When I was little, I was afraid of the wallpaper that adorned our stairway. It was a bucolic pattern of sheep and their shepherd, some little trees and a stream. It must have been a popular pattern back in the 40’s. More specifically, I was afraid of this one particular sheep. Right where his mouth would be was what looked to me to be a gaping hole – just ready to eat me up! In reality, it was simply a hole left from when my dad moved the banister up a notch. But to my four year old eyes it looked enormous! Now mind you, I had to pass that monstrous sheep every night on my way to bed. When I got to the part of the stairs where he loomed waiting for me, I would cross to the other side. My mom always yelled at me to ‘hold the railing!’ No way was I going to allow that sheep easy access to my tender fingers! I never did tell her what I was so afraid of. I’m sure she would have had a good laugh, and then found a way to reassure me. This all came to mind just recently when I made the connection between those sheep, that shepherd, and my relationship with Jesus. How ironic that, as a child, I was so terrified of that scene and now, as an adult, that scene perfectly represents the believer’s relationship with Jesus, our Good Shepherd. He stands guard over us. Protects us. Leads us to still waters. Gives rest to our souls. Comforts us. Takes us down the right paths. (From Psalm 23) All these things were what my little soul needed as a child. That wallpaper should have been a reminder of who Jesus is. Instead, it instilled a great fear! It makes me sad that I did not know Jesus as a child. But it makes me SO happy that I have a church determined to make sure every single child knows about Jesus and His love. We at Hope believe nothing is more important than reaching our little ones for Christ. I am so thankful for this and am certain that if one of our little Hope kids saw that scene, they would certainly know what it meant!
Jesus is our Good Shepherd ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Jesus’ Authority (Luke 7:1-10)
A Word from Assistant Pastor Candidate Gregg Buzzelli
Who is in charge? In any formal situation, that is a question that demands an answer right away. At work, you need to know who is in charge of what you will be doing. In homes that effectively raise children, it must be clear that the parents are in charge. When people reject this concept, chaos reigns. For God’s people in Jesus’ time, they believed that they were acknowledging God’s authority by taking His law seriously. But then God Himself in human flesh shows up and they try to bring Him under the authority of the law as they understood it. This ultimately led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Luke takes a chapter here to demonstrate the authority that Jesus actually has. In this first episode, we see that surrendering to and honoring Jesus’ authority in our lives – even in matters of huge importance – will bring God’s power into our lives.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: New Series!
Join us on Wednesday nights in March for a brief walk through the Psalms. These lyrics have been precious to God’s people for thousands of years. We are going to start by looking at some basic background so that we understand how this book of the Bible got to us today. We will also look at the different types of Psalms we find in Scripture. Then, we will (as time allows) look at a few of them more closely. Let’s learn about this Biblical hymnbook together. 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 February we averaged $10,431 per week bringing our annual average up to $10,172. The giving to building fund averaged $344 per week. Our giving for this month is almost at our annual target of $10,500. This coming Sunday, we are presenting Gregg Buzzelli as a candidate for Assistant Pastor. This highlights the need for us to meet and exceed our target this year. Please pray with us for God’s provision through every Hoper giving faithfully, sacrificially, and generously to fuel God’s work at Hope.
TRUE WOMEN’S BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN:
It’s time to make a small sacrifice that creates a big impact! Pick up a baby bottle from the back of the auditorium, fill it with your spare change (cash or checks welcome too!), and help support the life-affirming work of our local mission, True Women’s Center. Every coin adds up to provide care, resources, and hope for families in our community. We love partnering with TWC and are thankful for this annual opportunity to show our support! Please return your filled bottle to the table at the back of the auditorium by March 29th.
NEW TO HOPE RECEPTION: This Sunday!
If you’re new to Hope within the past six months, our elders and staff would like to get to know you better! Please join us on Sunday, March 8th in between services in the kitchen. No need to sign-up, just show up! We’ll have hot coffee and some sweet treats to share. Bring your family and let’s chat!
GALA FOR GALS: Sign-up Now!
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.
SPRING CLEANING:
We need all hands on deck for our huge Spring Cleaning event on Saturday, March 21st 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!
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!
THE DATING GAME: March 18th
We have all kinds of relationship statuses in Young Adults. We have single people, couples who are dating, and married folks. That reality gives us such an advantage to talk about dating. Those who are not currently dating have a unique and important perspective on the topic as well as a chance to make decisions with a clear head about how they will approach their next relationship. Those who are dating can give a report from the field about the real-time challenges and choices that come while dating. And those who are married can look back with 20/20 vision and assess what they learned (or wish they had learned) in the process. There’s also the truth that all of us probably will have to help our children navigate these waters someday. So this is an important discussion that will help us all see more clearly as we look at it together. Join us and help us sort out this important topic!
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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!
HUNGRY FOR CHANGE: New Series
Giving to those in need is more than just a nice gesture and more than good deed, it is the outflow of a key teaching of Jesus, one he reiterates and models throughout the gospel of Luke. In this series, as we prepare our hearts for the Hungry for Change mission project, we will be exploring Jesus’ teachings to give to those in need, understanding what core aspect of Jesus’ mission that this action flows out of, and learning how we can apply it to our daily lives. Join us as we sit at the feet of Jesus and learn how we can be Hungry for Change on Sunday nights starting March 1st at 6pm.
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.”
HUNGRY FOR CHANGE: Missions Event
Hope Youth is serving Woodbury this spring with its Hungry for Change mission project! Hope Youth will be collecting sponsorships and dry goods as they prepare their hearts and minds for an overnight fast and fellowship event. There are two twists this year, as for the first time ever we will be partnering with other local churches in the area as well as donating all of our proceeds to Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries! The event will take place at First United Methodist Church of Collingwood from 5:30pm on Friday April 17th until 1pm on Saturday April 18th. To be admitted, students must raise a minimum of $50 and collect 10 dry good donations. All students from grades 6th-12th are invited to be a part of this powerful mission seeking to serve those in need in our own backyard! Don’t miss out on the fun and fellowship as we serve God and Woodbury. Students can learn more and sign-up here!
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!
WONDERZONE EASTER JAM:
Our annual WonderZone Easter Jam event is coming up on Saturday, March 28th from 10:00am-Noon! We are so egg-cited to welcome all of our WonderZone-aged children (infants-PreK) and their grownups for songs, games, crafts, the Easter story, the Easter Bunny — and even an outdoor Easter egg hunt (weather-permitting)! You won’t want to miss the fun!! Click here to sign-up today!
GOZONE EASTER JAM:
This year, we will be hosting all of our elementary schoolers (K-5th graders) and their grownups for an egg-stra special GoZone Easter Jam on Saturday, March 28th from 2:00-4:00pm! We’ll have music, games, crafts, and some fun competition as we dig into the story of how Jesus died for us and the good news of His resurrection! Sign up for the fun here!
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For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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