March 15, 2024

Easter Vigil at Hope Lake Weir Campus

We invite you to attend Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00pm at Hope Lake Weir Campus.

Easter Vigil, also known as the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.

It is typically held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day, and is often the first celebration of Easter, with days traditionally being considered to begin at sunset. Everyone is invited to attend this special service!

Hope's Next New Member Orientation

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. Orientation will be held on two consecutive Wednesdays - April 10 & 17 - from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. New members must attend both orientations.

• The April 10 New Member Orientation will take place at Hope Lake Weir Campus.

• The April 17 New Member Orientation will take place at Hope Central Campus. Photos will be taken on April 17.

We have three levels of membership - voting, associate, and seasonal. For more information on membership options, please visit our website by clicking here.

Direct questions to Mary Beth Stoner at marybeth@hope4all.church or by phone at (352) 750-2321. Deadline to submit paperwork is Wednesday, April 3.

Hope's Annual Tenebrae Service

Join us for Hope's annual Tenebrae Service, “In Calvary’s Shadow," on:



Thursday, March 28 at 7:30pm

Friday, March 29 at 7:30pm

This year, the musicians will be joined by painter, Paul Oman, who will enhance the sensory environment and overall worship experience by creating an original work on a giant canvas simultaneously during the presentation.

There will be no tickets needed for either performance. Seating will be first come, first serve, with a maximum capacity of 600. Doors will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the service.

Easter at Hope Lutheran Church

This year, Hope will host 10 Easter Weekend worship services across our three campuses.

We also have many special events and services occurring during Holy Week. To see all Hope has to offer this season, we invite you to visit our website by clicking the link below.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with all the worship times and special events hope has to offer this Easter! We look forward to celebrating Easter with you and your family.

Would You Like to Participate in Global Mission? 

The Florida Bahamas Synod (FBS) Global Mission Table (GMT) has opportunities for Hope members to get involved: 

1. Cuba: If you have a passion to advocate for the people of Cuba and speak Spanish, there may be a spot available to join a small group from GMT on a trip to Cuba in late 2024 - perhaps the first week of December. 

2. Join a virtual Zoom event between women of Guyana, Suriname, and the FBS. Addressing gender violence, the theme is "Finding Hope in a Complex World," held from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on April 17 and April 24. Registration begins in mid-March. If interested, check your calendar and sign up! Space will be limited. All three companions will give presentations, with breakout rooms for discussion, and virtual worship/devotions. 

3. Attend the ELCA FBS Synod Assembly from May 31 to June 2, 2024 in Kissimmee, FL, where Global Mission will have a strong presence. Delegates and visitors alike are encouraged to attend the workshop and join in the GMT Hospitality Suite along with the Just Love and World Hunger committees. They will also have a booth in the "Connection Cafe." 

For more information, please contact Laney Waller of Hope's Mission Outreach Team at (301) 471-8479.

What is a Deacon?

You may have noticed that Hope has a new announcement screen showing three Parish Deacons. The official title is “Synod Parish Deacon.” To put a name with a face - these are Suzanne Kuebler, Kathy Smith, and Peg Winters.

In the Florida-Bahamas Synod, of which Hope is a member, Parish Deacons are trained through a two-year program of study usually using an extra-synodical program like diakonia. After completion of the course, participants are considered for certification by synod leadership and are commissioned in Word and Service to serve in their congregations. They engage in activities under the supervision and in partnership with the congregation’s pastor.

At Hope, we understand a Parish Deacon as a particular minister with gifts and a calling for providing visible leadership for its ministries. Through their common calling and theological training, they assist the pastoral ministry in underpinning the particular ministries of their calling.

The Parish Deacons serve in various ways at Hope as volunteers. They are not paid staff members nor are they ordained clergy. At Hope, this means they cannot absolve sins during worship or consecrate communion elements. They also cannot perform marriages unless they are licensed by the State of Florida in another capacity.

It is interesting to note the word “deacon” is used in a non-gender specific manner. In other words, “deacon” refers to both men and women who serve in that office. This practice appears to follow that of the apostle Paul, who, for example, does not use a feminine form in referring to “our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church” in Roman 16:1. 

Love INC Requesting Volunteers for "Game of Life"

Our friends at Love INC are seeking volunteers to assist with a special class within their Journey INC program!

This past quarter, Journey participants have been taking a new class called “Game of Life," in which they learn the ins and outs of finances. From taxes to spending plans, building credit to how to actually budget, clients have been putting in the work to truly understand how to live financially better lives.

On Tuesday, April 2, Journey INC will hold their Journey Celebration. This is a night to honor the hard work of Journey participants. On this Celebration night, Journey will host a simulation event, “Game of Life.” Each Journey participant will be given Monopoly money and placed in fictitious situations where they will have to budget for their everyday needs. They will also be required to participate in life activities that require a time and financial investment, such as attending church.

This is an all-hands-on-deck simulation and will imitate real life scenarios. The hope is that it will give them a better picture of how the skills learned in “Game of Life” translate to real life

Volunteers are needed to help play the roles of landlord, bill collectors, insurance providers, etc. Interested in helping to make a difference? Call (352) 245-8774 to see how you can play a part in the “Game of Life.”

Worship Attendance for March 9 & 10

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm - 260

6:00pm - 70

8:00am - 166

10:00am - 420

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am - 118

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am - 96

10:00am - 175

Flowers on the Altar Given By...

The family of Len Robertson, in honor of his birthday.

In Memoriam

David (Dave) L. Weaver passed away on March 12, 2024. Dave was born on April 8, 1946. Dave and his late wife, Pat, joined Hope Lutheran Church on December 12, 2009. He was widowed in 2017. Dave's daughter-in-law, Debbie Bennett, is Hope's Head Cook.

Arrangements are pending at this time.  

Please keep Dave’s family and friends in your hearts and prayers during their time of grief.

Submit a Prayer Request

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