WORSHIP OPTIONS
The Bible speaks clearly of the need for God's people to offer worship and praise to God humbly, sincerely, and
regularly.
That last one has been tricky lately, hasn't it? The coronavirus pandemic has certainly disrupted a great many of our regular life patterns, including church attendance.
The people of Hope have two options for regular weekly worship, at the present time. You are welcome to join our worship services remotely via the website, or to join our in-person worship services. If you've been away from worship in recent months, make a commitment to resume regular worship. Your soul needs it, and your church needs you.
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REMOTE WORSHIP
Big news! Each Sunday, a video recording of Hope's 8:00 AM service is available on the church website (
www.hopelutheranwf.org/worship-resources/)
, click on "this week's online service"). Starting this weekend, though, you'll have not one but three options.
3. Watch a recorded version of the 8:00 AM service at any time after 9:30 AM on Sunday.
We love having you participate in the worship service remotely! It's not quite the same as being in church with your fellow Hope members and friends; but it's an effective way to keep your spirit engaged in a worshipful way during these days of the pandemic.
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IN-PERSON WORSHIP
For the past four Sundays, we've averaged just about 300 worshippers in our services. It's gone well so far, and we appreciate that everyone is wearing masks and observing social distancing while in the sanctuary. We very much want to keep our church open, and the safety precautions we're taking are well worth the effort. Besides, the love of Christ motivates our church members to care for and love one another, by helping to maintain the safety and health of all.
Just a reminder for those who are thinking of resuming in-person worship at Hope. Advance scheduling is necessary, as we're functioning with reduced capacity in the sanctuary. We'll make room for everybody, and no one should feel they need to stay home just to make room for others. We'll add more services, if we need to! Whenever you're ready to come back to church services, we ask you to please call the church office or send an email (
lupchurch@hopelutheranwf.org
), by Friday at noon, so that we can make plans for the upcoming weekend's worship services.
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TEN-PERSON COMMUNION SERVICES
Recognizing that some of our Hope members are not going to be able to resume in-person worship services in the near future, we continue to offer ten-person Communion services during the week. Advance sign-up is required (
www.hopelutheranwf.org/worship-resources/
, click on "
sign up for communion services
), and feel free to attend on a weekly basis. This week's services are on Thursday evening or Friday morning. Guests are asked to call the church office to speak to one of the pastors before attending.
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VIRTUAL MINISTRY
While we have been able to provide different options for weekly worship at Hope, most of our other congregational ministry areas are functioning remotely, or virtually. Our children's and youth ministry programs have shifted to online events, and all are welcome. Many of our small groups are meeting online, as are our staff and leadership teams. We've had some great adult Bible study classes online, and daily devotions and study materials are available on the church website (
www.hopelutheranwf.org/worship-resources/
, click on a host of options). Stay involved in your church, and help Hope remain a loving, caring, growing, mission-focused congregation! If you need help navigating the online resources, call the church office.
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OFFERINGS
During these days of the pandemic, our congregation has been hanging in there financially, thanks to the generosity of many of our church members. While certain income sources (preschool, trackout, etc.) have been impacted significantly due to closures, church offerings have remained reasonably stable over the past months. We're keeping expenses as low as possible, and will continue to monitor the church's finances extremely closely in the weeks and months ahead. Your ongoing, faithful support of Hope's ministry is very important, and very much appreciated! For information regarding electronic giving options, visit the website at
www.hopelutheranwf.org/donate
.
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God be with you until we meet again!
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