Deacons
Gloria Cade
I consider it a privilege to have been elected to the Deacon Board. We have a great responsibility in seeing that we honor God in the church financial processes and insuring policies are followed as intended and written in the church constitution and by-laws. Our work is so important to delivering on our promise to advance kingdom work. My husband Jim and I have been married for 50 years and have been members of Hope for 30+ years. I was very active in the Music ministry for many years for which I took great delight. I have also taught classes in the children’s ministry as well. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Anderson University and an MBA from the University of WI at River Falls. I worked as an RN for 42 years with most of that time spent in the area of hospice for which I felt was a calling from God. Jim and I have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. I love to read and sew. I like taking long walks and baking. Now that I am retired, I find great enjoyment in spending time with the grandchildren who we are blessed to have living close by.
Scott Olson
I am privileged to serve as Hope Church’s Treasurer. In this position I oversee the finances of Hope Church and report back to the congregation. My desire and joy is seeing the funds we are entrusted with being used to glorify Christ as our church’s mission outreach expands. During the work week I am President/CEO of Star Choice Credit Union located in Bloomington. I also have the privilege of being married to Geri and have two wonderful children and two beautiful grand-daughters. When not spending time with them, you can us hiking Minnesota State Parks and the desert southwest.
Laura Bliss
As one of the Deacons, I help with the board in management of the church property and finances as well as reviewing Hope Church policies, church constitution and by-laws. I desire to help Hope be wise and godly stewards of the resources and gifts God has blessed us with and to help the church grow, serve, and follow Jesus example of making disciples and giving glory to God! I have a degree in Business with a focus on Accounting and do accounting and tax work at a small local CPA firm. I’ve been married to Nait for 14 years and we have two awesome kids; Josiah and Annabelle. In my free time you can find me out running or at the ninja gym doing American Ninja Warrior obstacles with my kids! I also enjoy doing crafts, playing board games, traveling, and having conversations while drinking a Caribou Carmel Cooler (even on cold winter days).
Raeann Linn
I have the privilege of serving as the Church Administrator at Hope Church. It is a joy to serve the staff and the congregation in the area of Human Resources, Financials and Office Management. Along with administration, I have a strong desire to see people in Christ centered relationships and love seeing people grow in their faith. I was blessed to meet my husband Duane here at Hope Church. We have two teenagers; Elijah and Halle. In my free time, I can be found reading, exercising, or hanging out with friends.
Clay Edens
Loving and leading the people of Hope Church brings me immense joy. I spend the bulk of my time preaching and teaching God’s Word, empowering our staff and leaders, and coming alongside the family of Hope in times of joy and sorrow. My passions are helping others see and experience the greatness and beauty of Jesus and equipping them to become disciplemakers in all of life. I absolutely love to learn. I started out with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Purdue before shifting gears to seminary with an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I’m currently working on a DMin at Biola University. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Lucy, and two sons, Judah and Theo. My other loves include playing basketball, running, biking, movies, coffee, eating, Euro gaming, and watching the Colts, Boilers, Pacers, Tigers, Cubs, and Wild. It’s shameful, but you should probably also know that I don’t eat a single vegetable.
Bruce Bald
As the Elder Rep to the Deacon Board my desire is for adults and children to be actively on mission for Jesus, growing to be more like Him, and engaged with others in their community. I’ve been married to Barbara for 42 years (we married young!) and have four grown children (three married) and nine grandchildren. I love the outdoors so you will find me biking, hiking, camping, gardening, boating, or golfing whenever time permits.
Bob Poferl
I, and my wife Lynn and have attended Hope Church for 16+ years. We live in Lake Elmo, just a few blocks away from church. We have three adult children, all of whom are married, and we have six grandchildren – all under the age of 5! Family is extremely important to us, so we enjoy seeing our kids and grandkids as often as possible. We have also lost two children – a daughter to cancer and a son to suicide. These difficult life experiences have tested and strengthened our faith and character. We remain a strong, supportive, and empathetic family. Currently, I am retired after a 40+ year career in financial services and non-profit leadership. During my career, I was responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with corporate customers. My duties included managing and leading teams both large and small, including teams spanning all time zones across the U.S. focused on consultative sales and relationship management. In addition to my professional career, I have been active in the community through a variety of volunteer roles.