March 22, 2014

@newhopefulton

Praise and Worship Isabelle Gama !Message

Do As I Say, Not As I... Pastor Jason Decena !Community Life

Marty Chappell (First Service) Christian Moore (Second Service)

Closing Thought Pastor Jason Decena

Worship at New Hope Community at Worship 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. | Kingdom Kids Worship (Rm. 121) 10:30 a.m | Middle School Worship (Rm. 206) 10:30 a.m.

Community Life 2 !!!The Body of Christ Needs You 3 !!Family Tools 4

connect. serve. grow.

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Today’s Message"Do as I say, not as I do." We’ve heard it before, and maybe we’ve even said it before. But is that really the best way to live? Are we called to something different, something deeper? Today, we take a look at a short story about saying, doing and the connection between the two. Use the sermon notes inside to follow along during Pastor Jason’s message!

community life !Welcome to New Hope! We're here to help you grow in your spiritual journey. This page highlights some exciting ways for you and your family to make meaningful connections and grow your relationship with God.  !If there is anything we can do to support you on your journey, let us know. !!Church Office Hours Mon-Thu 9a-5p, Fri 10a-2p !Phone/Text Message 410-541-6394 !Email info@lookingforachurch.org

march march april

22 EASTER AT NEW HOPE Choir Practice Rm. 206, 2 p.m.

Cast Rehearsal Worship Center, 2:30 p.m.

Find additional rehearsal times, opportunities to serve and other details at easteratnewhope.com/schedule.

29 New Hope Young Adults potluck. Come with a friend and bring your favorite dish to share! More details: info@youngadultsconnect.com.

6 Registration is now open for the spring soccer session of Sports on Sunday. The eight-week season begins (postponed from March 23). Cost: $50 per child. Practices: Sundays, 9-10:30 a.m., at Cross Creek Community Park in Beltsville, Md. Register today at www.sportsonsunday.org!

26 Ignite your prayer life and deepen your relationship with God, 7:30 p.m., at the church. ‘What's so Amazing about Grace’ by Phillip Yancey is our focus.

29 The new small group for high school girls next meets March 29 for lunch and an afternoon gathering. Pick up more info at the Ask-Me Desk, contact Pastor Ann at info@lookingforachurch.orgor text 301-741-1926.

12 Save the Date for Communion! The Seventh-day Adventist Church practices open communion and all Bible-believing Christians are welcome to participate. 

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CHURCH LIFE Welcome, guests! We’re glad to have you here today. You can find out more about New Hope in Seven Minutes or Less, a brief information session after today’s worship service by coming to the first two rows in the front left of the worship center!

Watch the worship service rebroadcast Sundays (11 a.m.), Wednesdays and Fridays (7 p.m.) at lookingforachurch.org.

Request your tithe and offering receipt: text RECEIPT with your full name and email address to 410-541-6394, or email myreceipt@lookingforachurch.org.!

Join the New Hope Church community! Come to the Entrance to New Hope class, March 29, 1:30 p.m. Lunch and child care provided. Register: lookingforachurch.org, text MEMBERSHIP and your email address to 410-541-6394, or call Lynne at 301-854-1866. Deadline to register is March 24. !

Chadash, a women's prayer group, meets April 5, 9:30 a.m., in Room 111. !

FAMILY MINISTRIES www.newhopelovesfamilies.com!

The children's Bible lesson for today is in John 4, “Jesus Talks to the Samaritan Woman.” Children learn that God loves everyone. Parents, you can continue the Bible lesson discussion at home: See the back page for family tools.

A Bible study for middle school youth begins March 29, 10:30 a.m., Room 208. This study is designed to help youth make the decision for baptism. For schedule info, contact Pastor Ann at 301-741-1926 or  annroda@lookingforachurch.org.

A new small group for high school girls next meets March 29 for lunch and an afternoon gathering. Pick up more info at the Ask-Me Desk, contact Pastor Ann at info@lookingforachurch.org or text 301-741-1926.

YOUNG ADULTS www.youngadultsconnect.com !

Connect, a Bible study group just for young adults, meets Sabbaths from 11 a.m. to noon in the portable building. More info: info@youngadultsconnect.com

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Next Sabbath 9-10:30 a.m. !

All children's Sabbath School classes will combine into one family group for a special morning of fun, 9-10:30 a.m. in the upstairs hallway. !Fifth Sabbath gives our teachers a well-deserved break and is a wonderful opportunity for families to spend time together doing crafts, games and other activities. !Don't miss it!

Sports on Sunday Starts April 6! Haven't signed up your child for the spring season of our co-ed sports league? There's still time! The eight-week soccer season starts Sunday, April 6. Practices run from 9 to 10:30 a.m. each week. Cost: $50 per child. All kids in grades K-5 are welcome!

Visit sportsonsunday.org for more information and to register online.

YOU

! By Pastor Ann Roda

When I shop at My Organic Market (MOM), an employee always carries my bags out to the car. It does not matter how many bags I have, how far away I am parked, what the weather’s like or whether the employee is a stock clerk or general manager; someone will always insist on carrying my bags. One day, I asked an employee about this policy. !“It’s not policy,” she said. “We just like to do this to thank our customers for shopping with us.” !“What a wonderful culture you have,” I replied. !She smiled and said, “We just want to serve you. It’s who we are.” This young lady was telling me that being part of MOM means having a heart of service. Everyone serves. As the body of Christ, we are called to serve one another in practical ways with the gifts God has given us. As we do, the body grows and becomes stronger. “All of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Service is essential to the growth and health of the body of Christ — the church. But the reality is that so few members of the body serve.

If one part of our bodies, such as the lungs, doesn’t function, the entire body suffers. If our lungs are independent from the rest of our body, we will die. So too with the body of Christ. If one part doesn’t function, the entirety suffers. Perhaps this is why many Christian churches do not grow and eventually die: Not everyone is serving — or willing to serve. Yet we are called — even commanded — to serve (Galatians 5:13)! And Paul commands it because he knows how essential your service is, and that the body will suffer and die if each of us does not do his or her part. The body of Christ needs you! “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

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BODY

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MORE INFO mynewhopechurch.com/serve

or Text SERVE

to 410-541-6394

We finally arrived at the orphanage. We were dusty, hot and bruised after traveling more than two hours on unpaved roads.

A group of 40 children of all ages, residents of the orphanage, were standing in rows, welcoming us with a special song in Creole. They were smiling and singing with gusto. They ended the song with, “Welcome, welcome, welcome, we are glad you are here,” then rushed to give us all hugs and well wishes. Each one of us had six or seven children hanging from our arms and legs. It made standing, let alone walking, quite difficult, as they clung to our limbs.

The group of children surrounding my husband, Jose, suddenly all shouted something that sounded urgent. Immediately, all the other children let go of the rest of us and converged on him, almost knocking him to the ground. Forty pairs of hands were grabbing Jose’s hands and shrieking with fright and wonderment. They were wide-eyed as they examined his two-toned hands. They had never seen hands affected by vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a skin condition involving the loss of pigment. This can result in white or light patches on the skin. Sometimes the pigment loss is minimal, resulting in very little skin tone difference between the pigmented and depigmented skin. At times the pigment loss is complete, revealing bright white patches on the skin, made more obvious if it occurs on a dark-skinned person. Vitiligo may affect a small area of skin or cover large areas of the face, torso and limbs. There is no known cure, and it is not contagious.

The children surrounding Jose were very curious about his hands. Then, they were afraid of him, letting go of them and backing away.

In the midst of all the children was a little boy who seemed to be going toward Jose instead of away from him. His name was Jon-Du-Luc. He grabbed both Jose’s hands, rubbed the skin vigorously, then he put them to his own cheeks and smiled. Jose bent down to speak to him and Jon-Du-Luc jumped onto his lap. Jon-Du-Luc was not afraid.

Soon the rest of the other children followed and drew close. Jon-Du-Luc was blind. He could not see the difference on Jose’s skin, but he could feel that it was just like his own.

God loves us so much, He does not see the horrible lumps, bumps and bruises of our character; He does not see the stains of sin on our hands; He does not see the ugliness of our thoughts nor does he hear the venom from our mouths.

Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, God continues to love us with an unfailing love because we are His own.

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!The Back Page follows the Bible lessons that children and youth are studying and serves to help kids and adults continue the spiritual discussion at home and establish patterns of a devotional life.

Thought for the Week !God’s Daily Word Use the following passages to explore more insights into the unconditional and unfailing love of God.

SUNDAYPsalm

139:13-14, 17-18

MONDAY Ephesians 3:16-21

TUESDAY Jeremiah 1:4-5; Jeremiah 31:3

WEDNESDAY Psalm 36:5-7; Psalm 136:26

THURSDAYEphesians

2:4-5; Romans 5:8

FRIDAY 1 John 4: 9-11, 16

Ann Roda

Pastor for Families

annroda@lookingforachurch.org

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!MYNEWHOPECHURCH.COM/GIVE

Weekly Challenge Read Psalm 139. What gives you confidence that God loves you for who you are?!

For the Family Talk to your children about what it means to love and accept others. Use stories in the Bible where Jesus encountered unlikable individuals and loved them anyway (Matthew the tax collector, Zacchaeus, Romans soldiers, Peter). Have your kids make a list of kids they know who are unlikable. As a family, pray for those kids every day.

Find us: 12350 Hall Shop Road, Fulton, MD 20759 !Call us/ send a text message: 410-541-NEWH (6394) !

Email us: info@lookingforachurch.org !Visit us online: www.lookingforachurch.org

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Monthly Goal

Received in Feb.

Received to Date

Goal to Date

Tithe 61,617.30 184,998.63 !Church Budget ($41,855.41)

32,955.18 56,234.88 77,702.50

Mortgage ($13,623)

7,805.75 12,576.32 27,246.00

FEBRUARY GIVING REPORT ($)