We are excited to introduce Matt Hamon as the candidate for our new full-time Youth & Worship Pastor, pending a congregational vote on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Over the past several months, our leadership team has discussed possible positions & potential candidates. Ultimately, we then interviewed Matt & prayerfully considered his gifts, experience, calling, & fit with the ministry of New Hope Fellowship. We are pleased to recommend him to the congregation for this position.
Why This Position?
As New Hope Fellowship continues to grow, we recognize an increasing need for intentional leadership in both our student & worship ministries. With 300+ people attending our services each week, it is not uncommon for around 40 of those attendees to be high school students. Investing in the spiritual development of this next generation is not simply a ministry opportunity—it is an important part of our responsibility as a church.
The Youth & Worship Pastor will provide spiritual leadership & oversight for our student & worship ministries. The position will include discipling students, building relationships with students & families, recruiting & equipping volunteers, developing worship teams, planning & leading worship, & helping create Christ-centered worship experiences. Matt will also serve as part of our pastoral staff & participate in the broader ministry of New Hope Fellowship.
Why Matt?
Many of you have already gotten to know Matt over the past year. He began attending New Hope in the summer of 2025 & has been serving as a volunteer worship leader since last August. During that time, he has helped plan worship services, lead worship, coordinate rehearsals, work with our youth worship team, & develop our use of Planning Center & PraiseCharts.
Matt also brings significant ministry & educational experience. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Worship Arts & Architecture from Judson University, has served as a worship director, has been involved in university chapel ministry, & has served on staff at Green Lake Conference Center, where he led worship, facilitated small groups, & preached.
Perhaps most importantly, Matt has demonstrated a genuine heart for both worship & the next generation. In his letter to our leadership team, he described these two areas as central to his calling & expressed his desire to help young people grow in their relationship with God & discover their own gifts in worship & ministry.
His understanding of the position also fits well with what we are seeking at New Hope. Rather than viewing worship simply as music or youth ministry simply as programming, Matt understands the opportunity to disciple people & help them become fully devoted followers of Christ.
An Important Note About the Congregational Vote
We want to be transparent about why we are bringing this decision before the congregation.
Typically, when we hire a new staff member, the congregation approves the corresponding budget item. In this case, that step is not necessary because the staffing budget has already been approved by the congregation, & this position will operate within the existing approved budget.
However, there is another important factor that makes this hire unique: Matt is Pastor Dan’s son-in-law.
Because of that relationship, our leadership team believes it is especially important that the congregation have an opportunity to weigh in on this decision. While our leadership team has interviewed Matt & is recommending him for the position, we believe the right thing to do is to allow the church family to affirm this important hire through a congregational vote.
This vote is not required because we need additional funding. Rather, it is an opportunity for the congregation to affirm the person who will be stepping into an important pastoral role at New Hope Fellowship.
Looking Ahead
Our desire is not simply to fill a position. We want to see students become mature followers of Jesus, families become more deeply connected to the church, volunteers equipped for ministry, & worship throughout New Hope continue to point people toward Christ.
Our Youth & Worship Pastor position is intentionally designed around those goals. Success will be measured not merely by attendance, but by spiritual maturity, discipleship, involvement in the life of the church, healthy volunteer teams, congregational engagement in worship, & faithfulness to Scripture & the mission of New Hope Fellowship.
We believe Matt has demonstrated the character, gifts, experience, & heart to serve in this role, & our leadership team is excited to recommend him to you.
Please plan to be present for our congregational vote on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. If you have any questions prior to that, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We encourage you to pray for Matt, for our leadership team, & for the continued work God is doing through New Hope Fellowship.
We are grateful for the way God continues to provide for our church & for the opportunity to invest in the next generation & in the worship ministry of New Hope.
Serving Christ together,
The New Hope Fellowship Leadership Team
Pastor Dan & Melissa Sergeant, Pastor Nick & Chris Tornabene, Steve & Kris Bardell, Tim & Deb Carpenter, Chris & Kandace Collins, Wayne & Kelly Glover, Justin & Lauren Wilhelms