Spirit of Hope Weekly Newsletter

2605 S Signal Butte Rd

Mesa, AZ 85209

480-396-8300

Services: 5:00 pm Saturday

9:30 am Sunday

September 3, 2025

What's going on at Spirit of Hope?

From Pastor Kevin's Desk

Dear Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church community,

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!

My family and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead and walk with you in faith and ministry. Please know that you are in my prayers. I come trusting in God’s promises and eager to see what God is already doing among you.

Our ministry together rests in the good news of God’s love for the world, revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In him we are given hope, forgiveness, and new life. My encouragement is this: cling to the Gospel. Let it shape our worship, our service, and our care for one another.

I invite you to share in the life of this congregation. Your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your voices are signs of the Spirit’s work in our midst. I also welcome your communication—share your joys, your concerns, your hopes. Ministry is never solitary, but always Christ drawing us together.

I will be hosting short meetings before and after Saturday and Sunday worship beginning this weekend, August 30th. Signups are available in the narthex and will be available as long as need be. These are short 5-minute introductory meetings where I simply want to hear from you. I encourage you to sign up for this time to come and share. This is an important part of my getting to know you all and beginning to hear your stories.

Additionally, we have designated office hours for Spirit of Hope. These are times I will be in the office. Dianne Thompson and MaryBeth Bracken will also be in the office for a short time during the week. These hours reflect a time that someone will be at Spirit of Hope to assist. While these hours reflect times someone will usually be present, life and ministry do happen—if you find the office closed, please call or email.

Spirit of Hope office hours will be as follows:

Closed Sunday (Worship at 9:30AM with fellowship after service)
Closed Monday
Tuesday: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Wednesday: 12:00PM – 5:00PM
Thursday: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Friday: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Saturday: 1:00PM – 4:00PM (Fellowship at 4:30PM and worship at 5:00PM)

May the Spirit stir us to trust God’s presence, to love our neighbor, and to bear Christ’s peace in all we do.

Let us pray:

Draw your church together, O God, into one great company of disciples, together following our teacher Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving in Christ’s mission to the world, and together witnessing to your love wherever you will send us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Christ’s hope,

Pastor Kevin Anderson

Office: (480) 396-8300

Emergency After Hours (call or text): (480) 359-7048

Email: prKevin@spiritofhopelutheran.com

Spirit of Hope communicates electronically in many ways!

First - this newsletter is created weekly! You can receive it electronically via email or view the current and past newsletters on the Church Website www.spiritofhopelutheran.com under the "Newsletter" link. You can register to receive the newsletter on the main church website page - www.spiritofhopelutheran.com. Click on the "Click Here to Subscribe to Our Weekly E-Newsletter" button.

Second - Our website has so much useful information and is a great source of all things Spirit of Hope. You can see what's going on, view the 9:30 church service live, or view past services, or find a list of helpful resources.

Third - Spirit of Hope has TWO Facebook pages! One is public and you can find it by searching in Facebook for Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church. Don't forget to click on "Follow". The other Facebook page is PRIVATE, meaning you need to request access or be invited. Search for Spirit of Hope and/or contact Tina Gilson with questions (tinag963@gmail.com).

Fourth- the church website has an app for your phone! In the Apple App Store or Play the Android Play Store and search for the "Our Church" app. Once downloaded you will be prompted to search for your church. You will have the church website in a phone-friendly format at your fingertips! Pretty cool, huh?

Women’s Bible Study Resuming

Women’s Thursday Bible Study will be resuming on September 18^th, 2025 at 1PM at Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church. Please join us!

Backpack Drive – Thank You!

Lutheran Social Service of the Southwest (LSS-SW)

We received this “thank you” note from LSS-SW for our participation in the backpack drive. Thank you to all who participated!

Because of you, more than 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies have already been shared with refugee children, students in foster care, youth living with disabilities, and families supported by our Family Resource Centers.

One of those families comes to our Family Resource Centers every week. A mother of 3 little ones, a six-year-old, a toddler, and a newborn. Her husband has been unable to work, their car broke down, and rent and utility bills piled up faster than they could pay them. With no transportation, she walked in the blistering 100-degree heat just to reach our center.

She came because she had no other choice. She came because she knew you would be there to help her.

And when she walked through our doors, you were there with diapers and wipes for her baby. You were there in the food box that kept her family fed. You were there in the utility assistance that gave her family a breath of relief.

And this school year, you were there in a very special way. Her six-year-old was handed a backpack filled with school supplies, something he might otherwise have gone without. Inside were notebooks, pencils, folders, crayons, and all the tools he needed to walk into school on the first day with confidence.

This is the gift you gave not just to this family, but to more than 1,000 children who started the school year with a step-up. Thank you for always showing up with your unconditional love and for filling student's lives with hope!

Looking to Sell a Vehicle?

We received a request from the community for someone looking to purchase a used vehicle. If you are looking to sell your vehicle, please reach out to the church office and we may connect with you a potential buyer.

Looking for a Choir Director!

Our pianist, Donna, has asked if anyone might be able to help serve as our Choir Director as it is difficult to direct the choir and play the piano at the same time. If you have experience directing and are interested in serving, please reach out to the church office.

9/11 Remembrance at the Summit

There will be a 9/11 Remembrance event at the Summit on Wednesday, September 10^th from 6:30PM to 7:30PM. This event will offer singing and music. You are invited to join the event.

National Day of Service Event

On Saturday, September 13^th from 9AM to 11AM there will be a National Day of Service held at Desert Ridge High School. This event is hosted by Just Serve and Desert Ridge High School. There will be projects benefiting non-profits and our first responders will be recognized. There is a post in the Narthex with more information.