The People

The staff at Hope Fellowship Church:

Curtis is the pastor of this newly birthed flock. He is a laid back, easy going, caring family man. He is really a quiet guy unless he is around someone he is getting to know. At that time he asks a lot of questions, nodding and saying "uh-huh" as the answers are shared. Nothing really surprises Curtis or at least he doesn't show it. He is very mild mannered with very little enthusiasm expressed although you know it is there. Curtis doesn't have all the answers but he doesn't pretend that he does. He knows what he wants to do as a church leader and has some ideas that he would like to try to make it happen. He really cares about people, because he believes God loves them.

Odoi is one of the coolest guys I have ever met. My first impression of him was that he was serious and mature. That could not have been a more inaccurate description of this native of Ghana, Africa. He is funny and goofy most all of the time. He works at the church and I mean, he WORKS all the time. He is the man with the connections. Most everyone knows him and really enjoys spending time with him. He graduated from Harvard after taking a brief break from school working out in Cali trying his hand at film making (he has agreed to produce my Travel Channel special). Odoi love God and honestly desires to make a difference in this world. He greatly encourages me to continue to pray and seek God's direction.

The newlyweds at the church are Amy and Troy. Amy has a missionary's heart (whatever that means). She loves college students, especially those who do not know Jesus. She serves as the young adult/college minister at Hope Fellowship. Amy and Troy are both from Texas but met here in Massachusetts. They have joined together to serve God and love the community. Troy currently works for Staples and sees himself moving up in the company, especially after he finishes his batchlors' degree. Their home is very cute!

So many of the young adults are living and learning what life is all about. Let me introduce a few:

Chris works for a non-profit organization in South Boston as part of Ameri Corp service. He is the nicest guy who will do anything to be helpful, therefore he fits right into Hope Fellowship's ministry. I am sad that this Delaware native is preparing to go to London to do other volunteer service, but excited to have met him.
Erin moved to Boston from Dallas on a whim last fall. She works at some company downtown and enjoys running along the river in the evening. Erin, as I discovered during our two hour conversation at the local coffee house last Wednesday, is very fun to talk to. She is finished being "churchy" and just wants to be real!
Summer is also a Texas girl who has found a community at Hope. She actually attended Baylor and moved to Boston to be near a good friend after graduation. Summer serves some of the neediest families as a social worker for Child Protective Services. One of the ways she finds to unwind is to be outdoors. We have big plans to go camping this fall!
Stephen loves his Longhorns (yes, another Texan). He also likes soccer but is having a difficult time finding someone to share in his passion. He just got a roommate, Bubba, whom I am looking forward to meeting.
Pete is from somewhere other than Texas, actually I am not exactly sure where Pete is from but he is cool. No one knows what he does all day, some suspect watching Chinese movies about ping pong players or surfing the web for cool downloads. Regardless of what Pete does during the week, he plays the guitar amazingly during worship on Sunday mornings. He graduated from Emerson University here in Boston and feels free to move about the country searching for adventure.
Michael is very smart and thinks things out in a systematic way. He is kind of quiet and shy unless you talk to him about his lab experiments at M.I.T. When you talk to Michael you know he cares because of the questions that he asks. He gives you the sense that he really wants to know the answer to how you are doing. He loves God and the people in the church.
Kristen just moved to a cute studio apartment in another area of town but has lived in Boston for several years. She grew up in New England and still has family within hours drive both north and south of her. Kristen knew that Hope Fellowship was the place for her as soon as she walked in the doors. She found friends and made her way into the leadership of the worship music on Sundays. She reminds me so much of my former roommate Keltner!
Mike is one of the few native Bostonian in the church. He is young and has high hopes of completing his college degree which will lead him to a comfy leather chair in a corner office where he will tell other people what to do. Actually, Mike would settle for a job that just pays the bills and provides for a future family. He is another one of these nice guys that would give you the shirt off his back if you really needed it. I remember when I lost my cell phone at the block party. He was so concerned with me, even though he had just met me. Mike is learning a lot about God's purpose for his life.

Here are just a few of the incredible people I have found to love this summer. I wish that others in the community would step inside Hope Fellowship Church for just one Sunday. They would find people who are seeking to know God and follow His ways. They would hear struggles and questions about life. They would be greeted with a smile and welcomed with friendly conversation. They would not be embarrassed or shamed. They would sense God's grace and presence. They would meet some of the people I have described above and others whose journey has brought them to this far northern city.