| Hope Church | |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States) |
| Weekly attendance | 1,300 (2011) |
| Website | http://hopecentral.com/ |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Dr. David Dwight |
Hope Church is an Evangelical church in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. David Dwight is the Senior Pastor. It is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States), within the Mid-Atlantic Presbytery.[1]
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Hope's purpose statement, according to its website, is to "Offer experiences, relationships and places where people can find life and purpose through Jesus Christ."[2]
Hope Church is actively involved in its community in several ways. On a monthly basis it collects non-perishable food items to donate to the Goochland Food Pantry. It runs the Hope Thrift Store, to provide clothing, furniture and other household goods to local low-income families. Additionally, Hope Church conducts community events such as an annual 5K run.[3] As a member of a global community, Hope regularly participates in mission activities around the world, such as medical/dental trips to the Dominican Republic.
There are three identical services on Sunday (two in the morning, one in the evening), with child-care available for all of them. Additionally there are programs for middle- and high-school students. Thrive[4] and Thrive @ Night[5] are the teaching ministries for women. Other ministries target young adults, and there is a proliferation of small group bible studies.
Hope started in 1997, a "small band of people dreaming about what the church could be if we are honest, relevant, and authentic".[6] According to the website, "We believe the Bible and we’re grateful for it’s stability and guidance in the midst of a world of change. At the same time we kind of like things on the creative side."[6] For the first two years the church met at Ruby Carver Elementary School, then moved to Godwin High School. Hope bought its current property in 2001 and moved into the building in September 2008.
A distinctive element of Hope Church is their commitment to the arts. This value stems from the Christian idea that God as Creator made humans in His image, thereby making them creative and their creations (the arts) a domain of beauty and sacred expression. Hope has a Worship Arts department, whose stated mission is "To expand the worship of God by empowering a community of artists", toward the end of seeing "A movement of redemptive art" in Richmond, Virginia. They attempt to empower local artists by hosting an art gallery and visual art show series, by helping songwriters and musicians capture their art in their on-site recording studio, and by creating, producing and releasing original films through their affiliate, Check The Gate Films. In addition, they host a summer program of art classes for children and adults alike.