Heights Staff & Leadership
Drew Zuehlke
Lead Pastor of Columbia Heights
At a large church, it’s easy to be anonymous. We love that Hope is designed as a place for people to check things out. However, it’s not our desire for people to stay there. We want people to get plugged into community here at Hope. We’ve tried to make that as easy as possible with lots of different options, but it will still take being intentional, taking risks, and putting yourself out there. Take advantage of the opportunities put before you. Introduce yourself to leaders. Make yourself known.
Though we love our Sunday services together, we don’t want them to be your end goal. It’s impossible to actually build authentic community by just attending on a Sunday. That’s why we have so many different onramps into community here at Hope. Some love that, while others get overwhelmed by it. We’d love to help you navigate all those different options. If you’d like, simply send Davis an e-mail at coffee@hopecc.com and he’ll direct you to the right person. We’d love to take you out for coffee and help you figure out where to start and answer any questions about opportunities you may have!
Just like in all arenas of life, sometimes you have to try lots of different things before you find the right fit. Don’t let one experience stop you. Try again. Whether it’s small groups, serving, attending specific events, interest groups… you may need to explore lots of different options.
Trust and relationships are built over time. When trying to build community and get involved, we all need to check our expectations. It will take time for people to get to know you before you become gospel friends. It will take time for people to get to know you before you’re put into leadership positions. It will take time for people to get to know you before trust is extended. It takes time.
If we’re honest with ourselves, many of us come with a consumerism mentality. Our focus is honed in on what we get. We believe the gospel calls us to live beyond ourselves, and at times focus more on what we can do for others versus what they can do for us. This means we may have to die to our own preferences sometimes. This means we may need to be the first person to take efforts to be intentional, communicate, ask good questions, and so forth. In many ways, in order to get a good friend you need to be a good friend.
As mentioned before, some people have unrealistic expectations when trying to build community and get involved. At Hope, we repeatedly say that we’re all sinners saved by grace. When you’re in community with people, it takes emotional risk – you will get hurt and you will be let down. There are times when it will be difficult. Culture tends to skew some of our expectations, so we always need to ask ourselves “Are these expectations accurate or realistic?”.
Time, time, time. Relationships take time. We live in such an instant gratification and impatient culture that it’s hard to remind ourselves of this. Don’t be led to believe the lie that because it’s taking time that therefore it’s not working. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite!
During the school year we meet at 9am for a Jr. and Sr. High class that consists of studying the word, prayer, and connecting to each other.
Jr. and Sr. High meet from 9am – 10:30am at Hope West.
We have Youth Group for both Sr. and Jr. High on Weds. Nights. We spend our time playing games, studying scripture, meeting in small groups, and serving together.
Youth Group – Weds. Nights 6:30-8:30pm
Nursery Care for infants and toddlers is offered during the 9:00am & 11:00am worship services. All nurseries are located on 2nd floor of Hope East.
Sunday School for preschoolers – 5th graders takes place from 9:00am-10:30am Sunday mornings. Age specific classes meet in various classrooms throughout Hope West. Locate a Hospitality team member (wearing an orange shirt) and they will point you in the right direction!
Come to the door nearest the parking lot and you will see a sign instructing you on where to go.
Thanks for your patience and help as we settle into our new location!
A typical service consists of worship through song, the reading of Scripture, a message, and communion. It lasts about an hour and a half. We welcome people to participate in whatever way they feel comfortable. In other words, you are perfectly fine just sitting and observing.
We invite you to simply come as you are. The culture here is very laid-back, so people wear their casual clothes.
We have a team established solely to help make your visit as comfortable and hassle-free as possible. We call them our Hospitality Team, and they wear orange t-shirts. If you ever have a question, feel free to ask them at any time!
We’re not about making up something new, but are simply trying to communicate the age-old truths of Scripture in a way that makes sense to today’s audience. We’re not slick, and you won’t get polished performances. What you will get is real people trying to authentically live out the gospel in their lives.
A phrase we use a lot here is “we take God seriously, but don’t take ourselves very seriously.” We love good jokes, and laughter is a big component of who we are.
We really value community. Even though we are a large church, we often joke that “community is our middle name.” Every Sunday we open up our community room and supply drinks and Panera bread in hopes to give people a place to meet one another.
As great as a worship experience can be, we feel it is only the appetizer for the week. We believe worship is a continuous action, and so we are meant to be “the church” 24-7, not just for an hour a week. So, as great as a service can be to help you get to know us, it’s only a portion of what we’re about.
If you’re looking to get to know Hope more, or are interested in learning about how to get involved, go to our Connect page for more information!
