User:George Halt/hopetemp

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.

Purpose Statement
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."

Community Involvement
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. 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.

Programs
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 and Thrive @ Night are the teaching ministries for women. Other ministries target young adults, and there is a proliferation of small group bible studies.

History of Hope Church
Hope started in 1997, a "small band of people dreaming about what the church could be if we are honest, relevant, and authentic". 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."

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 of 2008.