March 24, 2023

Join Hope for April Showers

On March 25 & 26, we will have a special outreach opportunity at all three Hope campuses. Volunteers will be on hand to share April Showers, a new initiative to support those in need in our community.

Stop by a booth at service this weekend to learn about April Showers!

Tenebrae at Hope Lutheran Church

You are invited to join your family of Hope for our annual Tenebrae service.

This reverent service is a time of music and quiet worship on Good Friday, April 7 at 7:30pm at Hope Central Campus.

"Tenebrae" is the Latin word meaning "darkness." The service of Tenebrae as practiced in most Protestant Churches is an adaptation of medieval Roman Catholic practices for each of the days of Holy Week dating back to the ninth century. For Protestants, this single service is typically held at night on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.

No tickets or registration are required. Simply join us (and invite your friends and family) on April 7 at 7:30pm.

Walk Away the Pounds 

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00am to 9:00am, we have a Walk Away the Pounds session in the fellowship hall at Hope Central Campus. This is not an outside walk…it is an exercise program done in an air-conditioned room with a screen playing fitness instructor’s Leslie Sansone DVD’s!

You can do anywhere from 1 mile to 3 miles - it’s up to you. It’s a wonderful cardio workout, said to maybe reduce anxiety, help your memory, strengthen your bones, etc. Why not give it a try? We have plenty of room, and would love to have you join us. If you have questions, please call Ginny Wilson, Team Leader, at (352) 430-3326.

The Chosen at Two Hope Campuses

Pastor Jon-Marc MacLean will relaunch our much-loved class on The Chosen beginning March 21 at 2:00pm at Hope Central Campus. The class will meet on March 21 and 28, then break and resume after Easter.

Did you miss this week’s episode of The Chosen with Pastor Jon-Marc? Pastor John LeCain will also be leading a Chosen group at Hope Lake Weir Campus. The first class will be held on March 28 at 1:30pm in the Hope Lake Weir Campus sanctuary.

No registration is needed. Everyone is invited to attend!

Important Information for Check Donations

If you are giving your offering by check, please make the check payable to Hope Lutheran Church. Then, on the memo line, indicate the purpose or ministry to which your check should be directed.

For instance, if you would like to make a contribution to our Making Abundant Life Known capital campaign, please make the check payable to Hope Lutheran Church and then write "Making Abundant Life Known" or "Capital Campaign" on the memo line.

If you do not make your check payable to Hope Lutheran Church, we will not be able to process your check and will need to contact you to perform a void.

Holy Week Worship

Experience Holy Week at Hope Lutheran Church. Join us for any of our special services between Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

Palm Sunday, April 2

Worship at all campuses at regular times

Maundy Thursday, April 6

Worship at 11:00am and 7:30pm at Hope Central Campus

Good Friday, April 7

Good Friday worship at 11:00am at Hope Lake Weir Campus



Tenebrae Service at 7:30pm at Hope Central Campus

Easter Weekend Worship

Easter Sunday is April 9, 2023, and we are anxiously awaiting a time of shared worship with our Hope family. On Easter weekend, there will be 10 worship services between the three Hope campuses.

Hope Central Campus

Saturday, April 8 - 4:00pm and 6:00pm

Sunday, April 9 - 6:00am (Sunrise), 8:00am, and 10:00am

Hope Lake Weir Campus

Sunday, April 9 - 6:00am (Sunrise) and 10:00am

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center

Sunday, April 9 - 6:00am (Sunrise), 8:00am, and 10:00am

Please Note: If you are attending a Sunrise service, please bring a chair or arrive in your golf cart. All Sunrise worship services are outdoors. We also encourage you to bring an extra chair for a new friend who may have forgotten theirs at home.

Trivia & Game Night

Friday, April 21 at 5:00pm

Hope Central Campus

Are you looking for a fun way to connect with others in our faith community?

Game Night will be an event for everyone to join in together - young and old alike! There will be table game activities of various kinds, such as "Fact or Fiction" and "Who Said It," where teams work together at each table to answer questions and solve riddles. Prizes will be awarded.

Invite your friends and neighbors for a great time of fun and fellowship. Put together a group of six to fill your table. Just let the organizers know and they will be happy to seat your team together.

Registration deadline is Monday, April 17 at Noon. The cost is $5.00 per person. Dinner will be served with various soft drinks available. Questions? Contact Virginia Robertson, CIA Committee Member, at (612) 619-0220.

A Letter from Dr. Kent Hamdorf, Former Council President

Since the end of my term as your Church Council President, many folks have asked me the same question. “Now that you are no longer Council President, what will you do?”

After meditating on my reply for some time, I’ve decided it’s best to have a clear answer. I regard no longer serving as Council President in the same view that I regard retiring from my work.

To me, no longer serving in a specific position simply means that my reasons for serving have changed. No longer bound by obligations or responsibilities for a certain role, I’m free to focus solely on my Purpose for serving.

Every minute is my time to focus on my Purpose, or multiple Purposes, in some instances.

How do I plan for my Purposes? I look at three things:

1. Strong Mind

2. Strong Body

3. Strong Relationships

If even one of those gets weak or fades away, my quality-of-life changes drastically. It is well within my power to strengthen each of those until my final day.

I also remember that my Purpose is not mine alone. Proverbs 19:21 reminds us that “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” As I assess what I believe my Purpose is, I make sure to approach it with prayer and with openness to God’s will.

If I keep my Purpose in mind, I can look forward to retirement as a time to serve deeply in impactful ways. This is not my time to relax; it is when I expect myself to do my best work.

After reflecting on my Purpose and my strengths, I decided to give through service. I continue to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee, Church Leadership Committee, and have involved myself with the former presidents of church council for the Purpose of developing Hope’s third site.

Perhaps God is calling you to serve in a role here at Hope; or perhaps God is encouraging you to give through offerings. We need gifts of time, talent, and treasure equally to make our future missions a success.

I invite you to join me in assessing your own Purpose and praying about how God is calling you to serve.

Synod Assembly Service Project to Benefit Harbor House of Central Florida

This year's Synod Assembly service project will benefit Harbor House of Central Florida. Harbor House is a nonprofit organization that provides safe shelter, counseling, and support services to individuals and families affected by domestic abuse.

Hope will be collecting items to bring to Synod Assembly to assist in this project. Specifically, we are collecting: Full Size Sheets Towel/Washcloth Sets, Toothbrushes, Full Size Toothpaste, Full Size Shampoo, Full Size Conditioner, Full Size Body Lotion, Full Size Body Wash, Deodorant, and Hair Brushes/Combs.

We will also be collecting items from Harbor House's continuing needs list. These are essential items that are needed to provide ongoing support to survivors and include clothing, household items, and other essentials. Click here to view the continuing needs list.

With our collective efforts, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors and support them as they begin the journey of healing and recovery.

A Love Story from Love INC

In our Transformation Education Program (Journey INC), our clients work extremely hard in our life skills classes. 

For 12 weeks at a time, they show up, complete homework, and participate in classes which help to encourage life and heart change.

At the end of our class “Boundaries” we had an idea to not only celebrate each participant's graduation with a certificate, but also a gift the whole family could enjoy. 

Just before Christmas, one fabulous volunteer - Phil Burt - offered up the gift of a family portrait. Because let's face it, how many of us actually take the time to sit for regular family portraits? Whether it’s lack of funds, space, or time, we wanted our families to not have a single reason why they couldn’t enjoy a picture to look back on for years to come. The announcement to our clients rang out. There was a buzz throughout the room. Overall we knew it would be a hit. But it wasn't until later that we truly felt the impact that a single picture had...

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.

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 March 18-19, 2023

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 200

6:00pm = 65

8:00am = 152

10:00am = 482

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 134

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 116

10:00am = 153

Flowers on the Altar Given By...

Beverly & Larry VanDenEinde in honor of their 60^th wedding anniversary

August & Marilyn Wegener in honor of their 60^th wedding anniversary

Pam Slating in memory of Mike Slating

In Memoriam

Doreen Mueller died on February 3, 2023. Doreen was born on May 29, 1932. She joined Hope Lutheran Church on October 26, 2003. Doreen was widowed.

There are no service plans for Doreen at this time.

Please keep Doreen's family in your hearts and prayers.

Elinor (Ellie) Richmond died on February 11, 2023. She was born on July 17, 1927. She joined Hope Lutheran Church on October 30, 2005. 

There are no service plans for Ellie at this time.

Please keep Ellie's family in your hearts and prayers.

Ron Bacon died on March 20, 2023. Ron was born on September 14, 1946. He and Deb were married on June 6, 1987. They joined Hope Lutheran Church on December 17, 2013.

A memorial service was held at Hope Lake Weir Campus on Thursday, March 23.

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

Submit a Prayer Request

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