Announcements

This page includes announcements of current interest. If you are looking for more information about us and our life together as a congregation, older announcements, or ways to serve at Hope, click here.

The Call Process Continues to Move Forward
The Profile Committee did an outstanding job, and the completed congregational profile was submitted to the Synod Office in late April. Thanks go to members and friends for participating in the process, either by completing the "Questions" form and/or attending one or both of the two focus group sessions offered, and a special thanks is due to the members of the Profile Committee. Read a summary of the two Focus Group meetings.

The current phase of the pastoral call process involves the five-member Interview Committee. The Committee is in the process of interviewing candidates interested in coming to Hope to serve as the next pastor. Please remember the Committee in prayer as they carry out the important task of finding a partner in ministry with whom we are well matched.

Mortgage Repayment Pledge Campaign Update
The campaign wrapped up on June 22, 2008, enabling us to make our final report to the ELCA Mission Investment Fund and proceed with securing a mortgage. Thanks go to all who have generously contributed, helping us move toward the goal for this campaign.

NEW! Groundbreaking Date Imminent
Pending receipt of a remaining permit, Total Construction Services, Inc. (TCS) will begin grading work in August. The new narthex will give us the resource we need to greet new and old friends during a coffee hour held upstairs, provide access to the entire building and the parking lot for the disabled, and solve the water drainage problem in the parking lot. The project will mean a lot of changes and a few challenges.

The construction trailer office is already located on the kitchen side of Hope’s grounds. An area, as yet to be determined, will be fenced off for equipment, and some portion of the grass near the Student Lounge wall will be cleared and covered with gravel to allow the workers to park. Near the office, the contractor has put together a sample of the facing for our new addition, including the window sills. It is a great complement to our brick.

Our first challenge will be Sunday parking. When TCS begins work, it means that we will lose use of the upper parking lot. To meet that challenge, we have obtained permits from the city of College Park to park on Cornell Avenue and Guilford Drive. The permits will be available in mid-August.

The start of the renovation project will also mean that the upper entrance will not be available. Conscious of fire regulations and emergency response needs, we must have two usable exits. We will move worship services to the Fellowship Hall for the period of construction. Plans are under way to provide the best worship environment possible using the piano as accompaniment each Sunday. Because of the Children At Risk (CARing) Kids program that will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Fridays during the school year, we will figure out a way to make the Friday to Sunday transformation as smooth as possible.

This is an exciting time in Hope’s life. The changes necessitated by the construction may give us a chance to see things from a different angle and enjoy the adventure of something new coming into being.

The three themes of our renovation project logo are:
The design forms a cross, reminding us of God’s action and love for us in Jesus Christ.

Coffee Hour Hosts Sought
If you are willing to provide a simple coffee hour, please sign up on the form that is available each Sunday on the coffee hour table. Detailed instructions for making the coffee and locating coffee hour supplies are posted in the kitchen.

Download and Discuss the ELCA Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality
The ELCA Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality is ready for study and response. You may download a copy from the ELCA Web site (www.elca.org/faithfuljourney). We are discussing the draft as part of our Sunday School program for adults. Responses are due on November 1, 2008.

Metropolitan Washington, DC Synod Sets Date for Discussions on Draft Social Statement
Two synod-wide opportunities to discuss the ELCA Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality will occur on Sunday, September 28 from 3-5 pm and Monday, September 29 from 10 am - 2 pm. See the Calendar page for details.

Do You Have a Green Thumb?
Gardeners or would-be gardeners are needed for helping spruce up the church grounds. If pruning, mulching, digging in the dirt or other such tasks appeal to you, speak to the pastor and find your niche.

Sunday School Picnic Set for September 7
Our “back to Sunday School” picnic takes place this year after worship on Sunday, September 7. The outdoor party marks the beginning of the Sunday School year for children, youth, and adults. (At 9 am that morning, we’ll be having a multi-generational Rally Day.)

We’ll gather on the east lawn of the church after the 10 am worship service to share a meal, fellowship, and games. The congregation provides hot and cold sandwiches (including Pittsburgh BBQ) and beverages; members and friends are invited to bring salads and/or desserts.

The Sunday School picnic is always lots of fun. Dress for the whole morning is casual. Invite a friend or family member to join you in the relaxed, informal setting. The picnic is a great way to get to know our congregation, or to get to know it better.

Seeking Food that Meets Need
We have been asked by Help By Phone if we can help them stock their food pantry, which is at a low point. When you bring your donation for the food box, please have rice, beans (dried or canned), cooking oil, and detergent high on your list. Just put your donations in the food box in the narthex, and we will send them off.

Hope Responds to Mission Needs
Once a month at a coffee hour, during the next few months, we will learn more about the ways Hope is connected to a variety of missions that reach into the life of the synod and the larger church. In 2007, we supported the Christus Victor Lutheran Church mission congregation in Virginia in receiving support from the Mission Investment Fund, and we learned of their work through a video shown at a coffee hour.

In February, we had a chance to learn more about the Lutheran Latino Ministry in Langley Park, when the program coordinator shared her work through a presentation and conversation. In coming months we will support and learn more about: 1) Congregations United for Compassion and Empowerment (CUCE); 2) the United Appeal of the Metro DC Synod’s social ministry programs; 3) the Crossroads program of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA and other outreach ministries. Don’t miss the chance to learn more of the ministries of the church beyond our doors.

What's Happening in Christian Education?
Once the Sunday School year starts up again in September, the adult class will continue its discussion of the ELCA Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality. The elementary class will be busy studying an activity-based curriculum entitled "Seasons of the Spirit." A half-hour preschool/kindergarten class will be held on the first Sunday of each month. A multi-generational event will be held for all learners on the last Sunday of each month. Remember -- the multi-generational Rally Day event and picnic are scheduled for September 7.

Plan Ahead for October "Lost and Found" Concert
Lost and Found is scheduled to perform in Rockville in October (see the Calendar page for details). They are always popular performers at ELCA National Gatherings. They wrote the ELCA Song featured at the 2006 Youth Gathering held in San Antonio, TX and the Lutheran Song for the 2003 Gathering. Find out more about them through their Web site, speedwood.com. The event begins at 5:30 pm with a silent auction and reception. The concert is scheduled for approximately 6 pm and will be followed by dessert and the announcement of silent auction winners.

Pop-tops for Ronald McDonald House
The Lutheran Student Association is pulling pop-tops for the Ronald McDonald House program which provides housing and support for families whose children are hospitalized. More than $4 million has been raised through the pop-tops program. There is a container in the fellowship hall for your pop-tops.

Major Progress on Property Projects
Numerous property projects have been completed recently all around the church -- the pastor's study, the Student Lounge, the sacristy, the kitchen, the furnace room, and the men's room, to name just a few. Many hands have been busy and many hours given to make Hope a pleasant and welcoming place to be. Thanks to all who keep making things happen. Let the pastor know if you can help with the items that remain on the list.

Do You Have a Prayer Request?
You may use the white prayer request notebook in the narthex to share intercessions and thanksgivings that you would like to add to our prayer list. Please indicate if you do not want them in the bulletin but used only at the prayer luncheon each month. Prayer requests will be listed for three weeks in the bulletin and then removed, unless there is a request for continuation. You may sign your name in the notebook with your request or remain anonymous.

Equal Exchange Coffee
This fairly-traded coffee is often for sale in our fellowship hall after worship. The coffee is produced all over the world and comes to us through a partnership with Lutheran World Relief. At $6 a bag, it's a bargain, and your purchase supports growers taking control of their own production and marketing and making better lives for their families.

Giant Food Cards Benefit Hope Projects
If you shop at the local Giant grocery stores, we have a proposal: Buy a Giant food card at Hope and help fund Hope projects centered around our kitchen. You pay face value for the card and use it like cash. Giant rebates 4% of the price to us.