A Church and School on Trinity Drive
Just north of Fort Wayne in Huntertown, Our Hope Lutheran Church and School brings worship, Christian education, and family care together at 1826 Trinity Drive. Its mission is to be “a beacon of light: Teaching, Loving, and Connecting the community to Jesus Christ.” As a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Our Hope welcomes all people into its family to share the Word of God through worship and teaching. It is known for a Sunday rhythm that joins a Divine Service, Sunday School and Bible study, and a Contemporary Service, with preschool and care for children woven into the same church-and-school community.
The church’s motto is “Come as our guest, leave as our friend.” Its vision calls for a 21st-century mission center where everyone is welcome to experience the heart of Jesus. That welcome is expressed not only in the congregation but also in a school built around children’s growth, family participation, and teaching centered on Jesus Christ.
Divine and Contemporary Sunday Worship
Sunday has three morning entries: a Divine Service at 8:30 a.m., Sunday School and Bible study at 10:00 a.m., and a Contemporary Service at 11:00 a.m.
- 8:30 a.m.: Divine Service
- 10:00 a.m.: Sunday School and Bible Study
- 11:00 a.m.: Contemporary Service
On the last Sunday of each month, the church holds one combined service at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday School for children ages 3 through fifth grade meets from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Bible-study gatherings begin at 10:00 as well, including a class with Pastor James in the church kitchen.
Services can be watched live through Our Hope’s YouTube livestream. A Monday Divine Service is held at 6:30 p.m.
Bible Study Through the Week
The 10 a.m. Sunday Bible studies run alongside Sunday School. Pastor James leads a class in the church kitchen, and other Sunday studies also gather at that hour. A separate 10 a.m. Wednesday Bible study is led by Pastor James and focuses on wisdom, good counsel, and the practical moral questions people face.
The Large Catechism study meets at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays. Luther’s Large Catechism is presented as a clear exposition of Christian teaching, including the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Luther described the work as a handbook for teaching a family and as a model for Christian education. Pastor James leads the Saturday gathering.
The men’s ministry includes a 6:30 a.m. Tuesday Bible breakfast at Sunrise Cafe, 10230 Coldwater Road in Fort Wayne. Rev. Smith leads the group’s study of Luther’s Small Catechism, which contains Luther’s explanations of biblical texts and brief teaching notes.
Ladies Sip and Savor meets in the church fellowship hall at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The gathering combines Bible study and fellowship and is open to women.
Preschool Learning in a Christian Environment
Our Hope Lutheran School provides education from preschool prep through pre-kindergarten in a safe, family environment. The school emphasizes hands-on learning in a Christian setting and uses developmentally appropriate practices to encourage creativity, curiosity, thinking, self-expression, social growth, moral development, character, and natural learning abilities. Children are treated as God-given individuals who learn differently, so each child is approached with an interactive, differentiated educational experience.
The preschool and preschool-prep programs prepare children educationally, emotionally, and socially for kindergarten. Activities reach across spiritual growth, language arts, pre-math, science, fine and gross motor skills, physical education, fine arts, and social growth. Programs serve children from one year old and walking through age five, with classes for different age groups, half-day and full-day options, and weekday or partial-week schedules.
Children attend chapel each week, participate in Monday pledges and school birthday celebrations, and join Friday fitness activities. The school also offers a religious curriculum, local field trips, a fenced-in playground, small classes, and two teachers per class. Families receive real-time daily updates, and the school operates as a state-registered ministry with an emphasis on individualized attention, caring teachers, and a safe atmosphere.
Rev. Roger James serves as pastor. Joshua Clemens is the preschool director, Diane Harris is the assistant director and a four- and five-year-old teacher, Jen South manages Procare, and Alivia Currington coordinates the elementary Noah’s Ark program.
Noah’s Ark Before and After Care
Noah’s Ark Before and After School Care is available on a day-to-day basis for preschool and elementary children through age 12. The program provides morning drop-offs and afternoon pickups from Huntertown Elementary School and other local elementary schools. Its Christian setting is designed to be safe, fun, and caring.
A child’s day can include snacks, arts and crafts, games, outside play, and homework time. The mix of structured activities and pickup or drop-off flexibility makes Noah’s Ark a practical companion to the preschool and family programs at Our Hope.
Summer Camp and School Life
Our Hope’s summer day camp fills the summer with Christian fellowship and a mix of learning and play. Children can take part in math, reading, and science activities, water activities, arts and crafts, bicycle adventures, movies, outdoor entertainment, and the process of making new friends. The program complements the school year with small-group experiences and keeps learning connected to the church’s Christian setting.
Children, Youth, and Confirmation
Sunday School welcomes children from age 3 through fifth grade from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Friends of Jesus serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. These open community programs give younger children regular times for learning, fellowship, and faith formation alongside the church’s worship life.
Students in grades 8 through 12 meet from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Confirmation classes meet September through May for students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Pastor James leads confirmation class from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. in his office, preparing students to make a profession of faith and become confirmed members of the Lutheran Church.
Ladies, Seniors, and Music
The Ladies Guild meets at 10:00 a.m. on the first Thursday of February, April, October, and December. Its members emphasize serving through practical acts, singing, proclaiming redeeming love, and meeting the needs of church families, friends, and neighbors. Church families provide altar flowers for Sunday services, and Ladies Guild volunteers also prepare food for funeral dinners when help is needed.
Ladies Sip and Savor meets on the first and third Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Seniors gather at 11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month for food and fellowship, cards, and games.
Music ministry includes the Sunday-morning Praise Team, Adult Choir, Men’s Choir, Adult Handbell Choir, and Children’s Handbell Choir. The praise team rehearses at 10:30 a.m. before the 11:00 Contemporary Service, and singers and instrumentalists are invited to participate.
Peace and Comfort for Mental Wellness
Our Hope’s mental-wellness ministry begins with the conviction that mental illness is a disease, not a cause for shame. Its practical response is to listen and spend time with people, express genuine concern, encourage them to seek help, pray with them, and share Scripture, Christian music, and notes of encouragement.
LookupIndiana.org offers awareness information, support, provider information, and faith-based mental-health resources for individuals and families. Our Hope describes this kind of support as a source of peace and strength and a complement to therapy. The church also identifies 988 as available by call and 494949 by text, 24 hours every day.
Prayer, Devotions, and Cheerful Giving
Prayer is central to the life of Our Hope, expressed in the words “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.” The church shares Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer as part of its prayer life. Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries can be received by email, heard as podcasts, accessed through a mobile app, or listened to through Spotify, iHeart Radio, Alexa, or Google Home. Seasonal Advent and Lent devotions are available in English and Spanish.
Our Hope also places a strong emphasis on cheerful giving, quoting 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Online giving is available through the church’s secure giving page.
At Our Hope Lutheran Church and School, the shared mission remains straightforward: teach, love, and connect the Huntertown community to Jesus Christ through worship, learning, care, and fellowship.