Have you ever stood at the crossroads of skepticism and faith, wondering if there's a place for you in a spiritual community? Our guests, Bill and Kelly Walenda, understand that feeling , and they're here to recount their story of finding a faith home at Hope. Their stories of navigating initial doubts and discovering an energetic, personal worship experience are both inspiring and relatable, making this episode a must-listen for anyone on the cusp of their own spiritual exploration.
Bill is volunteers as a small group leader, on the Tech Team at HOPE, and at the Food Pantry. Kelly serves as a member of HOPE's Lead Team and also volunteers as a lobby greeter on Sundays. Special thanks to both of them for sharing themselves with us!
NOTES & RESOURCES:
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.live! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
Have you ever stood at the crossroads of skepticism and faith, wondering if there's a place for you in a spiritual community? Our guests, Bill and Kelly Walenda, understand that feeling , and they're here to recount their story of finding a faith home at Hope. Their stories of navigating initial doubts and discovering an energetic, personal worship experience are both inspiring and relatable, making this episode a must-listen for anyone on the cusp of their own spiritual exploration.
Bill is volunteers as a small group leader, on the Tech Team at HOPE, and at the Food Pantry. Kelly serves as a member of HOPE's Lead Team and also volunteers as a lobby greeter on Sundays. Special thanks to both of them for sharing themselves with us!
NOTES & RESOURCES:
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.live! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. Welcome to Hope.
Rick Court:Hey, hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Meet Hope podcast. My name is Rick and I'm happy to be the host today, so I want to welcome all of you. Thanks for listening. We are beginning a new series of podcasts that I guess we're calling them my Stories, and so if you've been attending here at Hope, you know that we were just finishing the Big Story series and then from the Big Story series, we're going into the my Story series. We're going to look at how our stories fit within this bigger story of God, so we're going to ask different people to share their stories of faith, and so I'm here today with Bill and Kelly Willenda. Hello guys, hello, thanks for joining us, thanks for being here. Glad that you and we've done a podcast together before. We have yeah, yeah, so thanks for doing it again.
Rick Court:So, real quick, I'm going to ask you a question. So how long have you guys been attending Hope? Just a real quick survey 18 years, give or take, 18 years, really, okay. So you guys came right after I did, right after you were new, wow, okay, that's great. And so how long have you guys been married?
Kelly Walenda:33 years. You notice I'm not sticking these answers out right, good job.
Bill Walenda:Yeah, I've been doing this for 33 years.
Rick Court:Bill, I'll ask you this how many kids do you guys have?
Bill Walenda:We have three Thank you for asking. All right, good work, good work. I like the layups.
Rick Court:That's great. So tell me not just how long you've been attending Hope, but why did you begin attending Hope, and maybe you guys both can answer that.
Bill Walenda:Well, I started coming. We were unchurched for a while, so we had left the church that we were at and just kind of lost faith, quite frankly, in the faith, and Kelly started coming here consistently. And then after a few weeks she said you know, I'd like you to start attending with me and I realized I needed something, so we started attending together.
Rick Court:Wow, Okay, and that was 18 years ago.
Bill Walenda:It was 18 years ago Exactly.
Kelly Walenda:So I've told this story a million times. But very dear friends of ours were going to a local Catholic church and we were raised Catholic. She had come to the family service on Christmas Eve and she said you have to go. So I waited a whole year. So that's like and I'm sharing that with those listening because sometimes it takes a while and changes hard and I was thinking I have to wait for that, which is very naive and uninformed. So I did, a year later, go to that we all did with the kids, loved it. And then I said to Bill well, everybody's happy, it's Christmas, so let's see what they're like when it's not Christmas. And then I was coming and Bill was traveling five, six days a week then, and so Sunday morning was his time with the kids. So that's why I really was saying to him, after coming a while, I need you to come, because then they'll come as well. And I know I was kind of breaking up their fun time. But that's that's how we did it and the rest is kind of history.
Rick Court:Wow, that's great, yeah, and so what was your first experience like when you, when you first started attending? I mean, you know things like what were you thinking, what you're feeling? Cause we have, we have people who are, who are new to faith, who are new to hope, and I think that sometimes there's these common feelings, the common common experiences that we might be having. So, so what were you thinking, feeling that kind of thing?
Bill Walenda:Well for me. I was really surprised by all the energy at the at in in the service. Um, I'd been we. We came from a church that was very serious, very um, stoic, very, quite frankly, depressing. Um, you know, and I thought, wow, this is, this is different, this is amazingly different. And people are bringing coffee to church.
Intro:What's going on with that?
Bill Walenda:Um, and, and, you know, honestly, I thought, wow, this is really cool. And then I, you know, there were people raising their hands and and, and I was thinking, oh, okay, here we go. You know, this place is full of Bible thumpers or whatever. And and, um, you know, then, after a while, I felt like the message, though, was directed right at me, and I thought, wow, these poor other people, this isn't for them, this is for me. And it was exactly what I needed on that first day. And again, you know, we're gonna keep saying, but the rest is history, but that's what I was feeling. I thought, wow, you know, this isn't, this is for everybody.
Kelly Walenda:Well, and the thing I noticed was not only is it bright, literally bright, when you walk in right Some older religious buildings might not be that way, but I do remember the coffee and I do remember there being cookies and juice. So for you know, those that are newer to hope there was a whole kind of kitchen area and it told you by its actions that you're welcome to stay, let's talk. It's not just come in, check off the box that you tend to church and leave. They were having donuts and cookies and the kids were happy. That is a completely different feel. That's welcome to my home and you can sit and talk a while and you don't feel that in other places.
Kelly Walenda:At least I haven't experienced that.
Rick Court:You know, when people talk about their faith or at least I've heard people talk about their faith in that they either say there was like a light switch, like they just made a decision that I'm going to turn my life around, I'm gonna start following Jesus you know those kinds of terms and it's like a light switch that goes off, and then for others they've I've heard them describe it as like more like in your dining room you might have like a dimmer switch where the it's a slow glow. How would you describe your faith journey? Is it? Do you lean more towards oh, it was like a switch where I just made a decision or was it more like this slow glow towards faith?
Kelly Walenda:I think, because I was raised with some faith, raised a certain way, I always knew God and had faith. But, as Bill described, you go through seasons for some of us and we did where we didn't have a faith. What has been slow for me but in a wonderful way is in all of my time here is actually realizing. First, the thing for me that was maybe the aha light bulb was oh, I can actually have a relationship with Jesus and my God. I was raised, there are these rules and you will follow them and there's this authority figure and so sometimes as a parent you can be that way and not your authority authoritative figure, but you want to be their family and their friends and you've got to balance that.
Kelly Walenda:But for me, before I was here, I never thought of it as relational. And then what has been slower for me is figuring out what that relationship should be for me and what that looks like and how can I make it grow. Because for me it's hard, because it feels at first it's on paper and it's a book and I'm reading it. How do I bring that to life for me? So that's been my slow journey. The light bulb is oh, I'm supposed to and can have a relationship, then the rest has been slow.
Rick Court:Yeah, great, that's great. How about you, bill?
Bill Walenda:For me it was as far as a faith journey that was slow for sure.
Intro:I mean I always had faith.
Bill Walenda:We've been together a lot longer than 31 years and sorry, 33 years, but you know we would never be. There was always that middle man between us and God and so we didn't have that again. As Kelly said, that relationship. But as far as getting involved here, for me that came slow. I started well, I think we're gonna get to that, so that might be an edited out.
Bill Walenda:But what first got me involved in Hope Church not just attend to Hope Church was the Spring Craft Fair. And I was asked I was voluntold by Kelly, hey, you need to do this.
Rick Court:Voluntold, that's a good word, okay, I think you invented that word actually.
Bill Walenda:But so she said, hey, you know, they need strong people to come in and help unload cars and set up people for their craft fair. And so I started getting involved that way and it really just kind of. At first I did it and I thought, gosh, this is so inefficient, this isn't right, and this can be done so much faster. And over time I realized it's not about yes, it could be done faster. It's look at the relationships you're building with all these people. Why are you rushing through this?
Rick Court:And for me that was an aha moment that I realized it's about service, but it's also about relationship and we're bringing people to Jesus, and so your faith's journey involved for you was using your hands and feet Correct, right, and so that led to progress in your faith 100% Right, wow, that's great. So what? Up to this point, we know that faith is a journey. It's we call it the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the sake of others, that it's ended a lifelong process. But up to this point, what has been your, the times when you've had these greatest moments of spiritual growth? You know some people would say it was worship, small group and Bill you just mentioned serving. Sometimes it's because a person said something, but what would you say were your greatest moments of spiritual growth or a great moment?
Bill Walenda:Go ahead, make a friend. For me it was definitely joining a small group, getting to meet people in a smaller setting, and it seemed less intimidating for me. Also, the Bible study was called Bible study for men who don't do Bible study, and so I thought, well, that's right, in my wheelhouse that got me, and through that process I was. I felt like, hey, I'm not the freak that doesn't know anything about the Bible, or I'm not the odd man out. All these people are just like me, we're all flawed. Hardly anybody knew where a certain book was, and so that kind of led me to do more service here. But for me that that being in that small group and now leading small groups really just just changed my whole faith journey.
Rick Court:Yeah, so the way you just strive this thing, the prep, so the process for you, or some of the process, was you started attending worship, you started volunteering, then you joined a small group and then you started leading a small group, correct?
Intro:So it's volunteer.
Rick Court:See, that's a good job, kelly, yeah, yeah.
Kelly Walenda:Well, that was short. I'm sure that was the Holy spirit there.
Rick Court:How about you? I'm sorry, how great is moments.
Kelly Walenda:So for me, I look at it in phases as well. So again, when we started coming, our children were young and I'm working full time and Bill was gone. So I I wanted to do things and just didn't really have the the bandwidth to do that. But I'm a lifelong learner, love to learn, and one of the things that I tell other people about what I love about this church is, even now, when you said we're doing the series, and if that had been my experience at somewhere else, it was lost on me and so it's. This is what our interpretation is. Or the person who's speaking, and you learn. So every series I would try to reflect. You know what? What am I supposed to take away?
Kelly Walenda:from that, you know, bill joked about, you know, is the sermon just directed at him or the message just to him? So for a long time it was having to reorient my thinking. So listening to the pastors give that message and making this helping me recognize this relationship, was very important to give me that good foundation. So that happened for, honestly, years. And then I, too, just started to volunteer at one point, when asked to do the hospitality, um, and that's right in my wheelhouse, and I did that.
Kelly Walenda:But that's when you got to have conversations with people in between the service or when you weren't going in and worshiping, and then again you feel like you're with friends and family. And then the small group. So each small group, um, I try to always be in one and you're going to learn something to. To come back to you, but probably one that really helped me was hardwired and learning your spiritual gifts. Again, not something I was raised with, oh, I have gifts and I'm supposed to use them to serve the kingdom of God. So that's lit much later in my journey, um, and that has been very helpful, yeah.
Rick Court:So, again, just to summarize, that process then was so you started attending worship and then started volunteering in the lobby and then joined a small group. Yeah, you know. So we're in this less grow, challenge and work. We call that worship plus two. Right, we think that's the, the, the, the um. Uh, the foundation for our spiritual growth is worshiping together, volunteering together and um, being small groups together. Right, that you know. Worship plus two. Yeah, so to you guys, thanks You're, you're like we can put you on the poster.
Bill Walenda:Yeah, I could hang it. I don't know about the on it.
Rick Court:So, so, uh, and that was that was probably years ago, right, correct. But if you could remember what are some of the fears or anxieties you might have had when you were beginning this A bill, you mentioned one already of not knowing, not knowing where to find things in the Bible. But but are there, are there others, or is or would that be it?
Bill Walenda:That was the biggest and I didn't want to look like a fool.
Rick Court:Um you know.
Bill Walenda:I didn't want to be in a room with a bunch of people who were so far beyond me in their faith journey that I would clearly be the guy who didn't know and and the bad Christian. Uh, and you know, I thought, hey, I don't really know that much about the scripture. I don't, you know, if I had a, a paper or a regular Bible and they'd say, turn to Ephesians. And I'd be going back to the back, to the back, like I don't know. You know there's. Is there a glossary? Like how do I find it?
Intro:Table of contents.
Bill Walenda:Um, but you know. So I started with the iPad version of the you version of the Bible and for then it was just type in the name that they're talking about and it pops right up, and, and then I saw that it had all these different versions and it was. You could read the message, which for me was tremendous, because it's like, well, I call it the hippie version of the Bible because, it says it in like yeah, man, this is how it is, you know, and?
Bill Walenda:and some of the others are tougher to, uh to understand. So for me, that was the greatest fear of looking, looking ridiculous in front of people who are all turned to the back of the Bible and I'm still digging through Genesis and. Exodus.
Kelly Walenda:Um, so echo the whole. I don't want to go somewhere where I might have to share scripture or be asked to quote it, which does not happen. You don't have to quote it to get through the doors here, um, but I think it's confident, as I. I always um felt or appeared to others. There was this notion of there's somebody better. Maybe it's not me, or or maybe I'm just not worthy enough. Um, again, it it's. You know, getting beyond our brains and then saying, you know, to think that there is a God who cares that much about you was very hard for me to truly believe in. My heart that was, and so if you don't feel worthy, you just try away from something.
Kelly Walenda:You'll turn away, you won't invest. And then once I realized I say more now than I ever, ever would have imagined that I'm a child of God. I wouldn't have said that even 15 years ago. So that was probably my biggest fear that I wasn't worthy. Wow, that's great.
Rick Court:So what would you say to someone who is considering taking the next step in their faith journey and maybe that step is coming to the church for the first time and they're listening, or maybe it's joining a small group or volunteering or whatever that next step might be. But what would you say to them about taking that step?
Bill Walenda:Do it, don't be afraid.
Kelly Walenda:Don't overthink it.
Bill Walenda:And you will not find a more welcoming place than hope. Okay.
Kelly Walenda:Well, if you don't take it out of fear, you're the one who's gonna lose. I mean, maybe those around you won't get the benefits of your growth, but you'll never grow.
Kelly Walenda:And it's just one step and, reflecting on this question before we came, you're gonna take a step forward, some people, and then some are going to. It wasn't what they thought, planned, expected and then maybe it'll take two steps back. So go to a different avenue venue method that we have here and try that. But this notion and this fear of failure, it's just our human frailty. So just take it, cost you nothing but you gain everything.
Rick Court:Yeah, I know that I've been leaning small groups for decades and my favorite small groups are not when my material that I've prepared is presented perfectly, it's when somebody else. Sometimes I feel like this is getting derailed, but somebody shares something that is obviously. It's something God wanted us to hear. I'm like man, that was a really good moment, right, yeah, and like that was thank you, god, thanks for doing that. And if someone doesn't come to a group or volunteer or doesn't take that next step, we miss out on that. Yes, I can always make a presentation, but that doesn't mean that that's what God wanted that person being there is. So we bring value to the other people in the room.
Bill Walenda:Right, that's what it's from. I get everything. I get more than I give.
Rick Court:Yeah, right, yeah, yeah yeah, so how would you describe, if you were to describe your old life before this relationship with Jesus, and your current growth? How would you describe those two?
Kelly Walenda:For me, definitely very influenced by culture and wanting to satisfy my parents. So you know, not to get A's because I learned something, but to say I got all A's Extremely competitive middle child not getting the attention that you know the baby got or the older child and you don't necessarily know that's why you're doing those things at the time right.
Kelly Walenda:Play every sport you can have to win that match, have to get that degree. But some was definitely that was my passion. But it was, oh, doing that to impress or get kudos from those that you felt important in your life.
Kelly Walenda:What is completely foot-primary now is making major decisions and thinking about how my day or week should go or went is. Was I doing what God had planned for me? Am I doing things to out of love? Am I doing all the things because they might have felt like the right reasons when you were getting straight A's, but you were really doing it because you just wanted that, that you know, recognition from somebody. And so now, instead of that's what culture wants, now it's what. What is the right thing to do? What would Jesus do? How can I love others, which is not the focus I had before.
Rick Court:Have a bill you got, you can. Can you top that?
Bill Walenda:I can go under that and say I Speak in competitive beat that.
Bill Walenda:Well, I, I didn't get straight A's and so I wasn't trying to impress anybody. You know, seriously, I was lost and, and you know, I felt like I just wasn't. I was very rarely truly happy. I was stressed out, I wasn't acting in the way. I wasn't the father, the husband, the friend that I wanted to be. You know, I thought to myself there must be more to life. Wow, like, yeah, you know, as far as business goes, I'm successful and, you know, making a lot of money or whatever. But it was not. It was so empty.
Bill Walenda:And it was. You know, I felt like my life was going into a direction that was just not the life I wanted. And now I've. I've just grown so much, not only in my faith, but as a man, husband and father and a mentor and a friend. I couldn't, and that's all because of my faith.
Bill Walenda:You know, as Kelly said, it's am I? Am I doing this because of my ego, or is this what God wants me to be doing, or am I supposed to be doing that? You know, let me take a step back, say a prayer, ask for guidance, ask for discernment, and and then make that decision. And, and you know, I couldn't imagine my life going forward without God playing a huge role.
Rick Court:Hey, listen, that was a pretty good answer. Yeah, yeah.
Bill Walenda:See, don't have to be competitive.
Rick Court:It was all true. So, listen, we're going to wrap up, but I want to say thanks for doing this, and so when we did the staff interviews, we were doing some rapid fire questions at the end, so I'm going to throw these out to you, and the goal is to just give the kind of thing that comes up top of your head so your favorite pizza topping go.
Kelly Walenda:I like white pizza with sliced tomatoes, sausage and green peppers.
Rick Court:All right, that must be fun ordering the two of you. All right, are you a morning person or an evening person?
Bill Walenda:Definitely an evening.
Kelly Walenda:I'm like kind of both Really. Yeah, it depends on how my week goes, but I pop right. I'm either awake or not.
Rick Court:Okay, all right, all right, coffee order.
Bill Walenda:For me definitely Starbucks, and I'm in Dolce Latte.
Rick Court:I have to try that I have really no, At home Nespresso.
Kelly Walenda:Oh, okay, and I'm working at home now, so it's just whatever I make in the morning. Okay, it's just coffee.
Rick Court:It's just coffee, all right. So if you ever get on the show, what's your favorite movie that you're watching?
Bill Walenda:Well, right now we're watching lessons in chemistry on Apple TV. All right, Excellent.
Kelly Walenda:Is it Okay?
Rick Court:Very good All right, I haven't watched that one yet, it's not actually at all about chemistry, so you can watch it. Okay, I will.
Kelly Walenda:Let's watch it in chemistry. I actually was with my daughter for three days. I joke and say she can tell people she spent three days at Times Square with her mom and all they did was watch TV Because she had her wisdom teeth bold Gilmore Girls all weekend and I missed it when it was around the first time. It was very good.
Rick Court:That's good, all right. And how about a book you read recently?
Kelly Walenda:I'm going to go with I Just Finished One by Priscilla Presley and her life. It's very old book, it's been out for decades and how she met and fell in love with and lived with Elvis.
Bill Walenda:We're doing a study here on racism and reading Just Mercy by Brian Stevens.
Rick Court:Oh, okay, all right, good, that's great, and I know I knew the.
Bill Walenda:I know the answer to this one, but the local place that you like to eat. Fleming's Fridays.
Kelly Walenda:But I felt obligated to give a backup. So when we're not there, we go to Black Olive, which is also a BYO.
Rick Court:But yes, so you guys go to Fleming's. It's a tradition to go on Fridays. Yes, correct, okay, all right. All right, kelly and I have gift cards to there, so maybe I'll we'll come meet you over there.
Kelly Walenda:Okay, all right, all right.
Rick Court:And so you've got less than 30 seconds. How would you describe yourself, your life and what you do?
Kelly Walenda:Oh go, I put a child of God, a wife and mother, witty, and I love to laugh and travel and loyal to the end. Call me anytime, any hour of the day. I remain open-minded and willing to try new things and I'm hoping to become a better golfer, okay.
Rick Court:Good Aren't we all Go ahead, Belliers.
Bill Walenda:I am a business owner, husband, father and friend who is deeply committed and fiercely loyal. I'm a faithful servant who wants to help others reach their full potential. I am blessed beyond measure and I know who holds my future. I also like the golf. Good answer, Good answer.
Rick Court:Hey, Bill and Kelly, Thanks so much for joining us and listeners. Thank you for being a part of this episode of the Meet Hope podcast. Have a great day.
Intro:Thanks for being a part of the Hope community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at Meet Hope Church.