Social media encourages seeking behavior, greatly affecting dopamine levels in the neuropath ways of the brain and after just a few minutes use. Imagine that. Mark Zuckerberg has made something so powerful that it can change the chemistry of the brain. That should be a super scary thought! We can spend more time being ‘connected’ to people on Facebook than in real life. Not only that, but scrolling social media is but one of hundreds of ways we get distracted from staying connected to our only reliable source, our heavenly Father. Staying connected to God is essential for finding the strength, comfort, and guidance we need to live a fruitful, faith filled life. “[Jesus said] Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) We bear fruit by remaining intimately connected to Jesus. This fruit that we produce can be seen in our attitudes and actions. When you think of yourself as a branch that’s snugly attached to the vine, Jesus, you’ll find that you naturally produce fruit. And what is the fruit of the Christian life? The fruits of the spirit! Things like love, patience, gentleness, and self-control are examples of the fruits of the Spirit that demonstrate our connection to God.
As you navigate through life’s challenges, remember that God is always there, waiting to connect with you. Take a moment today to reach out in prayer, read scripture, or simply reflect on His presence. Stay connected to your only reliable source and find the strength, comfort, and guidance you need.
Connected to the Source ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Picking Apostles (Luke 6:12-16)
Jesus’ mission on earth was the most important ever undertaken. He came to give His life for our redemption, but He also came so that people would know the way to the Father. His plan included appointing twelve men to be apostles. With so much at stake, it would be wise for us to look at how Jesus made these selections. What do we learn about the kingdom of God from the men that Jesus chose and the process he used?
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Tonight!
Pastor Mark will be continuing in the series, “Find Rest.” We all know the frustration of misplacing something and not being able to find it. We try to remember the last time we saw it, but it seems like every time we look somewhere new, it just isn’t there. Most of us live our lives chasing a thing that our soul needs, but that seems impossibly lost. We all need rest. In fact, Jesus tells us that we are called to it and that He gives it to us when we come to Him. So why do so many of us struggle to find it? Let’s see what may be stopping us from the kind of renewing rest that Jesus gives. Join us at 6:30P for coffee & donuts, and 7:00P for study. (HopeKids! Programs will be provided for infants through 5th grade, and Hope Youth will meet for 6th-12th grades.)
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
For the month of December, we averaged $11,859 per week bringing our final average for the year to $10,246. (Building fund averaged $375 per week in December and averaged $730 for the year). Our target for the New Year is $10,500 so we are not that far away from our new goal. However, as we discussed at our annual business meeting, the needs of our growing church require that we exceed our budget significantly to address our facility and staff needs. We are grateful for God’s provision in 2025 and for the faithful and sacrificial giving of each Hoper who contributed. In a year when financial pressures made life more uncertain, it is a testament to the passion and conviction of our church family that we saw this kind of growth in giving in 2025 (6% up from 2024). Combined with a 12% growth in attendance, we see God working in more lives than ever before and we can’t wait to see what He does in the coming year.
MEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE:
Hope is joining a church softball league! Men, if you’re looking for a great way to get active and connect with your brothers here at Hope, this is it! The season will start after Easter, but we’ll need you to register and attend a meeting on February 15th following the second service so we can get a headcount and order jerseys (cost is $20.) Sign-up and find more information using this link. Open to all men 18 and up. For questions contact Dylan Ott.
MISSIONS TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA: Last Call!
Hope is gathering a team to visit South Africa this August to serve alongside of our missionaries, The Frankeas! If you are interesting in going, you’ll need to pick up an application at Connection Center and submit it along with a $250 deposit to our missions team, who will be meeting in the GoZone following the second service on Sunday, January 18th. Any questions, please contact Jody Jacoby.
WOMEN OF HOPE:
Women of Hope is continuing with a new video series by Lisa Harper called “Lyrics of Life – A Psalm for Every Situation.” Join us Monday, January 19th from 6:30-8:00pm for a time of study, prayer and fellowship. Even if you have never been out to Women of Hope before, you are more than welcome to hop in at anytime! This group is open to women who are post-high school and up. For any questions, contact Mary LeBeau.
NEW TO HOPE CLASS:
If you’re new to Hope within the past year, you’ll want to join us for a special evening just for you! Come learn how we do things (and why we do them!) here at Hope. This class will be taught on Wednesday, February 4th at 7:00 by one of our Elders. Sign-up at the Connection Center to attend!
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. Our Partner Classes will cover the way our church functions as well as what we believe. Join us on Wednesdays at 7:00 on February 11th, 18th, and 25th. Sign-up at Connection Center!
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!
JANUARY 20TH: Ruth
There’s a story in God’s Word that often gets called a love story. We’re going to read it and discuss what we’re supposed to learn from this tragedy and struggle that turned into a central part of God’s plan for humanity. You can read the story before you come if you have time. But either way, we need your help in exploring and discussing the ins and outs of what happened here and what it means for God’s people today.
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For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
All 6th through 12th graders are invited to join us on Sundays from 6-8pm for games, bible study, worship, and more!
CURRENT SERIES: New Year, New Me
Sometimes we can treat our walk with God the same way we treat New Year’s resolutions. We feel convicted to make a change, stop sinning in one way or start pursuing Jesus in another, but we rarely keep these habits going. There’s a key component that we are missing and Hope Youth is going to explore what that key component is in our series “New Year, New Me.” Join us as we walk through the New Testament and explore the theme of rejuvenation from Jesus to Paul.
BIG GAME BASH: February 8th
The playoffs are upon us and you know what that means, time for Hope Youth’s annual Big Game Bash! This year all students from 6th-12th grade are invited to join us from1-3pm on Sunday, February 8th in the auditorium for an afternoon of football fun! There will be outdoor flag football, prizes galore, and did I mention free lunch? All happening before the Big Game so you won’t have to miss a minute! Bring a friend and bring your appetite, we will see you there! (Please note: this will be in place of our regular Sunday evening youth group!)
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: Exodus, Our God Saves
Exodus begins with a genocide and only ramps up from there. The parting of the Red Sea, the 10 Plagues of Egypt, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Exodus and in our Hope Youth Wednesday Night Bible Study we will be diving so much deeper. As we read through the classic Exodus narrative we will be looking at what the story says about God, how we can apply it to our own lives, and see how the whole Exodus story points to a baby boy who would be born in Bethlehem. Join us on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8pm for our new series “Exodus, Our God Saves.”
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!
WONDERZONE SNOWFLAKE SPECTACULAR: This Saturday!
Sign-up to be a part of the fun happening on Saturday, January 17th from 10:30am-noon for our first ever WonderZone Snowflake Spectacular – a celebration for preschoolers (infants through Pre-K) and their parents! We’ll make snowflake crafts, play games, sing preschool worship songs, hear a snowy story, and more!! We can’t wait to see you and your preschooler(s) there!
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.
WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAMS:
We are excited to welcome back all of our HopeKids! on Wednesday nights in both the WonderZone and GoZone! We’ll have classes opening at 6:45pm for all infants through 5th graders beginning on January 7th alongside our regular adult Bible Study sessions. Our team can’t wait to spend time cultivating relationships, diving into Scripture, and establishing a foundation of faith with all of our little ones as we head into the new year!
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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