A Matter of Life and Death

MVI 0555

Letter from Pastor Hill

Dear Fellow Members of Hope,
We at Hope Lutheran Church are concerned about your spiritual as well as your physical well-being. It is important we stay in fellowship with each other during this time. The leadership of Hope have taken measures to protect you from the virus as well as to keep us praying and worshipping together.
We are in a period of high anxiety and self-isolation which can have a negative impact on our emotional state. Remember, we can find solace in Jesus knowing he loves us and is full of compassion, and we are reassured by our faith that we are never alone.  
Our Parish Health team members, our Stephen Ministers, and Vicar Eric will coordinate and make phone calls to our members to check-in and see that they are able to remain spiritually and physically healthy. If you would like to make phone calls to your fellow members or if you know people who might welcome such support, call Vicar Eric at 631-704-8063 or Denise Cappello at 631-981-1019.
We have taken multiple measures to reduce our exposure to the Covid-19 virus while still enabling you to worship, pray, and stay engaged in our bible and Generosity Challenge conversations. Even though we have canceled all public worship services, bible studies, Generosity Challenge conversation groups, Teen Ministry, Kids’ Club, Easter play rehearsals, Choir/Bells practices, and team meetings, here are some things we are doing to enable you to be fed spiritually.
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Worship will be live streamed via Facebook and YouTube. You can find three options for accessing these resources on the home page at  www.hopeluth.com. You can view and participate in all our services at the regular times you are used to. You are only one click away from worship on Wednesday at 12:30 & 7:30 PM, Saturday at 5:00 PM, and Sunday at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 AM. Please comment on and share these services with others.
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Prayer is vital and reassuring in a time of need, therefore Hope will have a common period of prayer at 12:30 & 7:30 PM. We invite everyone to take a few minutes at these times to pray for each other, for peace and comfort. Also, the prayer chain is always available and requests can be emailed to office@hopeluth.com or jstahl51@optimum.net. Our Office Coordinator, Stacey Hirsch can be reached at 631-938-3054 and Joyce Stahl can be reached at 631-698-6616. For the phone chain, call Carol Mauro at 631-205-0158 or Kathy Browning at 631-928-5608.________________________________________
Our Generosity Challenge conversation groups, bible study groups, team meetings, and teen ministry program will be held via Zoom technology. Group members will receive an email invitation that includes a link, username, and password, and for those who prefer to join by phone, the message includes a special phone number that connects with the video version of the Zoom program. 
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Anchor Nursery School is closed following New York State requirements. Questions can be directed to Carol Hoffman at 631- 585-7335. Our Hugs, Hugs Toddlers, Kids’ Club and Easter play rehearsals are also cancelled. Questions can be directed to Joyce Stahl at www.jstahl51@optimum.net or 631-698-6616.
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In the weeks to come, your support for the ministry at Hope is needed more than ever in this challenging time. As you continue to be generous in your giving, we’d like to remind you of several ways for your gifts to reach us.
• US Mail – Hope Lutheran 46 Dare Rd. Selden, NY 11784
• On-line donations through our website www.hopeluth.com using myEoffering. To set up a personal giving account using your bank account information, click on the “Share God’s Mission” and follow the instructions on the myEoffering link. If you pay the fee for the donation, that will maximize your donation.
• On the same page on the website, you can set up or use your own personal PayPal account to give an offering using a credit or debit card.
• Most banks have a “bill pay” option on their website that instructs the bank to send a check to Hope directly from your account. They pay for postage and for the envelope.
Even though the church office will be closed, office phone messages will be monitored daily. You can call or text me directly on my cellphone: 516-848-5386 or at my home 631-331-5131.
 I wish I could say that this crisis will be over soon, but we’ve never faced a crisis like this before. There are so many challenges we will have to overcome, so we need to support and pray for one another like never before. Like you, I look forward eagerly to the day when we will be able to celebrate Easter together as God’s people. Keep praying. Stay well. Share God’s blessings.
Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Hill

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