Grace Lutheran's Staff
Intentional Interim Pastor Pastor John Bookshaw
Pastor John will serve up to one year preaching, teaching, and shepherding the congregation. He will also lead in the transition process and help the church in our search of a new pastor.
Joel Hoyer Retired Pastor
Friends in Christ,
Joni and I want to thank everyone for the wonderful send off, gifts, prayers, and cards. We especially want to thank the anniversary committee for all their work and the wonderful video. We have cherished our time here and thank God for the privilege of serving our Grace family. Now we pray you will continue to make more and better disciples with Pastor John and Pastor Fabio to come.
Grace and peace, Pastor J
Joel Hoyer is the founding pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Coopersville, MI, where he has served since 1994. He previously served Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eagle, NE from 1985 when he graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.
Luke Esselman, DCE
Director of Youth & Family Life
Luke and Amanda with their kid Hannah & Tim, Willow, Jackson
Luke was certified as a Director of Christian Education from Concordia University Chicago (River Forest, IL) in May 2010. He finished his undergrad degree with a year-long internship at Grace from July 2009-July 2010. He accepted Grace’s call to stay on as a full-time member of the staff and has served here ever since. In Fall 2023 he began his part-time work with the LCMS Michigan District staff serving his peers.
Luke is passionate about helping children and teens grow up knowing Jesus Christ as their Savior and the absolute truth of the Bible. He believes a child’s faith journey begins at home, so the faith of the FAMILY is just as important (if not more so) than the faith of the individual.
Luke grew up in Springfield, IL. His parents, Dennis and Becki nurtured him and his sister Hannah in a loving, Christ and service centered home. Luke’s father has moved on to his heavenly home. His mother lives in West Michigan. Hannah lives and works with her family in the Columbus, OH area.
Luke and his family love playing board games, watching movies, spending time outdoors and bonding with Tim and Hannah’s son, Teddy. Some of Luke’s favorite outdoor activities are disc golf, walking/hiking, “you-pick” seasonal fruits, and playing/coaching soccer.
A guiding passage Luke has taken for his life is 2 Timothy 1:7-12
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
Codi Church Secretary
Codi grew up in Coopersville and is a life-long member of Ottawa Center Chapel. In fact, a help wanted ad for a secretary in the Chapel’s bulletin is what brought her to Grace. She has been happily printing bulletins and putting cat clip art wherever she can since then.
Codi lives with her husband, Brian, and her cats in Grand Rapids. Brian and Codi met while working at the Grand Valley State University Zumberge Library. They thought it would be a good idea to get married and contribute to each other’s literary nerdiness. The conversations on grammar and plot development are only interrupted by feeding the cats. Codi enjoys cats so much that she volunteers at the Humane Society of West Michigan. This is a grueling two-hour shift of petting cats, but somebody has got to do it! At times, she can combine her love of reading while petting the cats.