April 28, 2025 • 24 mins
Thinking about coming to HOPE? Listen to this episode! We lay out everything you can expect as a new visitor. We also talk about how to start to get connected if you have been coming for a little while now and looking to take the next step!
Know a friend you'd love to invite? Send them this episode!
Notes & Resources:
- HOPE's Today Page: meethope.org/today
- Contact us! ashley@meethope.org, heather@meethope.org
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.online.church! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
Enjoy what you heard? Be sure to rate us on Apple Podcasts and click the subscribe button so you don't miss new episodes every Monday!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have
conversations about faith andhope.
Hope is one church made ofpeople living out their faith
through two expressions inperson and online.
We believe a hybrid faithexperience can lead to a growing
influence in our community andour world for the sake of others
.
Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hi everyone, welcome to the Meet Hope podcast.
My name is Ashley Black.
I'm excited to be here with youtoday.
Today, I am here with PastorHeather Mandela.
Hey, heather, hi Ashley, it'sgreat to be here with you.
It's been a little while.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It has been.
It's so good to be back.
Welcome back.
How are you doing?
I'm doing well, thank you, yeah, excited to be back in the
building on a regular basisafter some surgery and looking
forward to all that God has instore for the next season.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So today's episode is for anyone who is new to Hope.
So if you're listening, weparticularly hope that you're
listening because you are newhere.
So we wanted to say, first off,welcome to Hope, welcome.
You're listening because youare new here, so we wanted to
say, first off, welcome to Hope,welcome.
So glad that you're listeningand that you found us on the
podcast.
We do a podcast every week andthere's lots of episodes and
(01:17):
there's some that are more aboutfaith and hard questions, and
there are also some that helpyou get to know our staff, so I
definitely recommend checkingthose out.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So much fun.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But we thought especially right after Easter,
where you might've visited Hopethat this would be a great
episode to just give you someinformation of what to expect if
you're new to Hope.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
So, heather, where do you think we should start?
So I think and it's been solong since I was new to Hope,
but I think, if I oh, let'sstart there.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Wait, so, let's start there.
So what's both of our roles andhow long have you been here?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So I am one of the pastors here at Hope.
I focus primarily on supportingour family ministry programs
and on our small groupministries, and I have been here
for 20 years 20 years inJanuary this past.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
January yeah, that's right, we celebrated that.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, so it's been a while.
Yeah, so it's it's been a while.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Like it's been new.
Um, so I have been here.
I have been on staff since 2017, but I started my family
started coming to Hope when Iwas in high school, so that
would put me at almost 20 yearsalso, um, in and out with
college and everything, um.
But I am the communicationsdirector here at Hope and so I
(02:27):
any email or social media or ourwebsite or basically anywhere
that someone who is new would goto learn about us.
I oversee all of that and Ialso help a little bit with our
online community and I who arethe Ashley of all trades?
Yeah, yes, I produce thispodcast and I also oversee our
(02:49):
lobby team, who might welcomeyou if you come for the first
time.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
And what you may not know about Ashley is that she
has a background in dancetherapy and is an incredibly
creative individual, and so weget to see her pour her talents
into all different areas andit's it's really awesome to
watch.
Thank you, that's very kind.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So if you are brand new, I thought we could do if
you're brand new and you'relogging in online and if you're
brand new in person.
So the first one is a little bitof a shorter, like trek Sure
Right, because basically, if youare looking to check us out
online, we stream our serviceslive every Sunday at 9 and 10 30
am and you can go tomeethopeonlinechurch and you
(03:28):
will find our services there andyou can even log in and use the
chat to talk with other people,if that's something you want to
do, or you can just stream itand watch it if that's something
you want to do.
You can also watch our messageson our YouTube page, which is
youtubecom slash meethopechurch.
And also, from time to time, weoffer online small groups and
(03:48):
you can find those atmeethopeorg slash today, and so
if you're someone who's solelyonline, those are all places
that, if you're new, I would sayto kind of get started.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, and you won't be alone, right?
We have between 50 and 60percent of our population is
online.
They participate in an onlinemanner, and we have people from
all over the country who areparticipating online, so being
online is a real and vibrant wayto connect with our community.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, we have some really great volunteers who do
the chat online every week.
I get to be with them everycouple of weeks and they're just
so happy to welcome new people.
So if you are online, I wouldrecommend that you say hi in the
chat, let people know you'renew and ask questions.
But what about if you come inthe building and you're new, so
being new in the building.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And the reality is, these days we find most people
who are walking in the buildingfor the first time have first
checked us out, right, whetherit's they visited our website or
they have watched on-demandservices, things like that
They've checked us out a littlebit before they walk through
those doors.
But when you walk through thosedoors on a Sunday morning,
let's just talk about whatyou're going to see.
Yeah Right, so you're going towalk in and there's most likely
(04:54):
going to be a number of peoplewaiting to greet you and say
hello in the morning right.
Our lobby team is amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
And from running out with umbrellas in the pouring
rain to holding open doors andchatting.
Whatever they can do, they'refantastic.
You will likely encounter oneto two men at the front door who
that is their passion.
That's what they do everySunday.
They hold the front door openand they're happy to greet you.
And then in the lobby we haveanywhere from four to six
volunteers who stand and greetand stand at our info desk, and
they're just always excited.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, we always want to make sure that there are
people accessible to you,whether you are new or whether
you've been here forever, toanswer any questions you may
have and help you get connected.
It will also not be unusual foryou to see a lot of people
milling around probably a ton ofkids running up and down
hallways as they wait for thefamily ministry.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Some of them are probably mine.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, well, it was mine for years before that.
So, uh, yeah, we feel that sodefinitely, lots of kiddos
around, uh, lots of youth around, um, you're also going to see
people who are very casual andcomfortable, right.
So you know, you're going tosee people in jeans or in shorts
.
You're going to see people indresses.
You're going to see people indress pants.
It's really come as you are.
(06:01):
Um, we believe that God justwants to meet you and he's much
less concerned about what you'rewearing.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So, we also are not concerned.
Yes, no, but I think peoplemaybe sometimes worry about that
.
You're going to not only a newplace but a church and that
holds like certain like contextwithin our culture and we really
just want people to know thatwhen you come here to just to
come, how you're comfortable towear what you would wear like
(06:27):
anywhere else and be comfortable, and so that way you can be
like I know, like for me.
when I feel like I'm fullymyself, like I'm wearing my
clothes I like and I'm likedoing the things I like to do,
then it's easier for me to getto know people and have them get
to know me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, one less barrier.
Right, Like it just becomesyeah, we don't want you to be
uncomfortable.
And so we do a lot of things tomake sure that you know you can
be you here and um, and that'swhat we want and value.
Um, it's also not unusual tosee, uh, people in the worship
space itself with their coffeefrom the morning.
Um, it's not unusual to see ourpastors with their coffee in
the morning.
It's not unusual to see ourpastors with their coffee in the
(07:04):
morning in the worship space.
I always have coffee or a waterbottle or something in my hand
at all times, and so we havefree coffee on our cafe counter,
which when you walk in thefront doors you literally will
walk towards it.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
It will be facing you and our info desk will be on
the left-hand side and theworship space will be right in
front of you and our info deskwill be on the left-hand side
and the worship space will beright in front of you.
So literally everywhere youwould need to kind of get to is
right in front of you on aSunday morning.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
As soon as you walk in.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Except if I was singing, except if you have kids
, right.
So if you're coming and youhave, kids.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
what can I expect If you're coming and you have kids?
The easiest thing to do wouldbe to ask one of those lobby
people who are hanging aroundright, because that's what
they're there for and they'rethere to help you find stuff.
And those lobby people, theylove to bring new families back.
It's like they are so excitedwhen they get to bring new kids
back to the kids wing.
It's so exciting, so they willliterally walk you back and
introduce you to, most likelyCasey Cornforth, who is our
(08:00):
director of Hope Kids, and shemakes that wing run so smoothly
or one of her key volunteerswho's back there.
They'll introduce you.
It's a really easy way to getconnected for your kiddos.
You'll find back there classesfor kids ages three through
fifth grade.
We also have a middle schoolSunday school that meets at the
(08:23):
nine o'clock hour, and sothere's places for the whole
family and nursery care, andnursery care which is zero to
three.
Yep, Absolutely, and I woulddefinitely encourage you.
If you want to find out moreabout what we offer for kids,
there are a ton of podcasts onit.
There's also um.
You can go to the website andcheck it out there as well.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Yeah, that was one thing I was going to mention.
So if you have gone to a churchbefore and you come to Hope,
one thing you might be lookingfor is like a program to be
handed to you.
We actually don't do that hereat Hope.
We have moved towards beingmore digital and eco-friendly.
Yeah, I mean, there's a lot ofreasons and I'd be happy to talk
to you about it, but so wedon't have something like that
(09:01):
that we hand out in the morning.
Yeah, but the way that youwould get all that information
is you go to what we call theToday page.
So the Today page is one pageonline that literally has a
button for everything we couldthink of that you might need if
you are new, or even if you'vebeen coming and you're trying to
find out what's going on, andso the link for that is
meethopeorg slash today.
(09:22):
And if you go there literally Ijust had it pulled up One of
the first buttons says I'm new.
Here you can see our worshipinfo, which is the order of the
service for the day, and then itgoes into ways to get connected
and all kinds of other thingsthat we'll talk about in a
second.
But you can, like I said, youcan get that by going to
meethopeorg slash today.
You can also, if you just wantto put in meethopeorg, which is
(09:44):
our main website, there is a bigbutton there also so you can't
miss it.
And if you're sitting in theroom, we have QR codes on the
front of most chairs that willput you right there also, so we
hope that it's very easy to find.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Yes, yeah, we want to make everything as accessible
as possible and, again, it's allabout helping you feel
comfortable in this space, andsome of that is giving you the
knowledge that you need, right,because it can be scary to walk
into somewhere that you reallydon't know what to expect, and
that, I think, is an extension,really, of who we are here at
Hope.
Here at Hope, we are acommunity of believers who want
(10:22):
to be more like Jesus, whichmeans we want to love people
better, we want to walk withthem through the hard times.
We want to celebrate in thegood times.
You'll hear us talk a lot aboutbeing a disciple, right, and
that is people who are in theprocess of being conformed to
(10:43):
the image of Christ for the sakeof others.
That is who we are.
We're not perfect, but we havea perfect God.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, and I would say like we're not perfect and
we're also not looking to makeyou perfect when you come in the
front door right.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Because there's like that pressure, I think sometimes
no, once you meet me, one ofthe first things you'll find out
about me is I'm a hot mess mostof the time, and that is okay.
And it is okay for you to be ahot mess too.
That's kind of where I live.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, so let's continue the walkthrough.
So if you were to come inperson, so you've come in the
front door, maybe you've droppedyour kid off and then you head
into our worship space.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
What can?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
you expect in a worship service.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Absolutely so.
When you walk into the worshipspace, you're going to sit where
you feel comfortable, and thereare lots of options.
When you are in worship itself,you don't need to look for a
hymnal, you don't need to lookaround for song sheets.
It's going to be right up onthe screen in front of you and
you can participate at yourcomfort level, right?
(11:41):
So if you love to sing and youwant to stand and sing, that's
great.
If you want to stand and listen, that's great.
If you want to sit and listen,that's great.
There is no expectation.
Our expectation is just that youare coming ready to figure out
more about who this Jesus is andwhat he can mean to you, and
(12:04):
that's what we try to do throughworship, right, and we
recognize that everyone in ourcongregation, in our community,
is different, and so you willfind any given Sunday.
We have a team of pastors whopreach, so you're going to hear
different voices.
You're going to hear voicesfrom people of different
(12:25):
ethnicities, different genders,different age brackets.
We want people to understandthat God's community does not
look or sound one way.
You're going to see the samething in our worship bands,
right?
We're going to have a widevariety of people who are
leading us in worship.
We want that experience to beone that allows you to know God
(12:48):
a little bit better and maybe ina slightly different way than
you ever have before.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, yeah, I love that, and I was thinking while
you're talking that we do have apage that is our staff page,
and so if you see somebody who'sleading in the front on a
Sunday morning and you arewanting to get to know them
better, you can go there and youcan learn more about them.
But you can also reach out tothem if you have a question for
them.
That's a great place to look.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Those are my favorite emails.
I won't lie they really are.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Somebody who's?
Speaker 3 (13:17):
brand new, or who's been here a couple of times and
is just trying to figure out howthey can get closer to God and
the community.
Those are my favorite emails,so don't ever hesitate to send
any of the staff.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, so how would you answer that email?
If someone is reaching out toyou and they've been coming a
little bit now and they want tokind of slowly plug in, maybe
get a little more connected, bea little more involved, what
would you say is a good way todo that?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That is a great question.
I think one of the things thatis both exciting and challenging
is that we have a diversepopulation that attends a
variety of different expressions, right?
So we have people that come tothe nine, people that come to
the 1030, people who are onlineand people who switch between
that very regularly.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
We have people that watch On Demand on Thursday
right, yep, on Thursday exactly.
All of those people are part ofour community.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yep, they are all part of the Hope community, and
so when you walk in the door,you are not immediately
identified as a newbie, right?
Nobody goes oh look, who's thatnew person over there.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, we're not whispering like oh there's a new
person.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Did you see the new person?
What are we gonna do?
Like no, there's extent you canbe anonymous for a while.
However, we really want to helpyou be known, because we
believe that God created us tobe in community with one another
and that we are better peoplewhen we are in community with
(14:40):
each other, and that God movesthrough those relationships in
ways that we don't see whenwe're in isolation, and so we
really feel like it is importantto find a comfortable way to
connect, and that can feel scaryand overwhelming, particularly
if you're an introvert or if youhave some church hurt in the
(15:02):
past.
It can be really scary to takethat next step.
And we get it.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, one thing I love that we've just started
doing in the past year isthere's a monthly dinner we do
now called third Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And I find it like very approachable for someone
that's kind of maybe in that,that realm of like I'm more
introverted or I've really.
The last church we were at Ididn't leave on great terms.
I didn't love it and I'm, butI'm wanting to get connected
somewhere.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So third Tuesday happens the third Tuesday of
every month and it's a dinner.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It starts at five 30.
It's a catered dinner and youcan sign up on that today page
and it's really easy.
You just come and have dinnerand there's lots of other people
there and it's geared towardspeople who are new and looking
to and looking to and looking tomake new friends and so um, but
also no one will come over andlike no you're not going to get
a thousand questions.
That's not your vibe, um, so Iwould definitely suggest that
(15:56):
somebody checks that out.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
That's a really great , easy way to kind of get your
put your toe in the pool.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
So it's great.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Just check the temperature, maybe get to know a
few people by sight that youmight see on a Sunday or that
you'll see again on the nextthird Tuesday, things like that,
and it can be.
You know our schedules are busyand packed and so it can feel
daunting sometimes to commit toanything huge, and we just want
to encourage you that there areall different ways that you can
(16:25):
connect Things like thirdTuesday.
You can join a small group, andwe have small groups that are
based on all different things,whether it is scripture or like
you want to do a Bible study, orif you want to do a topic study
, or if you want to talk aboutsomething that's struggling with
you, right.
So we have anxiety and faithgroups.
There's all different ways andyou can find one that feels most
(16:48):
natural to you.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And we have groups that go like all year round, and
then we have groups that arelike six weeks short term
commitments.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
And so you can find one that fits you, and we have
groups that are in person andgroups that are online and
hybrid a little bit of both.
So we do try again to offer awide variety of things, because
we know everyone is differentand everyone's needs are a
little bit different.
But there's also other greatways to connect, like joining
(17:15):
that fabulous lobby team, right?
They're always happy to havepeople, absolutely, and they are
amazing.
And that is a once a monthcommitment and so you can do it
without feeling like it's toooverwhelming.
There are all different ways.
We also have a ton of events.
So if you're not willing, ifyou're not ready for that once a
(17:36):
month commitment, then maybeyou just want to help in an
event you know.
You can help set up a breakdownfor Good Friday, or you can
help decorate for Vacation BibleSchool, or you can help with
the Christmas tree light.
There's tons of standaloneevents that just would require a
couple hours here or there sothat it's a less intimidating
ask, but it's a great way to getto meet other people, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I always find it's easier to get to know others
when I'm new somewhere, when I'mdoing something with my hands,
like when I'm setting up a tableor I'm putting coffee out or
like it just makes conversationeasier than when you're just
like sitting across from someonewaiting, yeah, trying to know
what to say.
Yes, so, yeah, I love all ofthose.
And then I was thinking also,we know all of these things
(18:20):
because, as you mentioned, likewe've both been here for a
really long time.
Yeah, but my encouragement toanyone who is new is this idea
of giving it.
It can be, like you mentionedearlier, we have many people who
, by the time I meet them,they've been coming like a month
or two and they finally said hi, the place and how things work
(18:43):
and you're asking questions andand I think it takes time before
you can really settle into like, is this a fit for me and and
how do I want to get moreinvolved?
And and I I just would say,make sure you've you've reached
(19:06):
out and connected with some ofthe staff so we can, we can help
with that and answer anyquestions.
Or if you don't see somethingand you're wondering about it,
like, yeah, let us know.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, and, and that's the thing too right, like you
can serve at our food pantry.
If you are someone who ispassionate about helping out in
the community, there are lots ofdifferent things and just
having a conversation withsomeone can really open doors
for you in terms of knowing whatis available.
I would also encourage you um,like you're not making a
lifetime commitment to a groupor a volunteer position or a
(19:40):
service opportunity Like you areallowed.
It's like trying on clothesYou're allowed to try on
different things within thechurch and figure out what fits
and feels comfortable for you.
That's all about, and that's.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I always.
I always try to answer thoseLike, if I have someone serving
in the lobbying and then theytell me like this, it's just not
for me or it's not working forme the way I thought it would,
my instinct is never to be likeokay, bye.
Like my desire is to say okay,well, what are you really
passionate?
Speaker 1 (20:06):
about.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Like where, what, what would be the thing that you
think would, would make youfeel like excited and happy?
And then let me connect you tothat person.
Who can, you know, help youserve in the food pantry, or
help you serve on worship artsteam, or you know, like I, I
always find that, you know, theapproach isn't like, okay, well,
there's no space for you.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
It's well then where?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
where is the space for you?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, you know, yeah, and it was something you said
earlier.
That's key too in my mindReally not being afraid to ask
and say do you have anything forwhere I'm passionate about,
where I'm worried about?
And because those conversationshelp us not only meet you where
you are, but really, if you'rethinking it, if you're feeling
(20:50):
it, so are other people and weneed to know it, and it may spur
on a whole new area of ministryor it might blow wide open the
doors of an existing ministry toexpand the new ways.
So don't ever be afraid to askany of us.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, because, like we mentioned in the beginning,
we try to do a very good job ofmaking things accessible on our
website and through our socialmedia and with our podcast and
in our worship services, whichwe try our best to think of
every question someone mighthave and all the basic places
you'd want to get plugged in.
But, like we're also human andso I'm sure that we've missed
things and so if you don't seeit there, it's likely that it
(21:29):
exists.
It just has to point you in theright direction, tell you where
it is.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah, and it was one of the things that you said
earlier in the beginning of thispodcast too like we the
accessibility.
This is a great way to get anidea of what that first day
looks like, but for those of youwho've been around for a while,
it's also something you could.
You could send this to someonewho's been looking for a church
or who is not sure what thatnext step in their exploration
(21:53):
of faith is, and it might besomething that they're able to
say well, heck, maybe I'll givethem a call or I'll ask a
question or I'll send an emailor I'll watch online, because
each and every one of us hasthat space in our life, that
hole, where we feel likesomething needs to be filled
(22:13):
right, and so often we chase itdown and try to fill it with
things that just aren'tfulfilling, and and that's that
is our God shaped hole right.
That that is, that's what'smissing, and so we just are.
We want to help you know theway that God loves you and knows
you and wants to walk with you.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, no, I love that .
I think that's so important andI just yeah, I hope anybody
that's new that that's theirbiggest experience of coming
here is you're welcome here andyou're loved here, and we just
want you to know that God lovesyou here and we want you to find
a place where you can then youknow, experience God in your
conversations and in youractions and in the different
(22:58):
things you do every day,Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
So we will be keeping our eyes open for you, and we
cannot wait to meet you.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah, so if you want to reach out to either of us, my
name is Ashley Black and myemail is ashley at meethopeorg.
And Heather is Heather.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Mandela.
My name is Heather Mandela andmy email is heather at meet
hopeorg and Heather is Heather.
My name is Heather.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Mandela and my email is Heather at meet hope Pretty
much any of our staff.
You can email us at our firstname at meet hopeorg, and we
would love to help you getconnected.
Like I mentioned, the podcastwe put out every Monday so you
can listen wherever you like tolisten to podcasts, and you can
check us out online.
Meet hopeorg slash today is agreat place to go, and you can
(23:36):
check us out online.
Meethopeorg slash today is agreat place to go, and so, if
you're new, thank you so muchfor listening.
If you're a regular listener,thank you so much for listening.
Pass this on to someone youknow who's new and we look
forward to being with you againnext week.
Thanks, heather, thank you,ashley.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we
continue our conversationsabout faith and hope.
If you don't already, pleasejoin us for worship on Sundays
or on demand.
You can learn more atmeethopeorg or find us on
socials at Meet Hope Church.
Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have
conversations about faith andhope.
Hope is one church made ofpeople living out their faith
through two expressions inperson and online.
We believe a hybrid faithexperience can lead to a growing
influence in our community andour world for the sake of others
.
Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hi everyone, welcome to the Meet Hope podcast.
My name is Ashley Black.
I'm excited to be here with youtoday.
Today, I am here with PastorHeather Mandela.
Hey, heather, hi Ashley, it'sgreat to be here with you.
It's been a little while.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It has been.
It's so good to be back.
Welcome back.
How are you doing?
I'm doing well, thank you, yeah, excited to be back in the
building on a regular basisafter some surgery and looking
forward to all that God has instore for the next season.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So today's episode is for anyone who is new to Hope.
So if you're listening, weparticularly hope that you're
listening because you are newhere.
So we wanted to say, first off,welcome to Hope, welcome.
You're listening because youare new here, so we wanted to
say, first off, welcome to Hope,welcome.
So glad that you're listeningand that you found us on the
podcast.
We do a podcast every week andthere's lots of episodes and
(01:17):
there's some that are more aboutfaith and hard questions, and
there are also some that helpyou get to know our staff, so I
definitely recommend checkingthose out.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So much fun.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But we thought especially right after Easter,
where you might've visited Hopethat this would be a great
episode to just give you someinformation of what to expect if
you're new to Hope.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
So, heather, where do you think we should start?
So I think and it's been solong since I was new to Hope,
but I think, if I oh, let'sstart there.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Wait, so, let's start there.
So what's both of our roles andhow long have you been here?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So I am one of the pastors here at Hope.
I focus primarily on supportingour family ministry programs
and on our small groupministries, and I have been here
for 20 years 20 years inJanuary this past.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
January yeah, that's right, we celebrated that.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, so it's been a while.
Yeah, so it's it's been a while.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Like it's been new.
Um, so I have been here.
I have been on staff since 2017, but I started my family
started coming to Hope when Iwas in high school, so that
would put me at almost 20 yearsalso, um, in and out with
college and everything, um.
But I am the communicationsdirector here at Hope and so I
(02:27):
any email or social media or ourwebsite or basically anywhere
that someone who is new would goto learn about us.
I oversee all of that and Ialso help a little bit with our
online community and I who arethe Ashley of all trades?
Yeah, yes, I produce thispodcast and I also oversee our
(02:49):
lobby team, who might welcomeyou if you come for the first
time.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
And what you may not know about Ashley is that she
has a background in dancetherapy and is an incredibly
creative individual, and so weget to see her pour her talents
into all different areas andit's it's really awesome to
watch.
Thank you, that's very kind.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So if you are brand new, I thought we could do if
you're brand new and you'relogging in online and if you're
brand new in person.
So the first one is a little bitof a shorter, like trek Sure
Right, because basically, if youare looking to check us out
online, we stream our serviceslive every Sunday at 9 and 10 30
am and you can go tomeethopeonlinechurch and you
(03:28):
will find our services there andyou can even log in and use the
chat to talk with other people,if that's something you want to
do, or you can just stream itand watch it if that's something
you want to do.
You can also watch our messageson our YouTube page, which is
youtubecom slash meethopechurch.
And also, from time to time, weoffer online small groups and
(03:48):
you can find those atmeethopeorg slash today, and so
if you're someone who's solelyonline, those are all places
that, if you're new, I would sayto kind of get started.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, and you won't be alone, right?
We have between 50 and 60percent of our population is
online.
They participate in an onlinemanner, and we have people from
all over the country who areparticipating online, so being
online is a real and vibrant wayto connect with our community.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, we have some really great volunteers who do
the chat online every week.
I get to be with them everycouple of weeks and they're just
so happy to welcome new people.
So if you are online, I wouldrecommend that you say hi in the
chat, let people know you'renew and ask questions.
But what about if you come inthe building and you're new, so
being new in the building.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And the reality is, these days we find most people
who are walking in the buildingfor the first time have first
checked us out, right, whetherit's they visited our website or
they have watched on-demandservices, things like that
They've checked us out a littlebit before they walk through
those doors.
But when you walk through thosedoors on a Sunday morning,
let's just talk about whatyou're going to see.
Yeah Right, so you're going towalk in and there's most likely
(04:54):
going to be a number of peoplewaiting to greet you and say
hello in the morning right.
Our lobby team is amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
And from running out with umbrellas in the pouring
rain to holding open doors andchatting.
Whatever they can do, they'refantastic.
You will likely encounter oneto two men at the front door who
that is their passion.
That's what they do everySunday.
They hold the front door openand they're happy to greet you.
And then in the lobby we haveanywhere from four to six
volunteers who stand and greetand stand at our info desk, and
they're just always excited.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, we always want to make sure that there are
people accessible to you,whether you are new or whether
you've been here forever, toanswer any questions you may
have and help you get connected.
It will also not be unusual foryou to see a lot of people
milling around probably a ton ofkids running up and down
hallways as they wait for thefamily ministry.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Some of them are probably mine.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, well, it was mine for years before that.
So, uh, yeah, we feel that sodefinitely, lots of kiddos
around, uh, lots of youth around, um, you're also going to see
people who are very casual andcomfortable, right.
So you know, you're going tosee people in jeans or in shorts
.
You're going to see people indresses.
You're going to see people indress pants.
It's really come as you are.
(06:01):
Um, we believe that God justwants to meet you and he's much
less concerned about what you'rewearing.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So, we also are not concerned.
Yes, no, but I think peoplemaybe sometimes worry about that
.
You're going to not only a newplace but a church and that
holds like certain like contextwithin our culture and we really
just want people to know thatwhen you come here to just to
come, how you're comfortable towear what you would wear like
(06:27):
anywhere else and be comfortable, and so that way you can be
like I know, like for me.
when I feel like I'm fullymyself, like I'm wearing my
clothes I like and I'm likedoing the things I like to do,
then it's easier for me to getto know people and have them get
to know me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, one less barrier.
Right, Like it just becomesyeah, we don't want you to be
uncomfortable.
And so we do a lot of things tomake sure that you know you can
be you here and um, and that'swhat we want and value.
Um, it's also not unusual tosee, uh, people in the worship
space itself with their coffeefrom the morning.
Um, it's not unusual to see ourpastors with their coffee in
the morning.
It's not unusual to see ourpastors with their coffee in the
(07:04):
morning in the worship space.
I always have coffee or a waterbottle or something in my hand
at all times, and so we havefree coffee on our cafe counter,
which when you walk in thefront doors you literally will
walk towards it.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
It will be facing you and our info desk will be on
the left-hand side and theworship space will be right in
front of you and our info deskwill be on the left-hand side
and the worship space will beright in front of you.
So literally everywhere youwould need to kind of get to is
right in front of you on aSunday morning.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
As soon as you walk in.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Except if I was singing, except if you have kids
, right.
So if you're coming and youhave, kids.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
what can I expect If you're coming and you have kids?
The easiest thing to do wouldbe to ask one of those lobby
people who are hanging aroundright, because that's what
they're there for and they'rethere to help you find stuff.
And those lobby people, theylove to bring new families back.
It's like they are so excitedwhen they get to bring new kids
back to the kids wing.
It's so exciting, so they willliterally walk you back and
introduce you to, most likelyCasey Cornforth, who is our
(08:00):
director of Hope Kids, and shemakes that wing run so smoothly
or one of her key volunteerswho's back there.
They'll introduce you.
It's a really easy way to getconnected for your kiddos.
You'll find back there classesfor kids ages three through
fifth grade.
We also have a middle schoolSunday school that meets at the
(08:23):
nine o'clock hour, and sothere's places for the whole
family and nursery care, andnursery care which is zero to
three.
Yep, Absolutely, and I woulddefinitely encourage you.
If you want to find out moreabout what we offer for kids,
there are a ton of podcasts onit.
There's also um.
You can go to the website andcheck it out there as well.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Yeah, that was one thing I was going to mention.
So if you have gone to a churchbefore and you come to Hope,
one thing you might be lookingfor is like a program to be
handed to you.
We actually don't do that hereat Hope.
We have moved towards beingmore digital and eco-friendly.
Yeah, I mean, there's a lot ofreasons and I'd be happy to talk
to you about it, but so wedon't have something like that
(09:01):
that we hand out in the morning.
Yeah, but the way that youwould get all that information
is you go to what we call theToday page.
So the Today page is one pageonline that literally has a
button for everything we couldthink of that you might need if
you are new, or even if you'vebeen coming and you're trying to
find out what's going on, andso the link for that is
meethopeorg slash today.
(09:22):
And if you go there literally Ijust had it pulled up One of
the first buttons says I'm new.
Here you can see our worshipinfo, which is the order of the
service for the day, and then itgoes into ways to get connected
and all kinds of other thingsthat we'll talk about in a
second.
But you can, like I said, youcan get that by going to
meethopeorg slash today.
You can also, if you just wantto put in meethopeorg, which is
(09:44):
our main website, there is a bigbutton there also so you can't
miss it.
And if you're sitting in theroom, we have QR codes on the
front of most chairs that willput you right there also, so we
hope that it's very easy to find.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Yes, yeah, we want to make everything as accessible
as possible and, again, it's allabout helping you feel
comfortable in this space, andsome of that is giving you the
knowledge that you need, right,because it can be scary to walk
into somewhere that you reallydon't know what to expect, and
that, I think, is an extension,really, of who we are here at
Hope.
Here at Hope, we are acommunity of believers who want
(10:22):
to be more like Jesus, whichmeans we want to love people
better, we want to walk withthem through the hard times.
We want to celebrate in thegood times.
You'll hear us talk a lot aboutbeing a disciple, right, and
that is people who are in theprocess of being conformed to
(10:43):
the image of Christ for the sakeof others.
That is who we are.
We're not perfect, but we havea perfect God.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, and I would say like we're not perfect and
we're also not looking to makeyou perfect when you come in the
front door right.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Because there's like that pressure, I think sometimes
no, once you meet me, one ofthe first things you'll find out
about me is I'm a hot mess mostof the time, and that is okay.
And it is okay for you to be ahot mess too.
That's kind of where I live.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, so let's continue the walkthrough.
So if you were to come inperson, so you've come in the
front door, maybe you've droppedyour kid off and then you head
into our worship space.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
What can?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
you expect in a worship service.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Absolutely so.
When you walk into the worshipspace, you're going to sit where
you feel comfortable, and thereare lots of options.
When you are in worship itself,you don't need to look for a
hymnal, you don't need to lookaround for song sheets.
It's going to be right up onthe screen in front of you and
you can participate at yourcomfort level, right?
(11:41):
So if you love to sing and youwant to stand and sing, that's
great.
If you want to stand and listen, that's great.
If you want to sit and listen,that's great.
There is no expectation.
Our expectation is just that youare coming ready to figure out
more about who this Jesus is andwhat he can mean to you, and
(12:04):
that's what we try to do throughworship, right, and we
recognize that everyone in ourcongregation, in our community,
is different, and so you willfind any given Sunday.
We have a team of pastors whopreach, so you're going to hear
different voices.
You're going to hear voicesfrom people of different
(12:25):
ethnicities, different genders,different age brackets.
We want people to understandthat God's community does not
look or sound one way.
You're going to see the samething in our worship bands,
right?
We're going to have a widevariety of people who are
leading us in worship.
We want that experience to beone that allows you to know God
(12:48):
a little bit better and maybe ina slightly different way than
you ever have before.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, yeah, I love that, and I was thinking while
you're talking that we do have apage that is our staff page,
and so if you see somebody who'sleading in the front on a
Sunday morning and you arewanting to get to know them
better, you can go there and youcan learn more about them.
But you can also reach out tothem if you have a question for
them.
That's a great place to look.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Those are my favorite emails.
I won't lie they really are.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Somebody who's?
Speaker 3 (13:17):
brand new, or who's been here a couple of times and
is just trying to figure out howthey can get closer to God and
the community.
Those are my favorite emails,so don't ever hesitate to send
any of the staff.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, so how would you answer that email?
If someone is reaching out toyou and they've been coming a
little bit now and they want tokind of slowly plug in, maybe
get a little more connected, bea little more involved, what
would you say is a good way todo that?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That is a great question.
I think one of the things thatis both exciting and challenging
is that we have a diversepopulation that attends a
variety of different expressions, right?
So we have people that come tothe nine, people that come to
the 1030, people who are onlineand people who switch between
that very regularly.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
We have people that watch On Demand on Thursday
right, yep, on Thursday exactly.
All of those people are part ofour community.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yep, they are all part of the Hope community, and
so when you walk in the door,you are not immediately
identified as a newbie, right?
Nobody goes oh look, who's thatnew person over there.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, we're not whispering like oh there's a new
person.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Did you see the new person?
What are we gonna do?
Like no, there's extent you canbe anonymous for a while.
However, we really want to helpyou be known, because we
believe that God created us tobe in community with one another
and that we are better peoplewhen we are in community with
(14:40):
each other, and that God movesthrough those relationships in
ways that we don't see whenwe're in isolation, and so we
really feel like it is importantto find a comfortable way to
connect, and that can feel scaryand overwhelming, particularly
if you're an introvert or if youhave some church hurt in the
(15:02):
past.
It can be really scary to takethat next step.
And we get it.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, one thing I love that we've just started
doing in the past year isthere's a monthly dinner we do
now called third Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And I find it like very approachable for someone
that's kind of maybe in that,that realm of like I'm more
introverted or I've really.
The last church we were at Ididn't leave on great terms.
I didn't love it and I'm, butI'm wanting to get connected
somewhere.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So third Tuesday happens the third Tuesday of
every month and it's a dinner.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It starts at five 30.
It's a catered dinner and youcan sign up on that today page
and it's really easy.
You just come and have dinnerand there's lots of other people
there and it's geared towardspeople who are new and looking
to and looking to and looking tomake new friends and so um, but
also no one will come over andlike no you're not going to get
a thousand questions.
That's not your vibe, um, so Iwould definitely suggest that
(15:56):
somebody checks that out.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
That's a really great , easy way to kind of get your
put your toe in the pool.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
So it's great.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Just check the temperature, maybe get to know a
few people by sight that youmight see on a Sunday or that
you'll see again on the nextthird Tuesday, things like that,
and it can be.
You know our schedules are busyand packed and so it can feel
daunting sometimes to commit toanything huge, and we just want
to encourage you that there areall different ways that you can
(16:25):
connect Things like thirdTuesday.
You can join a small group, andwe have small groups that are
based on all different things,whether it is scripture or like
you want to do a Bible study, orif you want to do a topic study
, or if you want to talk aboutsomething that's struggling with
you, right.
So we have anxiety and faithgroups.
There's all different ways andyou can find one that feels most
(16:48):
natural to you.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And we have groups that go like all year round, and
then we have groups that arelike six weeks short term
commitments.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
And so you can find one that fits you, and we have
groups that are in person andgroups that are online and
hybrid a little bit of both.
So we do try again to offer awide variety of things, because
we know everyone is differentand everyone's needs are a
little bit different.
But there's also other greatways to connect, like joining
(17:15):
that fabulous lobby team, right?
They're always happy to havepeople, absolutely, and they are
amazing.
And that is a once a monthcommitment and so you can do it
without feeling like it's toooverwhelming.
There are all different ways.
We also have a ton of events.
So if you're not willing, ifyou're not ready for that once a
(17:36):
month commitment, then maybeyou just want to help in an
event you know.
You can help set up a breakdownfor Good Friday, or you can
help decorate for Vacation BibleSchool, or you can help with
the Christmas tree light.
There's tons of standaloneevents that just would require a
couple hours here or there sothat it's a less intimidating
ask, but it's a great way to getto meet other people, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I always find it's easier to get to know others
when I'm new somewhere, when I'mdoing something with my hands,
like when I'm setting up a tableor I'm putting coffee out or
like it just makes conversationeasier than when you're just
like sitting across from someonewaiting, yeah, trying to know
what to say.
Yes, so, yeah, I love all ofthose.
And then I was thinking also,we know all of these things
(18:20):
because, as you mentioned, likewe've both been here for a
really long time.
Yeah, but my encouragement toanyone who is new is this idea
of giving it.
It can be, like you mentionedearlier, we have many people who
, by the time I meet them,they've been coming like a month
or two and they finally said hi, the place and how things work
(18:43):
and you're asking questions andand I think it takes time before
you can really settle into like, is this a fit for me and and
how do I want to get moreinvolved?
And and I I just would say,make sure you've you've reached
(19:06):
out and connected with some ofthe staff so we can, we can help
with that and answer anyquestions.
Or if you don't see somethingand you're wondering about it,
like, yeah, let us know.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, and, and that's the thing too right, like you
can serve at our food pantry.
If you are someone who ispassionate about helping out in
the community, there are lots ofdifferent things and just
having a conversation withsomeone can really open doors
for you in terms of knowing whatis available.
I would also encourage you um,like you're not making a
lifetime commitment to a groupor a volunteer position or a
(19:40):
service opportunity Like you areallowed.
It's like trying on clothesYou're allowed to try on
different things within thechurch and figure out what fits
and feels comfortable for you.
That's all about, and that's.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I always.
I always try to answer thoseLike, if I have someone serving
in the lobbying and then theytell me like this, it's just not
for me or it's not working forme the way I thought it would,
my instinct is never to be likeokay, bye.
Like my desire is to say okay,well, what are you really
passionate?
Speaker 1 (20:06):
about.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Like where, what, what would be the thing that you
think would, would make youfeel like excited and happy?
And then let me connect you tothat person.
Who can, you know, help youserve in the food pantry, or
help you serve on worship artsteam, or you know, like I, I
always find that, you know, theapproach isn't like, okay, well,
there's no space for you.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
It's well then where?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
where is the space for you?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, you know, yeah, and it was something you said
earlier.
That's key too in my mindReally not being afraid to ask
and say do you have anything forwhere I'm passionate about,
where I'm worried about?
And because those conversationshelp us not only meet you where
you are, but really, if you'rethinking it, if you're feeling
(20:50):
it, so are other people and weneed to know it, and it may spur
on a whole new area of ministryor it might blow wide open the
doors of an existing ministry toexpand the new ways.
So don't ever be afraid to askany of us.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, because, like we mentioned in the beginning,
we try to do a very good job ofmaking things accessible on our
website and through our socialmedia and with our podcast and
in our worship services, whichwe try our best to think of
every question someone mighthave and all the basic places
you'd want to get plugged in.
But, like we're also human andso I'm sure that we've missed
things and so if you don't seeit there, it's likely that it
(21:29):
exists.
It just has to point you in theright direction, tell you where
it is.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah, and it was one of the things that you said
earlier in the beginning of thispodcast too like we the
accessibility.
This is a great way to get anidea of what that first day
looks like, but for those of youwho've been around for a while,
it's also something you could.
You could send this to someonewho's been looking for a church
or who is not sure what thatnext step in their exploration
(21:53):
of faith is, and it might besomething that they're able to
say well, heck, maybe I'll givethem a call or I'll ask a
question or I'll send an emailor I'll watch online, because
each and every one of us hasthat space in our life, that
hole, where we feel likesomething needs to be filled
(22:13):
right, and so often we chase itdown and try to fill it with
things that just aren'tfulfilling, and and that's that
is our God shaped hole right.
That that is, that's what'smissing, and so we just are.
We want to help you know theway that God loves you and knows
you and wants to walk with you.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, no, I love that .
I think that's so important andI just yeah, I hope anybody
that's new that that's theirbiggest experience of coming
here is you're welcome here andyou're loved here, and we just
want you to know that God lovesyou here and we want you to find
a place where you can then youknow, experience God in your
conversations and in youractions and in the different
(22:58):
things you do every day,Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
So we will be keeping our eyes open for you, and we
cannot wait to meet you.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah, so if you want to reach out to either of us, my
name is Ashley Black and myemail is ashley at meethopeorg.
And Heather is Heather.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Mandela.
My name is Heather Mandela andmy email is heather at meet
hopeorg and Heather is Heather.
My name is Heather.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Mandela and my email is Heather at meet hope Pretty
much any of our staff.
You can email us at our firstname at meet hopeorg, and we
would love to help you getconnected.
Like I mentioned, the podcastwe put out every Monday so you
can listen wherever you like tolisten to podcasts, and you can
check us out online.
Meet hopeorg slash today is agreat place to go, and you can
(23:36):
check us out online.
Meethopeorg slash today is agreat place to go, and so, if
you're new, thank you so muchfor listening.
If you're a regular listener,thank you so much for listening.
Pass this on to someone youknow who's new and we look
forward to being with you againnext week.
Thanks, heather, thank you,ashley.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we
continue our conversationsabout faith and hope.
If you don't already, pleasejoin us for worship on Sundays
or on demand.
You can learn more atmeethopeorg or find us on
socials at Meet Hope Church.
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.