Your First Visit

We know what it's like visiting a new church for the first time. You might feel like a non-member visiting a country club. Do I belong here? Am I really welcome? Will the people be unfriendly (or too friendly)? Will I be conspicuous? Will it be easy to leave if I don't enjoy it? Will they ask me for money? Will my kids enjoy it? How should I dress?

As a pastor at New Hope Bible Church I want to make your visit an enjoyable experience; easy, stress-free, even relaxing. We try to make New Hope "user-friendly" for people, whatever their background or current or past lifestyle, including those who have never been to church before.

An overview

Here's a brief overview of what to expect when you visit: You'll probably use the main entrance for the new auditorium (the larger part of the building closest to the street). At the front door, there should be some friendly people nearby to say hello and answer any questions you have.

When you enter the front doors, you'll be given a copy of “The Bulletin" which has announcements and some information about the service. If you're recognized as being new, you may also receive a visitor packet with a card you can fill out and leave at the welcome center on the way out. This helps us to know who you are, how you found out about us, and how we can most effectively be a blessing to you (we will NOT add you to a mailing list or give your information to anyone else).

You'll notice that everyone is dressed comfortably, in anything from "office casual" to jeans and sneakers. If you arrive early, you're welcome to have a decent cup of coffee (self-serve in the kitchen), or pick up more information about us at the welcome booth where you enter the auditorium.

The service usually begins with some upbeat music (the words are projected on big screens on both sides at the front of the auditorium), followed by a welcome and a few announcements about coming events. There will be someone leading in prayer, and a worship time with more music. Often, there will be drama or video to help focus on the theme of the message, or sometimes a special song. The preaching/teaching follows that. If I do my job right, you'll hear solid Christian theology in intelligent, understandable, relevant terms. Hopefully, you'll laugh at times and maybe feel a tug at your heart too. A prayer and usually one verse of a song will follow the message.

If you have children they are welcome to stay with you in the service if they wish, but we do have four age- appropriate classes for which we release younger youth and children after the music segment of the service. We have a law-enforcement directed security team that keeps an eye on things before, during and after the service with regular patrols of the parking lot and hallways, so you'll know your kids are safe and well cared for.

I'll close the service about 75 minutes or so after it began (and believe it or not, the time will fly). I hope you'll come up and introduce yourself to me afterwards. After the service, you may pick up your kids from their classrooms if they participated in the children's services, and then you're welcome to stick around, for some more coffee and donuts (we really like coffee around here), and to attend one of the several adult Sunday School classes we offer.

That's about it. We get frequent comments on how friendly our people are; I think you'll enjoy your visit.

Thanks for your interest!

Pastor Terry