I can already see it happening; autumn is coming. I can see how the leaves on the trees have lost their bright green luster of summer and have begun to look just a little bit faded, as though they are tired of holding on to their vibrancy. I’m nowhere near ready to release my grip on summer, yet I know I must. The process of releasing or giving something away requires us to unclench our fists and expose our palms, which postures us to be able to receive from God. When the Lord asks us to release (you fill in the blank), it’s because He has something even greater to put into our open hands. I have to trust that He has something even better than beach days, warm summer nights, and all the family fun that goes along with summer.
God created four different seasons for us; two of them are mentioned in Psalm 74:17 CEV -“You made summer and winter and gave them to the earth.” He alone is also the One who orchestrates their beginning and end. No matter how badly I want summer to last a little longer, there is nothing I can do to make that happen! Daniel 2:21 affirms that it is God alone who does that. “He (God) changes the times and seasons…” We cannot force the leaves to remain green and stay on the trees. We cannot make the winter snow give way to the spring rains any sooner. However, we can trust that everything will change at the appointed time, according to the Master’s divine plan. This year, I fully need to embrace that and stand before Him with palms open, ready to receive the blessings He has for me in all the upcoming seasons.
“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT) ~ Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
The Cost of Rejection (Luke 10:1-16)
Jesus came to give an invitation to every person on earth. He gave His very life so that they could be redeemed, forgiven, and have eternal life. The restoration of God’s original design and the desire of His heart is made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice. But most people reject this offer. Somehow, they believe they are better off without Jesus. As Jesus sends out His messengers to share this news (with some amazing power), He warns them that they will face rejection. He tells them what is at stake for those who turn away from this offer. This is a sobering truth that we don’t often want to see, but it is clear from Jesus that there is a destination for anyone who pushes away what Jesus came to bring.
FAMILY NIGHTS: Coming September!
We’re so excited to announce that starting Wednesday, September 9th we’ll be having fall Family Nights here at Hope! Join us at 6:15pm for FREE dinner for the whole family before we head into our classes at 7:00pm. We know weekdays can be hectic with school and work – so consider your Wednesdays taken care of! Come feed your stomach and your soul! We’ll have HopeKids! Programs for all our our little ones, starting from nursery up through 5th grade. Hope Youth will also have a class for our teens.
BIBLE STUDY: And When You Pray
Does prayer ever feel like a burden or an unfulfilling duty? Join us for a 4-week Bible study beginning September 9th at 7:00pm as Pastor Gregg digs into scripture and helps us rethink what it means to talk with God and discover the purpose, benefit, and joy behind our prayers.
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
This month, we are collecting toiletries for Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries. Donations may include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, and other personal-care items. Donations can be placed in the bins located at the front and back of the church. Thank you for helping support local families in need!
HOPEKIDS! VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY:
We are excited to be kicking off Family Nights & HopeKids! programs (infant-5th grade) on September 9th! We’d love to invite you to connect with our kids during our midweek services, pointing them to Christ and helping set the foundation of faith that has lasting impact! We have space for additional team members across all teams: Nursery 1, Nursery 2, Preschool, GoZone, and a brand new Registration Team to welcome the many families who attend! Sign up here to take a turn once a month with our kids this fall!
NEW TO HOPE CLASS:
If you’ve recently visited or started attending Hope, we want to invite you to join us for a Wednesday night hosted by Pastor Mark & Dana, and designed especially for you! We have a New to Hope Class from 7:00-8:00P on September 16th where we will answer your questions, introduce our ministry, and get you started on knowing your way around Hope. Please sign-up at Connection Center to let us know you’re planning to join us. Don’t miss this helpful and fun night!
PARTNER CLASSES:
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 officially join us. 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. We are now offering our partner classes on September 23rd, 30th, and October 7th at 7:00P. The classes will cover the way our church functions as well as what we believe. Current partners are also encouraged to attend! Please sign-up at Connection Center. To read more about what it means to become a partner at Hope, click here.
COFFEE & CANDLES:
Hey Ladies! You’re invited to a our “Coffee & Candles” evenT! Our very own Lesley Russell (whose shop, Simply Nestled, features 100% non-toxic soy candles) will be walking us through the steps and teaching us to make a candle of our own! The cost for this evening of fun is $25 and you’ll need to PAY HERE by September 27th (no exceptions!) to save your seat. We want to include as many as possible, but space for this will be limited so please don’t delay. We’ll have a latte & coffee bar to enjoy too. Our Women’s Events are open to anyone post-high school and up, feel free to invite a friend!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 each month at 7:00P!
The Stories We Believe: Sept 15th
Social media stories are everywhere and can certainly eat up chunks of time if you get lost in them. We love stories. Movies and shows are grounded in the unrelenting interest and attraction that we have for a good story. But perhaps we never consider how the stories we listen to affect our worldview and value system. Every story is grounded in ideas of good and evil as well as an assessment of what really matters most. Have you ever asked yourself how much you are being influenced by the stories you tune into? Let’s see if God’s Word can help us recognize some of the ways we can keep ourselves grounded in what actually matters. How should we approach the things culture is currently discussing?
Follow us on Instagram here!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Youth Group meets weekly on Sundays from 6:00-8:00P beginning September 13th. Open to all 6th-12th graders!
YOUTH GROUP KICKOFF: September 13th
Hope Youth is coming BACK! We had such an amazing summer but we couldn’t be more thrilled to get back together and back in the Word with you! That’s why we’re starting the year off in style with a night FULL of team competition. We’ll duke it out in a series of exciting challenges as students learn about commitment to community this year! Kona Ice will be free for everyone who attends, but our winning team will get their choice of treat while everyone else will get to enjoy a free kiddie cup. All students from 6th-12th grade are invited to be a part of this epic comeback. Bring a friend and we will see you there!
MIDDLE SCHOOLER MADNESS:
Hope Youth chaos returns with our second annual Middle Schooler Madness night! A party made specifically for 6th-8th graders full of crazy competitions, wacky activities, and fun foods! Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones on Friday, September 25th from 7-8:30pm in the GoZone! 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.
WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAMS: Starts September 9th
We are so excited to have HopeKids! programs up & running again for infants through 5th graders during Family Nights this fall. We can’t wait to snuggle and care for your infants, build connections and set the foundation of faith with your preschoolers, and engage your elementary schoolers in activities to build their Biblical literacy. As we jump back into our midweek programs, all K-5th graders are encouraged to bring their Bibles each week to earn prizes and learn how to read from Scripture themselves! Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity in the middle of your week to teach your kids to prioritize their faith!
GOZONE WORSHIP NIGHT:
All GoZone! kids (K-5th graders) and their grown-ups are invited to join us for our first ever GoZone Worship Night! We’ll have an awesome time of worship, focusing our hearts on our amazing God, and even participate in a special prayer activity as we kick off the new school year! Sign up here to let us know you’ll be there! (Please note: There will be no WonderZone (0-5) programs during this event.)
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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