Sundays with the Hope Church family are relaxed and informal. We want everyone to have a great experience and to feel at home.
What to expect
When you arrive at Brooke Weston you will be greeted by our friendly Welcome Team and directed through to the area where the church meets. Here, parents are asked to register their children for groups at the Hope Kids registration desk.
In the main auditorium you are welcome to sit wherever you like. Our stewards are on hand to help if you need to find a good spot. Some seats are reserved for parents with babies and those with disabilities.
The main gathering
We begin with a welcome from one of the church elders and then go into a time of sung worship. This typically lasts 25 minutes. People express their love for God in different ways: some dance, some raise their hands, some clap and some are more contemplative. There is no right or wrong way to worship but we encourage everyone to give God their best. If you are a guest, please feel free to join in or just sit back and enjoy the music. All the words for the songs will be displayed on the screen.
At the end of the time of worship, the youth and children go out to their groups. We have kids groups for all ages. If your children are a little restless or struggle to sit still, please don't worry. There are lots of young people in Hope Church and we want to see and hear them. After the kids & youth have left for their groups, there are usually a few notices about things coming up in the church. Then, as part of our worship, we usually take up an offering. This is for those who call Hope Church their home. There is no pressure and no compulsion to give if you are a guest.
After the children have gone to their groups, there is usually a sermon. The focus of this is to take principles from the Bible and apply them to life today. We always try to make the teaching interesting and relevant. After the sermon, there is usually an opportunity to respond in some way. This may be a personal challenge to carry into the week, or a prayer expressing some kind of commitment to God. At the end there is a prayer team who love to pray for people: maybe something related to the message; maybe healing from sickness; maybe help for a relative; maybe wisdom for a situation at work...anything.
Afterwards
Afterwards, we we would encourage parents to go directly to collect their children from groups. Refreshments will also be served in the restaurant area and everyone is invited to stay behind to chat and get to know a few people. There is a special Connect Lounge in the restaurant area where, if you are new, you can say hi to our Connect Team who will help you find out more about the church and answer any questions you may have. If you are planning a visit, we would love to meet you and you will always be very welcome.
Click here to get directions to Brooke Weston Academy, the venue of our Sunday gatherings. When you arrive and drive through the gates, simply follow the signs round to the main entrance.
No need to worry about where to park, there are always plenty of parking spaces (including disabled parking) at Brooke Weston Academy. The earlier you arrive, the closer the parking space.
We meet at 10:30 on Sundays and finish around 12noon. One of our friendly welcome team will greet you on the way in and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.