See you there! June 13, 6-8pm. All are welcome!!Summer Lunch and a Christian Book Club - Starts June 15th with "To Heaven & Back" by Mary C. Neal, MD. Any interested friends of and from Hope Lutheran Church are welcomed. We will enjoy lunch at Rotonda Elks Club for lunch - noon - 2pm. We are looking forward to enjoying and get to know each other better and to expand our horizons by reading and discussing good Christian literature. We will determine the frequency at our first meeting.
If interested, please contact Kathy Dardis at 574.612.5073 for further information or questions.
DINNER AND MOVIE NIGHT AT HOPE!!! On Wed, June 20, please join us for dinner at 5pm, followed by a movie selected by the group from a collection of Christian flicks from 5:30-7:30pm. Dinner will be prepared and provided by our youth-they are doing this as a fun-raiser and fundraiser for the National Youth Gathering in 2021. Please join us-and bring a friend!
Pastor Jen's Spirit Blast from HOPE 6/13/18 -Happy Wednesday, Hope Lutheran Church Family! Welcome to another Spirit Blast! Here are some quick updates:
We have begun the Shoes for Kids Campaign again to collect shoes over the summer for Charlotte County School kids when they return to their studies in August. Most of the families with children in our community are at the poverty level or below, and new shoes for a new school year are simply out of their financial reach. Our bin is in the narthex. We have a designated goal and we are well on our way to meeting it. We need shoes of all sizes-especially larger sizes which are often in the most demand. We surpassed our goal last year-let's go even further!!!! It's one more way that we can be led by the Spirit to serve God and share Christ's love with all-especially our kids!!!
Today we begin the monthly Game Night at Hope from 6-8pm. You provide the snacks and we will provide the fun! Then next Wednesday, June 20, we will have Dinner and a Movie-dinner provided by the youth from 5-5:30pm, with all proceeds going toward the ELCA National Youth Gathering in 2021, and movie 5:30-7:30pm. Please join us-and all are welcome!
Please hold us all in prayer. At our Council meeting on Sunday, it was decided that a Task Force be established to discuss and hopefully implement a respite care program for care-givers for those with Alzheimer's and Dementia (mild to moderate). We could offer it for a span of four hours (or so-to be determined by the Task Force, of course) on a weekday, and also on a weekend afternoon. This could offer care-givers a much-needed break to schedule dr appointments, hair appointments, grocery shopping, a walk, or even a nap. We could provide a simple lunch, games, arts and crafts, and music for our guests with trained volunteers for a very nominal fee per hour. The purpose of this is two-fold: first of all, we want to make an impact in Jesus' name in this community, to be known for our care for care-givers. Secondly, as a side-benefit, this might provide a much-needed revenue stream for Hope. So I am asking this-please pray for our Task Force as we begin meeting this week to figure out the details and feasibility of such a venture. We will certainly update you as this moves forward-please keep the prayers coming as we continue to love God by loving our brothers and sisters in this community.
Finally, again after Sunday's Council Meeting, I need to share this with you. We are currently running a deficit of $9,000 to date for the year. I am asking that as you travel, please keep us in mind. The bills keep coming even though the temperature rises and people are vacationing.
Again, please continue to hold us in Florida in prayer if you are currently up north-and for those of you who are locals, you can pray, too-and I look forward to seeing you in worship! Enjoy these blessed summer days--truly gifts from God! My love and prayers are with each of you!
Pastor Jen+..
Pastor Jen's Spirit Blast from HOPE 5/21/18 - Dearest Hope Family, I pray this is the beginning of a week blessed by God for you! I wanted to share the following with you-on Sunday, the youth group met and we decided how to disperse the funds collected during Lent for the ELCA Good Gifts campaign. Your generosity was staggering-we are happy to report that we have $985 to share to bring opportunity and healing in both economic and physical ways to our brothers and sisters around the globe.
Your gifts are allowing us to purchase a Family Farm which includes a cow, a couple of goats, a dozen chicks, two pigs, farming tools, seeds, and agricultural training and support to help a family create a business and ongoing financial support. With tools and equipment, crops will grow stronger than ever and eggs, milk, and meat from the farm animals provide a lifetime of opportunity to eat and sell in the local market. The cost of the Family Farm is $715.00.
We are also able to purchase a Fish Farm for a community. This allows a community to eat for a lifetime! A fish farm begins with a pond, training, and a few fast-growing fish, eventually becoming a well-stocked pond providing healthy meals for families in that community. The cost of the Fish Farm is $250.
Finally, we have been able to also purchase Honeybees. Not only does this support the environment as the honeybee population worldwide is declining, but beeswax can be transformed into handcrafted soap, candles, honey and other products to create a small, sustainable business. The presence of honeybees on a farm means they are pollinating plants and boosting crop growth far and wide. The cost of the Honeybees is $20.
That's your $985 at work-creating hope, food, financial independence, and a healthier future for families around the world. YOU DID THIS!!! It's one more way that Hope Lutheran Church continues to do God's work with our hands as together we are led by the Spirit to serve God and share Christ's love with all!
Rejoice in all that God is doing through you. God is good-all the time! See you in worship-my love is with you all!
Pr. Jen+ 😊
