Hope Church Leadership Profile
Name: Andrew W. Applegate
Family: Lisa Applegate; Ian (16), Liam (13) and Anna (11)
Occupation: President and CEO of Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community
Accepted Christ: I accepted Christ in early elementary school. My entire family came to faith within a six-month time frame.
Member at Hope: Since 2017
Leadership Role: Ruling Elder
Briefly describe how you’ve seen God’s work in your life.
If I could sum up what God has been doing in my life over the last couple of years, it has been the realization of what it means to be “in Christ.” I used to think that being “in Christ” was a something for which I had to strive. I am learning that I am in fact, the one being held vs. the one who is doing the grasping. Resting in that fact has been a true blessing. In addition, God has been teaching me that “being held” vs. grasping is an amazing freedom knowing that He supplies the energy and strength to go about his work confident that He supplies what is needed for the journey. Finally, I have come to realize that God tends to use two things to break through my ego and change me, as well as others. Those two things are the experience of great love and great suffering. Not much else has the power to break through my hard heart and cultivate a spirit of humility and repentance.
How do you Rest or Play?
I could do a better job learning to how to develop a rhythm of work and rest. I tend to push myself. I recognize that I am someone who, at times, tries to get it all done at work or at church, but then does not leave enough energy for the rest of life. I find reading to be a great way of relaxing, but it also energizes me to keep working to improve my thinking and leadership. I just finished reading Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger, which I highly recommend. It is a wonderful reminder that good work is always accompanied with resistance. These situations are the crucibles that forge character.