I made an unfortunate first impression on the folks at our local garden center. As I made my way to the cashier with both hands full of flowers, I felt something brushing my arm. I told myself it was nothing, but I could feel the panic rising as I scurried faster and faster to the checkout. Once I rid myself of the flowers, I discovered the culprit. A spider had dropped down on his web from my head (!!!) and was swinging wildly back and forth. I immediately launched into ‘the dance of terror’ and began slapping myself and the air around me. Needless to say, the clerks stared at me in utter shock. I managed to squawk ‘spider’ and then continued to randomly flail my arms around while they rang me up. (This behavior may or may not have continued in the car all the way home.) I was never so glad to leave a place! The embarrassment! The spiders! My one and only chance at making a good first impression was gone. Did you know we only have seven seconds to make a first impression? And you only get one chance at it! Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about first impressions with our heavenly Father. “For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Those ladies at the garden center were only looking at all the crazy that I was presenting. They had no idea what kind of a person I am; they certainly had NO idea what was in my heart! God looks beyond our craziness, our selfishness, our weaknesses, and our sin. God alone knows the condition of our hearts. We can put up any kind of front we want for the world, but God will always see past that. Have you ever been in the spot where you’ve done something with the best intentions, but it fell apart and went wrong? Praise God that He knows our heart! I also believe that we have the chance to make a first impression (so to speak) with God every single day. After all, “His mercies are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:23). So grateful that we serve a God who loves us enough to see deep into our hearts and gives us the chance to begin fresh every single day! As for those folks at the garden center, well I’m just grateful that by the time I visit again next year, they will have forgotten all about me and my crazy spider dance!
Your spider fearing friend…..Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
The Case for Kids
( Matt 18:3, Matt 19:14, John 3:17)
Raising children is not for the weak. With each passing day, what the world throws at young people is more and more difficult to deal with. Children naturally recognize their need for protection, provision and most times, guidance. Today, we will look at how Jesus invites children into his presence and how they model the faith He is looking for from all of us.
VBS CLOSING PROGRAM:
This Sunday morning we’ll get to hear from many of the (over 150!) kids who attended this week’s VBS, as they perform some of the songs from our program! Come out and show your support as they bring all of their energy and passion to the stage and sing out the truths they learned at VBS! Your grown-up heart will surely be encouraged by these little souls!
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
If you are new to Hope in the past six months, we are so glad that you found us! Our leadership team and staff would like to get to know you more. Please join us for coffee and a sweet treat in the kitchen, between services on Sunday, August 9th. We can’t wait to meet you!
GRIEFSHARE GROUP:
MEN’S BREAKFAST:
On the 2nd Saturday of every month, we host a fellowship event for all men post high school. Join us in the GoZone for delicious, hot, FREE breakfast, and a time of devotion and prayer. Get together with brothers in Christ and enjoy this time of community and growth! See you Saturday, August 8th at 8:00am.
ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS:
Great news for supporting our church! We have expanded our payment methods to include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal! Give online at any time – you can even schedule a reoccurring payment. Thank you for your generosity!
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.
BACKYARD BBQ: August 16th
Please join us on Sunday, August 16 from 4:00-8:00pm at Pastor Mark and Dana’s house (6 East Avenue, Clayton, NJ 08312) for dinner, lawn games, swimming, and lots of fun! We’ll grill burgers and hot dogs, and we’ll provide side dishes and drinks. Please sign up at Connection Center and let us know you’re coming – if you can bring a dessert, there’s a spot to include that too. Be sure to bring your bathing suit and towel if you’d like to swim (and throw in a lawn chair if you have one!) Contact Dana at danaott@hopechristianfellowship.org with any questions!
Follow us on Instagram here!
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.
VIDEO GAME NIGHT: This Friday!
Gamers unite at the Hope Youth game night! All students from incoming 6th graders to outgoing 12th graders are invited to join us on Friday, August 7th from 6-8pm right here at Hope for a night of video games and fellowship! With multiple tournaments, free-play stations, and plenty of games to choose from there’s something for everyone! Snacks, prizes, and good vibes included so bring a friend and we will 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.
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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