A complete list of Hope's missions (local & trips)
Adopt-A-Highway
As part of Hope Lutheran’s commitment to serving the Wake Forest community, Hope has adopted Forestville Road, between Rogers Road and Burlington Mills Road. Four times a year a clean-up day is organized, and volunteers spend time picking up trash that has accumulated on the sides of Forestville Road. Watch the bulletins and newsletters for Adopt-A-Highway clean-up events, or contact Jeff Vukovich or Andrew DiGiovanni for more information about the next clean-up day.
Angel Tree
The Angel Tree ministry brightens the Christmas of children and senior citizens in the community. In 2022, Hope adopted 30 families. That's over 120 people! In early December, a Christmas tree is set up in the Narthex adorned with paper angels. Each angel has one individual family member's wish or needs on it, just waiting for someone to fulfill it. In December 2023, please help us to share the love of Christ in the season of giving!
Brown Bag
Hope’s Brown Bag Ministry distributes 125 lunches to three communities in the downtown Wake Forest area one Saturday a month. Volunteers gather to assemble and distribute nutritious lunches from donated and purchased food. A Bible verse is included for spiritual nourishment. Want to get involved? Visitors, families, or individuals are always welcome to volunteer with Brown Bag Ministry. Sign up 2024! Sign Up for 2025!
Churchnet
Area churches, including Hope Lutheran, have banded together to create an organization that provides financial assistance with utility bills to those in need in the Wake Forest, Youngsville, and Rolesville areas. Clients are interviewed by volunteers to determined if assistance can be granted. If awarded, funds are pledged directly to the utility company, often just in time to keep lights or water turned on. Join other Hope volunteers at ChurchNet once or twice a month for a two-hour shift. For more information on contributing to this worthwhile effort, visit http://churchnetfoundation.net/ or on Facebook. To get involved or learn more about volunteering, email leader Pam Jay.
Disaster Response Conference
Members and friends of Hope are invited to a Disaster Response Conference & Training, sponsored by the Southeastern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Join others interested in disaster response ministry on January 25-26, 2024 for two exciting days (and an optional third half-day) of practical training sessions, reports from the field, enjoyable fellowship, inspiring first-hand ministry stories, and information on upcoming service opportunities. The conference will be held at Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. To register click here. Deadline for discounted room rate is 12/24/23.
English As Second Language Classes
Since Fall 2023, Hope has been offering English as Second Language classes to community members. This new ministry has been a great blessing to many newcomers to our area, and a tremendous joy for the volunteers. A Fall 2024 spring session of classes is scheduled for 9/17—11/7. Volunteers are needed for either Tuesday or Thursday evenings (6:30-8:30PM), to serve as teachers, assistant teachers, or substitute teachers. No language skills or professional teaching experience is required. Any type of experience in leading a room or communicating to a group will be sufficient. Contact Mike Dennen ( ) if interested.
Gleaning
Gleaning is the act of collecting crops from farmers’ fields after they have been harvested, then donating the leftovers to people who cannot afford fresh fruit and vegetables. Volunteers from Hope work collaboratively with volunteers from other local Christian churches. This ministry is open to new volunteers. No experience, farming talents, or cooking expertise is needed! Due to the short notice of events, watch Hope's Facebook page.
Habitat of Wake County
Hope is an active partner with Wake County's Habitat for Humanity organization. Join us as we all work to build safe and affordable homes in the Old Poole Place neighborhood in southeast Raleigh. Sign up for workdays using the Habitat Website (habitatwake.volunteerhub.com/vv2/). Contact Roger Madariaga (919-608-5273) with questions on how to get involved in loving your neighbors. All skill levels are welcome.
Habitat of Western NC
Why work with Habitat of Mitchell/Yancey Counties in North Carolina? The answer is easy...volunteers are desperately needed! It takes an average of 4 times longer to complete a home in Mitchell/Yancey than it does in Wake County. Hope has been sending mission teams to the area for the past 12 years and has been instrumental in assisting to build several homes.
HopeChest
This ministry offers free clothing a few times during the year, with all items donated by the people of Hope. Items go directly to people who need them most in Wake Forest and surrounding communities. Any remaining clothing is then donated to different organizations around the Wake Forest area that are also in need. Watch the bulletin and newsletter for the next Hope Chest event. If you would like to participate in this wonderful ministry at Hope, contact Hope Chest Coordinators Mary Jo Isom ( ) or Martha Haun ( ).
Live Nativity
This inspiring outdoor production in early December will take you back in time to experience the first Christmas. A long-standing tradition at Hope, the Live Nativity features live animals (and live people, too), professionally-crafted scenery, and seasonal music to provide community members with a memorable encounter with the Babe of Bethlehem. To get involved, contact Claudia VanHook or Wendi Pallozzi.
Personal Missionary Support
Our congregation helps sponsor an overseas missionary family as part of Hope’s overall mission. Pray for Pastor Gustavo Maita and Deaconess Ruth Maita, along with their children Mikhaela and Isaiah, serving God’s people in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Pastor Gustavo and Deaconess Ruth have served Iglesia Luterana Príncipe de Paz (Prince of Peace Lutheran Church) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico since 2018. Their Lutheran Church Missouri Synod mission congregation is active in serving the members of their community, providing a wide range of services and resources that help bring people to Christ. Many members of Hope have come to know the Maita family in recent years, during Hope mission trips to the island after Hurricane María. Learn more about the Maita family at lcms.org/maita.
Puerto Rico Mission Projects
In 2023 Hope is using a portion of our mission budget to sponsor specific ministry projects that are being led by Lay Evangelist William Torres, from Iglesia Luterana Príncipe de Paz (Prince of Peace Lutheran Church) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Pray for William Torres, and his family (Cindy, Andy, Alejandro).
William grew up at Principe de Paz, and has served as part of the missionary team since 2018. Hope’s donations will enable William to continue work on children's Explorers' Club programming, getting the Word out on his twice-weekly radio program Café con Fe (Coffee with Faith), and trying some new programs for church outreach in the community. Many members of Hope worked closely with William during our congregation’s mission trips to Puerto Rico in recent years. Follow Lay Evangelist William Torres' church on Facebook or Instagram.
Recycling Paper
Members of our congregation are concerned with caring for the environment, and we try to do our part to take care of God’s beautiful creation. Here at Hope, we recycle our paper and weekend bulletins.
Regional Disaster Response
Hope volunteers have been blessed with many opportunities to share the love and compassion of Christ with victims of a disaster. They have given witness to our caring Lord while doing chainsaw work, mucking out flooded homes, doing roof repair, and rebuilding damaged homes. Members of our church have responded in recent years to disasters in Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Iowa, Alabama, Kentucky, New York, and Maryland.
To prepare for disaster response ministry, training classes will be held in 2023.
- Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT): basic training for disaster response volunteers.
- Chainsaw Safety
- First Aid
Watch Hope's bulletins, newsletters, and facebook for service and support opportunities. along with training class dates, when disasters strike our region. Also, a Southeastern District LCMS Disaster Response Conference & Training, will take place January 25-27, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Night To Shine
Night to Shine is a prom held annually for people (ages 14+) with special needs. The goal of the evening is to celebrate our honored guests with corsages/boutonnieres, crowns, a red carpet walk, professional photos, a photo booth, karaoke, limo rides, appetizers, a DJ, and a dance floor. The date for this year's prom is February 9, 2024 Volunteers will be needed to help with a myriad of fun tasks. Email for more information. If you can’t volunteer, but would like to donate, please mark your donation “Night to Shine.”
School Supplies
Every July, Hope teams up with local elementary & middle schools to provide essential school supplies for families in need. Needed items include: Packs of mechanical pencils, Packs of colored pencils, Packs of thin markers, Pencil pouches, Glue sticks, Heavy-duty pocket folders with prongs, Five-subject notebooks, One-subject notebooks, Packs of graph paper, Handheld pencil sharpeners, Clorox/Lysol wipes, and Tissues. To help, contact Michelle DeRoo.
Touched By Hope
The New Testament Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus bringing God’s healing touch to people in need. Here at Hope, Touched By Hope is a free medical/dental clinic held annually in the fall. The primary purpose of this ministry is to meet human needs in Christ’s name. This is done by providing a wide range of services that strive to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the guests. Services range from medical, dental, and optical care to free food. All services are provided free of charge. Volunteers are gathered from Hope Lutheran Church and the community to provide services for our guests. The leadership team for Touched By Hope is considering new models for this ministry after a small number of guests in November 2022. Watch the bulletin and newsletters for information regarding 2023 Touched By Hope plans.
Tri-Area Ministry
Tri-Area Ministry is the largest food pantry in the Wake Forest, Youngsville, and Rolesville area, serving 1200+ families monthly. They provide food and personal hygiene products to our community members in need. Please remember to provide non-perishable foods. Their donation list always includes these basics: peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce (no glass jars), canned tuna or chicken, chef Boyardee, cereal, grits, rice, dried beans, oatmeal, mac 'n cheese, pasta/noodles, crackers, canned soup, diapers, diaper wipes, and feminine hygiene products. Donations of cereal are especially requested at this time. They also accept paper products, toothpaste & toothbrushes, soap, dish detergent, etc. Bring your donated items to Hope, and drop them in the collection bins in the Gallery area (near the red doors).
Stephen Ministry
Hope has a group of people who are trained to listen when you are going through a difficult time in your life. This could be the death of a loved one, a challenging illness, job loss, divorce, faith issues, or any other time when you feel that talking with a caring fellow Christian would be helpful. All discussions are strictly confidential. If you would like to consider meeting with a Stephen Minister, please speak with one of the following: Andy Barrett (919-349-5599), Jerry Garlington (850-376-0488), Wendi Pallozzi (214-880-1813), Rob Bailey (919-518-6984).