Almost every week when I ask first time visitors, “What attracted you to Hope Covenant Church?” the answer is almost always the same: THE SIGN! What sign you may ask? The monument sign on Dobson Road that reads ‘Hope Covenant Church, No Perfect People Allowed.’ Now, if you’re perfect, there is no reason for you to read this article or attend Hope Covenant Church. This church is for those who are looking for a safe place for imperfect people to connect in meaningful ways with others.

I’m assuming 2 things:

1. Like me, you’re not perfect. Like me, you don’t have a perfect track record. Like me, your name hasn’t always appeared on the “spiritual honor roll.” (I’m not sure mine ever has, and I went to seminary!)

2. Like me, you long to experience deep friendship and community with others. Like me, you realize that isolation and loneliness are dangerous and potentially painful.

These assumptions lead me to Hope Covenant Church. Our goal is to build a different kind of church. Most of the churches I’ve been in have been filled with pretenders, mask wearers. You know what I mean – people who get all cleaned up on Sunday and pretend their lives are together and that everything in their world is “hunky dory.” Let’s be honest, the last place most people feel comfortable sharing their struggles and being real is in a church. How sad.

The staff and leaders at Hope are committed to creating a climate where people are accepted, warts and all; where “masks” are discarded and diversity and transparency are valued; where the broken and the fallen can find a helpful hand and hear an encouraging word; and where spiritual foul-ups and spiritual strays are welcome.

In short, we want to build a church where people embrace each other in a Jesus-like way. Read the Gospels. Look at the people drawn to Jesus. He was a magnet for the misfits and marginalized. He was different from other “religious” leaders. He saw people through different eyes. He had grace-filled, compassionate eyes. Instead of seeing people as they were, he saw them as they could be.

Oh God, give us those kinds of eyes. Our mandate? Romans 15:7 “So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.”

God loves it when his kids give each other some slack. He loves it when his kids get together and share laughter and tears. He loves it when we feel safe enough with each other to talk about struggles and fears. He loves it because he knows that whatever is hidden in our lives cannot be healed… and God is all about healing and wholeness.

Looking for a church for imperfect people? Try the one on the corner of Dobson Road and Armstrong. Join one of our Grow Groups, find an opportunity to serve. If you want to know more about Hope, join us on Sundays for our new series, “The Abundant Life.”

Humbly,

Pastor Duane