Waiting for the sun to appear when you’ve had a string of cloudy days can seem like an endless exercise in patience. But you know what we often forget? The sun isn’t really gone; it’s just hidden behind those clouds. If you’ve ever flown through a rainstorm, you know that when the plane breaks through the clouds you are met with brilliant, breathtaking sunshine. So, what we SEE is not always what the reality IS. This is what can happen in our daily walk with the Lord. We see a situation and our limited minds can only conceive of it as hard and fast. Concrete. Absolute. But the Lord is constantly working behind the scenes to bring the best results to our lives. He is the constant ‘Sonshine’; ever present behind the clouds. Even without knowing the details of what He is doing, our faith in Him should give us profound reason to be hopeful. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) We need to believe that God is always at work in our lives, no matter how things appear. We must trust that He not only holds our future in His hands, but our present as well. This is what will bring us peace and encouragement as we go through our lives. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) No matter how cloudy a day (or your life) may look, may it bring you peace to remember that our ‘Sun’, our Savior, is right there behind those clouds, shining His light that cannot be dimmed. In time the clouds will part and His brilliance will burst through. “Other nations will be covered by darkness, But on you the light of the LORD will shine; The brightness of his presence will be with you.” (Isaiah 60:2)
-Looking at the Son, Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Commissioned | Father’s Day
(Luke 9:1-9)
Being a father is a high calling. It takes courage, strength, integrity, and honor. Unfortunately, many of these are in short supply today. But perhaps the greatest secret is that most fathers wonder if they have what it takes to step into all that they want to be as a dad. The ache in our soul is there, but is it possible to find a way to be all of that? What we read today teaches us that Jesus empowers those that He calls. He sends His disciples out on a mission. These men are not Jesus, but they go out and start unsettling everything as they act under His direction and trusting in His power through them. These realities will bring life into the soul of any person overwhelmed with their calling in life.
ATTENTION ALL HOPERS: Special Informational Meeting tonight!
We all know that we have been looking for a new home for Hope. It is clear that we are out of space which is becoming a hindrance to what the Lord is doing at Hope. Pastor Mark and the elders would like to ask that all Hopers join us on tonight, June 17th at 7:00pm in the auditorium for a special information meeting. We will not have other programs this evening, but we would like at least one representative from each Hoper household to be able to come and hear this information. We will try to catch everyone up on the process and the challenges we face in finding a new home. Since we are partners, this is something we all should know about and with this information, we can all act more purposefully and pray more specifically. Join us to find out what has been happening in this vital matter and what we need to do next as a church.
SUMMER BIBLE STUDY: 1 John – Coming Soon!
Join us Wednesday nights starting June 24th at 7:00P in the GoZone (6:30P for coffee & donuts.) We will not have HopeKids Programs for this series. The Book of 1 John provides simple yet profound teaching on what it means to know God and to live in relationship with Him. Christians are challenged to hold tightly to the truth and live in a way that reflects the love of Jesus. Our world is full of ideas about spirituality and morality. But our culture encourages people to mix and match various religions and philosophies to create their own customized worldview. So, does it matter what you believe? Without question—yes. Come join us for this transformative bible study series.
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
Help Kids Alley equip children for a successful school year by donating new backpacks and school supplies for their annual Back to School Rally. This event provides students from underserved families in Camden County with essential tools like notebooks, pencils, crayons, and more—each child receives a fully stocked backpack to start the year with confidence! We will be collecting donations throughout the month of June. Every contribution helps Kids Alley empower children with the resources they need to thrive academically and personally. Donation bins are located in the front lobby and at the back doors of the church. Questions? Please reach out to Wendy Ball or Jodi Jacoby.
ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC: June 28th
Mark your calendars for one of our biggest events of the year! Join us on Sunday, June 28th from 3:00-7:00 for yard games, an epic waterslide, bounce house, and more fun outdoor activities! Then we’ll have delicious FREE dinner at 5:00. But we need your help to make this tremendous event possible! Make sure to sign-up at Connection Center to bring a dish to share, or to help with the activities by signing up to staff the inflatables or serve dinner. You don’t want to miss out on participating in this amazing tradition at Hope!
LADIES SIP ‘N DIP:
Hey ladies! Summer is here and what’s more fun than a pool-side picnic lunch with friends? We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, July 18th from 11:00am – 2:00pm for our Sip ‘n Dip Event at the Baumiester’s home (750 Fairview Ave. Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097). There are two sign up sheets at the Connection Center: one is to let us know that you can attend and the other is for listing any side dish or dessert you’d like to share. We’ll supply water and cold drinks but we’ll need a headcount for set up – so please add your name and join the fun! Remember your bathing suit and towel if you’d like to swim! This is an event for all our ladies post high school and up – hope to see you there! (Contact Dana Ott for more info!)
IT SUPPORT TEAM:
Are you someone with experience in trouble shooting technology? Do you know how to easily set up & connect new devices? We want you to join our new IT Support Team! We are looking to build a team of Hopers to help assist staff & volunteers in the upkeep & management of computer software systems utilized among different ministries at Hope. If you have skills in trouble shooting computers or printers, connectivity issues, start up of new devices or any other useful IT abilities, we would love to have you be part of this team. An informational meeting will be held after second service on Sunday, July 12th to go over more specifics and to answer any questions. You can sign up here, and contact Kelli Rehm with any questions at Kelliarehm@gmail.com.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
JULY 27th-31st: Our Preschool VBS for potty-trained 3-5 year olds takes place in the mornings (9:30am-12:00pm). Our Elementary VBS for K-5th graders runs in the evenings (6:00pm-8:30pm).
VBS CHILD REGISTRATION:
Can you believe that summer is almost here? VBS season is NOW, so get ready for an exciting adventure in the tropical rainforest! This year’s VBS theme is RAINFOREST FALLS, where you will explore the nature of God! Your child will participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, and learn amazing lessons about who God is. It will be an unforgettable week celebrating God with one-of-a-kind Bible Adventures, collecting Bible Memory Buddies, and exploring the wonders of God’s creation. Your family won’t want to miss it so register now!
VBS VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION:
We’re looking for prep night helpers, registration team members, church decorating help, and an energetic group of crew leaders and station helpers who will connect with the kids every day one-on-one! To make this all happen, WE NEED YOU! Our Preschool VBS for our 3-5 year olds takes place in the mornings (9:30am-12:00pm) with volunteers needed each morning by 9:00am. Our Elementary VBS for our K-5th graders runs in the evenings (6:00pm-8:30pm) with volunteers needed each evening by 5:30pm. Come be a part of the fun – sign-up now!
DONATION BOARD:
As we plan and prepare to make an eternal impact in the lives of all who attend, we need support from people like YOU who are willing to donate items for the various activities, games, and decorations that will help inspire and energize the VBS experience! We have various options for items you can donate on the wall by the GoZone, next to the HopeKids! bulletin board—just pick an item, tear off the slip (feel free to take more than one!), and leave your donations in the HopeKids! donation baskets in the kitchen. Thank you for your support!
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!
JUNE 16th: Choices & Consequences
Sometimes life beats us up. Things go wrong and then get worse. We face problems that overwhelm us and feel like giving up (or that we have no choice). This can happen because we live in a broken world that includes sickness, death, and evil. But it also can happen because of choices we make along the way. Our faith addresses both. When you have done nothing to bring the trouble, you can trust God to sustain you and hold you in hope. But, more often, when trouble comes, it is the harvest of something we planted a while ago. Choices have consequences. We see that more clearly as we embrace the wisdom of God’s Word. Let’s take some time to think about how our choices connect to the consequences we face. And then let’s commit to learning how to be intentional about what we plant so that we will enjoy the harvest it brings.
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For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Weekly Sunday night Youth Group is on hiatus for the summer.
POOL PARTY:
The sun is beaming, school is almost out, and summer is finally here! And with it comes Hope Youth’s annual pool party! Join us Sunday, July 12th from 3-6pm for an afternoon of fun in the sun! We’ll be diving into a pristine ground salt water pool, playing plenty of yard games, and chowing down on delicious summer favorites! It’s the perfect way to stay connected with friends and make new ones! Whether you’re leaving 12th grade this summer, going into 6th grade this fall, or anywhere in between you are invited! Bring a swimsuit, bring a towel, bring a friend and meet us at 973 Johnson Rd, Sicklerville. We’ll see you there!
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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