That’s the shorthand way of communicating what we’re all about. We try to focus on loving God (the Greatest Commandment), loving others (the Second Greatest Commandment), and sharing hope (the Great Commission).
Hope Church is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and is the result of two local churches joining together to advance God’s kingdom in Westerville and Central Ohio. In July, 2015, Westerville Alliance Church came together with a church plant in the Columbus area, forming one new church out of the two congregations. We've been one family for many years now... and though we are steeped in a history of sharing the hope of Jesus in Westerville, we believe God has barely scratched the surface with the mission and impact He has called us to make here!
We're a church that expects God to move mightily through this community of Christ-followers! The Gospel is a timeless message about the Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and coming King who preaches good news to the poor, heals the sick, sets free the oppressed, and declares victory over death, evil and suffering. We believe we have been uniquely placed and urgently called to share this good news! Therefore, everything we do is centered on equipping the Hope Church Family to be disciples who make disciples- raising up people who share the good news about Jesus in their homes, their places of work, their neighborhoods, the places they eat, the places they travel, and everywhere they meet and carry influence with others. This is practiced through our Core Values of MADE- we are disciples who will be missional, authentic, different and engaged.
Wherever you're at in your journey with Jesus, you'll be greeted as part of the Hope family. We affectionately call one another "Hopesters" ... mostly so we know we are loved and treated as family.
This means you let Jesus lead you. You'll grow your faith, have a deeper understanding and application of God's Word in your daily life, and will go out of your way to put others needs ahead of your own (just like Jesus did for us). We call this "Loving God" in our mission: Love God. Love Others. Share Hope.
God shared in His Word that we should gather with other believers to be encouraged and held accountable to living a life led by Jesus. And that means showing up on Sundays, sharing meals together, serving together, and learning about other's life stories. To love God means you learn to love and serve others, the second part of our mission statement.
How He laid down His life for you, gave you forgiveness, and invites you in a full life led by Him. "Share hope" is what we believe you will naturally do when you first learn to love God, and love others. Ultimately, we want to be MADE Disciples of Jesus who make disciples!
Hope Church is part of the wider family of churches called the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Throughout its 100-plus year history, the C&MA has always been known for its distinctive, scripturally grounded views on a number of topics held within the Christian faith. What The Alliance believes is foundational in its teachings about God and how He relates to us and how we relate to Him. Based on His written Word, the Bible, we are compelled to serve God and the people of His world. We live and die by these words and believe they bring the only life worth living—one wholly committed to the King Jesus. Because we have experienced His love, hope, and mercy first-hand, we are compelled to make Him known to all people in every segment of society. All of Jesus for all the world. As we seek to know Jesus personally, being one with Him, He will reveal Himself as our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. C&MA founder A.B. Simpson called this theology the Fourfold Gospel, the Christological summary on which the spiritual DNA of The Christian and Missionary Alliance is built. You can learn more about our beliefs and doctrine using the topics listed on this page!
There is one God, Creator of all things, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is the true God and true man. He was sent by the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary. He died on the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and peace.
The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to indwell, guide, teach, gift, empower, and bear His fruit in every believer. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for our salvation. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The portion of the impenitent and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.
Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all people. Those who repent and believe in Him are justified by grace through faith, born again of the Holy Spirit, delivered from the dominion of darkness, transferred into the Kingdom of God’s Son, granted the gift of eternal life, and adopted as the children of God.
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.
Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the whole person. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures as privileges for the Church in this present age.
The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations.
The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (Ephesians 1:22–23, Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 2:41–47)
There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.
Baptism is for those who have repented of sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ, and was established by Jesus when He called His apostles to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Immersion in water symbolizes the end of the old way of life, and coming up out of the water represents the new life found in Christ. For this reason, we practice baptism by immersion.
Communion (or The Lord’s Supper) reminds us of the life and work of Jesus, and it marks us as people of his new covenant. It is the commemoration by believers of Christ’s death and a reminder, through the bread and juice, of the Savior’s body and shed blood. Those who partake in Communion should be professed believers, walking in fellowship with Jesus, and having confessed sin and set right relationships with the family of believers. When we take Communion, we remember not only Jesus’ sacrifice (His blood and body given for us) but also His Body, the unity we have under His blood.
We believe that God created people as male and female and that we bear his image. We believe that our created body is an essential part of who we are and is good. We believe that we are to honor God with our body. As such, we believe that God’s design is that our created biological sex determines whether we are male or female. Sexuality is created by God and is good. In community we reflect image and accomplish His purpose in the world. We are created for committed intimate community, free from shame. For a man and a woman, this intimacy may be expressed and consummated sexually when they are united as one flesh in marriage. The pleasure of sexual union is intended to express not only a bodily intimacy but also an intimacy of heart, soul, and mind. The divine purpose for sexual union is to reproduce children who represent God and extend rule to the ends of the earth. Our created sex and sexuality are gifts from the Creator to be embraced with gratitude and worship.
Human life is created by God and is good. Since we are uniquely created in the image of God and formed by God, we hold to the sanctity of all human life. God gives life and breath to everyone, calling us to value equally the dignity of every individual life in its entirety, which compels us to love and have compassion for all peoples of the world.
We advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves, protecting and honoring all human life. We affirm the value of every person from the womb to the end of earthly life, without exception. Therefore, the gift of life should be cherished and not taken prematurely. Ultimately, God is the giver of life and numbers our days.
As we seek to know Jesus personally, being one with Him, He will reveal Himself as our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Simpson called this theology the Fourfold Gospel, the Christological summary on which the spiritual DNA of The Christian and Missionary Alliance is built. The Alliance Logo features the four symbols of the Fourfold Gospel (Cross, Laver, Pitcher, Crown).
Christ Our Savior: The cross reminds us of His sacrificial death and Resurrection as the Atonement for the sins of humankind (Acts 4:12).
Christ Our Sanctifier: The laver represents the daily cleansing from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:30).
Christ Our Healer: The pitcher represents oil to anoint the sick for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing (James 5:15).
Christ Our Coming King: The crown represents Christ’s royalty as the King of Kings. His coming will be a visible, personal appearance: “You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62).