“What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place will be something you have left behind.” I saw this quote somewhere on social media and it really struck a chord in me. It’s not something we sit and think about all that often, but it’s so true. It brought to mind the magnitude and the importance of leaving behind something of value, something good, something of eternal measure, pleasing to the Lord. How do we accomplish this? First off, we ought to ask God what it is He has specifically for each one of us. Individually we need to have a vision and direction for our lives that comes from God’s hand. “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16) God will always give us direction when we ask. We then need to execute the things that God has set before us. Not all of us are called to do the ‘front & center’ things of God like missionary work or pastoral positions. But God still has things for each of us to do! There are also clear guidelines in Scripture that apply broadly to all of us. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) So you see, it takes very little to leave behind something of value to the Lord. Ask what path He has for us, follow His guidelines and then remember to actually do these things! For me personally, this all becomes easier when I remember that when today is gone, it is gone forever. Whatever I leave behind in its place costs me one day of my life. Pretty good motivation to make sure it’s worth it!
Grateful …. Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
The Greatest Joy (Luke 10:17-24)
What makes you happy? Many people spend their free time chasing the answer to this very question. In fact, it is very common to justify choices by asserting that a specific choice “makes me happy.” Luke stitches together a few statements by Jesus that talk about great joy, full joy, and being blessed. The thread through all of them is that we can find true joy in some things that last. Jesus even makes the point that this joy is greater and more lasting than some joys from spectacular signs. Maybe we all should take a minute to ask ourselves if what Jesus says brings great joy does in fact bring joy to our lives. If He’s correct, it would mean that joy is always available to the people of God. And wouldn’t that be awesome?
FAMILY NIGHTS: Starting Tonight!
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
For the month of August, we averaged $10,308 per week bringing our annual average down to $11,043. This is only the second month this year that we did not meet our annual target of $10,500 per week. As a church family, we also discussed the need to see our giving significantly exceed our target if we are to ever have a new home for Hope. Our need for more space is evident (as evidenced by our plan to add a third service in October). Please pray that God abundantly provides for Hope’s financial needs. And do all that you can to be faithful in sacrificial and generous giving. Let’s allow God to do all that is in His heart for Hope!
SEPTEMBER COLLECTION:
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.
HOPE YOUTH: Donations Needed
Hope Youth is attending the Ocean City Weekend retreat in just a few weeks and needs your help! We’ll be serving students food all throughout the weekend so we’re asking our Hopers if they’d be willing to donate breakfast foods to help make the it possible. Click here to select items to donate. We appreciate your support!
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.
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. 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. Please sign-up at Connection Center. To read more about what it means to become a partner at Hope, click here.
CHRISTMAS CHOIR:
Nothing gets us in the Christmas spirit like singing songs about the greatest gift ever given and we want you to join the fun! The choir is open to anyone in the 9th grade and up and no audition is required. The performance date will be December 13th for all three Sunday services. Due to the limitations of our building, choir rehearsal will be on THURSDAY nights starting October 8th at 7:00-8:30pm and will run weekly for about 10 weeks. There is a sign-up sheet at Connection Center and we need you to start signing up NOW! We are hoping to provide childcare for little ones, so please indicate your need on the sign-up sheet as well. More information will follow, but you can see or contact Dana Ott with any questions!
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!
PASTORAL CONVERSATIONS 2026:
Have you ever thought about giving your life to church or pastoral ministry (lay ministry, part-time, or full-time)? This could suggest that the Lord is calling you, and Hope would like to be a part of that process. Pastor Mark is hosting some conversations this fall. Our discussions will give you a taste of what it means to be in ministry as well as some help in navigating the challenges and realities that come with the calling. We are planning to start these meetings in October. Contact Pastor Mark directly to let him know of your interest and to get answers to any questions you have.
CHURCH BASED SMALL GROUPS:
Did you know we have groups that meet here at Hope all throughout the month for men, women, and recovery? Check out our Small Group page or view the calendar on our Sunday Post to see weekly meetings!
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: This Sunday!
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!
OCEAN CITY RETREAT:
The Hope Youth Ocean City retreat is back for 2026, and this time we are inviting 8th graders to join us! We’ll be heading down to Kull Youth retreat center for a weekend of boardwalk fun, rest, and connection as the new school year gets underway. We are inviting all students from 8th-12th grade to be a part of the unmissable fun and Spirit filled weekend! We’ll be playing games together, enjoying the boardwalk, and learning what it means to rest like Jesus. OCWKND is a tried and true tradition at Hope Youth, one where both longtime friends and core memories are made, so don’t miss out! It all goes down October 9-11th for the low price of $100 – food and transportation included! Payment and permission slip is due October 3rd.
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 Tonight!
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
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.