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SESQUICENTENNIAL


Arnold Mathisen (1978-1986), John Kerr (1972-1985),
Michael Wiechers (1984-2009)

Pastor Michael Wiechers accepted a call to be the Associate Pastor at Good Hope and was installed September 9, 1984. Pastor John Kerr accepted a call to become Pastor at Coon Rapids, Minnesota, in February of 1985. Pastor Mike was then called and installed as Senior Pastor in June 9, 1985. Pastor Ralph House served as a second visitation pastor until his death in September of 1985. The congregation welcomed the arrival of Pastor William Michaels on August 10, 1986. A congregational vote in 1986 discontinued two staff positions the visitation pastor and tentmaker.


 Pastor Bill  Michaels

Pastor Mike and Pastor Bill continue to serve Good Hope Lutheran Church. Both have celebrated the 10th anniversaries of their Ordinations to the Ministry  Pastor Mike in 1987 and Pastor Bill in 1990.
           The past decade has seen many changes at Good Hope and the beginning of several new projects. To name but a few by year
1985   Elma Diller and Cheryl Brinkman went to Minneapolis for training to become Christian Clowns. The Good Hope clown troupe, CLOWNS FOR CHRIST, came into full bloom in 1986 with 13 clowns spreading the gospel.
       Our 1942 Kimball organ was completely remodeled at a cost of just over $80,000. The additional ten ranks of pipes have increased the beauty of one of the finest organs in this area of the country.
1986    The Friendly Callers were organized to personally call on local inactive members or write out-of-town members reminding them that we are concerned with their spiritual welfare, their church attendance and participation. Over 700 members were contacted in a 5-year period.
1987  saw the people of Good Hope renovate their kitchen and redecorate the Sunday School auditorium at a cost of $19,800.
       Spiritual Adventure groups that had begun in the late 1970 were re-vitalized throughout the congregation for the purpose of discussion, Bible study, prayer, personal encouragement and growth.
       The mens group, MEN OF HOPE, was again re-vitalized with fellowship and Bible Study on Tuesday evenings and twice a month on Saturdays. This group is also active at the synod and national level.
1988     We increased from a two worship services on Sunday morning to include a more informal prayer and praise service twice a month on Sunday evenings.
       A vote was taken to join Good Hope to a new Lutheran church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The vote was in favor of the merger and on January 1, 1989, the ELCA became a reality with Good Hope as a member. This meant a new Conference, new Cluster and a new Synod: Northwestern Ohio Synod. In aligning with a new ELCA, Good Hope revised its constitution which was ratified at the annual meeting, January, 1990.   1989 In the fall, a Junior Bell Choir was organized as a result of a gift from Orville and Gladys Eppley. The bell choir has added beauty and versatility to our worship.  The office and staff became computer friendly as two new computers and word processors were purchased. The system will eventually make the church record keeping more streamlined and convenient.   In October we dedicated two new rooms to our building. The Ralph A. Hinaman Library expanded our bookshelf space and the Chester L. Lahr Historical Room has allowed us to keep our historical and memorabilia in one room.  In January,1990  a satellite office of Lutheran Social Services opened its doors to the  Bucyrus community thanks to Good Hope. Counseling services were offered at first one day a week; and now have been expanded to a full-time counselor working five days a week.
       Good Hope enthusiastically jumped into Mission90 as we saw video tapes called What Does It Mean To Be A Christian? These were shown two nights a week as well as to our new member class. Late fall saw us kick off the New Venture in Bible reading as over 150 of our members and friends signed up to read the Bible every day. In the we will continue to SEE-GROW-SERVE.
        The fall of 1990 saw Good Hope send, support, and encourage three of our members to seminary training. Kathleen Shuck attended Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. Cheryl Brinkman and Anya Schell began seminary training at Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
Council and the Public Relations Committee recognized even more fully the need for media presentation in the modern age. We sponsored the radio show, LUTHERAN VESPERS, over a Galion station. We updated our sound system at a cost of $13,000. We continued to broadcast our 10:30 a.m. worship service live on a local Bucyrus radio station. We also taped our service on a new video camera and ran the service on a local Bucyrus Access channel on television. We submitted some advertising in the local newspaper, promoting our weekly events.   In the spring, a Parish Visitors Program was started where shut-in members of the congregation were called on, along with pastoral visits. This will enhance the visitation outreach at Good Hope.
 There are three active youth groups at Good Hope, ranging from fourth grade to post senior high. This year saw 15 of our youth and two advisors attend the National Youth Gathering in Dallas, Texas, July 3-7. The Senior League continues to rent a house at Lakeside each year to offer a week of fun and growth.   Good Hope Lutheran Church, in the past years, has always sought to look both inward and outward. The people of the congregation have grown over the years in number as well as spiritually. We have increased Bible study and worship in hopes of learning more about the Word of God and what is means for our lives. We have sought to make worship more personal and meaningful, as it relates to our daily lives. Throughout the years, Good Hope has generously supported benevolences locally, nationally, and worldwide. In 1990, Good Hope gave over $74,000 to benevolence, 40% of the budget. This is commendable and Christ-like. We have established, over the years, Partnerships in Mission with many congregations: places like All Saints, Nicholasville, Kentucky; Hope in Cincinnati; Living Word in Medina; and Ascension Lutheran in Louisville, Kentucky.
           On October 24, 1991, Good Hope experienced what could have been a disastrous fire in the power room. Most of the breaker boxes and all of the wiring was destroyed and yet the fire was contained, miraculously, within the walls of that small room. We were without earthly power for almost 10 days and yet Gods power was evident. Our candlelight, Reformation Sunday worship service was truly a spiritual filled experience one of many we have at Good Hope.
           As we continue in the future to be blessed by God may we continue to be a blessing to others. The church has stood as a monument to devotion, faith, loyalty, and the generosity of a group of people who by prayers, gifts, and labors have made possible the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ these many years.
ORGANIZATIONS OF GOOD HOPE
The Junior Mission Band the beginning of the future
The Junior Mission was organized in the fall of 1922. The first leaders were Mrs. Homer Lehman, Mrs. Louis Ronfeldt, Mrs. W.C. Assenheimer amd Mrs. Sam Virtue. The purpose of the organization was to interest the children in mission work because it was thought they would, at a later time, be a part of the Missionary Society. The band was under the jurisdiction of the Women Missionary Federation of the American Lutheran Church
In 1942 there were forty members in this band. The meetings were always held in the Parish House and held the first Sunday of each month during the regular church service.
An offering was taken at each regular meeting, and at each harvest festival thankoffering boxes were collected. This money, along with the money from other bands, paid for the land on which the Kodiakanel Hostel in India is built and for the erection of the Hostel itself along with the furnishing of it.
Other projects were paying toward the salary of the house father at Jumisba, the name of the Hostel, and for the education of a Mexican girl at the Texas Lutheran College, Texas.
Charles Pirnstill was the 1942 president; June Ann Kurtz, the secretary; and Gretchen Click the reporter. The band leaders were Eleanor Staiger and Edna Myers. 
The Lutheran Brotherhood
                                               ~work and play among men

           It was on the tenth of March, 1910 that a German Biblical drama was very successfully presented in the old Bucyrus Opera House by an energetic group of young men from Good Hope Lutheran Church. The inspiration which was created in these young men was the foundation of a very necessary organization.
           In the first part of May, 1910, eighteen of these young Christian men under the splendid guidance of their pastor, the Rev. J.W. Kuntz, organized the German Lutheran Men Society, which was known as the Good Hope Lutheran Brotherhood.
           The early aims of the society were to develop better social relationship and fellowship, to be of service to the Church at home and aboard, to give aid to the various civic needs of the community, to assist in the numerical, physical, and most important of all, the spiritual growth of Good Hope Lutheran congregation and the church at large.
 Needless to state, the Brotherhood has always endeavored to fulfill these original aims.
           Raising large sums of money had not been one of the main ambitions of the Brotherhood, but records show that several thousand dollars had been contributed for carrying on the work of the church.




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