By Nicole Falco
When the two struggling churches combined ministries last June, the congregations expected that the merger would do much to revitalize the Christian spirit among them. By all accounts, New Hope has exceeded those expectations.
"There is something about the spirit of this place that is much better than it ever has been," said the Rev. Jonathan Hopkins, New Hope pastor. "There's a palpable spirit that I see. People are glad to be here.
"When I first got here, I would hear things like, 'That can't be done' and 'That will never work,'" Hopkins recalled. "Now people come to me and say, 'Let's do this' or 'Let's do that.'"
Before the merger, Trinity averaged about 70 congregants at Sunday services, up from the 40 or so who regularly attended when Hopkins became pastor in the summer of 2003. The attendance at St. Paul's Sunday worship had dwindled to 15 or 20, partly due to the fact that it had been left without a regular pastor when the Rev. Gail Burwa announced her departure in April 2004 after nearly 20 years. Today, Hopkins looks out at about 90 familiar faces every Sunday morning. As the church continues to increase its presence in the community, he expects that number to grow.
"One thing that's been great, but that we've also been working on, is that we went from this little mom-and-pop shop where all the decisions could be made through the pastor, to this much bigger church all of the sudden," Hopkins said. "There is so much going on. There is always something going on."
Besides choosing a new name, which the combined congregation did the democratic way, New Hope has also been planning major renovations to the church and the adjoining education building, at the intersection of Oliver and Everett streets. The building that St. Paul's once called home, on South Grove Street, was sold earlier this year to the nearby Bethlehem Assembly of God Church for its youth ministries. The sale not only helped make the planned renovations possible, it also satisfied the wishes of St. Paul's congregants, who had hoped that Christian worship would continue there.
Last Sunday, ground was broken to mark the beginning of the renovations. Dozens gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony, including Hopkins, New Hope congregants, Valley Stream Mayor Edward Cahill (though the church is not located in the village), Assemblyman Bob Barra, Sen. Dean Skelos, Deacon Tony Cuseo of Holy Name of Mary Church and the Valley Stream Religious Council, the Rev. John Cole, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, architect James Kruhly of James Kruhly & Associates, project manager James Svrdlin, the Rev. Gary Mills of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and many others. The Metropolitan New York Synod oversaw the sale of St. Paul's and is helping to make the renovations possible.
When all of the more than $1 million in renovations are complete, probably in about a year, New Hope will be more accessible to the community. "One of the main thrusts of the project is accessibility, opening the building to the community," Hopkins said. "We want to let people know that we are open and there is something going on here, and they are more than welcome to come in and check it out."
Renovation plans, which were decided after numerous meetings with members of the church council and other congregants, include a new roof, the creation of a distinct entryway to the education building, a parking lot, a refurbished children's play area for the nursery school, new windows, an elevator, the addition of a handicapped-accessible bathroom and ramp, shrubbery, new lighting, reconfigured office and classroom space, a sprinkler system and fire alarm and a rebuilt stairway to the sanctuary.
"One of the things we are not changing is the sanctuary," Hopkins said. "It is a cozy sanctuary. It fits our church. We like it just the way it is."
Besides renovations, New Hope is also expanding its ministries. By next fall, New Hope Lutheran Day School, formerly Trinity Lutheran Nursery School, will begin accepting 2-year-olds in addition to 3- and 4-year-olds. And by the fall of 2007, the plan is to expand even further to include children from 6 weeks to 4 years old. This summer, the church plans to offer a four-week, full-day camp. And Sunday Family Time, which will consist of storytime, music, arts and crafts and more for children under 3 and their parents, is set to begin shortly. The church also offers an after-school program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade, and there's a waiting list for it.
The congregation can attest to all of the excitement and revitalization that has been going on during the past year. "Our whole spirit has been lifted," said Martha Oest, who was a congregant at Trinity for 25 years before the merger. "We have so much to look forward to."
Jack Engh, president of the New Hope Church Council and a Trinity congregant since 1950, said, "I see unlimited things happening, with the Lord's help."
The transition to a single congregation has been smooth, for the most part. "From my standpoint, I think it's going really well," Hopkins said. "Maybe better than any of us could have hoped for."
Hopkins explained that the awkwardness he witnessed at first -- getting used to Communion services that combined elements from both congregations, seeing a division between St. Paul's and Trinity congregants at Sunday services, St. Paul's congregants' shyness about navigating the church kitchen during special events and the pastor's own admission that he had to be reminded that they would need a tour of their new church -- has disappeared. It's a belief echoed by members of the congregation.
"All of us from St. Paul's who joined are so happy," said Audrey Schurmann, whose husband, Bob, is on the church council. "It is a wonderful congregation, and we're a part of it now. We don't feel like we're two separate congregations. When we merged, we merged absolutely."
Oest shared similar sentiments. "It's like we've always been together," she said. "It's hard to believe we were two separate churches. We've blended so well."
Members of both congregations give much credit to Hopkins for the seamless transition. "He's a very positive-oriented individual," said Roger Angwin, who came to Trinity two years ago. "I really believe that he's the heart of the church, and I think the congregation is its pulse.
"This whole experience has really made an impact on my life," Angwin added. "The fellowship, the friendship, the ease of all the people of Trinity and St. Paul's make the experience of going to church fun. I'm really learning a lot about my faith."
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
