Dear Hope Boulder community,
Seven years ago today, our family followed the lead of the Holy Spirit and moved to Colorado from our home state of Washington with dreams of planting a church. In the years that followed, we completed the Gateway District church multiplication training and began serving at our home church, NorthRock, in Thornton while we prayerfully waited on God to reveal to us the community where we should plant our church.
During those first years in Colorado, we felt like God gave us a simple call: be a good neighbor. This included being present, building relationships, saying yes whenever possible, inviting others into our home, enjoying meals together, listening well, and helping without agenda.
As we continued to serve at NorthRock and with the Gateway District, my (Melissa) heart especially was drawn to Boulder. We both love college towns, the beauty of the Front Range, the multiethnic aspects of the community, and the quirky little things that make Boulder unique. We also had many opportunities to connect with the leadership of Hope Boulder over those years, which sparked an interest for us in what God was doing with that 100-year-old schoolhouse and the people who met there. After first visiting Hope Boulder in 2017, I (Melissa) came home and told Josh that I would love to be the pastor of that church someday if God should ever lead us there.
Without a doubt, we believe that that is what God is doing now. Transition is never easy and the past few years have been hard ones for everyone. While there is always excitement and expectation for what’s ahead, there can also be anxiety and uncertainty about what might change. We look forward to the chance to get together with you in person, hear your stories and share our own, and to prayerfully step together into what’s to come.
We pray this blessing over you and your household:
“The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’”
Numbers 6:24-26
We can’t wait to meet you!
Pastors Melissa & Josh Brotherton
