I asked my grandson a question – What makes you happy when you feel sad? He didn’t even hesitate for a moment. He replied, “A snuggle” without even glancing up from what he was doing. He tossed it out there so quickly and so casually as though, of course that is the correct answer for everyone! If only it were so simple for grownups. I’m sure you’re all aware how we often find ourselves chasing happiness down the wrong paths. Well, we don’t need to! Scripture has some pretty clear instructions for us. Interestingly enough, these are some of the same principals you will see promoted in the secular advice world. One of the most often sited is to focus on other’s needs rather than your own. “People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves.” (1 Corinthians 10:24 GLT) and “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4). Did anyone else learn this little acrostic for joy: J-Jesus, O-others, Y-yourself. The happiest people are those who, once they have come to know Jesus, live to minister to others as Jesus would. Truly, nothing can make you feel better faster than helping someone else. (Well, a hug wouldn’t hurt either!) I could probably write an opening each week just focusing on the different remedies for finding happiness; I’d like to list all the ones I’ve found here but that would take up far too much room! I’ll just leave you with one more tip – if you’re serious about finding more joy in your life, read the book of Philippians. It’s called the book of joy because the Apostle Paul repeatedly writes about gladness, triumph, and rejoicing despite being locked in a Roman prison. Start there, and find someone to give a hug to or get a hug from!
Thankful for the cross…..Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Prayer (Luke 11:1-13)
One basic of following Jesus is prayer. Of course, all religions have a form of prayer. Many in certain forms of Christianity think that you need to recite prayers or that the prayers of certain people matter more than others. Jesus actually taught on prayer and gave an example of how to do it. In Luke, His sample prayer is followed by some very important ideas on the topic. As we think about our own prayer lives, Jesus’ words give us a strong foundation so that we stay grounded in our understanding and so that we pray the way that Jesus invites us to.
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’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
We’re closing out our study in prayer tonight! Does prayer ever feel like a burden or an unfulfilling duty? Join us 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 this Sunday, October 4th we will move to three new service times: 8:30, 10:00, 11:30
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST:
As our church continues to grow, we have started the process of purchasing a trailer to increase our classroom space. We are asking Hopers to please partner with us in prayer as we navigate this acquisition and all that comes with expansion!
SMALL GROUPS: Join Now!
At Hope, we believe that relationships with other believers is essential to growing in our faith. One important way we pursue these relationships is through our Small Groups. We offer both church & home based groups for women, men, young adults, married couples and more! To join an existing group, or to host, visit our Small Group page!
IT TEAM MEMBERS NEEDED:
We are looking to add volunteers to our team who have skills in trouble shooting technology. Specifically, we need people willing to partner with us on Sunday mornings, helping to ensure all of the technology we use is functioning properly prior to service starting. If you have any relevant skills in this area, reach out to Kelli Rehm to get started!
WOMEN OF HOPE KICKOFF:
Monday, October 5th from 6:30-8:00P for all Ladies Post High School
We’ll begin a video series by Lisa Harper called “Perfect Love” on pursuing intimacy with an invisible God even when we don’t feel worthy of his love. Please join us to learn, pray, fellowship, and connect!
CHRISTMAS CHOIR: Last call to sign-up!
The performance date will be December 13th for all three Sunday services. 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. Contact Dana Ott with any questions!
FALL WORK DAY:
Saturday, October 17th at 9:00A
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 at Connection Center and let us know if you can work inside, outside, or either.
MARRIAGE CONFERENCE:
Saturday, October 24th from 9:30A-2:30P
All married & engaged couples are invited to this FREE one-day marriage conference led by Pastor Gregg & Denise Buzzelli designed to encourage, strengthen, and prepare relationships for a hope-filled future. We will provide a continental breakfast and lunch. Register here to secure your spot. Please note: there will not be HopeKids! programs or childcare for this event.
BAPTISM SERVICE:
Wednesday, November 11th at 7:00P
Baptism is an important symbolic opportunity to declare your testimony, and decision to follow Christ, in front of the church body. To participate, you’ll need to attend two classes – each will be held after the third service on Sundays, November 1st & 8th. Please sign-up at the front of the auditorium and be sure to grab a book! Any questions can be directed to Pastor Mark.
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!
OCEAN CITY RETREAT:
October 9-11th for 8th-12th Graders
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’ll be playing games together, enjoying the boardwalk, and learning what it means to rest like Jesus. The cost is $100 – food and transportation included! Payment and permission slip is due October 3rd.
OCWKD: 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@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:
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!
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
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