Hope City has absolutely changed my life. I grew up going to Catholic church, but honestly, I've never truly felt connected to my faith. Even sadder than that, like many millennials in my generation, I found myself disillusioned with traditional Catholic church and I was fine with letting it stay that way. ...Enter Hope City. Hubby & wife superduo and pastors Jeremy & Jennifer Foster established this Christian church only last year in January 2015, and it is making. some. NOISE! Think Lakewood's younger, smaller, more energetic baby sister. Hope City's mission is simple: "Love God. Love people. Change the world;" that said, the magic of this church comes from one word: INVOLVEMENT. Hope City makes it known that they want to be involved in their patrons' lives, in the community, and even what's going on in the world. They operate by holding different "series" every few weeks that discuss prevalent topics related to our daily lives: "Embracing the Impossible," "Detox," "How To Handle Your Haters," "#Goals," and their most popular series yet "Uncomplicated Love, Sex, & Marriage," amongst many others. I know some of these topics may seem pretty unorthodox and off-putting to traditional church-goers, but the pastors do an amazing job at backing things up with scripture and keeping the focus on Christianity. On a related note, while Hope City attracts a lot of young adults and families, there are plenty of older adults and couples that call this church home, too. When it comes to the community, Hope City provides tons of volunteer and internship opportunities within the church, outreach missions within our city, they support the growth of new churches in nearby cities, and they even form Connect Groups where similar patrons can get together during the week. Finally, as young as this church is, it's already doing its part to change the world by providing opportunities for patrons to go on international mission trips and partner up with other Christian organizations, such as building schools for orphans in Haiti with Coreluv or cultivating sustainable water systems with Living Water in Nicaragua and Honduras. I love that Hope City gives you so many different opportunities to put good back out onto the world; you really feel like you're part of something that's making a difference!
Whew, ok! Getting off my soapbox now... Hope City operates out of Memorial High School (and occasionally Jersey Village High School) and holds 5 services every weekend: 7pm on Saturday; 8am, 9:30am, 11:15am, & 1pm on Sunday. Services get pretty packed (especially on Saturday evening), so try to arrive early for easy parking and a good seat in the auditorium. Kids? No problem - drop them off in Hope City's safe, age-appropriate Kids Room. Late? That's cool - there's additional seating rooms if the auditorium is full. Can't make it to church? Watch the service online or even listen to the podcast during the week. Half-awake? Hellooo complimentary coffee! Also, those who grew up in the Catholic church will be comforted to know that Hope City holds baptisms and communion once a month, as well - it's a great way for Catholics like me to still feel connected to familiar traditions. Once you're settled in, be prepared for a high-energy and uplifting worship experience in a casual, relaxed setting. It can get pretty loud and emotional at times during the singing portions of the service, which can be uncomfortable to people who are not used to the "mega-church" scene. It definitely took me awhile to get used to, but I've grown to love and appreciate the energy. In the words of Pastor Jeremy, this church "touches the heavens AND shakes the Earth!" Come with an open mind and heart. I wasn't looking for anything when I was first introduced to this church months ago, but I'm happy to say I ended up finding a home in Hope City. read more