About Us

The Story of Renewed Hope Church

Our Story - Stepping out in Faith

In 2009, a few families gathered together to respond to a calling from God to establish a new church. What began as a step of faith bloomed into a way of life—one that focused on the Kingdom and brought with it hope that changed everything.

Today, as a community of small house churches, we engage in honest conversations around a common table.

We seek to create safe and steady places to raise our families where we can grow closer to Jesus together.

We’re a community that sits together, listens together, and journeys together toward Jesus’ picture of a better world.

We’re not there yet, but through Jesus, we’re creating outposts of hope in Minnesota neighborhoods.

Join us around a common table at Renewed Hope Church as we cultivate the Kingdom life.

Our Leadership

Sam & Sarah Rawley

Senior Pastor
Sam grew up in England, while Sarah grew up in Michigan. They first met each other at a Bible College in Swansea, Wales. After getting married, they moved to Minnesota in 2014 to help lead Renewed Hope Church. Sam has served on staff as a Pastor for over 10 years. Sarah has taught in the local school district for 10 years now and recently came on staff in a part-time pastoral role with a focus on children’s ministry. Sam and Sarah have been married for 12 years and have 3 daughters.

Steve & Kathy Swanson

Pastor
Steve and Kathy Swanson have been serving with Renewed Hope since its inception in 2009. Steve is currently serving as a Teaching Pastor. Kathy was formerly the Director of the M.O.M.S program (see website) and now leads a Grief Share ministry (see website), teaches Sunday School, and serves the body in many different ways. Together they serve as elders and Small Church leaders. They have 5 daughters, 16 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Jeff & Deb Childs

Elders
Deb and Jeff have been part of the leadership team since the formation of Renewed Hope Church. They serve as elders, host a Small Church in their home, and are part of the prayer ministry. Deb, along with a team, leads Women’s Ministry and Bible studies. Jeff serves on the Worship team for Big and Small Church gatherings and has a heart for missions. They are blessed to have 3 children and 6 grandchildren who live nearby. 

Max Cortner

Elder
Max was baptized as an infant into the church. He was raised by his family on a farm in Iowa and educated as an engineer. He rediscovered Christ 30 years ago and was re-baptized. Max has been blessed by his strong Christian wife, Shirley, and their daughter. Max currently enjoys traveling and visiting other cultures. He believes life is about showing Christ's love to others.

- What we believe -

The Bible

We believe the Bible to be the one true authoritative Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore inerrant and entirely sufficient to instruct and equip us towards sanctification. 

God the Father

We believe that there is one God, creator of all that is, existing eternally in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Jesus Christ

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ and that He existed as true God and true man. We believe in His virgin birth, His substitutionary death, His sinless life, His bodily resurrection and ascension, and His future return in glory to judge the world. 

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit who exists as a person of the Trinity, equally God and equally Spirit, and that He indwells in every believer to convict us of sin, direct us towards righteousness, and gift us as necessary towards the ministry of the Gospel. 

Man & Woman

We believe that man is created in the image of God and for the glory of God and was made without blemish, but that man sinned and with that, brought sin into the world so that all who are born of Adam are born into sin and therefore separated from God and in need of salvation from our sin. 

The Church

We believe the Church to be the community of all true believers for all time and that it exists both visibly and invisibly to worship God and to minister to mankind. 

Salvation

We believe that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and mercy and that His purpose in salvation is to restore us to Christlikeness. We believe that at salvation, the believer is immediately justified, redeemed as holy and the Holy Spirit indwells within the believer to equip the believer towards righteousness. 

Baptism

We believe in baptism by immersion as a sign of our obedience and surrender to our Savior and a symbol of the believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. And we believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowerment to overcome evil and sin. 

Death

We believe that upon death, the believer is immediately taken into the presence of the Lord, never separated, eternally joined in joy. 

- Our Mission -

To inspire, equip and activate followers of Jesus to cultivate lives that faithfully obey and participate with Him, in renewing hope in those who are disconnected from God and the Church.

- Our vision -

A family of diverse communities that cultivate the way of Jesus in their neighborhoods to bring renewed hope to our world.