Hello Hope+Elim Family,
We come to you today with much to celebrate and some important updates for our church in the weeks ahead!
First, we want to share with you an important update in the leadership of our church. When God gave the vision for Hope+Elim many years ago, we knew it was bigger than one church, one leader, or any of us as current members. God raises up leaders “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), placing us in areas of giftedness for certain seasons. Over the past few years, we have been honored to partner in this mission and lead this incredible church and amazing staff together as your pastors.
In addition, as we announced at worship this weekend, I (Jon), and my wife Tiffany have been in a season of discernment about the call that God has placed on my life for the future. After months of prayer and discernment, it has become clear that God is calling me to a new opportunity as the lead pastor of Hope Waukee. As one of Hope’s six campuses, this is a vibrant and growing community that shares the same mission, vision, and values as Hope+Elim. My final weekend in my role at Hope+Elim will be Sunday, June 2. After that, Tiffany and our children will join me as we worship at Hope Waukee. Tiffany, who has been an incredible leader on our staff, will conclude her time on the Hope+Elim staff at the end of July as she focuses on leading our awesome week of Vacation Bible School this Summer.
Tiffany and I have been blessed to serve the city in a variety of ways since the early days of Hope CityBranch as a church plant in 2008, then Hope Des Moines, and in 2020 with the unmistakable call to merge with Elim Christian Fellowship and become Hope+Elim. Whether we’ve known you for a decade or just a few months, it has been an honor to walk alongside so many of you through ministry adventures, significant moments, and life’s challenges and joys. We’ve loved raising our family, sharing life, and “being the church” with you! We are so grateful for all the love, grace, prayers, support, and trust you have given to us. You are, and will continue to be, dear friends and family to us.
Humbly, I (Brian) want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for Pastor Jon and Tiffany Anenson. Thank you, Jon, for your heart of service, collaborative spirit, and willingness to do the work of ministry in alignment with the mission and vision of Hope+Elim. It has been an honor for me to serve as Co-Pastor of Hope+Elim with you, observing your organization, insight, and sensitivity towards those in need. Your passion and dedication to your family, friends, and colleagues is truly inspiring. Your willingness to be vulnerable and transparent provides a unique opportunity for discipling others as well as mentoring those of various backgrounds and ethnicities.
Thank you, Tiffany, for your ongoing support and commitment to excellence. You have demonstrated tremendous insight and intuition to help others around you to be better. You are often the first person to unapologetically champion the needs of others. It has been a true joy to serve alongside both of you on our Hope+Elim leadership team. Special thanks to both of you for sharing your beautiful kids, Caleb and Everly, with us. Without question, Hope+Elim will never be the same without the Anenson family.
To the Hope+Elim Family, while we know that change often brings about challenge, I am confident that the mission and vision of this church will continue to thrive and accomplish what God has set out for us to do. I look forward to leading this amazing staff and to seeing how God continues to pour out his Spirit. The commitment to fighting intergenerational poverty in Des Moines with a multicultural lens, seeking to unify the racial divide, is both purposeful and providential. We know that… without Christ, we are nothing. But with Him, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Let us continue to “Shine the Light Together” as a lighthouse in this community!
Please mark your calendars and join us on Sunday, June 2 for the 9:00 and 11:00 am services, as we celebrate Pastor Jon, Tiffany, Caleb, and Everly before they depart for Hope Waukee. Pastor Jon and his family will be available after each service to greet and thank you for your friendship and partnership in ministry.
In addition, we are still basking in the glow of what has been a powerful 2024 already: Our MLK Day celebration, a highly-successful Souper Bowl Food Drive, Daddy-Daughter/Mother-Son Dances, a powerful Lent and Easter season with thousands of people joining us, worship continuing to grow deep and wide in attendance and our love for one other, dozens of small groups and classes meeting throughout the week, our prayer and care teams growing, the start of our REVIVE Young Adult ministry, and children and student ministry growth with a great confirmation Sunday a few weeks back. And that’s just a few of the highlights of how God continues to be on the move in and through Hope+Elim!
We now turn the page to a fantastic summer with Vacation Bible School right around the corner. We are so grateful for your love, your servant-hearts, and your passion for our mission to “Reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ!” As we’ve talked about time and time again, the church is primarily not about a building, worship style, denomination, or leader. You are the church, and we’re honored to be on this mission with you!
We are very excited about the future for Hope+Elim, Hope Waukee, and all our church family. We are looking forward to continuing as friends and colleagues, even dreaming of how these campuses can partner together for the sake of growing God’s kingdom!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us at the information below. As always, thank you for being an incredible church. We believe now, more than ever, the best is yet to come!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. -Eph. 3:20-21
Pastor Brian ([email protected])
Pastor Jon ([email protected])
May 16, 2024