The New Hope United Methodist Church in Arnold will celebrate its 75th anniversary this weekend.
The church, at 3921 Jeffco Blvd., will hold an open house from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, and it will combine its traditional and contemporary services into one at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. After the service, a reception will be held, starting at about 11:30 a.m.
“We are looking forward to seeing people new and old and sharing memories,” said the Rev. Michelle Shoger, the church’s senior pastor since July 2023.
Ruth Ann Newman, who has been a member of the church since 1953, said she is making photo boards highlighting each decade of the church’s history, and they will be on display during the open house.
“It has been neat going through the history of the church,” said Newman, 81, of the Arnold area. “There are things I remember and things that happened before me, which wasn’t very much. It has been neat looking through old pictures. You see how people have changed, and you see people you remember.”
At the open house, the church will serve refreshments, and a scavenger hunt will be held. During the scavenger hunt, people will be asked to find places in the church that have changed since they were last in the building and places that have not changed, Shoger said.
“We have folks who were last here 50 years ago, so a lot has changed,” said Shoger, who came to the church in 2006 as an assistant pastor focusing on the youth ministry. “We also have some folks who have joined us in the last few years, but even then, things have changed. We are always trying to update and make improvements.”
Two of the church’s former pastors, the Rev. Sue Watson and the Rev. Steve Majdecki, will take part in the Sunday service, with Watson presenting the scripture proclamation and Majdecki officiating communion.
“I can hardly wait to see pastor Sue,” Newman said. “What she would do sometimes is she would go up to the altar with her back to the congregation, and when she would turn around she was a different person.”
“She would take on a character in the scripture and make it come alive,” Shoger added.
Kim Hayes, the church’s former music director, is scheduled to perform during the service, and past members of the choir will perform during the service, Newman said.
“We hope people come,” she said. “It will be good to see people.”
History
New Hope held its first service on June 19, 1949, in the old Bowen School, which opened in 1880 and became part of the Fox C-6 School District in 1948.
The church’s official charter date was Aug. 7, 1949.
“I was amazed that the anniversary celebration is very close (to the founding of the church),” Newman said.
Members gather in the original New Hope United Methodist Church, which was the Bowen School building. The church is celebrating its 75th anniversary on Aug. 3-4.
The bell from the Bowen School is on display in the New Hope United Methodist Church. The Arnold church began holding services in the school building in 1949.
In 1950, New Hope temporarily held services at Frankie Auto Sales before purchasing the Bowen School for $8,950, according to church records.
New Hope purchased property next to the school on Jeffco Boulevard in 1959, and the sanctuary was built on the property that is still the church’s home. The old schoolhouse was then torn down.
The education and fellowship hall building was constructed in 1967, according to church records.
In 2003, New Hope started holding contemporary services at Hodge Elementary School, 2499 Prairie Hollow Road, in Imperial.
Shoger said the Hearts of Hope Praise Band started those services.
The contemporary services were relocated to the Arnold church in 2006, and for a while New Hope was holding three Sunday services – a Gospel, contemporary and traditional service, Shoger said.
“We got to a point where we were spread too thin, and the numbers did not justify three services,” she said. “We had some hard decisions to make and went to two services.”
New Hope holds a traditional service at 8:15 a.m. and a contemporary service at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays. The church also livestreams the contemporary service.
Shoger said an average of 125 people either attend one of the two services in person or watches the contemporary service.
“As far as worship experience, we have expanded it,” Newman said. “That has been different because before we only had one kind of service. We are really offering more to more people.”
In 2010, New Hope completed an addition to the front of the church and calls it the gathering room, Shoger said.
Newman said the expansion has allowed the church to offer more to the congregation and community members.
“We have been able to do more things,” she said. “When it was just the little white church, we had church and Sunday school. We didn’t have big rooms to do more. It has been exciting.”
Community contributions
Along with offering a place to worship, New Hope opens its doors to community members.
In its basement, the church houses New Hope Cares, a food and clothing assistance program for those in need. The church also provides a place for those in need to take a shower and use a washer and dryer to clean their clothes.
“It is a place where people can get some basic needs met,” Shoger said.
New Hope also offers space for Head Start and Early Head Start programs for low-income families. Those programs serve children 5 years old and younger and are operated by the Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation and offer education and emotional support to children.
“We had a preschool here for more than 40 years,” Shoger said. “A lot of people in the community will remember that because they either attended it or sent kids here. We now have a Head Start program here, which will be expanding to serve more families.”
Newman said she believes those returning to the church after a long time away will be pleased with how New Hope is serving the community.
“When they see what has been done with the building for the community downstairs, I think they will be proud,” she said.