The Meet Hope Podcast
The Meet Hope Podcast
87: Supporting Hope's Vision through Collaborative Leadership with HOPE's Lead Team
Curious about HOPE's Lead Team? Discover the unique leadership model that has been guiding Hope since 2007, as we sit down with a few current team members, Kelly Walenda and Jamie Reynolds. Their collaborative efforts highlight how this cohesive team balances serious business matters with fostering a supportive environment in line with the church's mission. Join us for an insightful episode that promises both inspiration and practical wisdom.
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.
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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 our world for the sake of others.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Hope. Hey, welcome everybody to the Meet Hope podcast. I'm Jeff Bills, host of today's episode, and I am very excited to have with me Kelly Walenda and Jamie Reynolds, and these folks are here because they are members of our lead team. So if you've been at Hope for a while, you may have heard reference to the lead team and wondered what that was all about, and so we're going to spend some time talking about our lead team. But before we get into that stuff, to start with Kelly, you've done a couple of these podcasts but, yeah, share with folks a little bit about who you are.
Speaker 3:Sure Happy to do so. So hello everyone. Kelly Walenda, I have been coming to Hope for about 19 years now with my husband, bill, and we have three adult children now Billy, madison and Casey. But we are officially empty nesters, which gives me more time to spend with you, jeff on lead team and here with Jamie, I'm an attorney currently working in the privacy space, if you will for a health system, and I've been doing that for about 31 years and happy to be here.
Speaker 2:Awesome Glad to have you, jamie. How about you? Happy to be here. Awesome, glad to have you, jamie?
Speaker 4:how about you? Hi, so I'm Jamie Reynolds. I am also an attorney by training, but I run a nonprofit that develops affordable housing as my day job. I'm married to my lovely wife, joy. We have two teenage children, graham and Amelia, and have been members of the church since the late 90s, Jeff married my wife and me back in 2002, so it's been a long journey and it seems like only yesterday.
Speaker 2:Good job, jeff. Yeah, well, you know, I'm glad it stuck. That's great, hey, so we have this team and we do everything by teams here at Hope that we call the lead team, and we developed this model back in 2007. And so it's a little different than what a traditional Methodist church's leadership model is. It's nine members, nine individuals who help us in a number of different ways, and so, jamie, you're the chair of the lead team currently.
Speaker 4:How would you describe some of the work of the lead team? So it's a great group. First of all, I think, jeff, you've done a really good job of recruiting and assembling a team of people who represent a lot of different constituencies across the church body and folks who are involved in very different aspects of the ministry. So one thing I think is just to have representation from multiple different backgrounds within the church and give them a voice in setting the direction and working on the vision, the values, the culture of the organization. So that's super exciting. Kelly in particular works with one committee called Staff Parish and, kelly, maybe you can talk a little bit about how that plays out in terms of your service on the lead team.
Speaker 3:Sure, so I joined about four and a half years ago. Jeff, has you come for one or two months before you officially join and take on a serious role of voting, which? Can be intimidating in this environment, especially for people who've not had board experience. So I had the benefit of working with Lori and Chris for folks that may know them here at church and they had been on that staff parish for it's.
Speaker 2:Lori Choukains and Chris Walters.
Speaker 3:Yep, thank you, and they mentored me and I like the way that we have the legacy here, so I'm probably happy. I wasn't on the very first one and trying to figure out how that goes. And so what the staff parish does high level is what I would call the HR function, if you will, of an organization. And so today I am joined with Betty Joins is on that team and Elaine Monticolo. So the team changes and you know, as Jamie is chair, it's nine members but runs a little bit like a small group we had talked about that before and that small group has some members that remain the same, that you get to know better over time. And then your small group has its own little sub-small group that you get to know a little bit better and you work together on that.
Speaker 3:So we do a lot of oversight and consultation. We try not to get too much in the weeds. By that I mean staff perish. Jeff has his management team and you work on that. So I can go into more of the details if you want to cover that.
Speaker 2:So it's kind of HR functions. We have about 30 staff full and part-time staff so the work that you guys do is obviously really important Then. So it's a nine-member lead team. We divide into threes for three different functions. Staff parish personnel is one of them. Jamie, you're a part of finance. What are those guys doing?
Speaker 4:Indeed and so, yes, so we, in addition to you know, working on the vision, values and culture kind of broadly as a lead team. We then, you know there are a couple of major areas we focus on again staff finances, of course, both making sure that the church is bringing in enough money to support the work that we're doing across the multiple ministries and also making sure that we're spending it in ways that are efficient and that make the most sense given the resources we have.
Speaker 4:We are not made of money, and so we need to be careful stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us, and we really strive to do that. And then the same is true, I would say, jeff, across the trustees as well, who are more focused on facilities. Right, and although neither Kelly nor I serve as a trustee right now, that's a committee that also is very active on the lead team and they take care of this facility, obviously the parsonage, and I don't know whether you want to add anything else about their role and how you interact with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I say really that's what they're doing. They're making sure that our facilities are well kept and dealing with issues related to insurance and so forth, so all those things that come with having a facility, like we do multiple buildings and so forth. So, yeah, that's the breakup of the teams. So finance will do some meetings separate from the full team Staff. Parish does their meetings, then you guys all come together and those meetings are once a month, right. So talk a little bit about that. What's kind of a typical lead team meeting, if there is such a thing, jamie?
Speaker 4:Well, I think we try to focus. Typically we give a broad overview of the finances and just take a snapshot of hey, this is where we are right now, this month, at this point in the fiscal year, to make sure we're on budget, see how we're tracking on donations and revenues, see how we're tracking on expenses, and so that's just an important kind of checkup function. But then typically we'll pick one or two topics for a particular meeting and really dive a little deeper on those and really get an understanding of what's going on in a particular ministry. So whether that's music and worship in a meeting or whether we look at the food pantry and that's grown tremendously over the last couple of years- and become operationally more complex, and so we need to pay attention to those things become operationally more complex, and so we need to pay attention to those things.
Speaker 4:Obviously, you know, in the broader context of church culture, right, we have this transition coming up, jeff, where you know you're thinking about actually retiring, if we'll ever let you, and so one of the things that we've spent a lot of time thinking about is you know, how does that transition occur? And we happen to work in a particular denomination where we don't have as much control as we might like.
Speaker 4:So it's been a very interesting process. I know you've talked about this, you know from the pulpit and also on other podcasts, but that's something we've been paying a lot of attention to in recent years.
Speaker 2:Indeed. Kelly, from your perspective, what's a typical meeting look like?
Speaker 3:A typical meeting is that we all show up and then we follow the agenda. But we don't have a typical meeting in that. What I like about that and I mean that in a positive way Again, there's an agenda, there are minutes, we look at finances, but this is a vibrant, robust community and organization and you mentioned like 30 employees robust community and organization and you mentioned like 30 employees. So there is always something being added. What will we do with food pantry as people come in and out and transition? How should we be doing things in the preschool? What is going on? Interestingly enough, people might not realize how legal this organization is.
Speaker 3:It has obligations, it has to meet contracts, it has to sign. But I remember when I was new and we were in the throes of COVID and we're looking at leave laws. So I think that there is always yes, we're looking at finances, yes, we're looking to see if we are healthy spiritually and financially, and then, as Jamie said, there's always something that gets added that you, as the lead pastor, and your management team come with recommendations. So I think it's important for everybody to understand that collaboration where, as Jamie said, you've got a very diverse group by way of background, by way of where we've come from, our journey here, and we give feedback about do we think that will help us grow? Will we be healthy? And I personally love those conversations the most. That's cool.
Speaker 2:We also are a, so we're an organization, we're a non-profit and an employer, and all of those different things describe what this is. But we are also, first and foremost, a spiritual enterprise where people are coming to grow as disciples, to grow as disciples, as followers of Christ, and so forth. How does that influence or how does that play into the lead team, would you say? James?
Speaker 4:Well, I think, first of all, I think you and we have done a good job of recruiting people to the lead team who have a baseline level like spiritual maturity, who are at a point in their walk where they recognize that this kind of service is really one that involves putting aside any personal preferences and things like that and really looking at the global good of the organization in the context of our faith. And so what are we doing that's going to promote our mission of creating disciples, and how do we then create programs and structures that allow people opportunities to grow in their faith? Everybody's got a bit of a different journey, and so what can we be doing to tear down barriers?
Speaker 4:to get rid of obstacles. That will allow folks to really focus on their relationship with Christ. They're growing more mature in their faith and following Christ for the sake of others. That is really kind of a baseline watchword and it's really kind of fun to see, as we move through discussions about various topics, how that manifests itself in the conversation. I really love that about the lead team.
Speaker 2:Yeah how about for you, Kelly? How do you see that playing out?
Speaker 3:I think it was probably more prevalent and important than I would have realized before I came to the first meeting. So it's not just business as usual. Right, that might happen for other types of entities and other boards. So we start with prayer, we end with prayer. We do as Jamie said. We keep at the heart of conversations the mission right and what we've been commissioned to do about discipleship.
Speaker 3:But sometimes you know, until you experience it you might not realize, but you have healthy debate. Until you experience it, you might not realize, but you have healthy debate. We reach consensus in one form or another. But we then will pull back or somebody whether it's you, jeff, or someone else at the meeting will say well, wait a minute, maybe we've strayed afar. What's the goal here? Let's talk about keeping Jesus at the forefront, god at the forefront and his kingdom. When you do that, it really makes it simpler. We have hard decisions to make, but it brings us back on course and it's helped me grow, it's helped me learn and when we keep that as our true north, we end the meetings on a positive note. There's a lot of collegiality, there's laughter, while it's serious business, but that just guides us and I'm grateful for that. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2:So in terms of how somebody ends up on lead team just to share a word about that, excuse me. So I'm always asking uh for recommendations, um, and I'm asking lead team members for recommendations, I'm asking staff for recommendations, um. And so really what I'm looking for is somebody who, uh Jamie said that's maturing uh, spiritually, that there's evidence that their faith is important to them, that they have a high emotional quotient, that they know how to interact with people, because they're dealing with people's livelihoods, they're dealing with sometimes stressful situations. They're dealing with sometimes stressful situations, difficult decisions that have to be made, and so forth, and so we need somebody who knows how to navigate working relationships well. And I'm looking for somebody who's kind of shown that they are already committed to the church, that they're serving in some capacity or another, they're involved in a small group, they're volunteering somehow, so they've already shown that they care about this place, they're invested in this place. Get this little adage that if you're not willing to serve, you're not ready to lead. And so, looking for that servant heart kind of person. And then I put names down on a three by five card, I carry that around with me and pray over that over the course of the year, over that over the course of the year, and then just ask God for direction in selecting folks.
Speaker 2:Again, because the work that you guys do is so important to the life of this church, even though it's almost invisible at times, I think, to the average person, and I think that's another testimony to the character of this group. There's a humility about this group. You're not looking to be the boss, you're not looking to tell people what to do or to insert your will and so forth, but that we're all kind of working together to discern where God is leading us as a church. What are some things that you? You've mentioned some already, but is there anything else that you would say that you enjoy? About being a part of the lead team, jamie, how about you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think the double duty that it does as a small group is kind of fun. Kelly mentioned it a little bit and you mentioned it a bit that just that level of engagement and getting to know folks you know, with our regular meetings we're meeting monthly and sometimes we even have an extra meeting here and there and Getting to know folks who I might not otherwise have run across in my particular lane at church has just been incredibly fulfilling for me and great in terms of developing new relationships, folks who operate in again different lanes of church and what brought them, what keeps them, because they're different from the things that maybe brought me and keep me here. And it gives me again just a greater appreciation for the cool array of folks across from multiple walks of life that comprise the body of hope, love that.
Speaker 2:You know one of the things that we do as a team pretty much annually. It got off the rails for a couple of years because of COVID, but prior to that and since then we have an annual lead team retreat. How many of those have you been on, kelly?
Speaker 3:Four now, because one was canceled with COVID. And it did change it because I was able to get to one, and that was an overnight.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And every time you give a lot of thought to have us focus on a way we as a team will grow. So that is fun too. There are things that you wouldn't do on your own. You wouldn't do if you were on a different type of for-profit board. One of my favorites actually was a couple years ago when we had the biracial if you will couple, come in, yes, and we were starting at the top. If you will then to discuss race and how should we address that? When should we address that? What should be the role? And I learned so much just from them, but then also the team building that we did. So every year you have a different focus for us, and that's one of my favorite things that we do for sure, Love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we do, both at the retreat and as just regular part of our meetings, have some special focus, oh guy.
Speaker 4:I've got two lawyers who can?
Speaker 3:it's not focuses. It's close.
Speaker 2:What are some of the others that come to mind, Jamie, on that front.
Speaker 4:Well, we talked about the racial justice, you know, focus that we've had for the last couple of years, which has been really, jamie, on that front.
Speaker 4:Well, we talked about the racial justice focus that we've had for the last couple of years, which has been really really, I think, really just enlightening for a lot of folks and really edifying in terms of doing some specific studies around racial justice, understanding certain histories of race and faith in this country and the good, the bad, the ugly in all of that, and I think it's really brought us closer. It's a particular topic that I think a lot of people have a hard time feeling comfortable talking about and so being with a group of trusted people and then embracing a topic that is current, difficult, presents itself in a whole host of ways across our cultural context, and how do we as Christians, sort of navigate that and engage with it in a way that's both authentic to our faith, respectful of and acknowledging of the history that's been and watching different folks across the lead team who started the study in different places kind of evolve and grow, and it's been personally meaningful to, I think, all of us. So, yeah, really really been a that's been a highlight for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know if either of you were on the team at this time, but a few years back we did a similar kind of thing on the issue of homosexuality and LGBTQ questions and how we as a faith community are to be in ministry with and to folks within that community and looking at so what does the scripture say and how do we understand that? And again, it could be a very hot topic and one that folks may not be initially comfortable talking about, but you create this safe space to have those conversations and some really good things came from that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so anything else that comes to mind that we should be sharing with folks about the lead team I think the only thing is what Jamie alluded to, and you've already done a podcast on it, but right now, the focus is on the next two years. I would say short term. Yeah, again, you're a visionary and there are plans that you've always done that are three years out and five years out, that get revisited based on what's going on in the country and in the church and here. So we're working hard to be supportive in terms of that I mean the lead team, supportive of Jeff, supportive of your family, supportive of whomever then gets identified as your successor, and so we've done a lot of groundwork, a lot of prayer, we continue to pray on that, and so right now, it's hard to get our hands around without the successor. So we are doing a lot of praying, but that is probably the next big thing and probably will be the biggest thing Hope has to address.
Speaker 4:And I think I would just add, like I think the the plan and the hope for succession is that there will be one significant overlap so that you'll get a chance to serve with the person for a period of time and help acculturate them to, to hope and and carry them along.
Speaker 4:But then the other thing that's been really think eye-opening for me is to realize that, as you mentioned earlier, like we have some 30 folks who work under this umbrella, both full and part-time, but there is a deep bench here, right, we're really really incredibly fortunate to have such a deep team, both on the pastoral side, the worship side, the administrative side, the communication side, and so we, I think, to the greatest extent a church can have, set up the next person for success.
Speaker 4:They're not gonna have, you know, unscramble and untangle, a bunch of you know discontentment or anything like that, and oftentimes organizations don't have the luxury of you know, when they make transitions, sometimes, you know, it reveals, you know, a great big mess underneath. I really feel confident that we've put the proper scaffolding in place to really help support the person when a successor comes in, and so that's a testament to you and the staff as well, just for building a good team, nurturing them over time, and then the lead team for figuring out ways to be supportive and help, you know, bring the resources and encouragement in that work.
Speaker 2:So that's great Thanks. So there you have it. I mean, we've got such great people on this team. If you are interested in seeing who else is on the team, you can go to meethopeorg and the About Us menu under Staff and Leadership. There's a picture of our lead team there and so you can check those folks out.
Speaker 2:If you ever have any questions, there's a way to contact the lead team directly. There's a link to send an email to the lead team, a link to send an email to the lead team, and really they're just great advocates for the congregation and really trying to keep us, as you guys have said, keep us on track, keep us focused on the main thing make sure that the church is resourced to do the things that we feel God has called us to do. Make sure that the church is resourced to do the things that we feel God has called us to do. And our great cheerleaders to our pastoral staff, our ministry staff, our administrative staff. You guys have been huge in just cheering these folks on as they go about the work that God calls them to do, and I'm grateful for you two and for the team as a whole. So thank you all for tuning into this podcast and we'll look forward to sharing with you again next week.
Speaker 1: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 meethopechurch.