I’ve been ‘accused’ of being obsessed with taking photos, but it’s not that. I’ve come to realize it’s more about being obsessed with remembering. Our heavenly Father knew the importance of remembering the wonderful things in our lives. “He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.” (Psalm 111:4) A photograph captures a moment in time that will never come again. I take the picture not because I’m afraid to let a moment pass, but because I understand how easily it disappears.
They say if you want to know what matters to someone, look at what they photograph. If I follow that line of reason, I have two clear subjects. Family – “Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.” (Psalm 127:3) and God’s creation – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Taking the picture can make me a keeper of time. A story collector. A memory maker. Because I don’t want to be the only one remembering. When I am long gone from this earth, my hope and prayer is that seeing those photographs will spark memories of their own in the generations to come. “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
Remembering all that God has done……and given ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Don’t Stumble (Luke 7:18-23)
Falling as an infant or toddler is a part of life. Falling as an elderly person can mean the end of your life. Not all falls are the same, but all of them stop our forward progress. Jesus uses the picture of stumbling to describe what can happen when a person looks at Jesus but misses out on the Good News. That is the most catastrophic fall of all time. Instead of recognizing the One who can save and heal, they mistake Him for just another teacher or (even worse) a mythological figure from ancient times. Some in Jesus’ day were in danger of tripping. In fact, John the Baptist sends messengers to Him. John and his followers are trying to sort out what they are seeing and figure out what they need to do because of it. Let’s learn from their question and Jesus’ challenge.
Please note: this Sunday we will be extending two special giving opportunities beyond regular church contributions, as we present our team of Hopers traveling to South Africa for a mission trip, and as our teens put on a Bake Sale to support their Hungry for Change event. Please pray and consider financially supporting either (or both) of these opportunities!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Psalms
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.)
BAPTISM SERVICE:
Baptism is an important symbolic opportunity to declare your testimony, and decision to follow Christ, in front of the church body! Join us on Wednesday, March 25th to show support for our brothers and sisters in Christ as they take this next step in their faith journey. We’ll have coffee, donuts, and fellowship at 6:30 before we begin with worship at 7:00. We will have HopeKids! Programs for our preschoolers (0-5).
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
Please help us welcome Gregg Buzzelli as our new Assistant Pastor. We all believe that God has brought Gregg to us as the answer to our prayers for a man to fill this vital role. Please pray with us as he and Denise assimilate into our Hope family. Also pray for the relocation process from Maine to New Jersey. This addition to our staff will help us catch up to the needs of a growing and thriving church. Let’s all commit to partner with Gregg through encouragement and faithful financial support for Hope. We believe that greater things are still to come!
NEW PARTNERS:
We’re excited to extend a warm welcome to the newest partners in our Hope family: Frank Alibrando, Stephen Humeniuk, Elijah & Kelli Rehm, Irene Riddell, and Joanne Bowman. 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!
SPRING CLEANING: This Saturday!
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.
HOPE IS HEADING TO SOUTH AFRICA:
Nine of our Hopers will be traveling this August to serve alongside Josh, Jackie, and Caleb Frankeas at Restoring Hope Village. We go excited, expectant, and deeply aware that we don’t go alone — we go as a church family. On Sunday, March 22nd, we’ll be collecting a special offering to help support this mission. We would be so grateful for your prayers and financial support as our church family sends us out. There will be an opportunity at each service to give by check, cash, or PayPal. We’re excited (and humbled) to be part of what God is doing there — sharing the love of Jesus, serving with open hands, and learning as much as we give. Whether you’re going across the globe or cheering us on from home, we’re in this together. Thank you for being part of the journey! For more information, or to find out how best to support, contact Jodi Jacoby.
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.
EASTER AT HOPE:
This year we’ll be having three identical Easter Sunday services: 8:00a, 9:30a, and 11:00a. There will be coffee and free donuts before the start of each service, beginning at 7:45. We’ll also be having a Good Friday service at 7:00P with special music, scripture reading, and communion. HopeKids! programs will be available for all ages. Flyers are available in the lobby to spread the word and to invite your family and friends! You can also share our post on social media!
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!
MONEY: April 7th
In this stage of life, most of us don’t have a ton of money. We have plenty of financial stress and needs, but we’re either just starting out in our working career or we’re still borrowing a ton of money for our education. If we don’t choose to think differently, money (or the lack of it) seems to define the quality and stress level of our lives. But what if we are developing unhealthy ideas about money without even realizing it? The patterns we allow now will stick with us until we confront them and change them. So, let’s take a night and look at some of the basic ideas about money that we find in God’s Word. Maybe we will find that we don’t have to live like money has as much power as everyone seems to think.
Follow us on Instagram here!
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: Current 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.
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!
BAKE SALE: This Sunday!
Hope Youth is raising money for Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries with their Hungry for Change mission project, and you can help with your wallet and your sweet tooth! Students will be selling a variety of baked goods before and in between both services on Sunday, March 22nd and all proceeds will be going to the GWCM food pantry! Help us make a difference in our own neighborhood and consider supporting the Hope Youth Bake Sale!
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!
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.