Frequently asked questions
Below is a list of common questions about Lutheran Church of Hope NorthBranch, click on a question to see the answer, or scroll down to browse the entire list.
Is Lutheran Church of Hope NorthBranch still a part of Lutheran Church of Hope?
Yes! Hope NorthBranch is a worshipping community of Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa and is under Hope's mission, vision, values, and structure. The vision for Hope NorthBranch is to reach out particularly to the Ankeny community.
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Who is providing leadership at NorthBranch?
In addition to being under the leadership of Lutheran Church of Hope's Council, senior pastor, teaching pastors, and leadership team, Campus Pastor Scott Rains serves as full time pastoral leader in Ankeny. You can learn more about Pastor Scott here and reach him at scott.rains@hopewdm.org or 515-222-1520. Pastor Molly Juntunen, Hope's Kingdom Expansion Pastor, serves as developer and liaison to satellites from Hope in West Des Moines and can be reached at molly.juntunen@hopewdm.org.
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Who will be preaching at NorthBranch?
Weekly messages are offered by Campus Pastor Scott Rains, preachers from Lutheran Church of Hope's preaching team or by video from Lutheran Church of Hope's main site in West Des Moines. Visit this website homepage to find the weekly preacher and topic.
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What programs will be offered at NorthBranch?
Several ministry opportunities for children, students and adults are offered throughout the year. Alpha, a powerful and popular ten-week adult class will be offered several times a year, and small groups are forming throughout the community. Nursery and children's programming are available and expanding rapidly as NorthBranch grows. NorthBranch teams will also be working to provide ways for NorthBranch worshippers to connect to the main site's program offerings.
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Where do my weekly offerings go?
All monetary offerings received weekly at Hope NorthBranch support Hope NorthBranch's ministry. If you are a Lutheran Church of Hope member or regular attender who made a pledge to Building Hope 3D in 2005, you are encouraged to fulfill that pledge in addition to prayerfully considering your weekly giving at Hope NorthBranch.
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Can I attend both NorthBranch and Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines?
Yes. However, if you have been a part of Hope in West Des Moines and have felt called to be a part of the mission of Hope NorthBranch, we encourage you to be consistent in your worship attendance and participation in Ankeny. Some people may choose to worship and/or serve in both locations, but through committing to worship and volunteer first at NorthBranch, we can build community and serve visitors and new attenders of NorthBranch in the best way. Visiting either site is always welcome.
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How do I become a member of NorthBranch?
Since NorthBranch is a worshipping community of Lutheran Church of Hope, joining Hope NorthBranch means joining Lutheran Church of Hope! A one-evening new member class is offered several times a year in West Des Moines; visit www.hopewdm.org for more information or call 515-222-1520 to register for the next new member class.
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Volunteers
God's call is for all people to be involved in the work of ministry. Like in all of Lutheran Church of Hope's ministries, Hope NorthBranch relies almost exclusively on volunteer leadership. Volunteer team leaders develop, lead, and maintain the ministry programs of Hope NorthBranch. Contact Pastor Scott for more information on teams and volunteering.
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Can I or my child be baptized at NorthBranch?
Yes! Anyone interested in being baptized or having children baptized at Lutheran Church of Hope, including Hope NorthBranch, are asked to attend a one-time Baptism Class offered at Hope in West Des Moines on the first Tuesday of every month. After attending the class, a baptism can be scheduled at Hope NorthBranch. Please call 515-222-1520 to register for the class and schedule a baptism.
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What is Hope NorthBranch's relationship with Resurrection Lutheran Church?
Like Lutheran Church of Hope, Resurrection Lutheran Church is a congregation of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). For the first year of its existence, Hope NorthBranch worshiped on Saturdays at Resurrection Lutheran Church. During that time a ministry partnership developed between Hope NorthBranch and Resurrection. Resurrection and NorthBranch continue to partner to offer the Alpha course; see the "Alpha" tab on this website for details. In March of 2007, Hope NorthBranch switched worship times and locations to Sunday mornings at Northview Middle School.
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Does Lutheran Church of Hope have any other satellites?
Yes! Hope is “one church, multiple locations.” Lutheran Church of Hope CityBranch, launched in June 2008, worships in the city of Des Moines and is led by Hope CityBranch director Jon Anenson. Visit www.hopecitybranch.org or contact Jon at jon.anenson@hopewdm.org for more information about CityBranch.
Immersion began as a late night worship experience aimed at reaching out to the 20’s and 30’s of the metro. Led by Immersion Director Justin Wise and worshipping at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines Thursdays at 7:37pm, Immersion continues to grow into more than a worshipping community with classes, social events, and volunteer opportunities. Visit www.beimmersed.com for more information.
Additional satellites may emerge as time goes on! For more information contact Kingdom Expansion Pastor Molly Juntunen at molly.juntunen@hopewdm.org or 515-222-1520.
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Updated 7/11/2008
Click here for driving directions to Hope NorthBranch
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Questions? Please email Pastor Scott Rains or call him at 222-1520.
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