we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ He [Jesus] makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:15-16
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5 Fall 2015 Dear Hope Family, I ve always been amazed how God uses the weak, the broken and that ordinary Joe to accomplish something much more extraordinary. There s something about watching people with no hope defy the odds and come together with God and others to accomplish the incredible. We read it in story after story of the Bible: Abraham. Moses. Ruth. David. Esther. The disciples. I ve witnessed it in 13 years of ministry around Lutheran Church of Hope through Celebrate Recovery, personal Hope Stories, our Lenten projects like Feed 1 Million in 40 Days, The Dream Giver series, and partnerships with local and global nonprofits. God takes unlikely, ordinary people. God works in them and through them. And, God s power and God s people come together to build something that s eternal. blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep in the water their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 I want to invite you to join me as our story and God s story come together to build something incredible in Waukee, as we enter into a three-year capital campaign titled Hope Grows Here. 2 Hope Grows Here
One year ago, on Oct. 26, 2014, our West Des Moines campus was at capacity and the mission of reaching out to the world around us was becoming harder to accomplish due to the lack of space and parking. As the City of Waukee and surrounding suburbs expand expected to grow from 18,000 to 36,000 in the next 10 years we have an incredible opportunity to share the Good News with our neighbors and those who are moving into our great state of Iowa from India, Asia and other nations. God continues to teach and provide for us as a church family, and as we enter into the 22nd year of ministry as part of Lutheran Church of Hope, we are discovering that we are better together. As each Hope campus continues to grow, we are discovering new gifts. And individually, as each one of us discovers and puts into practice our God-given gifts and abilities, we are discovering a new reality. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole. And, the impossible, with God s help, becomes possible. Hope Grows Here is about planting down roots into the life-giving teachings of Jesus Christ, to build up future generations, to make disciples, and to extend the love of Christ to all people which at the end makes heaven more full! What is impossible for people is possible with God. Luke 18:27 Church, let s come together and join God in this exciting season of planting and growth! In Christ, Pat Quaid Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. Matthew 22:37 Hope Grows Here 3
The Heart of Hope Mission Reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ. Vision To be a Spirited (Acts 2), Growing (Matthew 28), and Christ-centered (John 13) community filled with hope! Core Values 1. Jesus is life. The rest is details. I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. Romans 1:16 2. Lost people matter to God and so they matter to us. Your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found! Luke 15:32 3. We worship God, not tradition. The time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. John 4:23 4. Following Jesus is a growing experience. equip God s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ that we will be mature and full grown, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:12-14 5. We are one body, united in Jesus Christ. Now all of you together are Christ s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 4 Hope Grows Here
Growing Hope To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Luke 19:26 HOPE S HISTORY Hope is one of the largest ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) congregations in the nation. There are more than 9,000 ELCA congregations. In 2013, Hope was the fastest growing Lutheran church in the nation. Hope was featured in the September/October 2013 issue of Outreach Magazine and listed as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in the Nation. An average of 75 children participate weekly in Hope Waukee s Children s Ministry program, HopeKids. Hope-wide annual attendance growth 2005 3,829 2006 4,393 2007 4,713 2008 5,654 2009 6,801 2010 7,480 2011 8,408 2012 9,123 2013 9,880 2014 10,231 2015 10,934 The average weekly attendance at Hope Waukee in its first year of existence was 395. Membership at Hope Waukee reached 140 in its first year of existence. 16 people were baptized at Hope Waukee in its first year of existence. 478 people celebrated Christ s birth at Hope Waukee s Christmas Eve Candlelight Services in 2014. 764 people celebrated Jesus resurrection at Hope Waukee s Easter services in 2015. Hope Grows Here 5
Imagine! For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME FOR A PERMANENT HOME FOR HOPE IN WAUKEE? WORSHIP IMPACT Imagine worshiping in a facility that provides ample room for everyone currently attending Hope, with room for you to invite your friends and family and live out Hope s mission statement, To reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ. The Worship Center will provide an intimate setting for worshippers to connect with the love of Jesus. The worship room will be filled with comfortable seating and a large enough stage for major events like Christmas Eve, children s programs and Easter! Most importantly, the new Worship Center that seats 864 will provide room for unchurched people to come and meet Jesus, and a sanctuary (literally means safe haven ) for those who already know Christ to come and worship him. That s our mission, and we have chosen to accept it! ROOM FOR THE KIDS Imagine children learning the stories of the Bible and experiencing the love of Jesus in a space designed for large group worship, with kid-friendly small group classrooms. Where kids have their own space to learn about the love of Jesus and worship with all the energy they can bring! Restroom breaks? No worries. The restrooms are equipped with diaper changing tables for the newest members of God s family. There is a spacious nursery, with ample room for a safe environment for our youngest Hopesters (and fastest growing age group!) And, for nursing moms, there are two Mother s Lounges where you and your baby can sit in the grace of God s word together. 6 Hope Grows Here
A HOLY PLACE Imagine driving down Hickman Road and seeing a cross clearly visible on the front of our building. A constant reminder of the limitless grace God has shown us, and the unending forgiveness we are to extend to the people in our lives. Within the building will be a Prayer Room that will be open for prayer during daytime office hours. A separate entrance to the Prayer Room will make it available 24/7, providing the opportunity to praise God for the goodness of this life, and cry out to God during times of hurt and confusion. The beautiful Atrium is filled with bright natural light, so much so, that we only need to turn on the artificial kind at night! We can sit and visit with friends while looking out windows to see people enjoying the beautifully landscaped serenity area around the cross. SPACE FOR EVENTS AND MINISTRIES Imagine a fully accessible building with large rooms for HopeKids, PowerLife, Ignition, Alpha and Vacation Bible School, as well as classrooms that can be used for smaller classes, like Financial Peace University or CORE. Imagine how many more people we can serve through future mission opportunities because we have a permanent space. Dream Big Depending on the offerings we bring to God for Hope Grows Here, we also hope to add the following items to this project: 1. A driveway connecting our property to NE Westgate Dr (to the east). This will allow us to be able to create an efficient traffic flow during garage door events like Christmas, Easter and VBS. 2. Visible signage on the east and west sides of the building. 3. Major changes to the exterior of the building, including the edifice, paint and landscaping. 4. Adding windows to the Worship Center to bring in natural light. 5. Building of a chancel in the Worship Center. 6. Interior remodeling of the Atrium area to bring in more natural elements. Hope Grows Here 7
Building Plans Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18 8 Hope Grows Here
HOPE WAUKEE CAMPUS PERMANENT LOCATION Victory Goal: $1,500,000 Finance Phase I of the Church Building: Create a second road entrance connecting to Westgate Drive, paint the exterior of the building, install permanent signage above the Atrium and east/west entrances, and the addition of an exterior cross with landscaping on the south side of the church building. Dream Goal: $2,000,000 All of the above, plus adding a chancel and windows to Worship Center, adding window shades in the Atrium and classrooms, painting the Atrium and window frames, straightening the outside edifice to remove the crown, and improve mechanicals in Worship Center. We will also make upgrades to equipment and technology to enhance the discipleship and worship experience. Hope Grows Here 9
Goals of Hope Grows Here Don t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God s peace Philippians 4:6-7 1. Gather WEEKLY WORSHIP Why? INSPIRATION: Worship is a spiritual exercise for the body of Christ and a time for intimacy with God, healing for the hurt, sanctuary from chaos, water for dry bones and spiritual food for the soul; a Holy Spirit hangout, hospital for sinners, a place of renewal and holy ground. Celebration Services Sundays, 9:15 & 11:00 am ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE SESSION Why? How? CONNECTION: To learn about the vision and mission of Hope Waukee, and how you can participate in achieving the goals of the Hope Grows Here campaign. To give the people and families of Hope an opportunity to connect with one another. OPTION #1: You can sign up online (hopewaukee.org/campaign) or at the Hope Grows Here table after the 9:15 or 11:00 am service, to attend one of eight 45-minute Open House sessions hosted by Hope Waukee volunteer members. At the Open House you will: Have the opportunity to connect with others from our community. Watch a short DVD of Pastor Pat explaining the goals of Hope Grows Here and how you can participate. Ask volunteers from the Hope Grows Here team to answer any questions you may have. OPTION #2: Request a Home Visit that you can host in your home for your family and some of your invited Hope neighbors and friends. These will occur Nov. 8-12 and be led by a Hope volunteer. 10 Hope Grows Here
2. Grow DEVELOP A DAILY PRAYER ROUTINE Why? CONVERSATION: Develop more effective communication patterns and a deeper bond between you and God. How? Make good use of the daily prayer guide and devotional guide (hopewaukee.org/campaign). Commit to pray daily for the campaign and prayerfully ask God to guide your giving. DIVE INTO THE BIBLE Why? REVELATION: Experience life-changing freedom as you immerse yourself in the living Word of God. How? Make good use of the daily prayer and devotional guide. PARTY AT THE CELEBRATION EVENT We re planning a huge all-church party at the Hope Waukee building on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 5:00 pm for the entire church family (kids are welcome, too)! It will include lots of inspiring music, stories of Hope, food, fellowship and a ton of fun! It definitely will not be about money on this night. No one will ask you to make your pledge at the end of the celebration. It s just an all-out, Spirit-filled party with your church family (there s a time for everything, including laughter Ecclesiastes 3:4)! Hope Grows Here 11
3. Give DISCOVER THE JOY OF CHEERFUL GIVING Why? LIBERATION: Find freedom in guilt-free, pressure-free giving; not under compulsion, but cheerfully, generously and freely! How? Understand that everything we have belongs to God: Pray Wait for God to answer Give as a matter of God s revelation, not human reason Give with a sense of God s timing for the eternal impact of our gifts BRING AN OFFERING TO GOD THROUGH HOPE GROWS HERE Why? MISSION: For the sake of fulfilling Lutheran Church of Hope s mission to reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ. How? In addition to regular general fund offerings, offer a one-time gift, and/or a three-year commitment to Hope Grows Here on Commitment Sunday Nov. 22. The Hope Grows Here giving campaign is all about us becoming the church God calls us to be in Waukee creating holy spaces for people of all ages to connect with God and one another in ways that will make a massive, positive difference in this community, leading thousands of people to a new life in Jesus Christ for generations to come! We re not just purchasing and renovating a church building. We re building HOPE for the world around us! Pastor Mike Housholder Starting this new worship location one year ago, we could not have imagined this opportunity God has given us to purchase a permanent home in the community and I look forward to what he has planned for our future. He is giving us such great opportunities to reach out to those around us and share His love. Jason Sparks While we know that God s church is about the people and not about buildings, it is exciting to have this new space to expand Hope Waukee s ministries in all areas. There is so much potential to grow our youth and family ministries, missions, adult ministry...the possibilities are endless! God is on the move and I believe He will use all of us to make an impact in the Waukee and surrounding communities to expand His kingdom. Mary Nichols I am excited to see God s purpose fulfilled in Waukee with our new building and the community of Hope. I am also excited to see how God chooses to use me and my family throughout this adventure and the changes he will create in us. Jami Vollmecke I am so excited about HopeKids! It s so cool that God knows what the future holds for us in our new building!! Melanie Mayer, HopeKids child Shuler was fun but our new church will have SO much more space to hang out and learn about God. And it will be our space. More kids might come too when they hear how cool it is. Preston Schnoor, HopeKids child 12 Hope Grows Here
Discover the Joy of Cheerful Giving! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 It s not complicated. It s a matter of faith... God s revelation, not human reason! STEP ONE: PRAY. Ask God this question: Lord, what do you want to do through me to accomplish your will for Hope Waukee? Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7 STEP TWO: LISTEN TO GOD. Keep asking until you hear God s answer. If you don t get anything in other words, if you don t get a pretty strong indication in your heart, soul or mind as you pray each day throughout this campaign then quiet your life until you can. Be still. Listen to God, not people. God will write a number on your heart, soul or mind. Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 STEP THREE: TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. Trust God enough to do whatever he calls you to do, believing that he will provide the means to make it happen. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). Now you re giving as a matter of faith and thus, experiencing the joy and freedom of Biblebased giving without anyone telling you, other than God, what to give! Enjoy the feeling! You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Hope Grows Here 13
A Time to Grow Hope! Dear Hope Waukee Community, What an exciting time to be a member of God s church at Hope Waukee. We are honored to be a part of the team of volunteers that is assisting with the HOPE GROWS HERE Campaign. Hope Waukee is in a new location, and we have the opportunity to make this space our permanent church facility. The goal of the HOPE GROWS HERE campaign is three-fold: First, we want the Hope Waukee community to GROW in FAITH. This will include weekly worship and a Daily Devotional Guide throughout this campaign period. This is a great time for you to GROW your personal relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading. Secondly, to GROW in FELLOWSHIP with other members of the Body of Christ. This is a great time to renew and expand upon existing relationships and to build and develop new ones. The events that are planned over the next several weeks were created with this goal in mind, to provide each person and each family with the opportunity to participate in this exciting time in the life of our church community. Finally, to GROW in STEWARDSHIP. This is a great time to give generously for the multiplication of God s Kingdom. We understand that this is a very personal decision. All we ask is that you give prayerful consideration as to whether this is the right SEASON for you to help with the VISION and the MISSION of HOPE. The mission of Lutheran Church of Hope is to Reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ. Please take time to pray about how God can accomplish this mission through you. The new permanent home of Hope Waukee will provide more space for our GROWING membership to connect through worship. It will provide a place to gather to celebrate significant events in the lives of our church and its members baptisms, weddings, confirmations and funerals. It will allow for programming designed for all members to grow and participate, from the youngest of us to those faced with a spiritual opportunity or need. Thank you for your prayerful consideration as to how you can be part of the HOPE GROWS HERE Campaign. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of us. It is GOOD TO GROW and be the church. Hope Waukee Campaign Directors Clay and Richelle Boatman cboatman@qcbt.com Kim and Dave Hegedus d.hegedus@live.com 14 Hope Grows Here
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:31 Waukee 305 NE Dartmoor Drive Waukee, IA 50263 info@hopewaukee.org hopewaukee.org