Revival came to the Marquette District on September 11th as Hope UMC opened its doors to their neighbors.

KAY DEMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area

MARQUETTE, Michigan, September 11 — A new thing just happened up north! Pastor Christopher Hintz, however, believes that it may not be so new after all. The re-birth of a congregation, now called Marquette Hope, draws deep from their Wesleyan heritage. Describing the church launch on September 11–the first church start in the Marquette District since 1978–Hintz says, “We are now one people in three buildings. We may hail this as new but it’s really claiming our roots in early Methodism.”

Those roots were rocking on September 11. Marquette Superintendent Elbert Dulworth was present for the celebration. “Last Sunday, Marquette Hope launched across the street from the campus of Northern

Michigan University,” he reports. “The energy at the Connection Center, as people gathered for worship, was life-giving. God’s Spirit is at work in the hearts and dreams of the people of Marquette Hope.”

Jennifer Huetter played keyboard at the opening worship. A member of Marquette First, she served on the team that reshaped the congregation. “We’ve done the leg work, sweated, cried, and have found ways to move forward towards the ultimate goal of creating a shared ministry model in our community,” Huetter relates. “The energy that was in the building on our opening day on September 11 was electrifying. When we sang ‘Lord, I Need You’ and the entire congregation was feeling the song, it was a magical, goose-bump moment.” Jennifer concludes, “I just knew that we’re on the right path!”

“It was the most fun I’ve had in church since I don’t know when!” Christopher Hintz exclaims. Wife and co-pastor, Kristi, adds, “Everybody was just ‘on,’ from the praise band to the person putting the donuts and bagels on the plates.” Bishop David Bard was in the congregation and Kristi says, “He was in familiar territory here on the big lake.”

Marquette Hope’s co-pastors, Revs. Christopher and Kristi, themselves arrived in the Upper Peninsula from Colorado in 2014. “We were used to seeing elk in our backyard,” Kristi remarks, “so we are right at home here. We came to Michigan ready to give our heart and soul to God’s work.”

“It is not about wrangling these churches into a new life. Marquette Hope UMC is a divine gift.”

Initially Kristi was appointed to Marquette First UMC; Christopher to Skandia and Marquette Grace. It wasn’t long before the pastors and church members began exploration around shared ministry. In the fall of 2015 a team formed to cast vision and generate ideas. Soon Superintendent Dulworth entered the conversation and he invited Rev. Dirk Elliott to the table. Elliott is the Michigan Area’s Director of New Church Development.

These leaders facilitated a decision around Grace UMC’s sustainability. The church “chose to close gracefully,” Christopher notes, in January 2016. At that time the Detroit Conference Trustees turned the building over to Marquette First.

“That was the point,” Christopher says, “when we realized that the best way to go forward was not just simple cooperation.” Dirk Elliott introduced the team to the “multi-site” model of church growth. “And we now are one congregation in three locations,” Christopher continues. “Skandia is the Country Church, First is Church in Town, and Grace Church has been transformed into the Connection Center.”

Kristi explains that development called for new language. “Our image is an umbrella,” she says. “Marquette Hope is our name; Skandia, First and Connection Center are our campuses.” She is glad for the congregation’s flexibility and notes, “They have been open and willing to embrace this new understanding of church.”

She is especially grateful for the support of The Michigan Area. Christopher has participated in the REACH Network’s Group UP. “Out of that training, we can say to our congregation, what we are experiencing is happening in other places right here in Michigan, not Nashville or Phoenix. When we say, ‘This is happening in Canton and Grand Rapids,’ people begin to believe there’s a way.” The Michigan Area’s New Church Development committed $100,000 over the next three years to the multi-site collaboration. The Marquette District granted $20,000 to help realize the dream.

Lorna Addison was among those asked, two years ago, to be part of the visioning process. She, like Jennifer, is active at the First Church Campus, serving as the Chair of the Council on Ministries. She remained active in the process as a Launch Team members when Grace UMC closed nine months ago. Lorna gathered with others on September 7 to get ready for Sunday’s launch. “A fragment of Jeremiah kept going through my mind, I know the plans I have for you,” she recalls. “When I got back home I looked up those verses. The Hebrews had been having a really bad time, to say the least, and although our bad times were very different, we United Methodists of Marquette had had them, too, to the point of wondering, ‘will we survive?’”

Lorna rejoices that God did have a plan for Marquette; a plan for prosperity and hope as a multi-site United Methodist Community. “Through the grace of God and the wisdom of D.S. Dulworth and the rest of the Cabinet, we were sent a clergy couple with vision, enthusiasm, and seemingly endless energy who built on the recovery begun by previous pastors,” Lorna says with enthusiasm.

Christopher and Kristi name are now appointed to Marquette Hope. Traditional worship at both Skandia and First takes place at 9 am on Sunday; they will fill their respective pulpits at that hour. Then both will go to the Connection Center for the more casual, alternative worship experience.

One hope is to re-establish a relationship with Northern Michigan University. Christopher says, “There are a lot of good kids on campus trying to live out their faith.” Kristi adds, “We look forward to a great partnership with the school.” The building that was Grace UMC was intentionally repurposed with young adults in mind. “We have renovated a downstairs lounge for campus ministry. We also offer a Monday night meal,” Kristi says. The worship style, high-speed internet, and state-of-the-art coffee machines were also designed to meet students’ needs.

The couple expects it to take time to “live into our identity as Hope UMC.” When working on budgets or banners, leadership rosters or programs like Hanging of the Greens, Kristi says it will be important to remember, “We are all one now. No us and them! We have to rethink everything we do.”

“It is not about wrangling these churches into a new life,” Christopher asserts. “Marquette Hope UMC is a divine gift.” And as it can happen when the Holy Spirit is in charge, Kristi admits, “There will be things that turn out very differently than we imagined.”

Together Christopher and Kristi Hintz refuse to buy into the long-standing assertion that people won’t change. “That’s a stereotype,” Kristi says. “God’s people can be flexible and will do what needs to be done if they understand the vision and the way to get there.” How dare she go against conventional wisdom? “Because Marquette Hope is doing what it takes to be the church in our day,” Kristi concludes. “We don’t need to sit around and wait to die. For those who do the hard work, the possibilities are endless.”

Last Updated on December 8, 2023