March 3, 2023

Worship Team Training at Hope Central Campus

All members of the Worship Ministries (including Greeters, Narthex Servers, Parking Lot Ushers, Ushers, Communion Servers, Worship Assistants, Altar Angels, Newcomer Welcomers, and A/V Teams) are asked to attend a special training session at 11:00am on March 15 at Hope Central Campus.

Scott Daley will present a class on how Hope is prepared for emergencies. The class will cover training for teams at all three Hope campuses. Registration is requested but not required.

Please refer questions to Dave Withers, Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, at dvaidwitherss@msn.com or Scott Daley at sdaley1127@gmail.com.

Preparing for Easter 2023

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, giving your family plenty of options.

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.

Hope Lake Weir Campus Sign Damaged

The Hope Lake Weir Campus sign on Hwy 42 was damaged in an accident earlier this week.

We are aware of the issue and are working to have the sign repaired as soon as possible. Thank you!

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.

Opportunity to Help in East Palestine, Ohio

On February 3, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in Eastern Ohio, igniting a fire and sending harmful fumes into the air. The town of East Palestine, Ohio has been deeply affected by this incident and is now struggling to provide its residents and animals with clean drinking water and needed supplies.

Locals remain fearful of the long-term impacts of the derailment and are asking for support.

With the prayerful support of several congregation members, Hope is seeking ways to provide relief to the eastern Ohio area, particularly by sending aid to a Communion partner church in the area. If you wish to give to support the victims by check, you can make the check out to Hope and add "Ohio Relief" on the Memo line, then drop the check in with your regular offering.

Save the Date 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. Be sure to save the date for March 25 and 26!

Summer Angel Program Volunteer Meeting

There will be a meeting of the Summer Angel Program team on March 21 at 2:30pm at Hope Central Campus. We will be finalizing our plans for the next month, so it is imperative that all Summer Angel volunteers attend!

Questions? Contact Lenea Carnes at (352) 661-0001.

Women of Hope Breakfast Meeting

March 16, 2023 at 9:00am

Hope Central Campus

We extend an invitation to all men and women of the congregation and friends to attend the next Women of Hope breakfast meeting. We will have a special guest, Paul Roberts, who will share his story with us. Paul is a 5^th generation Floridian. His background includes being a Cowboy, a Missionary, a US Navy Seabee, and a self-employed builder. He will also entertain us with some of the songs he has written and perhaps demonstrate whip cracking.

Paul will talk about his life and also about his father, Bill, who made a living rounding up cows all over Florida. Bill is also an artist, an author, and was at one time a boat captain and fishing guide in Cedar Key, Florida.

We encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors. The cost for breakfast is $5.00; registration deadline is Monday, March 13 at noon. Questions? Contact Laura Hultmark at (352) 753-9463 or Margaret Furlong at (352) 430-5092. 

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 on March 18 at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 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”. Speaker will be Deacon Shirley Rice, topic “Ministry of Hope."

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 8:30am on March 18. The conference will conclude with a communion worship service in the sanctuary. We will car pool from Hope Central Campus. 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.

• Pastor John LeCain will be at the Hope Meditation Gardens and Labyrinth to talk about some of the over 100 ways to prayerfully walk a labyrinth on Tuesday, March 7 at 11:00am.

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

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. Pastor John LeCain will be on hand to introduce our new devotionals series.

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

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 25-26, 2023

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 239

6:00pm = 63

8:00am = 211

10:00am = 505

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 114

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 116

10:00am = 156

Flowers for This Week Given By...

Wayne & Maddy Burgess in honor of their 60^th wedding anniversary.

In Memoriam

Robert (Bob) Krebs died on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Bob was born on April 13, 1942. He and his wife, Pat, were married on March 25, 1962. They joined Hope Lutheran Church on June 24, 2018.

Service arrangements were made to be held in Pittsburg.

Please keep Pat and their family in your prayers during this time.

Ronald (Ron) Harma died on February 27, 2023. Ron was born on September 24, 1938. He and his wife, Ann Marie, were married on July 1, 1961. They joined Hope Lutheran Church on April 6, 2104.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Please keep Ann Marie and their family in your prayers during this time.

Richard Thee died on March 2, 2023. He was born on March 11, 1943. Richard and his wife, Marilyn, were married on October 15, 1971. They joined Hope Lutheran Church on October 30, 2005.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Please keep Marilyn and their family 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.