Loving Jesus, loving each other, loving everyone
HCC
SUNDAYS
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
Our Sunday meetings are a great opportunity to join with others to enjoy God and all that he's done for us. If that's not where you're at, that's fine - come along and enjoy company whilst you explore faith and figure things out for yourself.
Our meetings are pretty informal (there's no dress code!) - we aim to take Jesus seriously, not ourselves! Time together on a regular basis also gives us chance to get to know one another better and meet new people.
Help! I've not been to church before...
Fear not! We're a friendly, welcoming bunch and will do what we can to make your time at HCC as accessible and engaging as we can. The people leading will explain what's going on, but feel free to ask questions as we go. Or, if you'd rather, sit back and take it all in - there's no pressure; join in where you can when you can.
Stick around after the service for a brew - we'd love to get to know you.
But what actually goes on?
In total, our services usually last for between 75 and 90 minutes. Things might look different from one week to the next but there are some common ingredients... (the images at the bottom are taken at one of our services - we thought it'd help you get used to things before you arrive).
A warm welcome
There is a friendly, family feel to HCC meetings, and there are tons of people ready and waiting to help you to feel at home and to have a great experience.
Sung worship
We usually start off by singing songs of praise to God (and then sing a few more later in the meeting). We believe we are created to worship, and we don't hold back in declaring truth about God in song (don’t worry if you don’t know the words – they are all displayed on the screen). During this time, some people might raise their hands, close their eyes or kneel down at times, or even just stand still and reflect on the words. There's no expectation that everyone does the same thing, but there's no restriction on how people express their worship, either. You can listen to a sample of the songs we sing here.
Prayer
We encourage people to express their love and longings to God in a way that is authentic to who they are, so we encourage people to pray their own way - no need for 'thees' and 'thous'! Sometimes we use pre-written or 'traditional' prayers - we're open to using different and creative methods to enable as many people as possible to join in.
Communion (Lord's Supper)
We take communion* most weeks as an act of remembering and celebrating what Jesus did (died on the cross in our place) and what he accomplished (forgiveness and right relationship with God for all who believe). If you're not 'there yet', there's no pressure to join in with this, but similarly when you decide to follow Jesus, this is a beautiful way to say 'I'm in!'
*we serve gluten-free bread and grape juice
Stories, updates and encouragements
We welcome participation from everyone, so sometimes people from the congregation share a Bible verse or a word that they believe God is encouraging us with at this time. On other occasions, people will share their personal story of the difference Jesus is making in their life and circumstances. We also have the privilege of partnering with some amazing people doing amazing things around the world so from time to time we have updates on what God is up to in other countries.
A talk (sermon)
At some point in the service somebody will share a practical and inspiring message from the Bible. This will usually last for around 25-30 minutes. If you want to follow along in your own Bible, or a Bible App then feel free, but don’t worry if not – the relevant Bible verses will also be displayed on the screen.
Kids' and young peoples' groups
First up, we love having children and young people with us. You never need to apologise if your little person (yes, they're still your little person if they're 14 and taller than you!) makes noise in the service. There's a creche area that's part of the main hall so you can still feel part of what's going on, and there are age-appropriate groups each week for primary-aged kids and fortnightly for secondary-aged young people.
Refreshments
Refreshments are great, but the quality conversations and care for one another that comes with them are even better! People stick around for a good while after the service to catch up, support one another and get to know new people. We can't wait to meet you!
Still not sure?
We stream most of our services via YouTube (unless there's a good reason not to), so you could always check us out online before you step foot through the door. Just be aware that, in our view, nothing beats worshiping Jesus with church family!
Hope Community Church
Sunday 13th APR 2025
Sunday 06th APR 2025
