Visiting Hope Church

So you've decided to give us a visit, and you're slightly nervous; not knowing what to expect. As you approach Bush Middle School, enter the driveway next to the large marquis with the big blue "Hope Church" sign, and proceed to the back of Bush Middle School. Park and head toward the glass doors between the gym and the main building. (You will see signs directing the way...)

Entering the building you will encounter a handful of casually dressed people to help you get acquainted with how Sunday morning happens at Hope. You are greeted at the door with a smile and have the chance to fill-out a name tag - or NOT fill-out a name tag - it's completely up to you. We fill out the same name tags for ourselves, so that you don't feel like you're being singled out.

Children:

If you have elementary aged kids or younger, you will be directed to our Children's Ministry check-in table where you may register your kids for our Children's Ministry and/or nursery. At check-in you will be given a pair of matching numbered stickers, one for you, and one for each of your kids. That way no one can pick up your kids, except for you when you show up with the matching number.

Then head upstairs where another smiling face will hand you a bulletin about the service that Sunday. Hang a left at the top of the stairs and look for the coffee tables. (If you have a nursery-aged little one--under two, you may wish to take them into the nursery area in the school's teachers' lounge at this time and leave them with one of our loving volunteers. We have a nifty digital notification system should your child need you during the service.) Grab a cup of gourmet coffee courtesy of the Lighthouse, and head into the cafeteria along with the whole family.

Find a seat, and settle in. There will be music playing, and people getting situated; the service will begin around 10:15. There will be three or four songs mixed in with prayers and maybe a Bible verse or two, and then the pastor will have a chat with our favorite people, the children. He will call all the kids fifth grade and younger down to the front, read them a Bible verse, talk about it on their level, pray for them, and then send them out with their teachers to our children's ministry, Hope for Kids. (For your safety and ours, all of our children's ministry volunteers are screened and required to fill out applications that give us permission to run background checks.)

While the kids are out enjoying a Bible-based lesson at a level they can understand, the youth and adults are in the service listening to the Scripture reading, and the message based on that passage. After the message we will sing another song, and then have a time of offering. (Don't worry, we won't pass a plate around or have an altar call! It's a time for everyone to reflect on God's Word and offer themselves to God privately.) After the time of worship through offering, we sing a concluding song, and the pastor offers God's blessing over the congregation before we head back into our hectic weeks!

The service is usually over around 11:30, roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. If you have kids, now is a good time to go get them from their classes. If you confess that it's your first time to visit, you will be given a Hope Church coffee mug, along with a small sample of that delicious gourmet coffee from the Lighthouse, and some information on our church. Additional information can be found on the "Hope Happenings" table upstairs.

At this point most people feel pretty good about their visit. Your kids had a great time (they're pulling on your arm saying "Can we come back tomorrow!?") , you enjoyed the service and were struck by how genuine and "normal" the people were. You don't have that creeped out feeling that you were hoping would not come over you, and you're actually thinking to yourself, "I could come back here." Of course, if this is not the case, then break for the car at a dead run! Oh yeah, and if Hope's not for you, let me know and we'll give you a list of other churches that we think are healthy, but are just a different style from us.

Pastor Tom Masterson, Hope Church, telephone (210) 545-HOPE (4673).