It's Hard to Say Goodbye to Hope - The Lutheran Church of Hope...that is

I spent part of my morning, a few weeks ago, roaming the halls of the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa - it's been our church home for the past seven plus years for my wife and I - you heard the old saying, "Boy if those walls could talk."

Most of my closest friends from Hope have struggled with addictions - spent time in prison - suffered from divorce or loss of a family member and every one of them knows who Jesus is - you see - Hope is an oasis for those hurting just as Jesus planned through the Power of the Holy Spirit - you do recall that Jesus came to help the sick and the needy and that is exactly why Hope is a Biblical Institution following what Jesus said - following what God put in the Bible and what He would expect any Christian to do here on earth.

My brief trip back after a move to Florida gave me a quick glimpse of what I have called home for some time - my connections were with people like Chad currently studying at Seminary and my co-pastor in a ministry called Care Core along with Mickell and Jason - Hi's - hellos and hugs to people like Debbie and Mike - Matt, Dave and Andy - Katherine, Carol, Connie and Cindy and just a chance meeting and worship time with Dusty and Bela and Darrell & Marilyn just a row or two behind

Life long friends like Sparky & Linda - Chris & Kim - Darren & Roxie and Larry & Sharon or those who have moved on too like Loren & Shelly - Lisa & Derek and countless others that take a piece of Hope with them - not the building but the feeling - the connection to the Holy Spirit encouraged through programs like Alpha - like Core - like messages from Pastor Mike & Jeremy or Pastor Richard with his rock solid Theology...

Nowhere else - no place in time - have I ever had the connection with so many people and it's all part of a plan God has for me - because of Jesus - it's the Power of the Holy Spirit - encouraged by people like Pastor Caroline - Lora Trost - Mike Brangoccio - Dr Mark Mattes and John & Sherry

You can take the person out of Hope but you can't take Hope out of the person - I truly believe (and most others do) that we have been called there to be trained - to be repaired - to witness - to proclaim that Jesus is here and alive - that He is working in us through the Power of the Holy Spirit and that God, The Father is instrumental in His plan for all of us and all of you

There's a place called Hope - there's the physical building - there's the multi-campus one church Hope - and most importantly there's the Hope that lives in every Christian no matter where you are and who you are. As one of my Alpha friends stated when they new I was moving on - See ya in Heaven - Brother !!!

Photo of the Lutheran Church of Hope compliments of Matt