Our Story

Today, New Hope is a vibrant congregation of more than 350 Christians, young and old. Our mission is making disciples who make disciples. We believe in preaching the full council of God’s Word and don’t shy away from the difficult things, because even there we see God and learn more about Him. Our worship is primarily contemporary, but we like to mix a hymn in here and there because they have some great things to teach us as well.

Now, a bit about where we came from: New Hope was launched in a household basement in September of 2006 by a group of families who felt God calling them to form a church. Shortly after that we occupied a little white church in Kings, IL for 3 years before moving into our present facility on the West edge of Rochelle.

We are affiliated with the Church of God based in Anderson, IN. The Church of God has two core values that help define the movement.

  1. Unity: We don’t have church membership because we believe that if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and that your desire is to serve Him, then you are by definition a part of “The Church,” not just our church.
  2. Holiness: We believe that God saved us from sin, not so that we would continue to walk in it, but to be free from bondage to it. God calls us to pursue holiness in scripbure: “Be holy as I am holy says the Lord.”

What is our Purpose?

We exist to help people do 5 things:

  1. Surrender to our Creator
  2. Strengthen one another
  3. Stand for truth
  4. Spread the Gospel
  5. Serve people

In some ways it seems simple, but these can be difficult things for anyone to do in the world in which we live. It sure helps to be a part of a community that is striving for the same goals to come along side you.

What is a Christian?

At New Hope, we believe a Christian is someone who recognizes that they have sinned against God and broken His commands. The penalty for sin is death, and we cannot make ourselves right with God by simply trying to be good. Instead, we repent of our sin, turning away from our old way of life, and place our faith in Jesus Christ, trusting that He paid the penalty for our sin through His death on the cross. This is grace—God giving us what we could never earn or deserve (Ephesians 2:8–9). When we understand the incredible grace God has shown us, our response is to know, love, and serve the One who has set us free from sin and given us the riches of His grace at Christ’s expense.