“Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.  Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.”

– Psalm 100:2-4

Update: August 9, 2023

Fall Worship Update
“Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.  Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.”  – Psalm 100:2-4

Dear Hope community,

Late last Spring, Hope assembled a Worship Task Force to discern the way ahead for worship with special emphasis on the times, styles, and platforms that may best help our community connect with God and each other.  With your input, the Worship Task Force’s discernment work, the input of the ministry staff, and in coordination with SPC, I am happy to share some updates we believe will best help us continue to seek, make, and be disciples of Jesus, which we will begin implementing this September.

Times & Styles of Worship

Beginning September 24^th, we will be retaining our two distinct styles of worship on Sunday morning but shifting the times to 8:30am for Traditional Worship and 10:30am for Modern Worship.  Though the two worship services will be stylistically different, we will continue to follow themes and seek to creatively engage our community in active worship that connects God’s Word to everyday life.  We will also strive to engage all ages in worship by inviting members to participate in various roles and by continuing to provide children’s messages in each service.  During the 10:30am service we will also provide Sunday School, with children staying in worship through the children’s message, departing for Sunday School during the scripture readings and message, and returning for communion and the conclusion of worship.    

Fellowship Hour

We will retain the hour in between services, now 9:30am-10:30am, as intentional time to come together for community-building and learning.  During this hour we will be having fellowship time utilizing our coffee bar, conducting band and choir rehearsals, and engaging in other activities such as in-house service projects.  Once a month we will also provide Intergenerational Faith Formation during this time, as a way for all ages to come together for learning and growing in faith.  Please continue to watch e-news, our website, and social media for updates on special events taking place during this hour.  Whichever time or style of worship you choose, I hope you will also include this 9:30-10:30 time into your Sunday morning plans for fellowship, learning, service, and connection with your faith community.

Online Platforms

The Worship Task Force also addressed the issue of online and livestreaming worship, and we received overwhelming feedback to retain and improve upon our current livestreaming of both services.  The livestream provides a way for those who are unable to come in person to still worship with our community, and it serves as an evangelism and outreach tool for those who might be considering Hope as a faith home.  We have already begun making improvements to our A/V and livestreaming options, including online accessibility and participation in our livestream and archived services.  We will continue to make improvements and equipment upgrades in this area that will benefit both in-person and online worship, and we appreciate your patience and support, including your financial gifts and offerings, to help make this possible.  We also continue to rely on volunteer support from the congregation to make A/V and livestream a success, so if you are interested in being a part of this important ministry, please contact Allan Pfitzenmaier, Director of Operations, at dirofops@hopeon12.com.

Thank you for your input and support as we discerned these updates to our worship life at Hope.  My special thanks again to the Worship Task Force members and to the Hope staff for their efforts to plan and envision the future of worship.  I am excited to move forward together, and to see where God leads us next!

Blessings,

Pastor Kristin

Update: July 5, 2023

Hello Hope!

Though the Worship Task Force has wrapped up, we wanted to share some of the data we received from the survey in particular, in case you may be interested in what trends emerged from those who participated.

The worship survey, that so many in the Hope community completed, provided valuable insight into our worship life.  The data charts provide a summary of the survey responses from more than 110 people.  Additional understanding was gained from those who participated in the 5 listening sessions conducted in May.  As the Worship Task Force completes their work, the discernment process has begun for Pastor Kristin and the ministry staff, as they utilize survey and listening session data, along with other factors, to formulate the worship and ministry plan for the Fall.  We are confident that Hope will continue to provide a welcoming and nourishing environment for all who attend, and help us grow as followers of Christ.

Thank you again to all who provided feedback!

Janet Hash, Worship Task Force Chair

Update: June 13, 2023

Hope Community, 

We sincerely thank you for lending your voice through the worship survey and small group discussions over the past few weeks.  You have provided us with valuable insight into our worship life at Hope.  

Informed by your feedback, the Task Force has completed our work of providing Pastor Kristin with input and recommendations for the future of worship.  Ministry staff will be using this input over the summer to plan for worship going forward.  Please watch for more information later this summer regarding those plans for worship beginning this fall.

We have enjoyed this opportunity to work with you in discerning the spiritual needs of our community and how God is leading us into the future.  We are confident that Hope will continue to provide a welcoming and nourishing environment for all who attend and help us grow as followers of Christ. 

Your Worship Task Force:

• Janet Hash (chair)
  
• John Cherney
  
• Dennis Nash
  
• Amanda Huyck
  
• Arianna Huyck
  
• Evan Finley
  
• Daniel Clemans
  
• Phyllis Howard

Update: April 28, 2023

Worship Listening Sessions

In addition to the worship survey that was recently sent out and posted here, the Worship Task Force team is also interested in engaging at another level with Hope members and friends by holding Listening Sessions to brainstorm new approaches and probe survey findings.  Our goal continues to be about finding meaningful ways to engage our community in worship, as we strive to be a place that welcomes all people and helps them grow as followers of Jesus.

Are you open to some live discussion about what makes worship meaningful for you?  About how our worship life can continue to grow?  About how we can engage members of our community without a church home in worship with us?

Join one of our small group discussions, occurring over the next 2 weeks:

Questions?  Contact the church office or a Worship Task Force team member.

Update: April 27, 2023

Worship Survey Invitation

Greetings members and friends of Hope – 

At Hope Lutheran Church, we aspire to be a safe community of faith that welcomes and reaches out to people of all ages, cultures, economic statuses, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and life experiences treating each as we wish to be treated, loving each other and God in the way of Jesus. In short, we are a community trying to follow Jesus.

The Church has changed over the last year, returning from the pandemic while welcoming a new Senior Pastor. With change comes opportunity. In this vein, a task force of Hope members was assembled to examine how the church worships. We aim to develop a worship structure consistent with the Church’s mission as a community for all that feeds the souls of anyone whom we may welcome through our doors and helps us grow as followers of Christ.

The task force believes hearing from the community is central to our work. This survey is the first opportunity to share your thoughts about worshipping at Hope, and we thank you for lending your voice.  We also invite you to share this with friends or anyone else you think might be interested in offering their input.  If there are differences of experience or preference within your family, please feel free to fill out more  than one survey per family.  If you require an accommodation in order to complete the survey please contact the church office.  Please complete the survey on or before May 14.

Survey Link

We anticipate that the survey will take you no more than 5-7 minutes to complete ---- and your input allows us to plan to meet your worship interests and desires. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact any of the Worship Task Force members!