Associate Pastor

Rev. Paul Offhaus

Beginning in June of 1998, Pastor Paul Offhaus served as the pastor of Community of Hope, a new church for the people of and around Macomb Township, Michigan especially the unchurched.  Macomb Township is an ‘outer ring’ suburb that has been the fastest growing part of Michigan each of the past four years.  He knocked on about 5000 homes prior to the first worship service in April, 1999.  Pastor Paul found real joy in seeing God gather and develop a genuine community of faith-filled people who are seeking to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known in their own respective communities.  In the course of his ministry, Paul identified three areas of passion:  discipleship, small groups, and outreach.

Pastor Paul grew up in Wheaton, IL, a western suburb of Chicago.  He’s the youngest of four kids—with six years between him and the closest.  In response to a question asking him to describe important influences of ministry, Pastor Paul writes, “The single most important event that has shaped my approach to ministry occurred in early December of my 8^th grade year, while I was visiting my older brother Carl who was then a student at Purdue University.  I distinctly remember sitting in his dorm room, thinking how much fun and how cool it was to be hanging out with my older brother in his college surroundings, when all of a sudden he brought up God and the idea of following Jesus (rather than my own agenda) with my life.  One thing led to another and transformation was the end result.  Some would call it conversion or becoming a Christian; others would call it returning to the waters of my Baptism and responding to God’s call and work in my life. Whatever you choose to call it, from that point on I knew I was a Christian—and my life began to show it.”

Pastor Paul graduated with honors from St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota) in 1990, with a Bachelor of Arts in English.  It was during college that Pastor Paul began to wonder whether or not he was called to the ordained ministry. 

After graduation, Pastor Paul worked for three years as the Minister for Youth and Young Adults at Epiphany Lutheran (Dayton, OH), reasoning that full-time ministry was a helpful place to be while seeking to discern God’s call.  Through the encouragement of the congregation and the example of the pastors, Pastor Paul felt affirmed in his sense of call.  His family also affirmed this direction.  One evening while visiting his parents, he asked them, “What would you say if I told you I was going to be a pastor?”  He recalls his mother saying, “I’d say our prayers would be answered,” and his father saying, “Why do you think we named you Paul Andrew?”

Pastor Paul spent a year as a residence hall director at Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa) before enrolling at Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Columbus, Ohio) in the fall of 1994.  Pastor Paul’s internship year was spent at Cross Lutheran (Clinton Township, MI), under the supervision of Pastor Barry Osterbur. He graduated in June 1998 from Trinity with a Master of Divinity and was ordained in July.

Pastor Paul enjoys reading, card and game playing, movies, racquetball, basketball, softball, and especially his wife Heather, whom he married in October of 1998.  Heather works in Ann Arbor for the University of Michigan processing grants in the Medical School.  She enjoys teaching french horn to junior and senior high youth, playing horn in a local symphony, and helping with the church praise team.  Together, Pastor Paul and Heather enjoy taking walks, working on home improvement projects, and spending time with their two daughters, Abigail Grace and Hannah Faith.  Abigail, almost eight, is a delightful and very happy little girl whose smiles and other doings bring much joy to her parents and others, while Hannah, born October 27 (2005), has lots of energy, love, AND words, not to mention the occasional mischievous look.

Several years back Pastor Paul developed a personal mission statement, which reads as follows:  “The journey of transformation occurs when I ENJOY the life God has given me, LEARNING, LOVING, and RISKING along the way.”  He is excited about what the future may holds in terms of working together to both be and make disciples of Jesus Christ.