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Our Team

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Matthew Utley

Welcome to Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church! I am Matthew Utley and I am serving as the pastor of this loving church community. I am originally from and currently reside in Loveland, CO where I also work as youth coordinator at First UMC Loveland. I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and I am close to having my Master's of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology. Outside of church I love to run, bike, swim, and spend time with my partner. 

 

I hope to see you as we walk the journey of faith (or doubt) together as a community rooted in justice seeking, peace making, and love building ministries. Know that inside this church community all are accepted for who they are without exception.

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Elise Carr

Hi! I'm Spirit of Hope's Technology and Communications Coordinator. My job is to manage all of the technology involved with running the church smoothly, as well as making sure there are clear lines of communication between the various people in the church. Outside of my official job description and duties I also do minor renovations related to building safety and ADA guidelines as well as setup for various events throughout the building.

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I'm also going to school for Criminal Justice, with the long-term goal of becoming a police officer. In my spare time I enjoy archery, playing videogames, napping, and cuddling up with my cat. I love animals and if becoming a police officer doesn't work out I suppose my backup would be working with them.

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Jamie Barlow

I am the office assistant for SoHUMC. After working in the healthcare field for over thirty years, working in an office has been a new and rewarding experience. My job is basic office duties. My other position at SoH is serving on the Mountain Sky Conference “Green Team”. Having these two positions has given me purpose. I am grateful and proud to be a part of the SoH family.

 

I am a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. I also have a sister living in the Englewood area. My hobbies are tracing my ancestry and being in nature. Since I am a native of Colorado, I love spending time in the mountains. I feel especially close to God in nature. My other interests are sacred dance, environmentalism, wholistic approaches to health care, and spending time with my cat.

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Jan Samuelson

Hi, I am the Director of Church Operations and Safety for Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church. I have lived in Englewood all of life. I worked for an international mining society for 40 years before I started working here at Sprit of Hope UMC. I have been a volunteer with the City of Englewood and the Englewood Police since 1995. I love working with children, youth, and the unhoused through our church. We have a food pantry and clothes closet for those in need.


I love to paint with oils, embroider and do crewel pictures. I have 2 Chihuahuas’ they are my sanity, or insanity. We enjoy going for walks and seeing new things. I enjoy being with children and seeing
through their eyes the world around them. I have learned so much from them.

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Tanya Palamarchuk

Hailing originally from Ukraine, Tanya teaches music to young people when she isn’t gracing the Spirit of Hope faithful with her tremendous talent. Tanya is a blessing, whether leading the church choir, sharing a solo, or accompanying the congregation on the piano. Her great love for Jesus shows through her music and her ever-present smile.

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