March 31, 2023

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.

Capital Campaign Update

Our Making Abundant Life Known capital campaign continues to move forward! The campaign will enable Hope Lutheran Church to have a far-reaching presence in the fast-growing southern areas of The Villages through our Activity Center and future Worship Center.  

So far, more than 260 households have returned intent cards, with a total of more than $1.5 million in commitments toward our campaign goal. Our average commitment is more than $5,700. But we still have a way to go, and every commitment is important.

Please join your family of Hope in this important mission by bringing your Statement of Intent to worship this weekend. You could also mail it in or fill out our online form by clicking the link below. Every pledge moves us one step closer to our goal!

The Funeral Reception Team Needs Your Help!

Calling all Hope members! The Funeral Reception Team at Hope is looking for new members (both men and women) to join our team.

The team provides food and beverages for a luncheon reception after a funeral or memorial service. Our goal is to relieve the family of the worry of serving their guests a luncheon during their difficult day of grieving.

Chef Debbie Bennett and her team prepare the sandwiches and the Funeral Reception Team members provide salads, veggie trays, cheese trays, and cookies. There is a special team that provides the workers to setup, serve the food, and cleanup. The food can be made at home or purchased at a store. 

We are a group of 100+ members with 5 team coordinators - four for food and one for setup and cleanup. Each member is asked to bring in food for a luncheon or help with setup 4-5 times a year. Please call Karen O'Brien at (352) 250-3809 or email her at fredandkaren@mpinet.net if you would like to join this team or if you have questions.

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.

Return Your Lenten Boxes This Weekend

Be sure to return your Lenten Donation boxes this weekend to any Hope service. Boxes can be brought to all Hope campuses. If your box is too heavy or full with change, feel free to write a check instead. Thank you for your generosity during the Lenten season!

Scam Alert & Safety Tips

Two members of Hope recently informed our leadership of a scam that affected their family. A scammer using the name of their grandchild called and informed the couple that their grandchild was in police custody and they would need to pay for bail. The couple followed the instructions and a person claiming to be a bail bondsman arrived and received the money. Later, the couple learned it was a scam - their grandchild was not in custody, and the "bail bondsman" was a scammer driving a vehicle with stolen plates.

This is the latest predatory scheme to defraud local seniors. If you are contacted via phone by anyone claiming to have your family member in custody, you should hang up and immediately contact the family member in question to confirm their situation. Then you should report this scam to the local police department.

Thank you for your caution. Stay safe!

Hope's Monthly Men's Breakfast

The April Men's Breakfast and Bible Study will be held in the Fellowship Hall at Hope Central Campus on Thursday, April 13, 2023 beginning at 8:30am.

The cost of the breakfast is $7. Jim Cunningham will lead the study of 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.

Vespers Beginning April 5

On April 5, Hope's Wednesday Evening Services will switch from Compline, or night prayer (which we do during the “dark” months), to Vespers, or evening prayer (which we do during the “light” months). You can enjoy Vespers every Wednesday at 6:00pm at Hope Central Campus.

What Happened to Easter Vigil?

Many have asked about Hope’s annual Easter Vigil, which we have celebrated in the past on the Saturday before Easter.

This year, we are combining our Easter Vigil with Easter Sunrise Service at Hope Lake Weir Campus. After all, the Easter Vigil is a service that emphasizes how darkness is overcome by the light that is the Risen Jesus; so, instead of us turning on the lights in the church during the service, why not let God turn on the lights for us in the sunrise on beautiful Lake Weir?

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.

We invite you to be part of this special celebration, or join us for Sunrise Service at any Hope campus on Easter Sunday!

Looking Ahead at the Weekly Word

H.O.P.E. University is excited to announce a new engagement feature for our congregation.

For years, Pastor Keith has written a weekly message about the upcoming Gospel reading for Sunday. Starting this week, his weekly messages will be recorded and shared on the Hope Facebook page: @HopeLutheranVillages

If you're not on Facebook, you can check out these messages on the H.O.P.E. University YouTube channel.

Everyone is invited to engage in the Gospel before weekend services. We hope it speaks to you as you prepare for worship, and that you will be richly blessed by the offering.

Be Part of Hope's Diabetes Support Group  

You're invited to join the Diabetes Support Group at their next meeting on Monday, April 17 at 10:00am in Room 205 at Hope Central Campus.

This month's speaker will be Pamela Bureau, RN, who is board certified in Diabetes Education. Her presentation topic will be "Healthy Eating." After, you'll have a chance to ask questions.

Our Diabetes Support Group is an excellent opportunity for those living with Diabetes to meet, fellowship, and share advice and support. We meet on the third Monday of each month. Now is a great time to join the group! Whether you are pre-Diabetic, type 1 or 2, and on an insulin pump and CGM, you are welcome.

Questions? Contact Darlene Harris at harris2257@hotmail.com or call (614) 832-0910, or Lenea Carnes at lenea@hope4all.church or call (352) 661-0001. We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

Clothing Drive to Benefit Phoenix House

On Thursday, April 13, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, the Hope Food Pantry will be having a clothing drive to benefit Phoenix House of Citra, Florida.

Phoenix House is Florida’s adult residential program, which provides gender-specific substance use treatment for men and women, including treatment for co-occurring behavioral health issues.

We ask that you drop off your gently used clothes in Hope Central Campus’s west parking lot, near the Memorial Garden. Early drop-offs can be placed in the metal Food Pantry cabinet. If you have any questions, please call Debbie Schuettler at (321) 578-9423. Thank you for your support!

Rotary Club Evening Donation 

The Villages Rotary Club Evening Foundation recently visited the Hope Lake Weir Campus Food Pantry. Kim Grassi, Rotary Food Drive Chair, presented a generous donation of $1,500 to Debbie Schuettler, Operations Manager.

Kim and Sue Bodenner, the Rotary president, were then given a tour of the food pantry, which was in full operation. At the end of their visit, they spent some quiet time in the Prayer Labyrinth. Thank you for your generosity!

Are You Ready for a Journey?

Poverty is a crushing reality for millions of Americans, many within a few miles of our community. Through the years, various politicians have attempted to ‘fix’ poverty with policies and restrictions, but none have addressed generational poverty

Who can provide miraculous relief from generational poverty? God can!

God is using the body of Christ to lift people out of generational poverty and set them on a journey toward financial independence. Journey In the Name of Christ (Journey INC) is a mission of Love INC where local Christians can use their physical, mental, and spiritual gifts to empower people in need.

Now, Journey INC is coming to Hope Lutheran Church! Families in need will gather at Hope Central Campus on Tuesday evenings, where they will embark on a 12-week series of classes designed to teach them how to handle money, set boundaries, learn life skills they were never taught, and find hope for the future with God’s people.

Participants will spend time with a mentor, budget coach, or resource navigator. Children will be divided by age to enjoy Christian songs, fine arts, crafts, and learning about the love of God from caring volunteers like you, who exude the character of Christ.

Want to walk alongside these brothers and sisters in Christ? We are seeking volunteers to serve as mentors on Tuesday evenings.

All kinds of skills are welcome and valuable. If you can fix a crockpot meal, balance a checkbook, teach a class, care for a child, or offer advice to a new friend, we have an opportunity for you to be part of the miracle journey!

Ready to be part of the journey? Contact Dana Parker at (352) 572-8567 or Julia Coppock at (904) 383-8606 at Love INC.

Worship Attendance for March 25-26, 2023

Hope Central Campus:

4:00pm = 257

6:00pm = 61

8:00am = 186

10:00am = 511

Hope Lake Weir Campus:

10:00am = 126

Hope at the Everglades Rec Center:

8:00am = 105

10:00am = 199

Flowers on the Altar Given By...

Tyrone Eggen, in honor of Annemarie Eggen's birthday

Maggie Attaya, in memory of James Stayton's birthday

In Memoriam

Richard (Dick) Greenlee died on March 27, 2023. Dick was born on November 7, 1938. He and his wife, Angie, were married on April 22, 1960. They joined Hope Lutheran Church on October 25, 2009.

Arrangements are pending at this time.  

Please keep Angie and their family in your hearts and prayers during their time of grief.

Upcoming Memorial Service

There will be a memorial service for Larry & Darlene Luebben on Monday, April 10 at 10:00am at Beyers Funeral Home in Lady Lake. Pastor Bob Knepel will officiate.

Submit a Prayer Request

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