Scam Alert

Earlier this week, the staff at Hope was made aware of a scam targeting our church. Someone impersonating Hope leadership sent emails requesting gift cards from church members. We managed to track this criminal and block them from accessing our information.

This problem is not unique to Hope; every year, millions of churches are targeted for internet scams. These criminals are sophisticated and hard to combat, so everyone needs to take extra precautions with their data.

Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from scams:

1. Check the email address of any suspicious email. All Hope pastors and staff use a @hope4all.church email address. Emails that appear to be from church staff but which use @gmail.com or @yahoo.com should be deleted. Previous scam email addresses include pastormarc.hope@gmail.com and hopepastor@yahoo.com.
2. No Hope pastor will ever collect gift card codes from you. We do not raise funds in this manner. Anyone requesting gift card codes via email "for a special gift" is committing fraud.
3. Delete suspicious emails immediately. Do not engage with the sender. Do not respond in any way.
4. When in doubt, call the church office at (352) 750-2321. Many of the scam emails include the phrase "Do not call, I am unavailable." Please know that a Hope pastor or staff member will never deny you a phone call. Please call the church office if you feel uneasy about any email sent to you.

Thank you for your help as we continue to combat malicious scam, and thank you for reporting suspicious emails to the church office.

Staff Gift Collection

Christmastime is here again, and it is our custom during the holiday season to show appreciation to our pastors and staff for all their fine work throughout the year.

If you would like to thank our staff, you can do so in one of the following ways: your gift can be included in your offering envelope, identified as a "Staff Gift" on the "Other" line, or you can place your gift in a plain envelope marked as "Staff Gift".

You can also give online via our website www.hope4all.church. Select "Other Offerings" and indicate "Staff Gift". Please give your gift by Sunday, December 16.

Ushers Needed for Christmas Eve

We are seeking ushers to assist with Christmas Eve worship at two of our Hope campuses. Specifically, we need ushers for Hope Central Campus at 2:00pm, 8:00pm, and 10:00pm. We are also in need of ushers for Hope Lake Weir Campus at both 6:00pm and 8:00pm.

Ushering is easy and meaningful, and offers an opportunity for spouses to volunteer together. If you have ever wanted to try being an usher, now is a great time to get involved!

If you are interested in ushering, please call the church office at (352) 750-2321 or contact Sara Lush directly at sara@hope4all.church.

Annual Christmas Breakfast

December 15 at 9:00am at Hope Central Campus

It is once again time for the Women of Hope Christmas Breakfast! All men and women are invited to join the festivities on Thursday, December 15 at 9:00 am. Invite your friends and neighbors to join you!

This year's program will be A Choral Blessing with Bonnie Andrus, Chris Colegrove, and Susan Blomenberg-Neiman. Their program will include a variety of Christmas hymns and songs to kick off the Christmas season!

The cost is $5 per person for breakfast. Registration deadline is Monday, December 12 at noon. Questions? Contact Margaret Furlong at (352) 430-5092 or Laura Hultmark at (352) 753-9463.

Also, thank you to all who supported Shepherd’s LightHouse at the November Breakfast. This month we are encouraging you to support Camp E-Nini-Hassee in Floral City, Florida. This camp is for troubled teenage girls 12-18 years of age. Items suggested are shampoo/conditioner (regular size), body lotion, sanitary pads/tampons, colored pencils or colored gel pens, adult coloring books, sketch pads, composition books (no rings).

Dine to Donate at Texas Roadhouse

December 18 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm



Hope Lutheran Church is once again partnering with Texas Roadhouse for a Dine to Donate evening!

If you dine at Texas Roadhouse's Lady Lake location on December 18 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm, they will donate 10% of your total food purchases to Hope Lutheran Church!

Invitations are available at each Hope campus. Click here for the invitation.

Hope's Annual Blue Christmas Service

Sunday, December 18 at 4:00pm - Hope Central Campus

The holidays put pressure on us to be ho-ho “happy”. But for those of us managing grief, loss, or anxiety during the holidays, this season can be less than jolly.

Hope Lutheran Church will hold our annual Blue Christmas: A Service of Hope and Peace on the Sunday before Christmas, December 18 at 4:00pm. 

This is a dignified service without the giddiness of Christmas Eve. We will sing carols, pass the Christmas fire to the singing of “Silent Night”, and find a comforting message together. This service is open to everyone, especially those who have lost loved ones this year, or who are dealing with loss, loneliness, or grief.

Mark your calendar now and join us for this special event. You are also encouraged to invite a friend or neighbor who may be going through a difficult time this season. This event is intended to serve the entire Villages area, so invite anyone who may be in need of a special service.

Christmas Dinner & Ugly Sweater Contest

December 14 at 6:00pm - Hope Central Campus

Menu:

• Baked Black Oak ham
• Sweet potato casserole
• Baked parmesan broccoli
• Creamy cranberry salad
• Roadhouse rolls
• Chocolate peanut butter pie

Cost is $12. Please Note: This event starts at 6:00pm, after the conclusion of the Chrismons service. Remember to wear your best Ugly Christmas Sweater!

Reservations will be taken for dining-in only. There will be no carry-out. Registration closes at noon on December 12.

Local Quilters Bless Hope Food Pantry with Donations

Our Hope Lake Weir Campus Food Pantry received quite the gift on Tuesday!

Representatives from Mamie's Quilters delivered 50+ market bags full of non-perishable food to Hope. The Quilters had been challenged to craft market bags in early Spring and to fill them with donations.

Betty Streich and Patt Reed forged the connection with the quilters, and Anita Dillman partnered with Quilter Project Leader Sue Woodbury to arrange for the donation. We appreciate the servant leadership of all these women! Many local families will be blessed by these donations.

Congratulations Recently Commissioned Stephen Ministers

These dedicated individuals have successfully completed extensive training equipping them to provide Christian care to our congregation and community.

You may know of someone struggling with a difficult situation that could benefit from having an empathetic, non-judgmental person to share with. Usually, the Stephen Minister meets with the care receiver weekly for about one hour. Men are matched with men and women with women.

Holidays can often be rough for those dealing with grief, illness, depression, or any other circumstance that is interfering with normal life. For more information call the church office or contact Kathy Smith at (352) 399-5103 or smithkath@aol.com.

Pictured, from left to right: Linda Susens, Sid Fosheim, Linda Foley, Pamela Sharpe, Sharon Baller, Mary Veraa, and Don Maronde.

Augsburg Confession Class Beginning in November

Pastor Bruce invites you to a 9-week class on Martin Luther's "Augsburg Confession" each Wednesday at 10:00am at Hope Central Campus now through December 28.

The topic of the December 14 class will be "Level Ground." Pastor Bruce asks everyone to read Articles XXI-XXIII (21-23) of the Augsburg Confession in preparation for the class.

The Augsburg Confession is the central confessional document of all Lutherans, not just the ELCA. This class will dive deep into Luther's work and a discussion guide called "A Reading and Discussion Study of The Augsburg Confession." This book is published by Sola Publishing as part of their Book of Concord Series.

The discussion guide will be available for all who register for the class. $5 will be collected at the first class. Questions? Email pastorbruce@hope4all.church. You can also view the Augsburg Confession online for free by clicking the button below.

A Message from Dana Park, Executive Director of Love INC Heart of Florida

Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun. I can’t believe it’s already December. What a wild year.

So many great things to share with you. Trials, tribulation, but most of all, triumph. If we could sit down over coffee I would tell you how much you have meant to me and Love INC. I would tell you that your prayers and thoughts have moved mountains. I would tell you that the church is good. The church loves like no other and while - like everything - it has its flaws, it is still the best institution in the world. God‘s people. I would tell you how I have seen firsthand how they get in the trenches and pull people out one by one. I would tell you how Mr. Gene Blomquist steps up time and time again for whatever we need. I would tell you about Stewart Smith and how he answers the call time and time again. I would tell you about Joe and Ginger Wray, how they serve tirelessly, with all of their heart. How they endure gentle correction and not so gentle correction and how they keep on ticking because they’re working for the Lord. I would tell you about the countless churches, big and small, conservative and not so conservative, and how they’re time and time again loving people and sharing Jesus. 

If we were sitting for coffee, I would ask you - what is your favorite thing about living? What is your favorite thing about the church? How have you seen the church step up this year? If we turn on the TV, we will see a world upside down. But if we look around our community we can see the world as it is and dream of a world that could be better. From where I stand, the world is a pretty great place when we focus on Jesus.

When we focus on unity and mobilizing the church, we see great results. We see families being restored, debt being paid off, healthy babies being born. We see healthy relationships forming and people finding their way to Christ through loving, caring relationships. We see mentors and discipleship happening. We see the example that Christ set before us and we see that it is good. We see that it works. 

As we enter the Christmas season and we remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, let us be reminded of his great example. Not born at the Ritz Carlton, but in a lowly manger. A man who lived a sinless life, suffered and died so that we may have eternal life. That is good news! If we were sitting down for coffee, I would tell you it was that good news which carried me through this year. Richard, my husband, is back to work full-time and fully healed from the events on April 9, 2022. 

When I struggle to see the good in this world, I think of you. I think of your generosity, your caring giving heart, and your love for people. Your example sustains me when life gets a little heavy. Thank you for being faithful and thank you for loving in the name of Christ.

All my best,

Dana

Worship Attendance for December 3-4 2022

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 186

6:00pm = 83

8:00am = 144

10:00am = 317

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 104

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 117

10:00am = 123

Flowers for This Weekend Given By...

Lynn Voelkle, Don Voelkle and Janet Mershimer Voelkle in memory of Bill Voelkle and Jack Mershimer on their birthdays.

Pam Guilmet in loving memory of her husband, Thomas Guilmet.

Submit a Prayer Request

Need Prayer? Submit a prayer request via our hope4all.church website.