GOOD HOPE PARISH
"Celebrating and sharing together Christ's love and hope for all people."
Good Hope Parish Informer
“Celebrating and sharing together Christ’s love for all people.”
Pastor's Ink
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
It has been a good four weeks of ministry with you before this article is written.
To introduce myself to you, I'm Pastor Chad Christensen and I will be with you in the bridge interim capacity from now until the end of the year, 2026. What this means is that while I will be working with Good Hope Parish in convening a call committee and guiding the congregational self-survey and profile process, I will also be available in the process for myself to be called as your next pastor.
I have been a pastor in the ELCA since being ordained in 2000 in my hometown church of Trinity Lutheran in Westbrook, MN, located 20 miles north of Windom in SW Minnesota. I grew up on a corn, soybean and hog farm. I was a county social worker for Pipestone County, MN for three years between my graduation from SDSU-Brookings and entering the seminary at Wartburg and Luther seminaries, graduating from Luther (St. Paul) in 2000 with my M.Divinity degree. I have pastored churches in Upper Michigan; Black Earth, WI (near Madison); mid-Missouri while I was attending the University of Missouri-Columbia; and most recently from 2020-2026 at Trinity Lutheran in West Concord, MN and Dodge Center United Methodist Church. I earned a Ph.D. in rural sociology and community studies at Missouri and have taught rural ministry classes at Luther Seminary in the past several years.
I am single and live in the apartment in Bricelyn provided to me by Good Hope Parish, and also have an apartment in Dodge Center where I spend time at the end of the week. My family consists of my father, who at 82 still farms near Westbrook (with my brother); my brother and his son who live in New Prague, MN, and my mom and stepdad who live in Red Wing, MN. I am glad to be so close to family now as I was away from Minnesota for 20 years in my first three churches.
I enjoy jogging, going for drives and seeking out new places, photographing country churches, drawing, college and pro football and basketball, and I enjoy coffee and visiting church members in their homes. As a small church pastor, I like to keep my parish interests and ministries pretty broad and being a jack-of-all-trades with involvement in different ministries. Along with visiting members at homes and care centers, I also like teaching confirmation and adult Bible studies, doing community outreach and member recruitment, and I like to sing. Maybe we can get some duets, trios, or a choir going?
My hope is to see GHP on a strong track with the call process and for myself to get to know as many of you as I can this year. Together, we will trust in the good and slow work of God (see de Charin's quote below). I am glad to be here!! The Kiester/Bricelyn area is more similar to my beloved hometown of Westbrook than any parish call I have been in so far. This I am going to enjoy!
A blessed May to all of you!
Pastor Chad
"Trust in the slow work of God."
- Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, encouraging
patience, surrender to God's timing, stability, and
trusting in God molding us into a new creation, even
when the process is hidden.
Prayer is powerful, meaningful, comforting interaction with God. Please pray for members who can no longer or can seldom worship in our facilities, persons undergoing treatments or therapies, person with chronic illness, persons facing terminal illness, persons grieving personal loss, person serving in the military and persons in special circumstances.
Please contact your church office to add names to the prayer list.
Good Hope Parish Informer
“Celebrating and sharing together Christ’s love for all people.”