HOPE CHURCH - Key Persons
Bill Sarver is currently a Deacon at Hope Church. He grew up with a servants heart. His parents instilled in him at an early age, the importance of giving back to the community. Not only was he a Cub and Boy Scout, but he was involved in scouting many years as a leader for his son's troop, who all attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
His family has been members of Hope for the last eight years. Six of which he volunteered with Hyper Drive, Hope's Youth Ministry, including two Mission trips to Brazil. Recently Bill felt directed to serve Hope as a Deacon to assist its members and parishioners any way he could.
In 1991 Bob and his wife Suzanne met Gerry and Sandra Manzi. Gerry loved the Lord and was a very kind, gentle and patient man. He has since gone to be with the Lord. Bob and Suzanne were in their late 20's and they thought they had the world figured out, Bob certainly thought he did not need God. Suzanne was already a believer. They had been married for three years and had yet to have any children. Life was good or so they thought. There was definitely something special Bob saw in the Manzi couple and Bob wanted what they had.
Gerry shared the Gospel with Bob and invited him to join him at a Sunday service. Bob turned him down many times until July of that year. Bob and Suzanne finally agreed to join him and his wife Sandy. They went to a service and the Gospel was shared and Bob went forward and made a public profession of faith. God used the speaker that day to change his heart.
Jack has been a member of Hope Church since 2018 after relocating to the area with his wife Carla. He and his wife quickly became active in several areas of the church, including child care, Men's and Women's ministries Jack became a deacon in January of 2020.
Jack is a believer and tries to use the gifts that God blessed him with to the best of his abilities. Jack was raised as Lutheran, mostly because of his German heritage and mother. Jack's served in the U.S. Navy and then went to university where he now holds a Bachelor's of Science degree. Jack and Carla found Hope Church to be opening and bathed in God's love and quickly found Hope to be a home to stay at.
Jack and Carla enjoy fellowship and serving, they also enjoy many hobbies. One of their favorite verses form the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Jack and Carla's home and friendship is always available to those that want to talk or are in need.
Janice and her family are Charter Members of Hope, having joined 18 years ago when Hope Church was a mission church. During the years, she has been involved in many aspects of ministry including serving as Special Events Coordinator, Women's Leadership Team, Finance Team, Pastor Search Team, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School Teacher, Drama Team, Mission Team, Bible Study Leader and Meals Ministry co-leader.
This is her second term as Deacon. Janice, her husband and son started the Homeless Ministry at Hope Church nine years ago and coordinated a weekly meal and Bible teaching ministry serving over 100 hungry friends each week in downtown Tampa. This grew into an outreach ministry which purchased a Van that brought the homeless to Hope Church each week for church and a hot lunch.
Janice and her husband, Carroll, are native Mississippians and have been married for 43 years. They have two sons and two grandchildren and have chosen to spend their retirement years helping their sons establish their businesses and seeing where the Lord is at work and joining Him!
Juan was born in Colombia, South America and came to the States in 1971. Juan lived in Silver Spring, MD and went to the University of Maryland. Juan moved to Florida in 1989 and to Tampa in 1996, where he has lived ever since.
Juan is married to Tere and has two grown men, Andres and Manny and one young lady, Isabel.
Juan works with a large Insurance Agency in Tampa and handles various lines of Professional Liability.
Lee has been with Hope Church in Lutz since 2002, but his roots with Hope run much deeper. Prior to relocating here in 2002, he was a member of Hope Church in Memphis Tennessee, which is the church that originally sent our founding pastor here to the Tampa Bay area, to establish Hope Church in Lutz!
Lee and his wife Carol have four grown children, three young grandchildren and they are blessed to have three of their grown children living here in the Tampa area.
Lee has been involved in many of the church's ministries over the years. He and Carol have led Small Groups in their home, and he has been very active in the Men's Ministry. As lead deacon on his second rotation of service to the congregation, Lee has overseen much of the building maintenance and provided his experience in business to the administrative needs of our church.
Professionally, Lee is a Manufacturer's Representative in the Office Furniture Industry.
Lyn is a Charter member of Hope Church having joined 18 years ago when Hope was a Missions church. She started in children's ministry teaching Sunday School to the elementary children for several years.
As the church grew, God put it upon the congregations heart to buy land and build a church. Lyn was the Stewardship Director who lead the Fund Raising Campaign to build the church. Lyn is the Co-Chairperson for the Mission and Homeless Ministry and has been serving this ministry for many years. Lyn has been a member of the Finance Team for many years and has been the Treasurer for 2 years. It is humbling and a privilege to serve as a Deacon of Hope Church.
Lyn is a native Floridian living in the Tampa Bay Area for over 25 years. She has 2 wonderful sons and daughter in law and 4 grandchildren. Lyn is a local business owner who's services support not-for-profit Financial organizations.
Mark has been a member of Hope church since 2005. He and his wife Lucy joined Hope Church shortly after moving here from Indianapolis where they were active members at Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis. They moved here to take care of Lucy's aging mother, who did not wish to move away from the rest of her family.
Leaving Church at the Crossing was very hard, but they soon found a home at Hope Church after a chance encounter with the founding pastor at a coffee shop. Mark and Lucy quickly involved themselves in the church, joining the Sunday Morning Set Up Team as well as Small Groups.
Mark served as a Deacon for many years and participated in the Homeless Ministry. He currently leads a Sunday morning bible study, participates in Cafe Esperanza Outreach Mission, and assists with office administration duties. He can usually be found welcoming those who attend, out in front of the church.
Maureen has been a member of Hope Church for many years. Maureen was blessed to have been born into a Christian family and raised in our sister A.R.P. church (Trinity). Throughout the years, she has served in both the children's ministry and women's ministry.
Maureen is happy to have found a home at Hope Church and to have served on the missions team for the past five years. Gay has been married for 42 years and has been blessed with two sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law and two grandsons.
Maureen worked as a research biologist for over 35 years and now that she is retired, looks forward to serving the members of Hope Church in whatever capacity needed.
I was born and grew up in the Scottish Highlands. We were not a family that ever went to Church, but when I was 18 I went to study Chemistry in the city of Aberdeen and there through the witness of a fellow student, I came to faith in Christ. After about a year I began to sense God's call to ministry so I finished my Chemistry degree and worked briefly in an oil laboratory. This was followed with six months teaching English in Peru, before I returned to Scotland and studied for a further three years in Edinburgh at the Free Church of Scotland College.
In my first ministry, I spent seven years working mainly in a deprived area or Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, where many people with addictions came to faith in Christ. Then I ministered just to the north of Inverness for twelve years in the Black Isle. an area that is neither an island nor black! But it is very beautiful. During my time in the north of Scotland I was also a chaplain to the local prison and served on the financial, strategic and missions boards of the Free Church of Scotland. I am married to Yazmin from Columbia and we have two sons, Joshua and Matthew.
Simon has been involved with Hope Church for many years, firstly as a visitor when coming from England to meet Rhonda, now his wife, they were maried by Pastor Mike in 2001. Simon and Rhonda, then lived for several years in England until in 2006 they moved to Tampa and became regular members of Hope Church. For Simon it was quite a break to leave his country, many of his family, start a new job, in fact there was not much more that could have changed in his life!
It is the love and fellowship that Simon found at Hope Church that enabled him to settle in Tampa and grow his faith. Simon connected with Hope Church supporting drama worship, editing the Church website, joining various small groups and lately helping with the sound and lighting at the Church.
Simon has wanted to continue to serve Hope Church and became a Deacon in 2012.