Living Hope Says Goodbye to Metropoulos

After helping to lead worship at Living Hope Church for more than two years, Elissa Metropoulos packed up her keyboard for the final time on Sunday, February 6. She will begin worshipping closer to home at Christian Church of Clarendon Hills (Clarendon Hills, Illinois), where she is involved on several fronts.

Metropoulos was part of the original, core team when Living Hope launched on Sunday, September 21, 2008. She began as a keyboardist but within a short time transitioned into one of Living Hope’s worship leaders. Her connections with Pastor Sam Hamstra, however, go back about a decade; she used to play the French horn in the Christmas and Easter programs at Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church when Pastor Hamstra was their senior pastor, and she was also part of his band, Hot Fudge Sunday, in which she played second keyboard and sang back-up.

This past Sunday Metropoulos also gave her testimony, speaking to how God has been working in her life, while giving thanks for the opportunities presented to her at Living Hope.

“I have learned more of who I am in Christ—who he made me to be instead of who I was trying to be,” Metropoulos said. “The more I strip away distractions from my life and focus on what’s important, the more intimate my relationship with the Lord grows. The more He shows me what to spend my energy on, the more He’s blessed, I’m blessed, and others are blessed by the fruits of my labor. ... I have had a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills here at Living Hope and will be forever grateful for those who have helped me along the way. Pastor Sam and Dan [Lugo] especially have shared their wealth of knowledge and experience on the subject.” 

Metropoulos spoke of her multitude of commitments, which spread her too thin, and how she felt led by the Holy Spirit to become more focused. She will continue to lead worship at CCCH, from mid-week morning Bible study to women’s retreats and other special events. She is unsure about her involvement there on Sunday, but said she will wait patiently on the Lord for that. Outside of her commitments at CCCH, Metropoulos will continue to teach private lessons, accompany choirs at schools, direct musicals, and be a part of other musical gigs as they come her way. In addition, she and her dad, Soterios, play original songs together as an acoustic duo; having recently completed the set-up up a studio, they will continue to write and rehearse songs with the goal of recording and distributing their music in the future. Both of Metropoulos’ parents, Soterios and Miraflor, have long been involved in Living Hope, too; Soterios continues to play guitar and sing as part of the worship team.

In looking ahead, Elissa Metropoulos said that she has three goals: to be a better piano instructor, to be a more effective worship leader, and to self-promote original music with the intention of touching the lives of others—all the while growing deeper in Christ. As she moves forward with the transition, she encouraged members of Living Hope to find joy in the change because she knows she is going where the Lord is leading, in His time. 

“Living Hope has meant a lot to me in the last couple of years,” she said. “It was a place for me to enjoy people of all different walks of life. I cherish the relationships I made through the church. Living Hope gave me an opportunity to learn more about worship leading, liturgy, team building, and the inner-workings of a small church. I've never been a part of a church plant before so I didn't know what to expect. It was definitely hard work, but it was worth it.”

Her passion, commitment, and enthusiasm will be missed at Living Hope.
 
“God has blessed Living Hope Church through the presence and ministry of Elissa,” said Pastor Hamstra. “It has been fun watching her grow both as a Christian and as a leader of worship. I am sure the Lord will continue to use her in His service for many years to come.”