When I was ten years old, I wanted to go to a concert to see the Monkees. My mom, of course, said no. I countered with the fact that I would go with my friend and tie ourselves together with a rope so we didn’t get separated. Believe it or not, she still said no! When I continued pressing for what would be an acceptable reason, she finally shouted in frustration, “Because I said so!” Looking back, I can now see what I couldn’t then. She wasn’t trying to ruin my life or keep me from having any fun. She loved me. She saw dangers I couldn’t see. She understood consequences I hadn’t lived long enough to recognize. I needed to trust her judgement, but instead I simply thought she was being mean.
How often do we do the same thing with God? He gives us a no to a heartfelt prayer. He doesn’t resolve a situation as quickly as we would like. He allows hardship into our lives. We fret and fume instead of responding like the disciples when Jesus asked them to cast their nets into the sea. “Simon answered, Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5) If Simon had questioned Jesus, can’t you just imagine Him saying ‘Because I said so”?
I want to respond like Simon. To trust God not just when I understand Him, but because I know His heart for me. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….” (Proverbs 3:5) My mom’s ‘because I said so’ came from a place of love and protection. God’s ways also come from love, and His love is perfect. His wisdom is perfect. His timing is perfect. While His purpose may not always be easy to understand, His character is always worth trusting.
Delivered into light…….Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Feeding A Crowd (Luke 9:10-17)
Planning a party can be stressful. Imagine that you are hosting something and you don’t know how many people are coming. What if it could be 50 people – or 100 people – or 1000 people. How do you get ready for something like that? In this story, the disciples didn’t even know that a party was coming – and then Jesus told them to feed everyone. It seems like the disciples thought Jesus was joking at first, mostly because there was no way He could be serious! But Jesus goes on to demonstrate something that echoes into all the places where we feel like we have too little. It is never about what we have. It is always about the One who has us!
SUMMER BIBLE STUDY: Starts Tonight!
Join us Wednesday nights 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: This Sunday!
Mark your calendars for one of our biggest events of the year! Join us on this 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. 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.
MEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE: Playoff Games!
Our Hope team would love for you to come out and support them at their playoff games! Come watch a game on Monday, June 29th at 8:00, July 6th at 6:30, or Friday, July 10th at 8:00P. All games are played at Atkinson Park, Field A2. Show your support and wear our team colors, white and blue!
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!
HOPE YOUTH
Weekly Sunday night Youth Group is on hiatus for the summer.
POOL PARTY: July 12th
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!
GOZONE CLASSROOM UPDATE:
Hey, GoZone Families! To create the best experience for our elementary kids each Sunday, the GoZone classroom will open once all volunteers have arrived and connected with a brief pre-service huddle. Between services, the classroom will temporarily close while our team resets for the next service. Please wait to enter for drop-off until we have removed our new “Hang Tight!” and the doors are reopened. You can help by picking up your child promptly after service so our volunteers have time to reset, connect, and prepare for the next service. Thanks for partnering with us to make GoZone run smoothly each week!
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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