Our Story & Mission:

Since 1998, Family of Hope Church has been celebrating prayer & inspiring good in the community. We offer a home for all, allowing prayer and acceptance within our walls. Our church is centered around an inclusive, uplifting atmosphere.

Our motto includes modern worship in an inspiring, family atmosphere. Together, we improve the community & march onward towards the glory of our Lord & Savior.

At Family of Hope Church, there is a chair for everyone. Our mission is to provide a welcoming seat to anyone in need, be it our most devout faithful to a wayward soul.

We believe in creating an integrative, inclusive community. For us, it is beyond a sermon; it is the belief that together we can create the community, the atmosphere, and celebrate the culture of Jesus himself together.

We’re always looking for more helping hands and brave community leaders. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact us or let us know in person after our service.

Leadership:

David & Linda Scott, Pastors


David & Linda Scott married soon after committing their lives to Jesus. They have lived in Ulster County since they were married in 1972. They have 4 children who all serve Jesus along with their spouses, and 7 grandchildren. David & Linda started pastoring and ministering in the church full-time in 1981. Being musicians, they also led and served on worship teams as early as 1971, and still enjoy that function. Activities that they have engaged in is widely varied such as writing songs, writing booklets, teaching, counseling, organizing special events and hospitality.

Linda specializes in working with those who need to have a better or fuller foundation of the scriptures and how it pertains to everyday living, and raising children. She loves to reach out to make new friends and a bigger church family.

David loves to teach using personal experiences and stories to bring biblical principles to life, often using his knowledge of wildlife behavior, as well as interesting circumstances that occurred. He takes seemingly complicated biblical principles and simplifies them to make easy to understand foundations that we all can put to use in everyday life. He has written several pamphlets, his most popular one titled Kidding Around, a child-rearing guide. His love of music is easily shown in how Family of Hope is very centered around the role that music plays in modern worship and thanking God through music. He also loves good humor.

David currently owns and operates an award-winning business, earning him Business Person of the Year in 2007, the plaque presented to him by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. He is looking forward to selling that business to his oldest son, to enable him to return to his passion of helping people full-time.

Keith & Marianne Olsen, Elders


Keith and Marianne were part of the home church that was the beginning of Family of Hope Church.  They have been married for over 30 years and have raised 5 children

(including one set of twins.) They currently have 3 grandchildren.

Keith found salvation in college, and Marianne at a local church. They have been following the Lord since and have strived to lead by example in their family, in the community and in Family of Hope church. They would be glad to share their personal stories of how God has forgiven them, been there in times of struggle and need, and also in times of abundance.

Marianne was a full-time mother, and later established a catering business. She loves to share her talent with preparing food and her experience with child-rearing. She leads all the preparations for the annual Christmas party as well as all gatherings put on by the church.

Mark and Darlene Westinghouse, Elders


Mark and Darlene have been married for 37 years and live in Ulster County. They have four children, with two in heaven, and two grandchildren. They hold a home church group in their house, and have a heart for the hurting and grieving.  Mark and Darlene have facilitated grief groups in the last few years after losing the second of their two sons.

Mark has been a leader in the church for more than 45 years. He is a retired business owner, who owned businesses in Poughkeepsie, Hudson, and Catskill, New York. Mark has a shepherd’s heart for God’s people and is a man of the Word. He is a part of a team of teachers that share the word on Sunday mornings and co-facilitates a men’s bible study group on Wednesdays. Mark had a powerful conversion to Christ at 26 years old and has never looked back.

Darlene is a district administrator in the Saugerties school system. She received her doctorate in educational leadership in 2009. Darlene shares her passion through sharing at church, teaching Sunday school, and home church. She has a heart for hurting, grieving people, and has written a book called “Being Set Free”, which talks about the work God does in our hearts in the valley. 

Her passion is to see people find the fullness of Christ in their lives.

matt & Charlene Vernol, Elders


The Vernols 

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Adam & Heather Slagsvol, Elders


The Slagsvols have been involved in a few Family of Hope Ministries over the years, including Youth Group, Sunday School, and "Awakenings", a modern coffeehouse style meeting for young adults. They both currently serve on the worship team and have a heart for growing relationships with others and helping them to build a stronger foundation in Christ.

Adam has been a part of different music and youth outreach ministries across the country, including the opening of a Christian coffeehouse in Houston, Texas. Through worship, Adam is excited to lead and learn how to love God more and thank Him for all He provides.

Heather loves working with children and has done such at Good Shepherd Christian School and the Kingston City School District since 2006. She also plays a big role in organizing the church's Sunday School program.

They have loved each other since they were 15 years old and were married in 2008. They have two wonderful, wild children, Lydia and Jackson.

“To reach the lost, the downtrodden, the depressed, the purposeless, the misinformed,

the misled and the deceived; to bring them to the only true Savior and purpose.

(Matthew 28:18-20)”