Living Hope Celebrates 10 Years of Community Impact

 

Living Hope Celebrates 10 Years of Community Impact

Living Hope Church, located in Highland Springs, VA, was voted into full local church status during the 2009  EFC-ER Yearly Meeting sessions.

“We were a church plant of Hanover Friends Church in Mechanicsville, VA  and have been having Sunday worship services for ten years,” explained Pastor John Huber. “My wife Luba and I have been serving at Living Hope for over seven years. We are in a small suburban town about five miles east of Richmond. The residents are mostly low income and of many races. Our church is known as the multi-everything church. We are multi-racial, multi-age, multi-educational, multi-ministry, and multi-income, with a few nuts thrown on top,” smiled Pastor John. “But we do it well. I am in awe of the unity we have amidst such diversity. It is a testimony to the power of the love of God in Christ.”

Ministries at Living Hope include a youth program, food ministry, clothing ministry, a 12-step recovery group, cub scouts, an ecumenical women’s Bible study group, and a nursing home visitation group. Plans are underway to start a Super-Saturday Community Children’s program once a month. The church has enjoyed a real sense of family and community as they come together regularly for dinners, movie nights, Bible Jeopardy nights (with prizes), picnics, yard sales and fund-raisers like car washes, bake sales, and cookouts.

One really important and special characteristic of Living Hope is that they are known as a place without racial prejudice. People feel accepted and everyone is friendly.  “I see it every Sunday, and especially on food bank day Mondays,” said Pastor John, “When we serve from forty to seventy households of people of all different races and ages (Living Hope serves as a Central Virginia Food Bank Agency). Everyone gets along once they come through the door, because they know that’s what we are all about. We come together in the love that Christ gives us.”  On July 31, 2009, they purchased their building and finished renovations within a few months.