Spiritual Formation
Marriage
Hope Church
7132 Portland Ave S
Richfield, Minnesota 55423
Contact numbers:
612-866-4055 Main office and extensions
612-866-8226 Fax
2012-2013 Brochure
From the Pastors
At each wedding, the pastors of Hope Church proclaim that "God gave us marriage for the full expression of the love between a man and a woman. Marriage is given by God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit." Healthy marriages are important to the life of this congregation and for couples and families to thrive. The pastors are available to meet with you for prayer support and encouragement. Counseling referrals are also available. (See the list at the very bottom of this page.)
Community Organization Ideas
The following are ideas for married couples who would like to volunteer in “community helping organizations”. Each organization has one-time opportunities to serve, as well as on-going opportunities.
Community Emergency Services in South Minneapolis (helping people in crisis): Delivering meals, assessing individual needs of clients, driving, sorting and stocking food, help with bulk mailings, custodial and maintenance help.
People Serving People in South Minneapolis (serving homeless children and their families and helping provide new opportunities for healthy, stable family life): Children’s activities assistants, childcare providers, reading to children, serving meals.
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery in South Minneapolis (striving to end child abuse and neglect and create strong, healthy families): Cooking meals and preparing snacks for kids, conducting enrichment activities such as games, songs, stories, crafts
Feed My Starving Children (various locations throughout the Twin Cities): Packaging food for starving children in 70 countries throughout the world
Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) in Bloomington (serving low-income families, individuals, elderly and disabled persons in Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, and South Minneapolis): Stocking food shelves and distributing food, back to school and Holiday Store events, drive people to medical appointments using the VEAP van, office tasks
World Relief in Richfield, MN (a Christian non-profit agency dedicated to the cause of the Refugee):Refugee arrival preparation worker, transporting refugees, home orientation coaches, donation room coordinator, welcome volunteers, mentors, prayer partners
Families Moving Forward (FMF) here at Hope Church (providing emergency shelter for families at congregation sites, advocating for families in their search for affordable, permanent housing, and providing ongoing supportive services to the families as they make the transition from homelessness to stable housing): Prepare meals, act as evening hosts, overnight hosts, set-up and take-down at Hope Church; volunteering at the FMF Day Center as a Homework Helper, Children's Playtime Assistant, Cleaning and
Organizing Projects.
Bridging in Bloomington (providing furniture and household goods to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty): Client shopping, sorting housewares, transportation team, rolling linens, organizing pillows, towels, household items.
Growing Marriages
At Hope we strive to nurture and enrich marriages in our community.
It is our desire to see all marriages flourish by being centered in Christ and thereby glorifying to God, for He is the One who designed marriage.
Counseling Referrals
Janet Gibson
7400 Metro Boulevard, #100
Bloomington, MN 55439
612/269-7977
Vicki Johnson
Ridgedale Office Center
13911 Ridgedale Drive, #330
Minnetonka, MN 55305
952/546-2063
Karen Jones Family Therapy
5200 Wilson Road, #205
Minneapolis, MN 55424
952/920-2459
Judy Meerkins
8100 Penn Avenue S., #105
Bloomington, MN 55431
952/831-1303
A Marriage Devotional
Holiday Stress
While "dashing through the snow" could be written today as "speeding down the interstate to the mall," both statements sound stressful to me.
With the arrival of the holidays, many of us experience an odd mixture of excitement and dread as we prepare to celebrate the season.
We get excited about the lights, shopping and Christmas dinner with family, but we also fear the stress that past holidays have taught us to expect. From previous family misunderstandings and hurt feelings to scheduling conflicts, tight finances and the wear and tear on the body, holidays have a way of taking their toll on us.
I have found that the best way to lessen the stress of the holidays is to be prepared:
- Recognize stress triggers ahead of time, and plan to minimize their impact. For example: Realize that you will get several invitations to holiday parties, events or service opportunities, and limit the number of events you will commit to before the invitations come.
- Create a holiday budget together. Commit to sticking to the budget no matter how great the sales are!
- Try to resolve extended family issues before holiday gatherings, if possible. Sit down and discuss the problems rather than ignore them.
- Commit to dealing with spousal conflict after the emotion has died down: "Honey, we are both tired. Let's not try to solve this now. Let's talk in the morning over coffee." Use common sense, and be disciplined enough to handle conflict in the right way.
- Schedule time for each other: Go to bed at a decent hour. Exercise or take a walk together. Protect your "together" time.
That is a great reason to slow down, be thankful and be at peace this Christmas season. As you prepare for your upcoming activities, we hope that the following series of articles will help you stress less and enjoy that peace more fully.
Written by Mitch Temple -- Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
Marriage Course
Begins in January 2013
In homes of Marriage Team members
The Marriage Course consists of a 7-session course in the comfort of a host home. You will be served dessert while listening to practical talks that are informative and fun, played on DVD. There is never any group work and you will only share with your partner. The aim is to help couples grow closer and build a healthy relationship that will last a lifetime. For details or to sign up, contact Phil and Kris McWilliams at 612/861-3543 or mcphyl@gmail.com.
Can Serving Serve our Marriages?
By Kristen McWilliams
Are you looking for ways to deepen your marriage relationship? Do you need more shared interests, or more conversation topics? Are you prompted by Hope’s desire to go as ambassadors for Christ to where you live, work, and play—and to places yet unknown that God will show you? Then the Marriage Ministry Team has some ideas for you – serving together.
There is scientific backing to this concept. At the University, I was trained in one of the primary principles of Occupational Therapy. That is, when people engage in simple activities next to each other, they can often have conversation at deeper, more intimate levels than if they were talking face to face. Never underestimate the value of togetherness in things like folding laundry, weeding a garden, painting a fence or serving our Lord in simple ways (works with your kids, too)! Having a hard time starting a meaningful conversation? Grab a dish towel and dry – see what happens!
This is not a “ploy” to get more church volunteers. This is your chance to look at things a little differently, and see how your marriage may benefit, be strengthened and enriched. Sometimes we might need a one-time shot in the arm. Other times, we may see the value in an ongoing commitment. Always be watchful for how the Lord might offer you a way to deepen your marriage by serving Him together – putting purpose and shared interests back in the limelight! The following are quick, easy and fun ideas to do together:
- At home, serving each other:
- Doing dishes by hand (wash/wipe) – novel idea!
- Folding laundry – do each other’s undies!
- Painting (but be sure you have agreed on the plan beforehand)
- Raking
- Weeding
- Some unpleasant task neither of you wants to do, but will tackle together
- At Hope Church, serving our congregation and visitors:
- Ushering
- Child care
- Teaching a Sunday School class together (child or adult)
- Grounds care – spring, fall and whenever
- Coffee Cart – you’ll not only talk with your spouse, but maybe new friends!
- Hanging of the Greens and Easter preparations
- Adult class activities that need set up / take down (banquets, auctions, etc.) Look in the bulletin weekly!
- At Community Activities Hope is directly involved in:
- Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP)
- Camp Ojibway needs
- Families Moving Forward
- Time for Tots
- Citizenship Classes
- Look in the bulletin weekly!
Don’t forget to consider the other interests you may share such as volunteer efforts in things like politics, the arts, school activities, sports, etc – as long as it is something in which you and your spouse can work relatively side by side. If the work is demanding, or you cannot be physically near each other, this can still be a marriage builder - but only if you set aside time to share your experience and reactions. Get out there and serve together! Have fun!
The Marriage Team is here to serve you!
Paul and Cheri Hansen
Phil and Kris McWilliams
Bill and Barb Nelson
John and Susie Prin
Tom and Shelley Schuenke
Steve and Nancy Staloch
Kim Laufenburger, Staff Liaison
kim@hope-pc.org