October 21, 2022

Wear Red on Reformation Sunday

October 30, 2022 is Reformation Sunday! On this special day, we celebrate the start of the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther's posting of the 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

In celebration of this day, we traditionally wear red clothing to symbolize the fire of Pentecost and the blood of Jesus Christ. Though it is certainly not a requirement, we invite you to wear red to church on October 30 and celebrate this festive day with us!

An Update on Sunday's Medical Incident

Just before the start of the Angel Wigs of Hope Benefit Concert on Sunday, October 16, there was a medical incident among the crowd. A female guest experienced a cardiac episode and was in need of immediate care.

Thankfully, we had multiple people in the crowd, both Hope members and guests, who jumped in to assist while paramedics were on the way. A volunteer immediately called 911, and our AED was used and CPR was performed until the paramedics arrived. The guest was transported to the hospital, where she is now in the skilled care of our local medical professionals. While her condition is ultimately in God's hands, we have been informed by numerous doctors and nurses that the quick assistance she received at Hope bought her valuable time while awaiting the paramedics.

We are sincerely grateful for all those who offered help and prayer during the incident. We know that we are truly blessed to have congregation members who are willing to serve in any capacity, especially during emergencies.

Due to the use of our AED on Sunday, we are now awaiting new device pads, which are on backorder. Until then, we will relocate our secondary AED from upstairs to the area outside the Sanctuary at Hope Central Campus.

We invite you to join us in praying for the woman and her family during this time.

Jesus On Tap South Men's Group Begins November 2

The Jesus On Tap South Men's Group will begin meeting on November 2 at 11:00am. We will meet at World of Beer in Brownwood.

The group will start a book study on Character Carved in Stone by Pat Williams. The book is available on Amazon.

The group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month. For more information, please contact Jime Eversole at jime@hope4all.church.

Join the Christmas Cantata Choir

This December, be part of the thrill of Hope's annual Choral Christmas Cantata!

Our presentation this year is “Silent Night, Holy Night”, a celebration of the hope and promise found in the story of our savior’s birth. Familiar carols, thematically rich new favorites and holiday worship songs are woven together with narration and solo work by The Villages’ own, Mary Jo Vitale-MacLean. Conducted by Hope’s Director of Music Ministries, Ken Wood, this reverent and worshipful cantata will be a memorable offering of our highest praise to the King of Kings. These songs of encouragement will remind us that peace on earth starts with each of us. And we’d like you to join the choir!

Our three presentations will take place on:

December 3 at 7:30pm & December 4 at 3:00pm and 6:00pm

Singers from all of Hope’s three campuses, as well as new and lasting friends from the surrounding community, are invited to join the Combined Choirs of Hope for a fully orchestrated, multi-media local premier of this work by composer Russell Mauldin. Our weekend rehearsal schedule through November is designed to accommodate as many schedules as possible. (See details below.) All materials are available digitally, including 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 Wednesday, November 2 at 5:00pm. If you can commit to the following dates and times, and you’d like to join us in this annual tradition, please email musicupdate@hope4all.church.

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

• Sunday, Nov. 6: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
• Saturday, Nov. 12: 10:00am – 12:00pm

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

• Saturday, Nov. 19: 10:00am – 12:00pm
• Sunday, Nov. 27: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Combined Rehearsals – Singers must attend BOTH of these:

• Thursday, Dec. 1: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
• Saturday, Dec. 3: (9:45 w/u) 10:00am – 12:00pm

Waiting for Tickets?

Cantata tickets will be available starting mid-November through our church website hope4all.church. Each seat is $5.00, with no household limit. Reservations will be sold on a “first come, first served” basis with a maximum seating capacity of 625 for each of the three performances. Fellowship with light refreshments will follow each performance. Reservations can also be made in person during business hours at Hope Central Campus at 250 Avenida Los Angelos, The Villages, FL 32162.

Saturday, November 5 at Hope Central Campus

Doors open at 9:30am

Presentation begins at 10:00am

No Registration Required

Hope is privileged to welcome back Pastor Patrick J. Rooney for a special event!

Doors will open at 9:30am. A continental breakfast will be served. The presentation will begin at 10:00am.

About the presentation:

It is well known that we Lutherans live by the 5 solas: sola scriptura (scripture alone); sola fide (faith alone); sola gratia (grace alone); solus Christus (Christ alone); soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory).

And in this third sola - Christ alone – we are given to understand that He is the sole mediator between God and humankind, the One, the only One, who intercedes for us before the throne of grace.

But if Christ is the One Mediator, what are we Lutherans to make of this common practice among our Roman Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters, who seek the intercession of saints and our blessed Mother Mary? Why do we Lutherans not engage in this widespread practice within the life of the Church and what would it mean to us if we were to think about the intercession of the saints in a different way?

This presentation will engage the Lutheran sola of Christ alone in His role as the One Mediator and address the issue of prayer to the saints who now live as part of the Church Triumphant. Particular emphasis will be given to Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, and whether prayer to her is in a different, perhaps unique category, from even prayers to other saints.

The Reverend Patrick J. Rooney STS is a founding member and Senior of the Society of the Holy Trinity, a Lutheran Order and Ministerium. Pastor Rooney served as Senior Pastor of historic Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania, up until his retirement. Prior to going to York, he served for 11 years at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Before becoming a Lutheran, Pastor Rooney was a member of a Roman Catholic religious order for 10 years.

Join Us for Sunday Fellowship at Hope Central Campus

Don't forget! We offer fellowship time and refreshments between services on Sundays at Hope Central Campus. This is a great time to socialize with friends and enjoy some light snacks.

Join the fun in the Fellowship Hall at Hope Central Campus beginning at 9:00am.

Women of Hope Mission Moments

The Women of Hope are excited to share with everyone that a New Mission Program has been established. This program is located at Hope Lake Weir Campus. We have named it "Hope's Heroes" because it covers all ages within our church and community.

We asked ourselves how we as a church and ministry can reach out to welcome children. So we decided to use the bookshelf that was located at the church, stock it with Christian books that are available for kids to take and read. They can keep the book or bring the book back and take a new one. Within this bookshelf, Bibles are available for 0 to 6 years old and 6 to 13 years old. The Bibles are also available to take home.

In addition, we have created activity bags which any child who comes to church can go back and grab a bag (inside are crayons and Christian coloring book, sticker books and activity sheets). When service is over, they return the bag and items to the stand.

As we continue to grow with this ministry and outreach we will assist future outreach programs such as VBS. Any questions? Please contact Jan Keller at (320) 491-0504 or Barb Campo at (571) 389-2676.

A Message on the Blessing of the Animals

After two years of leadership, Pam Caudill will be stepping down as head of the Blessing of the Animals team. We are very grateful for her service and will miss her expertise. In her absence, we are seeking a new team lead to head up the Blessing of the Animals event.

This individual will be asked to coordinate the event, organize volunteers, lead team meetings, manage the event budget, and oversee all facets on event day.

If you are a highly organized person who loves animals and wants to get involved in a great church activity, please contact the Hope office at (352) 750-2321 to express your interest.

Save the Date for a Pizza Party & Food Drive

The Hope Hospitality Team and the Christians In Action (CIA) invite you to an ALL YOU CAN EAT PIZZA PARTY! Invite your neighbors and friends! Join the fun on November 9 at 5:00pm at Hope Central Campus.

On this evening we will be collecting items to benefit the Hope Lake Weir Campus Food Pantry. Specifically, we are seeking cranberry sauce, stuffing mixes, and packaged desserts, such as snack cakes to complete the Thanksgiving Dinner needs. Other ongoing items needed are canned pasta sauce, canned soup, and canned fruit. This year, the Food Pantry will be providing gift cards so those in need can purchase turkeys. 

The cost will be $5 plus your canned donations. Registration will open October 27th online and will close on Tuesday, November 8 at noon. We look forward to another fun-filled evening of fellowship!

Brothers in Song Fall Concert

Brothers in Song, The Villages' Men's chorus, presents: America the Beautiful!

Join Brothers in song at their annual fall concert on November 11 at 6:00pm at Hope Lutheran Church Central Campus.

The special program will include patriotic, Broadway, and sacred songs by the 60-man 4-part chorus, along with accompanist David Flanigan.

Tickets are $15. You can find tickets online at Eventbrite.com. Please Note: This is an outside event. No tickets will be sold through the church website. You must use Eventbrite.com or contact a member of Brothers in Song for additional information.

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 from November 2 through December 28.

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 for the book at the first class. We will order books as needed in mid-October, so sign up soon! Questions? Email pastorbruce@hope4all.church.

You can also view the Augsburg Confession online for free by clicking the button below.

Blessing Bag Team Seeking Donations

We are seeking donations to help fill our Blessing Bags! Blessing Bags are handy bags that contain necessary items to benefit homeless individuals in our area. They can be picked up by anyone in the congregation and distributed to those in need.

Our Blessing Bag team is currently requesting:

• 1 Gallon bags (packs of 50)
• Small toothpaste tubes
• Protein bars
• Gloves

Donations can be brought to the donation bin in the Tree of Hope hallway at Hope Central Campus.

A Message from Hope's Technical Director

Hi, I am Jime Eversole, Technical Director here at Hope Lutheran Church. The A/V department is responsible for all the sound, lighting, and video at all three Hope campuses.

We are always looking for people to join our team. It does not matter if you have experience or not. All you need is a willing heart! If you are interested or would like to know more about the A/V team, please contact me at Jime@hope4all.church.

Thank you and we look forward to you becoming part of the team!

New Dashboard on hope4all.church

The Hope Volunteer Dashboard is now available on our website by clicking the link below. The Dashboard is updated monthly and provides information about our worship attendance, membership, finances, and volunteer participation. If you would like to add information about your ministry, please contact Dave Withers, Council Member-at-Large at davidwithers@msn.com or (532) 233-7533.

Walk to Emmaus 2022

Do you seek...Spiritual Renewal; New understanding of God's grace and love; Worship and community with other believers? 

THE WALK TO EMMAUS IS FOR YOU! 

Men's Walk to Emmaus

October 13-16, 2022 

Women's Walk to Emmaus

October 20-23, 2022 

For information about this life-changing opportunity, contact Kathy Langley at (352) 753-8557 or cklangley97@embarqmail.com

Worship Attendance for October 15-16 2022

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 204

6:00pm = 59

8:00am = 145

10:00am = 363

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 102

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 93

10:00am = 113

Flowers for This Weekend Given By...

Barbara Sivi, in celebration of her and her late husband Bill's 53^rd anniversary

Sandra & Tony Nargoski, in memory of Sandra's mother, Anna Roskowski

The late Carol Furlong, in loving memory of her beloved son, Jay

Suzanne & George Kuebler, in honor of their 56^th wedding anniversary

Submit a Prayer Request

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