OUR BELIEFS
God. There is one and only one living and true God. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes but without division in nature, essence, or being.
Jesus. The eternal Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary. In this human incarnation, Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father, God, and offered Himself on the cross as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of humankind, thus redeeming humanity from the consequences of sin.
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who exalts Jesus, convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He enlightens and empowers the individual believer and the church as a whole in worship, evangelism, and service.
Bible. The Bible was written by men who were divinely inspired by God and it is the record of God's revelation of Himself for humankind. The Bible is truth without any error. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.
Humanity. Humankind was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of God's creation. By free choice, the first man and woman sinned against God and brought sin in to the human race.
Salvation. Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood sacrifice obtained eternal redemption for the believer.
The Church. A church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous, local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. Often described in the Bible as the "body of Christ," the church, in its largest sense, consists of all the redeemed.
Evangelism. It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ and to make disciples of all nations.
In 1963, the First Southern Baptist Church and the Woodland Church of Christ each purchased property that shared a common boundary line. A fence went up to separate the two churches, but in 1986 a wind storm blew it down. No one thought to replace it.
Eventually, both churches ended up with new pastors. The pastors became friends, and even dared to talk about differences in doctrine and practice. After many years of praying, talking, and planning, both pastors discovered they had more in common than not. They decided to seek God's will about merging together as one congregation.
After a series of open forum meetings, we began worshipping together in July 1997 and have been one church ever since.
As our church has grown and changed over the years, so has our love for God and the people of Woodland. We encourage our members to be the hands and feet of Jesus— at work, in their neighborhoods, and through missions organizations around the world.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Worship services are casual at Living Hope Church. Many people wear jeans or dress "business casual," and people hang out in the foyer after Sunday School. Our services start with Scripture reading and music led by our worship team.
Next, we excuse children age 3-5 for Children's Church, a fun and upbeat service that includes a bible lesson taught at their level. We encourage older students to stay with their parents in the adult service. (If you have children under the age of 3, we have a team of loving, trained volunteers in our secure nursery area.)
After that, a pastor teaches a Bible-based message with practical application to help you live out your faith during the week. Sometimes, we celebrate communion. Services are usually a little over an hour, and then you’re welcome to stick around and talk afterwards. And about once a month, we all meet up for lunch after church at a local eatery, like Mod Pizza.