Pastor Don Voeks started leading the congregation at the Hoodland Lutheran
Church more than three years ago and through the years has heard from
people in the community who can’t make the Sunday morning service, but
would like to be able to. Starting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, Voeks and the church
will offer a new service, featuring different music and a new format designed
to draw in some of the younger mountain population who are busy during
weekends with work.

“I really do like the idea of doing new and different things,” Voeks said. “It
challenges me to find new ways to present the gospel and hopefully it
challenges the people who are part to think in new ways also. This is really a
service designed for those people who work on Sunday, but would like to
come to a worship service.”

For the new service, at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday at the church (59151 Hwy. 26
in Brightwood), Voeks noted the pews will be arranged differently from the
traditional straight lines focused at the altar. Instead, they will be set in a
circle with Voeks offering a short introduction to a sermon and opening it up
to a larger discussion among church goers, rather than a standard lecture.
“Hopefully that will encourage some interaction between people,” Voeks said,
describing the service as “more casual” than most church services. “I would
hope to get some discussion about what other people think about it.”

The music will have a different vibe, too, with Tim Carlisle offering some older
styles of church music with a jazz clip.

“He is much more improvisational, so we’re looking forward to him having
more free reign,” Voeks said. “We’re hoping we’ll be able to experiment more
and do some different things.”

Voeks added that attendees will also have the opportunity to help shape the
new service, including moving it to a different time slot, if needed. And he
hopes that the new service will offer attendees a chance to enlighten and
enrich each other, rather than just Voeks taking the lead.

“None of us has the truth,” Voeks said, noting he hopes to think deeper about
his own spirituality as a result of the added service. “We need to be open and
able to listen to each other and hear how each other responds to Jesus and
the gospel.

“That’s my real point and what I really hope to have happen.”
Hoodland Lutheran Church holds a regular service at 10:30 a.m. every
Sunday.