The call committee has had its first mock interview this past Tuesday, with a second one scheduled for next Tuesday, August 19. Our feedback this far was that we were well prepared and needed to make some adjustments to one question.

How you can help the Call Committee in the process:

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit's presence with the call committee and all candidates as we move through the interview process.
2. Nominate candidates: Yes, Synod office will be providing candidates but each of you as members who travel and have served in other congregations are also able to lift up names.

Here's how to nominate candidates:

• Open, print, and complete the Pastoral Candidate Nomination Form, click here to open the form.
• Turn the form into one of the pastors or any member of the Call Committee.
• The Candidate will be lifted up to the Synod Office. The process to communicate with candidates outside our synod is Bishop to Bishop.
• A PAPER COPY OF THIS DOCUEMENT IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE WELCOME CENTER.

Ministry Site Profile PART II: OUR VISION FOR MISSION

Trends in the Community Context of the Congregation

Trends in the last three to five years:

Hope is currently navigating several challenges and changes, most notably the recent change of senior pastoral leadership. This has in part affected volunteerism, a decline in worship attendance and giving, impacting our overall financial health.

Despite these challenges as well as the fallout of COVID, there has been an increase in children, youth, and family ministry. Vacation Bible School continues to attract participants from the broader community. Hope will welcome a Presbyterian congregation to partner with us to provide VBS for our communities. Adult faith formation continues to thrive as active Bible study and book groups draw dedicated participants.

Hope balances the worship preferences of current members while challenging ourselves to offer authentic worship experiences to those not yet here. Hope's traditional choir has enjoyed significant growth under exceptional leadership and supports the traditional worship service. Under talented leadership, Hope offers an amazing modern worship experience, using contracted, talented lead musicians. The impact of this paradigm shift has been a loss of vocal and musicial volunteers to support this worship service. Live streaming of our two services, implemented during COVID, remains a popular choice for Hope members.

Hope remains committed to its core belief of serving the broader community, but the effects of the pandemic and the general trends of decreased membership among mainline Christian denominations have contributed to a loss of congregational energy, engagement, and excitement. Additionally, our families struggle with the pressures of dual careers, expensive child-care, busy extracurricular schedules and general fatigue. Despite these challenges, there is a notable eagerness here to embrace change, transition and to adapt to the evolving needs of our members and the broader community.

The first mock interview with a Synod assigned pastor is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 12. This is planned as an informative experience, helping us hone our interview skill set for our soon approaching Senior Pastor candidate interviews.

Here is what you can do:

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit's presence with the call committee and all candidates as we move through the interview process.
2. Nominate candidates: Yes, Synod office will be providing candidates but each of you as members who travel and have served in other congregations are also able to lift up names.

Here's how to nominate candidates:

• Open, print, and complete the Pastoral Candidate Nomination Form, click here to open the form.
• Turn the form into one of the pastors or any member of the Call Committee.
• The Candidate will be lifted up to the Synod Office. The process to communicate with candidates outside our synod is Bishop to Bishop.
• A PAPER COPY OF THIS DOCUEMENT IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE WELCOME CENTER.

Ministry Site Profile PART II: OUR VISION FOR MISSION

Trends in the Community Context of the Congregation

Characteristics: Located in Metro Detroit, Hope sits in the center of a community that is home to, and heavily influenced by the automotive, health care, and academic industries. The region boasts the three major American auto companies headquarters, engineering, development, and manufacturing. This highly technical industry evolves at a fast pace and is continually impacted by the whims of political and economic winds. There are four major healthcare systems that provide exceptional health care supported by research, associated with three regional medical schools. This, along with three large state universities attracts a rich, ethnic, racial, and culturally diverse population. This heterogeneity contributes to the vibrant fabric of the area and helps foster a sense of unity despite differences.

The population is well educated, which contributes to a forward-thinking and progressive environment where innovation and knowledge are valued. Our excellent post-secondary schools have created many technical degree programs to support industries in Southeast Michigan. Efforts are underway to diversify from the reliance on the automotive industry through leveraging these vast technical offerings. The City of Detroit is in the midst of a remarkable renewal and is becoming a vibrant hub for people drawn to the exciting arts, food, and cultural offerings. Thanks to excellent schools and a plethora of activities available to people of all ages, this area is an attractive place to live and grow.

Hope Lutheran Church lies squarely in the center of Southeast Michigan, approximately 20 miles northwest of downtown Detroit. The communities surrounding Hope Church provide strong educational opportunities, thriving commercial districts, recreational venues, and family/community events. These communities are truly statistically diverse, which presents opportunities for cultural engagement and unity. Hope benefits from these advantages, aided by an accessible freeway location, drawing from a ten-mile membership radius which spans 31 communities over 43 different zip codes. 

We are in the process of finalizing our interview questions in preparation for upcoming mock interviews. These will take place in the next few weeks.

Hope’s Mission Site Profile (MSP) Entry 2

Below are results of the surveys YOU provided to the Transition Team during our in-person, Zoom and online forums. The Call Committee is focusing our first-round questions on these topics that YOU have selected.

The five most critical tasks required in this position (in no particular order):

- Evangelism/Mission

- Innovation/Creativity

-Inter-personal Climate

- Building a sense of community

- Preaching/Worship

Gifts for Ministry: Top Priority

- Help people develop their spiritual life

- Build a sense of community among the people

- Be an effective communicator

- Be an effective teacher

- Be creative and innovative about his or her tasks

Gifts for Ministry: Very Helpful

- Provide care and nurture

- Skilled at planning and leading programs

- Deal effectively with conflict

- Be able to share leadership and work in a team

- Bring joy and good humor to relationships

The Call Committee has met each week since June 25, 2025. Our initial work includes organizing the interview process, including developing interview questions and meeting with Pr. Jen Kiefer, our liaison from the Synod Office. Pr. Keifer's roll is to provide coaching and candidates for us to interview. In the next few weeks, we look forward to feedback from two mock interviews in preparation for the first round of interviews.

Here is what you can do:

1) Pray for the Holy Spirit's presence with the Call Committee and all candidates as we move through the interview process

2) Nominate candidates: Yes, Synod office will be providing candidates, but each of you, as members who travel and have served in other congregations, are also able to lift up names.

The process to nominate candidates is as follows:

- Open, print, and complete the Pastoral Candidate Nomination Form (he link is in blue)

- Turn the form into one of the pastors or any member of the Call Committee

- The candidate will then be lifted up to the Synod Office as the process to communicate with candidates outside our synod is Bishop to Bishop

Each week, we will provide pieces of our Ministry Site Profile (MSP) document, which is the print representation of Hope, to our candidates. From this document, all questions for interviews will be developed and the synod office will match candidates whose gifts match the priorities that you provided in our Transition Team Forums (thank you!). Two printed copies of this document are posted on the bulletin board in the Welcome Center for all to read.

Hope’s MSP Entry 1:

MSP Summary Statement: Our mission is to seek, make, and be disciples of Jesus Christ in God's church, community, and world. We are seeking a Senior Pastor with creative vision to lead our mission of outreach, social ministry, discipleship, and growth. We are an inclusive and affirming community, offering diverse worship, welcoming all backgrounds and life experiences that embraces the variety and energy of our region, loving others and God in the way of Jesus.