path to a life of purpose that God intends for us! Come out on Monday, October 20th as we discuss “Unsafe: Resisting Temptation.” Any questions, contact Mary LeBeau.
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.
Follow us on Instagram here!
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@hopechristianfellowship.org.
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM PRACTICES: Happening Now!
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 December 7th and our Preschool program for all 4-5 year olds on December 14th! Our GoZone program for all K-6th graders will be on December 21st. Practices are taking place in each of these classrooms during regular Sunday morning services, so be sure to have your kids in class and on time each week! For more information, click here for the Toddler Parent Letter, Pre-K Parent Letter, and GoZone Parent Letter. Additionally, your children can practice at home with all songs and motion videos here! 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:
Our WonderZone teams 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 on Wednesday nights! 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 booming on Wednesday nights with our K-5th graders! Each week, we 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!
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.