Everyone is a Minister of the Gospel
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your acts of kindness, and give glory to your God. Matthew 5:16

Statement Of Call:
We are called by God to be a radically inclusive, caring community of faith – offering personal and social transformation through Jesus Christ.

We are a reconciling congregation welcoming people of all sexual orientations.

The two candles that grace the front of our altar remind us that the power of God is working within the peoples of Israel and Palestine to bring about lasting peace. There is hope!

2010 Worship Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Chapel Service
10:00 a.m. Worship

Office
Monday–Friday, 9–noon
7600 Harold Avenue, Golden Valley, Minnesota 55427
763 545 0239 • Fax 763 546 3109
Sunshine Valley Childcare: 763 545 6906

Staff:
Ministers: Congregation
Pastor: Rev. Ed DuBose
Minister of Music: Jerry Rubino
Coordinator of Children’s Sunday School: Danielle Buckmeier
Office Manager: Peggy Bocklund
Administrative Assistant: Janine Hall

“In a world of technology, facts, and information, music brings us back to our basic humanness. It is one of the fundamental ways we have invented to search for life’s meaning and to express our human essence in this world. It is a main means of caring for and preserving the life of our spirit.”

Music! It's Role and Import in our Lives
Charles Fowler
Glencoe, 1994

Praise through music!
At Spirit of Hope Church we enhance our worship of God by allowing ourselves to express our faith through hearing and participating in musical expressions. Every worship service is unique because classical, traditional and contemporary forms of music are used. Just as our congregation is diverse, so is our musical style.

Our music program at Spirit of Hope offers:

• congregational singing as part of worship, including traditional hymns as well as praise and worship songs.
• an opportunity to discover, nurture and offer the artistic gifts we have been given by God.
• the leadership of three keyboard instruments: a 16-rank pipe organ, a 6-foot Yamaha grand piano, and a Kurzweil electric keyboard.
• cultural enrichment opportunities for the church community, including multiple church and interfaith opportunities.
• an outreach to the world through our compact disc, “Many Gifts, One Spirit.”
• the opportunity to participate in the following ensembles.

Vocal Ensembles

Adult Choir
Led by conductor, arranger, and accompanist Jerry Rubino, our choir includes a wide spectrum of ages (9th grade through adult) and musical experience. We prepare musical offerings that vary in style from gospel and contemporary to jazz and classical. If you would like to join us as we seek to grow musically and spiritually by learning music to lead our worship services, our rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Holy Spirits
Susan Hofflander from our Praise Team provides the leadership for this choir of 6th through 8th grade youth. She helps them build on prior music knowledge as they explore their spiritual gifts of music.

Spirit Singers
This ensemble gives children 2nd through 5th grade an opportunity to learn music fundamentals along with learning to praise God through music. Our music staff provides leadership.

Bell Ensembles

Spirit A’Peal
Led by Jerry Rubino and assisted by Trudy Hoag and Kris Kooiker, this group of ringers, 9th grade through adult, uses four octaves of hand bells and two octaves of hand chimes to create music to enhance worship. If you enjoy music and can comprehend fundamental rhythmic notation, join us for rehearsals on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Spirit Ringers
Children in 2nd through 8th grades have the opportunity to experiment with and receive training in hand chimes and hand bells in this group. Kris Kooiker shares her passion for and knowledge of hand bells as she leads this group.

Jerry Rubino is beginning his 20th year as Minister of Music at Spirit of Hope.

Along with Spiritual conviction, Jerry brings a tone of musical excellence and great enthusiasm to the musical offerings at Spirit of Hope.

His experience includes 23 years as Associate Conductor, pianist, arranger and Director of Education and Special Events for the Dale Warland Singers; College teaching positions at Northwestern College, St. Paul, and Carleton College, Northfield; and founder and music director of “Jerry Rubino Plus,” an ensemble that presents eclectic music from opera to classic choral music to the music of Broadway and jazz. His choral arrangements are in print with 5 publishers and he is in demand nationally and internationally as a choral clinician, adjudicator and pianist. Jerry holds degrees in piano, music education and conducting from Temple University and the University of Minnesota.

Susan Hofflander
Versatility is the hallmark of Susan Hofflander’s voice. Susan’s solid vocal technique allows her to perform opera, musical theater, jazz, gospel or contemporary Christian music with equal ease and stylistic accuracy. This unique ability brings Susan many diverse performing opportunities: from Bach to Bernstein, from Vivaldi to Webber. Twin Cities audiences may have experienced her performances with Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, The Guthrie Theater, Nautilus Music Theater and the national touring company of "Phantom of the Opera" at the Ordway.    At Spirit of Hope, she volunteers her time to sit on the Music Council as well as co-director of the youth/children's choirs. Susan has enjoyed the blessing of participation as a Praise Team member at Spirit of Hope since 1996 and looks forward to more great music and worship experiences!

Max Wojtanowicz
Max Wojtanowicz is thrilled to be singing at Spirit of Hope! A native of Rice, Minnesota, Max has been performing in the Twin Cities since graduating from St. Olaf College in 2006. He has worked with many theaters around town including the Children's Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater, Skylark Opera, Heritage Theater, Urban Samurai, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Populus Theatre, the Great River Shakespeare Festival and Nautilus Music-Theater, where he first met Jerry and Susan.

Tom Witry
Tom has performed nationwide in over 50 professional theatrical productions, many of which he has shared the stage with his wife, Melissa O’Neill. He brings a strong choral background to all his work in the performing arts. His musicality and leadership skills provide him great versatility as a music director/arranger, stage director, stage manager and choreographer for productions and revues. Tom leads the adult bell choir (Hope Ringers), and is a member of the Staff Parish Relations Team at Spirit of Hope. Tom sings with Jerry in his vocal group, Jerry Rubino Plus, and is also a freelance model and commercial artist in the Twin Cities.

Melissa O’Neill
Melissa has performed professionally in a wide variety of venues from Opera to Musical Theater to Jazz and Contemporary Christian. She toured nationally as a featured soloist with Tony Sandler (Sandler & Young), and has sung and danced on the stage with such greats as Joel Grey, Phyllis Diller, Michael Feinstein, and with Steven Ross at the Ordway’s McKnight Theatre in the acclaimed production of, “I Won’t Dance.” Melissa has had the great pleasure of performing in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Chorale, with The Minnesota Opera Company, The Dale Warland Singers, North Star Opera Company, The Guthrie Theatre, Nautilus Music Theatre, and in many musical productions at The Ordway Center. It brings her so much joy to be singing with her hubby Tom here at Spirit of Hope. Melissa recently started teaching full time at Wayzata High School. There she conducts two 9th grade choirs, a small women’s ensemble called, “Vive Voce”, music directs the Fall and Spring Musical and has a private voice studio where she teaches over 30 students a week. Tom and Melissa are truly blessed to have a wonderful and amazing 9 year old son named Ian.

Paul David Stanko Serving various church families as Minster of Music for over 25 years, Paul David graduated from Coe College with a degree in percussion performance studying under such teachers as Dr. Paul Smoker (The Paul Smoker Trio, Joint Venture), Dave Samuels (Spyro Gyra), Bill Moersch, Libby Larsen and Phil Haynes. 

He is a skilled marimbist as well as composer, arranger and singer.  Paul David has served as a percussionist for several local orchestras and theater companies over the last 20 years in the Twin Cities.  He is also sought after as a composer, clinician and guest musician.

Paul David works for Macy’s Southdale as the General Manager for the Marketplace Foods and Confections. He and his partner, Tom, live in Plymouth with their two dogs.