February 24, 2023

Access This Weekend's Handout Online

The Making Abundant Life Known team has issued a handout for this weekend! You can collect your handout at church this weekend, or click the link below to view it digitally.

Looking for a past handout? You can find them all on our Capital Campaign webpage at hope4all.church/capital-campaign-2023 or by clicking the link below.

Reception for Pastor Keith Koppenhofer This Sunday at Hope Central Campus

Hope's beloved Pastor Keith Koppenhofer, part of our Pastoral Care team, has announced his retirement.

To celebrate him and his family, we will be having a reception during the Fellowship time between worship services (around 9:00am) at Hope Central Campus this Sunday, February 26. All are invited to attend!

We at Hope are deeply grateful for Pr. Keith and his generosity in sharing his many gifts with our congregation. We are blessed by his ministry and look forward to worshiping with him and Joyce for many years to come. We hope you'll join us this Sunday at Hope Central Campus as we express our love and thankfulness for Pr. Keith and his family.

Lenten Midweeks & Soup Suppers

Lenten Midweek Worship begins March 1!

This Lent, join Hope for a special time of prayer and worship every Wednesday evening at Hope Central Campus. Lenten Midweek Worship will be shared at 6:00pm in the Sanctuary after the Wednesday Social Suppers.

Also during Lent, we will enjoy our traditional Soup Suppers on Wednesday evenings. Soup Suppers will be $5 each and registration will be held online as usual.

Hope's Next New Member Orientation - March 16 & 23

Ready to make Hope your new church home? We invite you to participate in the next step of the membership process by attending Hope’s New Member Orientation on March 16 & 23, 2023.

If you previously made your intention to join known, you should have received an email from the office.

Orientation will be held on two consecutive Thursdays in the Hope Central Campus in the Fellowship Hall from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. 

March 16 - Day One of Orientation. Light snacks will be served.



March 23 - Day Two of Orientation. This will be a potluck. We ask that you bring a dish to share. Fried chicken and beverages will be provided. 

We have three levels of membership for full-time, part-time, and seasonal residents. If you have questions about which level of membership is best for you, visit our website at hope4all.church/become-a-member or call the office at (352) 750-2321.

Direct all questions and RSVP to Jeff Dunfee at (352) 750-2321 or via email at jeff@hope4all.church. Deadline to RSVP is Friday, March 10.

Lutheran Disaster Response Collecting for Earthquake Relief

On February 6, two powerful earthquakes hit Turkey and significantly impacted neighboring Syria. Thousands of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured.

If you wish to give to support earthquake victims, please make your offering through Lutheran Disaster Response. Your gifts designated for “Middle East Crisis” will be used entirely (100%) to provide long-lasting support for those who have been impacted by disasters in the region. Additionally, if you wish to give by check, you can add "Earthquake Relief" on the Memo line and drop the check in with your regular offering.

H.O.P.E. University Presents Human Trafficking 101

H.O.P.E. University is proud to have Pastor Chuck Campbell join us on Thursday, March 2 at 11:00am in Room 203 at Hope Central Campus to lead a conversation entitled: "Human Trafficking 101."

This presentation will provide a basic overview of human trafficking, focusing on both domestic and foreign trafficking as well as labor and sex trafficking. Topics will include the definition of human trafficking, how traffickers recruit, indicators for victim identification, the use of social media, and how individuals can make a difference in helping to combat and end human trafficking, with discussion of what this means for all of us.

Pastor Chuck Campbell is the co-chair of the Education Committee of the Lucas County, Ohio, Human Trafficking Coalition. He has served as a parish pastor for over 40 years, serving parishes in Ohio and Michigan. Throughout his life, he has served on numerous non-profit boards in the greater Toledo, Ohio area. He presents regularly on the topic of human trafficking throughout the Northwest Ohio Area. He is married to Jerilyn and they have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Pinelands Conference WELCA Spring Gathering

March 18 at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Ocala, Florida

All ladies are invited to the annual Pinelands Conference WELCA (Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Spring Gathering at St. Matthews Lutheran Church on March 18 at 3453 Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, Florida. Registration begins at 8:30am. Conference runs from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

The theme this year is “Let Your Light Shine”. Attending will be 7 other regional ELCA churches for fellowship, worship and sharing information and ideas. The cost for this conference is $10.00 per person, which includes breakfast, lunch, materials and a donation for the Synodical Women’s Organization (SWO).

SoZo Kids, a charity that supports the children living in the Ocala National Forest, will be the recipient of the Love Offering for all WELCA Units in the whole Florida Bahamas Synod for 2023-2024.

Sign-in will begin at 8:00am on March 18. The conference will conclude with a communion worship service in the sanctuary. For further information contact Annie Schaedel at annielou1113@gmail.com or (352) 259-8683.

Registration deadline is Monday, March 13 at noon.

"let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" Matthew 5:16

Learn to Walk Hope's New Prayer Labyrinth

On Ash Wednesday, we had a glorious service at Hope Lake Weir Campus to dedicate and consecrate the newly created permanent labyrinth on those beautiful grounds. When the ceremony was concluded, many of those attending asked, "How do you walk a labyrinth?"

The answer is two-fold:

1. Attached at the end of this announcement is a link to the introduction of last year’s temporary labyrinth and one way to walk a labyrinth.
2. Pastor John LeCain will be at the Hope Meditation Gardens and Labyrinth on the following dates to talk about some of the over 100 ways to prayerfully walk a labyrinth:

• Tuesday, February 28 at 11:00am
• Thursday, March 2 at 2:00pm
• Tuesday, March 7 at 11:00am

Come and learn about this holy and beautiful prayer practice and journey.

Brothers in Song Spring Concert

The Brothers in song present their Spring Concert, "Marvelous Medleys and Much More!"

The show takes place on March 24, 2023 at 6:00pm at Hope Central Campus.

The show will include exciting medleys of your favorite popular songs! Enjoy the production led by director Ben Osborn and accompanist David Flanigan.

Tickets are required for the show and are now on sale for $15 per person at brothersinsong.eventbrite.com or by clicking the link below. Tickets may also be purchased through any singer. Please Note: The church office does not possess any show tickets and cannot sell tickets. All tickets must be purchased online or through one of the singers.

Hope's Monthly Men's Breakfast

The March Men's Breakfast and Bible Study will be held in the Fellowship Hall at Hope Central Campus on Thursday, March 9, 2023 beginning at 8:30am.

The cost of the breakfast is $7. We will be studying the Devotions of Oswald Chambers.

To register, please click the link below. If you need assistance, please contact the church office at (352) 750-2321.

Combined Choirs of Hope - Tenebrae Service 

Attention Community Singers! This April, we will once again convene the Combined Choirs of Hope. On the evening of Good Friday, we will mark the return of Hope Lutheran Church’s annual Tenebrae service. “In Calvary’s Shadow” is a deeply moving service of penitence and forgiveness. It invites the faithful to experience Jesus’ journey from betrayal through crucifixion with a tightly woven tapestry of dramatic readings, vocal solos, congregational and choral hymns, all accompanied by a chamber orchestra. 

Conducted by Hope’s Director of Music Ministries, Ken Wood, this reverent and worshipful service centers around the ritual extinguishing of seven candles until the church is in total darkness. The depth of feeling is palpable as God’s children experience, in part, the greatest loss by mankind, three days prior to the resurrection. 

We’d love for you to consider joining the choir, again, or for the first time. This solemn service will take place on Friday, April 7, 2022 at 7:30 pm. 

Peripheral singers from Hope's three campuses, as well as new friends from the surrounding community, are invited to join the Combined Choirs of Hope for this memorable service, which has become the favorite of many. Our weekend rehearsal schedule through March, into April, is designed to accommodate as many schedules as possible. (See details below.) All materials are available digitally, including several part-specific rehearsal tracks to improve at-home learning. 

We ask that interested singers do not call the church office to convey your participation. Digital competency with cloud-based file storage, downloading files, sending and receiving emails is a “must” for us to be able to accommodate everyone equally. Thanks for your understanding. 

The cut-off for RSVP-ing is Monday, March 6 at 5:00pm. If you can commit to the following dates and times, and you’d like to join us in this tradition, please email musicupdate@hope4all.church. 

Reading Rehearsals – Singers must choose to attend at least one of these: 

• Saturday, Mar. 11: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 
• Sunday, Mar. 19: 3:00 - 5:00 pm 

Fine-Tuning Rehearsals – Singers must also choose to attend at least one of these: 

• Sunday, Mar. 26: 3:00 - 5:00 pm 
• Saturday, Apr. 1: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 

Dress Rehearsal – Singers must attend: 

• Friday, Apr. 7: 4:45 pm – 6:30 pm

Come Join the Women of Hope Board

The Women of Hope Board is the women’s organization responsible for many of Hope Lutheran Church’s outreach programs. We as a board meet once a month on the first Thursday of the month at Hope Central.

We encourage you to take this opportunity to learn more about the four positions that are available – Secretary, Treasurer, Retreat Coordinator, and Circle/Bible Study Coordinator. This is an exciting, fun and rewarding opportunity. The duties of the officer(s) are as follows:

Secretary – keep records of proceedings of meetings; handles correspondence; be custodian of all books, records and supplies; submit copies of official minutes to the Council Liaison.

Treasurer – receive and distribute funds of the Unit; provide regular reports to Board members; Unit Board and Church Council Liaison; provide financial information to the Church Council as requested, e.g. yearly budget request.

Retreat Coordinator – recruit volunteers to develop and implement for two-day retreat at Hope or three-day retreat at Luther Springs Camp; develop and coordinate theme of retreat with speaker, activities and crafts.

Circle/Bible Study Coordinator – serve as liaison between Women of Hope Board and Circle/Bible Studies membership; maintain records of Circle/Bible Study activities and membership; provide assistance to Women of Hope members who are interested in organizing a new circle/bible study.

For further information, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee - Virginia Robertson at (612) 619-0220, June Cook at (352) 430-5025, or LaVera Wiberg at (352) 205-6410.

Women of Hope Retreat at Luther Springs

April 11, 12 & 13, 2023

The Women of Hope invite all women to join in on the retreat which will be held on April 11-13, 2023 at Luther Springs in Hawthorne, Florida.

The theme for this year's retreat is "Cafe Chocolat". It will be a time to relax with friends, share laughter, stories and of course a few bites of chocolate. We will enjoy time with each other as we delight in God's grace.

This year, the Women of Hope are pleased to introduce our speaker for the retreat – Kathy Uffelman, Minister of Faith Formation, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Vienna, Virginia. Kathy Uffelman has been a Minister of Faith Formation for 16 years at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Vienna, Virginia. She enjoys cooking, reading, and going to the theater. She volunteers at a homeless shelter in Fairfax, Virginia. Kathy leads retreats for people of all ages - adults and children - and she is a Stephen Minister Leader, facilities caring ministry, and is passionate about her faith.

You can print out a registration form by clicking the link below. Details regarding the retreat, such as time, cost, location, and how to remit can be found on this form. If you have questions, please contact June Cook at frankjunecook@gmail.com or (352) 430-5025.

Worship Attendance for February 18-19, 2023

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 245

6:00pm = 63

8:00am = 170

10:00am = 495

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 134

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 121

10:00am = 193

In Memoriam

Tom Marton passed away on Saturday evening, February 18, 2023. Tom was born on June 2, 1949. He and his wife, Kathy, were married on May 26, 1998. Tom joined Hope Lutheran Church on June 22, 2019.

Arrangements are pending at this time.

Please keep Kathy and their family in your hearts and prayers.

Submit a Prayer Request

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