We are coming to the end of an era!
Virtually 24 years to the day we became Winchester Family Church, we will again be changing our name – this time to Hope Church Winchester . Between now and the end of September we are working hard to get practical details in place before publicly becoming Hope Church on 5th October 2014. Yet it is much more than just a name.
Today I was reading again, “Things are different now”, Reg Hall’s short history of the church. It has reminded me that God spoke to us about being a church in the heart of the city long before John or I were on the scene. Don’t forget that it’s under a year since we moved all our church life and administration into the Middle Brook Centre and sold Stanmore Lane.
God has spoken prophetically many times about us being a church in the heart of the city. It finally feels we are getting there. Our desire is to build a grace-filled community of Jesus followers bringing good news to Winchester and beyond…
Last Sunday we started a short preaching series from the book of Ruth. The overarching message of Ruth is that God wants to restore hope that has been lost. I believe that it is a message for us but also for the many, many people who are without hope and without God in this world. God wants us to be bringers of hope.
HOPE CHURCH – Is there a better way of saying it!