iHOPE

A Place to Sit

The next time you walk in from the parking lot, be sure to look for the newest addition to our Celtic Circle Courtyard. You'll see a bench placed there in memory of Ken Jansen.

Ken was one of the pastors who served the Sedalia and Louviers congregations that later combined to become New Hope. He was a terrific pastor with a deep faith, a sharp mind, a caring heart and a warm sense of humor.

When we built the latest addition, we wanted to include a courtyard that would provide a welcoming place for visitors as well an inviting place for people to gather. WE also wanted it to be a place to honor those who have made a difference in our life. Most people are familiar with the bricks, and we will be dedicating the next batch in July. Another way to honor people is with benches and there are provisions for almost a dozen of them around the courtyard and even more out in the proposed Memorial Garden. Ken's bench is the first, but it won't be the last! If you'd like more information about memorial opportunities, you can contact David Shipley. If you email me (link is in the right column), I'll forward it to him and the rest of the Memorial Team.

When Martine was thinking about a way to honor her husband, Ken, she always envisioned a bench. She wanted to provide a place for folks to sit as they waited to be picked up. It took awhile to get all the details right, but Ken's bench is here. Be sure to notice it next time you come by. Better yet, have a sit!

Welcome, Lisa!

I want to introduce you to our newest staff member:  Lisa Womack.

Lisa is filling a new position:  Pastoral Assistant. She'll be working with me to provide some secretarial, and administrative support so we can extend the ministry of New Hope. Lisa will be working on some key projects as well making sure our communication is consistent and accurate. The list goes on, but you get the idea!

I am told we had about 40 people applied for this position- many from outside the New Hope community. The Personnel Committee did a wonderful job discerning who might be the best fit for New Hope, the Staff- and this position. I talked to the final two applicants and it was clear that Lisa would be a terrific fit.

Lisa originally hails from Texas, though she has been living in Elizabeth for many years. If you come by her office, you'll see that she loves horses! Her last position was with Jewish Family Services where she worked with refugees from all over the world (there are a few pictures of them in her office, too!). Before that, Lisa was an Administrative Assistant at St. John's Episcopal Church in Denver.

Next time you are in the office, stop by and say "Welcome!" to Lisa!

 

 

Introducing, "iHope for Families"!

Jami Lewis is our Director of Children and Family Ministries. She and all the volunteers do a terrific job helping our children grow in faith and experience a loving relationship with Christ.

There are some big things going on in the Children's Ministries and we thought the best way to get the word out- and get some feedback,  was for Jami to start her own blog.  It's called, "iHope for Families".

Jami is just getting things started, but you can already get a feel for who Jami is and her passion for children's ministry by checking out her blog. Blogs do best when people respond, so don't be afraid to leave a little feedback! Once you're there, you can check out the link that belongs to this picture (5 Ways to Make Your Child Hate Church).

 

A New Ministry Frontier for New Hope

 

So, what is the fastest growing segment of Douglas County?

What group of people has increased by almost 200% in the last 10 years- and is expected to tripe again in the next 20 years?

What age group is full of commitment, resources, wisdom and creativity- yet is traditionally under-utilized in most churches?

If you guessed, "Senior Citizens", you would be right!

That is why Session has called for a "Senior Summit" on Sunday, May 20, from Noon to 2:00 pm. Want to be a part of it?  Then you can RSVP through the Connection Card on Sunday, or email me using the link in the right column.

A New Frontier?

At our retreat last Fall, Session was looking ahead at the key issues that we believe will impact New Hope and our community in the years to come. Looking at the demographics of Castle Rock and Douglas County, we were surprised to see the jump in population for senior citizens. What really got our attention was the projections of what is to come.  From just under 5% of the total population in 2000, it is projected that seniors will make up more than 20% of the population by 2030.  At the Fall planning retreat, Session likes to strategize about the things we should be doing now, that will have the most significant effect in the next 2-3 years. As we looked at the statistics, we began to wonder, "is this a new ministry frontier for New Hope?"

Why You Shouldn't Come to Church This Sunday

It was Martin Luther who said there were three conversions necessary to become a Christian:

• Conversion of the Head (Belief)
• Conversion of the Heart (Will)
• Conversion of the Wallet (Money)

Guess which of the three is the hardest? In the universe of spiritual concerns, money is indeed, the final frontier.

I can tell you that in my 30+ years of ministry, it is far easier to have conversations with people about their beliefs or their actions. Generally, folks are pretty open to discussing changes that need to be made in those areas. Conversations about money are a different matter. The walls go up, the conversation shuts down and the suddenly the discussion shifts to things that are 'private' and 'no one else's business'. It is not unusual for someone to talk about how they 'resent' that the subject was broached and the Church would be a lot better if they stopped talking about 'money' so much.

If you are one of those people, don't come to church this Sunday.