My family has a nickname for me. They call me ‘the rooster’. No matter how late I go to bed, I always get up early. We had our grandson sleep over and I discovered that he is a rooster just like his Grammy. (Much to the distress of his parents!) My husband is definitely not a rooster and so it was a delight to have someone else fully awake and happy just past sunrise. I WISH I could learn how to sleep in, but I just can’t. In fact, I’m always kind of glad when morning comes and I’m ‘allowed’ to get up! This morning I was lying in bed waiting for an acceptable time to vacate and I started thinking about how God designed us so that we needed to sleep. What if we were just always awake? We wouldn’t know we were missing sleep; I guess we’d just never be tired. And then, what about God? The Bible tells us He never sleeps! “….He who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3-4) Of course, when I looked this verse up, I then had to look up the difference between slumber and sleep (curious word nerd that I am). Slumber is a light state where sleep is a deeper, more restorative state. And our God does neither! Isn’t that reassuring? You can call out to Him in prayer any time of day or night. You never have to wait for him to wake up! God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us – with no need for rest! It also paints a picture of His infinite power. We NEED to sleep; we all know what happens if we go without it for an extended period of time. God doesn’t need to sleep. He just keeps going and going and going. The very thought of this should bring us comfort and allow us to get the sleep we need, instead of lying awake worrying. We must turn to the One who never sleeps so that we can!
Because of Christ ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Trees and Houses (Luke 6:43-49)
Whether it is fair or not, we tend to evaluate a person’s character by what they say. The words that come out of our mouths are thought of as a good indication of what we are all about. Jesus has some comments about how words can both expose what is inside of us and/or can be an attempt to deceive others about what’s inside of us. For all of us who follow Him, His words here are convicting. They also help us look honestly in the mirror and bring us to a conscious decision about the things that we say.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY:
Pastor Mark is 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
This month we are partnering with Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries to collect items for our neighbors in need. The food pantry specifically is in need of: laundry detergent, canned meats, cold cereal, jelly, canned hearty soups, spaghetti sauce, and pancake mix & syrup. All donations can be placed in the collection bins at either entrance of the church. Thanks so much!
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 18th and 25th.
GALA FOR GALS:
Get ready to walk the red carpet at our first ever Gala for Gals on Friday, March 13th at 7:00pm! We’ll have lots of fancy treats & desserts, a red-carpet, a photobooth for pics with friends, and of course some fun games and prizes! In a world that elevates the glitz and glamour of the finished product, we often miss what is happening “Behind the Scenes.” So, we’ll take some time to reflect on the many ways God is at work in our lives even when we don’t see it. Feel free to get a little fancy but there’s no required dress code – just come ready for a great night! Please sign-up at Connection Center so we can make sure to save you a spot! Our women’s events are for all women post-high school and up – see Dana Ott with any questions or for more information.
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. The baptism service will be held on Wednesday, March 25th at 7:00. To participate, you’ll need to attend two classes – each will be held after the second service on Sundays March 15th & 22nd. Please sign-up at Connection Center and be sure to grab a book! Any questions can be directed to Pastor Mark.
HOPE’S SPOTIFY:
Did you know we have a Spotify account where you can listen to our current worship set lists? We have weekly playlists that coordinate with what we’re singing on Sundays, as well as a playlists for the whole month! Be sure to check them out on our page: hcfmusic.
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!
MUSIC: March 3rd
Music is everywhere. From movies to shows to commercials, it fills in the spaces around our stories. Many people put in earbuds and listen to music as a backing track for their lives. But should we be intentional about the music we listen to? The Bible talks pretty regularly about our thought life and our choices about what to ‘consume’ intellectually. We are gatekeepers of these inputs. So what should we keep out and what should we let in? And what kind of impact does our music diet have on the well-being of our souls?
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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!
Do you KNOW Jesus?: Current Series
We believe that Christianity, while having some elements of devotion, routine, and sacrifice, is defined by its relationship to Jesus rather than any religiosity. But how do you have a relationship with Jesus? In an increasingly disconnected world it can be hard enough to maintain relationships with people we see on a weekly basis, so how are we supposed to have a flourishing relationship with someone we can’t see? While our relationship with Jesus begins with salvation this series will focus on what comes next. How do we connect with God? How do we speak to him? Hear him speak to us? How do we get to know Jesus better? All students from 6th-12th grade are invited to join us on Sunday nights from 6-8pm as we explore all this and more!
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!
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:
Our WonderZone and GoZone teams are excited to continue sharing Jesus with all of our infants-5th graders alongside of our adult Bible Study on Wednesday nights! Classes open at 6:45pm for all of our HopeKids! Our team can’t wait to continue cultivating relationships, diving into Scripture, and establishing a foundation of faith with all of our little ones!
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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