We dream of a church that shines brightly as a beacon of faith, hope,
and love in the Carolinas and beyond– a church that is made up of real people
who actively lead others to a real Savior and meet real needs as they are
compelled by a real God to do so.
We dream of a church full of people who have hearts for God and are so
contagious with authentic Christian life that non-believing, dechurched, and
unchurched people are drawn to experience Jesus for themselves– many for the
first time!
We dream of a church where people know they are loved because they know
how to share their needs with each other, they know how to pray for each
other, they know how to support and encourage each other, and they know how to
spur each other on to be all that God intends them to be.
We dream of a church where discipleship is taken seriously – where
people deeply desire to grow in their knowledge and experience of Jesus. We
long for a church where people grow spiritually because they put their faith
into action, using the gifts and talents God has given as they intentionally
seek to fulfill His calling upon their lives.
We dream of a church where spiritual gifts are discovered and deployed
for God’s glory – a church where leaders lead, administrators administrate,
teachers teach, and caregivers give care; a church where people with mercy
gifts offer mercy and people with hospitality gifts make all feel welcome; a
church where all the other spiritual gifts found in the Bible are effectively
utilized as God calls people to use them.
We dream of a church where everything happens as a result of diligent
prayer and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Where people humbly go wherever
God leads for His glory, and for the benefit of needy and unbelieving people.
We dream of a church where young children are raised in a relevant
children’s ministry so that the faith they come to know can enable them to
grow to maturity in Christ – a church where their continued experience of
Jesus Christ will carry them through the turmoil and challenges of adolescence
and young adulthood because they have seen authentic Christianity lived out by
the adults who surround them.
We dream of a church where people expect to encounter God in worship
and wait with excited anticipation for the next opportunity to gather
together.
We dream of a church that refuses to be ingrown or self-focused. A
church that is respected by all because it breathes hope and life into this
world as it meets needs and transforms lives. A church that is so caught up in
what God is doing that it generously shares its resources with those in need,
and with other works of God around the world.
We dream of NewHope Church.
Dr. Benji W. Kelley, Founding Pastor