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Our Staff:

Dave Gish

Senior Pastor

Contact: (203) 762-0706 Ext. 12

Dave came to Hope Church as Senior Pastor in December of 2006. After growing up Westport, CT, this has been quite a homecoming. His passion is for building up the local church through equipping and challenging its members to make a difference in the world for Christ. Dave’s primary focus at Hope is leading the church in fulfilling God’s mission and vision for our lives. He has a special emphasis on spiritual development and family ministry and carries a deep love for God and for people.

Prior to coming to Hope, Dave received his B.A. from the University of California, his Masters in Theology from Fuller Seminary in California and his ordination from the Evangelical Free Church of America. He has served as a Young Life Staff, Youth and Family ministry pastor in San Diego, California, Senior Pastor in Merced, California and recently as Pastor of Spiritual Development at Bethany Church in New Hampshire. At Bethany, he pioneered many new ministries and oversaw a vibrant adult ministry program to 2000 people in one of New England’s largest churches.

He lives in Wilton with his wife Jennifer, who is involved in many of the ministries at Hope. They have two daughters, Kayla and Kristina. Jennifer and Dave share a love for kayaking, animals, photography and gardening. Dave is an avid sports fan, Duke Basketball fanatic, and frequent basketball player at the Wilton Y. You can check out his sermons in the podcast archive on this site. Finally, one of Dave's favorite Bible verses is from Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

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Paul Karus

Director of Youth Ministries

Contact: (203) 762-0706 Ext. 13

Paul grew up in Northport, Long Island. At a very early age, Paul began to sense God’s calling him into ministry. Although he felt God’s calling, he spent a lot of time running from the Lord’s plan for his life. This journey took him from Long Island to Lynchburg, Virginia, then back to New York where he finally surrendered his will for God’s by completing a degree in Youth Ministry at Nyack College.

Paul met his wife, Kim, the first time he visited Nyack College. A romance quickly blossomed -- they became engaged in their junior year and married before their senior year. Following Paul’s senior year at Nyack, Paul began his career in youth ministry as an intern at a church in Goshen, New York which led to a full-time, nine and a half year ministry there. After nine years of service, Paul felt God’s leading once again; this time to Hope Church where he has been serving since the end of September 2008. Paul and Kim have two children, Kaylee (5) and Mackenzie (2) and reside in Wilton, Connecticut.

Following is a brief summary of Paul’s testimony:

During those years of running from the Lord, it was my plan to prove to God He did not want to use a guy like me for ministry. And so I dove, head first, into a lifestyle of partying abusing drugs and alcohol. This was a dark time in my life that led me to failing out of college and producing a lot hurt and pain to family and friends. But God being the compassionate God that He is, restored the broken pieces of my life and made me whole again. Psalms 40 says Abel waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and hear my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. God did that just for me out of a life of sin, set my feet on solid ground and He has put a new song in my mouth for sure! I believe God can do this for anyone who calls on Him and embraces His son Jesus as his or her personal Savior!

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Dan Fox

Worship Director

Contact: 203-762-0706 Ext. 14

Dan has served as the Worship Director at Hope Church since 2010. His prayer is that God would stir up true gratitude and wonder in the heart of every worshiper-wonder at who God is and deep gratitude for all that He has done. Dan's hope and desire is that every worship gathering at Hope would offer a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

Having grown up in a small town in Michigan, Dan moved to an even smaller town in western Pennsylvania during his high school years. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Theatre, and moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. It was in New York, in 1980 that he had his own life-changing encounter with Jesus. Dreams of glory on the stage gave way to dreams of living and serving to give glory to God.

Dan became active at the Lamb's Church in Manhattan and joined a small weekly discipleship group there of young men, all seeking to grow in Christ. He bagan learning what it meant to worship and to lead worship. The Lord began to open doors of opportunity and Dan has been privileged to lead worship in a variety of settings over the years. He has led worship for regional conferences of the Alpha ministry, and has led retreats and seminars for churches in Connecticut, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Vermont, North Carolina, and Prince Edward Island, Canada. He has served as music minister or worship leader for five churches in Fairfield County. Dan has led worship for pre-game chapel services for the New York Jets and for many years led worship for the New Canaan Society, a ministry to men.

While living in New York, Dan met his wife, Kimberly. They married in 1986 and have lived in Wilton since 1992. Kimberly teaches French to young children. At Hope, Kimberly is involved in MOPS, women's Bible study, and the Passion Road and Nativity productions. Dan loves to read and dabbles at songwriting. He is a big Yankee fan, but also hopes to live long enough to see the Chicago Cubs finally win a pennant. Kimberly loves swimming, hiking, biking and entertaining. They have three children, Brendan, Annabelle and Molly, and a dog named Derby.

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Kimberly Karus

Children's Ministry Director

Contact: (203) 762-0706 Ext. 16

Kim grew up in a suburb of Scranton PA, a pastor's kid. Growing up in the church her whole life, she came to the realization of needing Jesus as her own Lord and savior at the age of 13. Her relationsip with the Lord and seeing both parents actively involved in ministry, fueled her own passion for serving the Lord.

After graduating High School in 1996, Kim went on to study Youth Ministry at Nyack College, Nyack NY. This is where she met her husband (yes, the Youth Pastor at Hope Church). The two were married June 5, 1999. After graduating from Nyack Kim stood by her husband's side, and was very involved in youth ministry, led Jr. High ministry and also taught elementary age Sunday School.

What would soon fuel Kim's passion for children's ministry was seeing the spiritual and social needs of her own children (Kaylee 2003, Mackenzie "MJ" 2006). In spring of 2011, Kim joined the staff of Hope Church.

When Kim is not working, you can find her taking pictures of her family, or nature, spending time with her husband and daughters, cheering her daughter's on the soccer field, ice skating, writing poetry, listening to Christian music, walking on the beach, going to movies, in Bible study....She enjoys many aspects of life and ministry, and loves her Hope Church family. Kim and her family reside in Wilton, CT.

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Charlotte Richards

Office Administrator

Contact: (203) 762-0706 Ext. 11

Charlotte was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived two years in Norway; then, from the age of nine, lived in Baldwin on Long Island. Shortly after she married her husband, Art, she moved to California where they lived for 23 years. Currently, Charlotte lives in Wilton. They have five children: Cynthia, Edward, Paul (deceased), Stephen and Curtis and six grandchildren.

Following is a brief summary of Charlotte’s testimony:

I was surrounded by loving Christian relatives and enjoyed participating in many church activities while growing up. I accepted Christ at a Billy Graham crusade in Roosevelt Park on Long Island at age 15.

One of Charlotte’s favorite Bible verses is Psalm 23, A Psalm of David

When Charlotte is not providing stability to our busy office, she enjoys gardening self-sowing annuals and perennials, playing the piano, reading, cooking and needlework. After she refreshed her secretarial skills, she has worked since her youngest son was 12 several places: San Jose City College, Rotary Club of San Jose and now here at Hope Church "with the greatest people this side of heaven."