“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) This is one of those verses I’ve always glossed over, taking it simply as the instruction to love God’s people, including those who are hard to love! But today it struck me that there’s more to it. “As yourself.” That begs the question – do we love ourselves? Not in a prideful or selfish way, for Biblical love is not arrogant. It means believing what God says about us. Because if we don’t understand God’s love for us, if we don’t believe we are forgiven, redeemed, and cherished by Him, then loving others can become difficult. We can’t easily pour out what we refuse to receive. When Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, I don’t think He meant for us to skip over the “as yourself” part. If we are harsh, unforgiving, critical, and impatient with ourselves, that can spill over into the way we treat other people. But when we truly understand that God has loved us with mercy, patience, kindness, and forgiveness, we start to see others through that same lens. 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us.” It is only in receiving God’s love for us that we can love others. Not just believing it in theory. Not just saying the right words. But truly receiving and accepting it. Because when we know we are loved by God, forgiven by God, and held by God, that love begins to overflow. And when it overflows, it reaches our families, our friends, our church, our communities, and yes, even the neighbor who may be a little harder to love.
Blood bought… Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
A Sacrificed Savior | Communion
(Luke 9:18-22)
Have you ever thought you saw someone you knew only to realize when you approached them that you were mistaken? Something about what they looked like resembled your friend so much that you were sure it was them. While those misunderstandings are generally low-stakes, the passage we read today is about the highest stakes. Do we recognize Jesus? Some people think they know who He is, but they are mistaken. We will remind ourselves from Luke’s reporting of who Jesus claimed to be and what He came to do.
SUMMER BIBLE STUDY:
Join us Wednesday nights at 7:00P in the GoZone (6:30P for coffee & a sweet treat!) 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
Our Hope team would love for you to come out and support them at their playoff games! Come watch a game on Monday, 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!
MEN’S BREAKFAST:
All men post high school and up are invited to join us on the 2nd Saturday of each month for a great time of fellowship & study. We serve a FREE hot breakfast that is delicious! Our next meeting be July 11th at 8:00, where Hope Elder, Bob Baumiester, will be leading a special devotion. We’d encourage you to come out to hear what he has to share – whether you’ve been to Men’s Breakfast before, or are brand new to Hope!
MEN’S RECOVERY GROUP:
We’re are so glad to now have a Men’s Addiction & Recovery meeting here at Hope! The first meeting will be Monday, July 13th at 7:00P and they will continue to meet on the 2nd & 4th Monday of the month. For any questions, contact Bob Baumiester.
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). All questions about VBS can be directed to our HopeKids! Director Kara May.
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!
PREP NIGHTS:
Join us on Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:00 as we prepare all of our VBS decorations! Many hands make light work. Come ready to craft — we’ll give you all the instructions you need to feel confident!
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!” sign 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.
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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