Who We Are

Our Vision is for Hope Church to be a Dynamic Community where Christ is transforming lives as we Reach, Teach, and Serve one another in love.

Core Commitments

At Hope Church, we will be committed to these things:

God's Word
God's Word
We are Committed to: God’s Word as the final authority in all things and as the catalyst for life change. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, John 17:17)

 

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12

Loving God and loving people
Loving God and loving people
We are committed toLoving God and loving people. We will strive to fulfill the great commandment and to show God’s love to those around us. When in doubt, we will choose love and grace. (Matthew 22:36-40)

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

Dependance on the Holy Spirit
Dependance on the Holy Spirit
We are committed to: Dependence on the Holy Spirit for wisdom, direction, and ministry empowerment. (Acts 1:8,1 Corinthians 2:4-5, John 16:13)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The Un-churched and the De-churched
The Un-churched and the De-churched
We are committed to: The Unchurched and the Dechurched: Those who need to meet Jesus for the first time or who have strayed away. Lost people matter to God, the prodigals matter to God and the church is the vehicle that God has ordained to reach them. (Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 19:10)

For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. Luke 19:10

 

Prayer
Prayer
We are committed to: Being Passionate about Prayer. (Colossians 4:2, Ephesians 6:18)

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

Spiritual Growth in Community
Spiritual Growth in Community
We are committed to: Spiritual Growth in the context of Community. Healthy disciples grow and we believe that this life change happens best in the context of authentic relationships. (Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42, Ephesians 4:15)

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

Innovation and Relevance with Doctrinal Purity
Innovation and Relevance with Doctrinal Purity
We are Committed to: Being innovative and culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally pure. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23, 1 Timothy 4:16)

[…] I have become all things to all men, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in it’s blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

Serving each other and the Church
We are committed to: Each One Serving, with excellence, according to how God has gifted us. We are called to be contributors, not consumers. (1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 12:7, Colossians 3:17)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

 

Radical Generosity
Radical Generosity
We are committed to: Radical Generosity with our time, talents, and treasures. (Romans 12:13, Proverbs 11:25, Matthew 5:42)

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Romans 12:13

 

The Unity of the Church
The Unity of the Church
We are committed to: The Unity of the Church. We will not always agree on everything, but we will keep our eyes focused on the Kingdom and on the One who unites us, rather than on those things that divide. (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:3, Galatians 3:28, Philippians 2:2)

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10

 

“At Hope Church, we want you to experience God’s love — to know that he has created you for a purpose, to know that your life is not an accident, to know that you can actually have a personal relationship with God through his Son, Jesus.”

What We Believe

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

The Bible

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

The Human Condition

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Church

We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

Christian Living

We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

Christ’s Return

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

Response and Eternal Destiny

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.

Staff

Pastor Dan Richter and wife, Erin

Senior Pastor

Jill Smith

Family Ministry and Connections

Jakob MacDonald

Youth Pastor

Elders

Clay Larsen (Chair)

Wilton

Marc Gelnett

Weston

Whitney Janeway

Wilton

Brian Larson

Weston

Alan Renne

Ridgefield

Maris Silins

Wilton

Our Denomination

Hope Church is part of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), a collection of over 1300 churches across America. Evangelical refers to our commitment to the Bible as God’s authoritative word and Free describes our church government as congregational and free from denominational control. Our common statement of faith re-elects all the main points of historic biblical Christianity. You can find out more at our denomination website: www.efca.org