Through Jesus Christ we have been able to grow and share the many gifts we have been given. Our road has been joined by a great variety of believers. We are made up of people from all different backgrounds, ages, talents and economic situations.
Our common purpose is to make Christ known. In this truth, our compass is unwavering. We are united in our love of God, our support of each other and our purpose. We strive to spread the message of grace and forgiveness to a world in need of both.
Our Beginnings:
Spirit of Hope started as the vision of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Mesa, AZ., whose members wanted to more effectively meet the spiritual needs of residents in the rapidly growing southeast valley.
Spirit of Hope was born on March 28, 1999, when 175 people packed the Stevenson Elementary school cafeteria, to give thanks to God. Later, in the fall of 1999, the congregation moved a mile east to the newly constructed Patterson Elementary School.
On March 4, 2001 worshipers gathered and 104 members signed the charter affirming their commitment to this new ministry. Office space was rented at the Sun Valley Plaza on June 15, 2001. We organized into a full-fledged financially independent congregation on November 3, 2002, with 183 baptized members on the rolls. We moved our worship site south to Desert Ridge High School on January 5, 2003.
The very next month a 5 acre parcel of land was purchased on Signal Butte Road for $450,000. Spirit of Hope experienced its first capital fund appeal for the land in the spring of 2003. It was less than three years later that our second capital fund program was launched for a new building. In May of 2006 the Mission Investment Fund approved our building loan of $1.65 million. There were some construction delays, but construction started in January of 2007.
Our membership has stabilized, but our average worship has climbed to 297. The first worship service in our new building was on September 30, 2007, as 367 gathered to thank God. By the end of 2007, Spirit of Hope had grown to 441 baptized members and averaged 281 per Sunday in worship attendance.
God has blessed this ministry with visionary leaders and faithful followers. Thanks be to God!
Who Are We?:
Spirit Of Hope Lutheran Church, is one of 9,464 congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the sixth largest religious group in the United States.
Our Synod, the Grand Canyon Synod, embraces Arizona and the Southern half of Nevada and now, St. George, Utah. It oversees 97 congregations with a membership of 78,328.
Spirit Of Hope has a baptized membership of 479 who join more than 3.8 million brothers and sisters in the ELCA.
What Is Our Purpose?:
To provide assistance to those who are in emotional, spiritual, and physical need.
To strengthen and enrich lives by providing opportunities for growth and development through prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and discipleship.
To support and encourage people in a joy filled, accepting environment to live and share the love of Christ.
To instill the idea that God dwells in everyone and everything, and assists people in transforming their lives by focusing on thoughts, feelings, actions and prayer.
Our Core Values:
- We welcome and love all people.
- We value diversity in the body of Christ.
- We strive to grow in Christ through worship, study, and action.
- We hunger to serve and respond to those in need.
Our Vision:
To put God first, as dedicated Disciples of Christ, to put our families and neighbors second, as servants of our community, and to put ourselves last, in unselfish service and devotion to Jesus.
Our Mission Statement:
To Make Christ Known
