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What is Your Name and How Do You Pronounce It?
Being Asian American in the United States, I often get asked these questions: “Where are you from?”, “Are you Chinese?”, and “What is your name and how do you pronounce it?” My usual reply is that I am ethnically Hmong while being born and raised in Milwaukee,...
How Do We Worship on Easter?
In less than a month, we will be celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I didn’t grow up with a strong Christian foundation. I’d overhear comments at church about special days, services, terms, and theology and wonder about their significance. What is Lent? Or Ash...
What Makes Hope, Hope?
A great part of my job is taking people out for a cup of coffee and hearing their stories. It also gives me a chance to hear people’s impressions of Hope. What brought them here? What keeps them coming back? If I had to boil it down to a couple comments that people...
Why Hope Loves College Students
In 1996, I had the privilege of being the founding pastor of Hope Community Church, which we purposely started right by the University of Minnesota. I was told not to do this as college students are very transient and do not have any financial resources to help fund...
The Asian American Identity
Identity is something I have struggled with my entire life. I am a Japanese-American born in the United States to immigrant parents. My first language is not English and growing up I considered Japan my second home. I have had the opportunity to spend portions of...
Relating to Others During COVID-19
We have all had different reactions to the pandemic. In this short video, Pastor Steve Treichler gives us some guidance in how to relate to those who may think a bit differently than us. He gives five possible reactions to the pandemic, and says that although two of...
Neighborhood Hospitality
Biblical Framework of Hospitality
Why Small Groups at Hope Community Church? (Three Pillars)
As followers of Christ we are commanded to live in community with other Christians (e.g. Heb. 10:24-25). This community is called “the church.” The command to live in community isn’t an antiquated notion designed for people living in the first century. God is alive...
Progression of Relationships
Relationships are a wonderful gift the Lord has given us in this life. He, in his all-knowing nature, knew that we need others, we are not meant to do this life alone. While relationships are a gift, they can also be tough. Change is often taking place in...
Three R’s of Accountability
When sharing one's life with others it can sometimes be hard to think of what to say. Our natural tendencies can be to pray for our best friend's sick grandma or the neighbor’s dog that lost a leg. While those things are important, it’s important to create an...
Silence and Solitude
I don’t think anyone in the western world would argue with the following statement: “We live in a time of tremendous and immediate access to knowledge, comfort, and entertainment.” For those of us that are followers of Jesus, the following statement is also true: “We...