My husband was watching a sermon on tv and I overheard the pastor quote this verse found in Exodus 19:8 – “The people all responded together, We will do everything the LORD has said.” It stopped me in my tracks and I immediately went to my Bible to look it up. I’ve read Exodus before and didn’t remember seeing this, but there it was. Of course, I highlighted it and began thinking. Could you imagine what our lives would be like if we did everything the Lord asked of us? We know that obedience is often costly, yet we can see how important it is to God in 1Samuel 15:22. “To obey is better than sacrifice….” He wants our obedience more than anything. That’s one way we show our love for Him. Every day we make a choice to live by conviction (obedience) or preference. It’s not always about what we feel like doing. Neither is it about doing something to appease others even if it goes against our convictions. Paul asked this probing question in Galatians 1:10 – “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?” That’s a good question to ask ourselves when we are faced with some sort of social or situational dilemma that requires us to bend to someone else’s standard or stay true to our Savior’s. I love how the Israelites spoke so definitively. There were no caveats or hesitations. If only I would respond the same way! It’s not always easy, but obedience does bring about blessings. “Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:20) Perhaps it would help us to remember that we are missing out on how filled with peace and deeply satisfying our lives could be by not living in obedience to Him!
I belong to Him …. LoisSPIRITUAL CARE
Looking for a Loophole (Luke 10:25-37)
Many people believe that being a Christian is an exercise in rule keeping. Make sure you do all of the right things and avoid all of the wrong things. Jesus famously uses the Sermon on the Mount to demonstrate the real problems with that way of thinking. In this episode, Jesus has someone come to ask what the most important rule is. And Jesus pointedly turns away from rules to a mindset and value system. But the rule-keepers would not be dissuaded so easily, so they tried to figure out exactly where the boundaries were. In response, Jesus tells a very famous parable that has come to define and demonstrate what it means to love God and love our neighbor.FAMILY NIGHTS:
Join us at 6:15pm on Wednesdays 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
Beginning Sunday, October 4th we will move to three new service times: 8:30, 10:00, 11:30.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.
FALL WORK DAY:
We need all hands on deck for our huge church workday on Saturday, October 17th at 9:00A, rain or shine. We will be working on cleaning projects, organizing projects, light maintenance work, and outside landscaping / cleanup. We could use every person who can come for an hour or two and stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of our church family. Sign up today at Connection Center and let us know if you prefer to work inside, outside, or either. When you arrive on that morning, we will have a list of projects and help you get to one that fits what you can do!
GRIEFSHARE GROUP:
We are excited to announce that the start of our new GriefShare support group is getting closer! We will begin Saturday, September 26th at 10:00A here at Hope. Whether your loss was recent or many years ago, you are warmly invited to come find comfort, encouragement, and hope in a caring community. We would be honored to have you be a part of this transformative group. For more information or if you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Gregg.
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 on Friday, October 2nd at 7:00P! 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!
OCTOBER 6TH: When God Doesn’t Answer
As a Christian, one of our great privileges is prayer. We get to talk to the Creator of the universe. And He actually listens. But sometimes, it feels like maybe He’s not listening. Have you ever prayed for something really intensely and over a long period of time, but nothing happens? What’s up with that? Does God listen to some people and not others? Does He tune you out if He’s mad at you? Let’s talk about what we’ve done when it felt like God wasn’t answering our prayers. And let’s see if there’s anything we can learn from Scripture on this.
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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. Open to all 6th-12th graders!
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, Sept 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: 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!
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@
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:
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 on Friday, Sept 25th! 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.)
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For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.