Why does River of Hope have Tables instead of Committees?
Because we gather around the table, Christ’s table, each week in worship, we believe that confession and forgiveness through Jesus Christ is what centers us, grounds us, and sets us free to follow Jesus in our daily lives.
So, we meet around tables to do ministry through River of Hope. The purpose is for them to bring life to the world by following the example of Jesus. So that means YOU are invited to serve!
Here are the qualifications for serving on a table:
- Passion. You are invigorated about faith, about the ministry of River of Hope, about sharing God’s love both inside and outside River of Hope.
- Commitment to reading scripture and praying. No experts. Just learners.
- Participation. You participate in the life of River of Hope.
- Support. You financially support the life of River of Hope.
How do tables make decisions?
All table members are called to hold River of Hope’s purpose as central to all that we do: We go out to transform lives through Jesus Christ. River of Hope’s Guiding Principles also shape decisions. All table members are called to consider seriously these principals, our core values, as they make decisions for River of Hope’s purpose in the world. All decisions are made by consensus with no one’s voice going
unheard.
Guiding Principles
[Remember, disciple=learn]
God is God and we are not.
We are called to grow together as disciples: to forgive, to teach, to love.
Disciples are inspired by the Holy Spirit to take risks.
Disciples work for God’s justice.
Disciples serve with no strings attached.
Disciples invite and welcome through loving acceptance.
We meet you where you are.
For the sake of good order, tables…
- Know their purpose. They shouldn’t meet just to meet but have a clear purpose for meeting. When you don’t need to meet, don’t meet. If the table meets its end, then thank the people for that season and see what’s next.
- Communicate with other tables when there needs to be that communication (i.e. Pastor Han’s review and potential annual raise is the work of the Parish Personnel Table and should be planned and discussed with the Financial Stewardship table in a timely manner.)
- Put meeting locations and times on church calendar.
- Appoint a chair and take minutes and submit them to the River of Hope Office Administrator.
Table Purposes & People
RIVER TABLE [elected]: The River Table will have elected members that serve one and two-year terms. Working in tandem with the Vision Table, each member will relate to another table as a communicator and will help to support and equip that table with resources.
Mary Royer, President
Jim Schaefer, Vice President
Tricia Paulsen, Secretary
Arlyn DeBruyckere, Treasurer
Goeff Davis
Dave Fisher
Kay Halstrom
Pastor Hans
VISION TABLE [open]: The Vision Table’s purpose is to keep God’s mission to love and save the world in the forefront of decision-making to set and deepen the DNA of River of Hope. (Who we are, how we act, decisions we make are all determined by what we’re made of.)
Dale Brandsoy
Ron Johnson
Jim Nelson
Rachel Stearns
Mary Royer
Sara Pollmann
Pastor Hans
STEWARDSHIP TABLE [open]: The Stewardship Table’s purpose is to ask the following questions: How are we using our time, talent and treasure to transform lives through Jesus Christ? and How can we help make this happen?
Arlyn DeBruyckere, Treasurer
Rodney Riewer
Brian Tillman
Andy Evenson
Pete Royer
Louis Bedard
PARISH PERSONNEL [open]: The Parish Personnel table’s purpose is to help facilitate and promote healthy and effective work atmosphere for all employees and called pastors of River of Hope. They maintain working job descriptions of church employees, conduct an annual review of the pastor, and assist in hiring of additional church employees.
Nan Crary, Chair
Brian Pollmann
Angie Bedard
Jeanette Krommenhoek
Nancy Redetzke
Jim Schaefer
Pastor Hans
WORSHIP AND MUSIC [open]: The Worship and Music table’s purpose is to continually listen to and re-shape the worship life of River of Hope, innovating out of our rich Lutheran tradition to create an engaging, participatory, and holy worship that reflects the love of the triune God.
Jim Nelson, Chair
Portia Brandsoy
Sara Nelson
Rachel Stearns
Ruth Hamlow
Jenny Tillman
Linda Remucal
Tricia Paulsen
“WE GO OUT” OUTREACH TABLE [open]: We Go Out to serve, We Go Out to Educate, We Go Out to Advocate. Our Table is charged with organizing WGO events for RoH members. We provide opportunities for members of RoH to live out the mission of our church. We provide support for members of RoH who want to lead a WGO event. Table members are not expected to be the only brainstormers of ideas, only leaders of events, or always participants of events. We will often work alongside the Faith Formation Table.
Kay Halstrom, Representative,
Sandy Tracy
Nan Crary
Lisa Tschimperle,
Malena Kelm
FAITH FORMATION TABLE [open]: Our goal is to create intergenerational social events that would bring us back together as a community. We have also established a confirmation routine and added a time for our 6th graders down to toddlers called “Headwaters”. We’ll be meeting the first Wednesday of most months before confirmation, with time for music, crafts, games, and story time. We’re excited to see where God leads us.
Goeff Davis
Kristin Hartman
Ron Johnson
Katie Weisenberger
Krista Picha
Sue Peters
GATHERING TABLE [open]: The Gathering Table is called upon whenever food is needed. Examples would be confirmation, preparing food for members of our church family, or making cookies for Pastor Hans to share on his visits. This table is currently under construction.
Portia Brandsoy
Rachel Stearns
Portia Brandsoy
Nan Crary
Linda Cox
Gwenn Smeby
