April 2013 Elder Blog

Ezekiel 34: 26-27 “... I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.  The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops...”

Looks like spring has finally decided to appear!  After the long winter season it is nice to finally see the start of warmer weather ahead.  With that in mind, I would like to invite anyone with a heart for working outside to our May 4th “Spring Cleanup” at Hope.  This is a chance to clean up our surrounding landscape in order to make our church grounds outside inviting for all to see for the summer months ahead.

A reminder that there will be a special voting meeting for members after each service today.  This will be a chance for you to vote for our current treasurer and Elder board candidates. We’re very excited to see the current board continue to grow as well as appoint a new treasurer to replace Eric Gilson. Eric has accepted a new position in Minnesota. Eric and Carol, you will be missed!

A final thought.  As the warming temps finally come to the lakeshore area, enjoy taking advantage of the change outside. Take up Pastor John’s recommendation in his recent sermon regarding relationships and spend time with God while on a walk or cleaning up around the outside of the house.  He’s waiting for you to take the first step and start the conversation.  You won’t be disappointed!

                                                                             Mike Henderson

March 2013 Elder Blog

One of the greatest displays of God's creative nature can be seen through the passing from one beautiful season to another. And as another winter is almost over I think it is safe to say that it will be nice for spring to finally arrive.

But like the passing of the seasons, can you believe that our long journey through “The Story” has come to an end? I'm so glad that we were able to share such a wonderful pilgrimage together. Many people have shared about how they've connected the wonder of God's plan for mankind in the “upper story” for the first time through the realization that he's willing to meet us every day personally in the “lower story” of our own lives. Although I expect that you too have formed fond memories of it, as that chapter comes to a close we are very excited for what's coming next, Easter! Let me tell you, the services on Easter Sunday are going to be absolutely amazing. The church worship and planning team have pulled out all of the stops as we get ready to praise our risen King of Kings!

Here is some more very exiting news. It is my pleasure to inform you that we've received and accepted one applicant for Treasurer and  another applicant for the Elder board. We plan to present both of these qualified candidates to the congregation for a vote after each service on April 21^st.  Additionally, the pastoral search committee reports that their search for our next associate pastor has been narrowed down to two candidates!

Like a surfer catching a wave or a breeze filling our sails we sense the Holy Spirit providing momentum to our church and a lot of good things to look forward to! So, let's praise God and thank him for all that he is doing for us and among us here at Hope.
                                                                               
Gary Siegfried - Elder

February 2013 Elder Blog

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Once again at Hope we give thanks to God for the many blessings He has given our church.  As an elder board we are thankful for another recent successful business meeting.  Despite the obstacles of rescheduling due to our usual unpredictable snow patterns, we had a great time gathering with members to worship and conduct the business of the church.  In case you missed it, we approved our annual budget and got an excellent report from the pastoral search committee.  Be watching for news soon on the process of finding our new associate pastor; that committee works hard and fast!

While thanking God for our blessings, we also need to say goodbye to our Treasurer, Eric Gilson.  Eric has served as our church’s first treasurer, and helped us construct the roles and responsibilities of this important position.  Unfortunately for us, Eric will be leaving (with his wife, Carol) to take a new job in Minnesota.  We want to thank Eric for his service to the church and we pray that God will bless him and his family in their future endeavors.

As a result of Eric’s resignation, the elder board would like to once again call for nominations for church treasurer. The treasurer is responsible for reporting fiscal information to the congregation, and serves as the “front line” contact for church finances.  If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself), please notify an elder or pastor, or drop off information to the church office. 

Please continue to pray for your church leaders.  We regularly ask for God’s wisdom as we serve His bride, the church.

As a servant of Christ,

Scott Voskuil, elder

January 2013 Elder Blog

Greetings from your elder board!

Alright, I confess: I have a strong affection (read obsession) for egg nog. Starting before Thanksgiving and all the way till the shelves run out the first week of January I'm on the hunt for it. Regular or "Light" - is there really such a thing, flavored or original - it's all the same to me; add a dash of nutmeg and I'm hooked. Now I realize there are some among us who do not share my passion for this luxurious beverage - my response: good, more for me!  Now could there be a lesson for us in egg nog? Perhaps it is found in the Psalms: 

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

What if I chose to seek after and delight in God's word in my life as much as my enjoyment of holiday treats? Well one thing is true, I wouldn't gain as much weight, but I would gain direction, strength and peace, to name a few benefits. By partaking of God's word in our lives, we will have a stable foundation to move forward in 2013, no matter what the year holds for us. I agree with Pastor John's statement this past Sunday that Hope Church is heading in a good direction and that this year should be one of hope and excitement. How encouraging to start the year united as one body of believers! The desire of your elder board is that as individuals and as a church we will grow in our level of spiritual maturity this year. We resonate with Paul's words to the Ephesians:

 "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Eph. 1:17

As it says, knowing Christ better is made possible by the Spirit's working in us - that is our personal prayer for ourselves every day and our prayer for this church when the elders gather to pray every Sunday morning. Would you be willing to join us in this prayer for yourself and for your church this year? We would love to have you by our sides praying for His Spirit to do His work in us!

We would also love to have you join us for our Business Meeting coming up on Sunday, January 27 at 7:00 PM. We are excited to hear from the Pastoral Search Committee, to introduce the newly formed Trustees Committee, and present the annual budget for 2013 for approval. Please pick up a copy of the budget today for your review before the meeting and feel free to contact an elder or finance committee member with questions. 

We look forward to seeing you there and to serving and growing together in 2013 - with or without the egg nog!

Glenn Smith

December 2012 Elder Blog

Christmas Season Greetings to Hope Church,

During our dating years, I attempted to expand my birth-day into a birth-week. Looking back, it really was a great time to attempt such a feat.  We were still in the early stages of our relationship and although it may not have really ever turned into any more gifts or special attention, I still try.  

Birthdays certainly are a special time.  Birthdays are a time to celebrate, not another year of getting older, but another look back on what significance that person has had in our lives.  Some years may seem more special than others.  Maybe a landmark 18^th birthday or maybe just another day that you went to work, came home and did the nightly routine, maybe even no cake or candles. 

But Christ’s birthday is special every year.  As we have been learning in the sermon series, He is our King.  He deserves our full attention and recognition.  This is a time we can celebrate his entrance into the world as we know it and the ultimate significance that comes with His arrival.  He is worthy of celebration beyond just the day we call Christmas.  Although my own attempts have been unsuccessful to expand my own birth-day, He truly deserves our attention throughout the Christmas season. 

This Christmas season we are as excited as ever to celebrate Christ’s birthday and we are as excited as ever to be a part of the Hope community.   Our annual business meeting will take place on Sunday night, January 27^th.  Watch for details in the upcoming weeks.  We hope to see you there.  We are currently working on establishing a Trustee’s Committee.  This very important group will be responsible for decisions pertaining to the land and property use.  We are also continuing our search for additional Elder candidates.  Contact one of the elders if you have questions or are interested in serving either of these areas. 

Blessings this Christmas Season,

David Portmann, - Elder

October 2012 Elder Blog

People of Hope Church:

Welcome fall!  I love this time of year.  The changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and football! (Especially now that the official referees are back for the NFL games). 

Speaking of fall, the term “harvest” is mentioned many times throughout the Bible.  Luke 10 says “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, to send out workers into his harvest field”.  As we know, workers are key to the harvest process.  Hope Church has been blessed by many volunteers who serve throughout the week.  You are an integral part of the church family and we appreciate you very much!  If you have yet to plug into a ministry we have many opportunities for you.   Please check out the Information Booth for additional options on how you can serve.

A reminder that October 21^st at 7pm is our final Business Meeting for this year.  The agenda will include:

·      A vote to update the bylaws to include additional language for the Senior and Associate Pastor sections stating that a 2/3 majority congregational vote is required for approval of these positions.
·      A recommendation to make absentee ballots available whenever we are voting on a staff position.
·      A financial update.  

We’re excited to serve as your elder board and thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Mike Henderson - Elder

August 2012 Elder Blog

Congregation of Hope:

Once again we pack away our vacation clothes, buy up our school supplies, and mourn the nearing of summer’s conclusion.  On behalf of the elder board, welcome back to all of you who were intermittently away for vacations over the past season.  We pray that all are well-rested and looking forward to the season of color-change.  The elders are excited for the coming season and wanted to make note of a few pressing issues.

Hope church has been quite dynamic over the summer.  Pastor Jessie is working hard in his expanded role as pastor of media arts, and we welcome Curt Vandersteld into his new role as youth pastor.  We are so blessed to have them helping our youth grow in Christ.  We’re also excited to have new small group leaders step forward and kick-off the next phase of “The Story.”  This is also a great opportunity to ask all of you to evaluate the gifts that God has given you.  One of Hope’s fundamental concepts (one of the G’s) is that all of us have been given gifts to serve God.  Are you using your gifts for God’s work though church?  The elders continuously work to find volunteers to perform church-related tasks (missions, gardens, outreach, etc).  Please take time to pray about how you can better use your gifts for the work of the church, and take the next step to volunteer.

One final note; please “save the date” for our next congregational meeting.  We are planning on meeting on Oct 21^st for our fourth and final meeting of the calendar year.  Thanks again for attending these meetings, the elders find them useful as a tool for our efforts at improving leadership’s transparency.

There are many other church “business-related” items that we’re working on.  Most of those will be outlined on separate bulletin announcements. We ask for your continued prayers as we serve as your leaders.

Scott Voskuil- Elder