In September 2024, Hope Street Church launched its first worshipping community at London City Island, beginning with a group of 13 individuals, including four newcomers from the area (three adults and a child). Over the past year, they have seen consistent growth, highlighting the vibrancy of their community.
Their numbers experienced remarkable growth early on during the month they occupied a local art studio, where their worshipping community doubled to 30 members. They attributed this initial surge to clearer signage, an increase in church activities, and improved accessibility for newcomers. The quality of music production and worship also played a pivotal role in attracting attendees, along with opportunities for social interaction and refreshments that enhanced the welcoming atmosphere.
Despite facing challenges, they have successfully collaborated with the local community, organising events that engaged over 100 families in the neighbourhood. Their first major community engagement was the Christmas Mingle Jingle, featuring Christmas Carols at Hopewell Square, a Children’s Fund Day, and a photo booth. The Easter family event was another success, filled with activities like a treasure hunt, art and crafts, and music, attended by 16 families. The Hello Summer event in August brought together music production, a sports day, a football tournament, an art workshop, a breaking world record attempt, and an inaugural Kids Sunday service.
Community engagement is at the core of the church, fostering awareness and promoting evangelism. For instance, their football tournament involved 20 players and a supportive crowd of family and friends, leading to meaningful conversations about the church when celebrating together at a local pub. Through running welcoming and open local events, the church is embedded in the local community, including in local estates. There have been positive responses and feedback from residents and even Estate Management, showing the church’s significant positive impact on the community. Beyond these events, in just one year Hope Street established four strategic connect groups, creating spaces for members to gather and actively reach out to the local community. One of these groups has been particularly fruitful, with 17-20 non-Hope Street Church attendees meeting every week on a weekday evening for prayer and sharing.
Their inaugural Alpha course was both engaging and successful, attended by 13 participants. They also host a weekly online Zoom prayer meeting, attracting around 30 attendees.
As a mission church, their vision is clear: to breathe new life into the Anglican communion and invite others to experience the hope and freedom found in Christ. To support this mission, they gather weekly for prayer focused on the church team and the neighbourhood, and they gather on weekends for street evangelism, sharing the love of Jesus with those around them.
The church has also started a hugely popular worshipping community at a local university campus during the week, open to all university staff, workers, and students. Attendance has grown significantly, with around 230 participants each week during term time. The essence of the campus fellowship is grounded in the vision of bringing the church directly to the community, fostering connections where people are most present. Their WhatsApp group has seen remarkable growth, now consisting of over 200 registered members, enhancing the sense of community.
The services are diligently organized and run by the student leaders, with each session taking place during lunchtime, accompanied by lunch for attendees. While they face challenges, including occasional space cancellations and the need for a worship leader, these hurdles motivate them to find innovative solutions. Looking ahead to the upcoming academic year, the church is optimistic about further growth and engagement: student leaders have developed a comprehensive strategy aimed at engaging and welcoming new students right from their arrival, ensuring their fellowship continues to flourish and support the vibrant university community.
This is an incredible story of church growth and our prayers are with Hope Street Church to build on these strong foundations in the year to come!
