New Leadership Board Members

The qualifications for becoming a member of the Leadership Board are described in the By-laws of our church constitution. “Leadership Board members will reflect observable spiritual maturity that includes those spiritual directives as found in Deut. 17:14-20, Acts 6:1-4, Gal. 5:22-23, I Tim. 3:1-13, and Titus 1:6-9. Leadership Board members will have demonstrated good leadership qualities and will participate in the Church’s ministries as servant leaders.” 

Meet our new leadership board members, Tom Hallstrom and Jeff Roepke...

Tom Hallstrom

I’ve always been “religious.” I was so religious that for eleven years I studied to be a Lutheran minister. Pat and I met at Concordia Jr. College in St. Paul and married while I was a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. During my third year of seminary we served at a church in Independence, MO. During that year we came to the realization that our religion was pretty shallow. We knew that something was missing, but we didn’t know what it was. We certainly didn’t feel equipped to be spiritual leaders.

I quit seminary and eventually stumbled into a career as a computer programmer. This type of work was very exciting and challenging for me. Although I was happy in my new occupation, I longed for a closer walk with God. I continued to search for that missing something.

While living in Dallas, TX, some friends invited us to visit a new church called Fellowship Bible Church. Gene Getz of Dallas Theological Seminary was the pastor. On our first visit we recognized that the people there had what it was that we had been searching for: a personal relationship with God. We attended FBC for the next nine years. During that time, all of the Bible knowledge we had acquired came alive as we also learned to know God in a personal way.

We moved back to Minnesota in 1981 and began attending Calvary in 1989. We visited other churches but chose Calvary because we could see that people here worship God from the heart and are committed to serving him. In 1991, we were part of the team from Calvary that went to the Dominican Republic. While there, Gene Follis baptized us in the Atlantic Ocean.

Jeff Roepke

As we worked through our Men's Fraternity workbooks this past fall I was reminded of what a great blessing it is to grow up in a Christian family! Having been raised in a Christian home by wonderful parents who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, I have always lived in the presence of the Lord. I first receive Christ as my savior while at church camp in my late grade school years. As a college student I was very active in the ministries of Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, and even met my wife while attending an IVCF Summer training camp.

As a member of Calvary I have been a regular participant in the Music and Worship Ministries, have facilitated a small group bible study for several years, have enjoyed teaching in mini-congregations on the topic of personal financial stewardship, and am a member of the newly formed Stewardship Ministry Team.

I look forward to this opportunity to serve (if elected) on the Leadership Board and help move Calvary and the Gospel forward in what I believe is a very exciting time in our church! I would covet your prayers that God would enable me, through His Sprit, to serve humbly and with wisdom and discernment. Please pray that God would help me to be an effective steward of my time and energy in order to meet this new responsibility, while not short-changing my personal discipleship and duties as husband and father.