10 Reasons I Love Mount Hope Church

This past Sunday, we had the great privilege of celebrating our church’s tenth anniversary. God has been and continues to be faithful to work in and through Mount Hope Church. As I reflect on the congregation that’s been formed after a decade of ministry, here are ten realities that warm my heart and bolster my admiration for the members of our church.

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10. The Bible is Cherished

I love hearing the rustling of pages on a Sunday morning. Whether it’s the Scripture reading or the sermon text, people look at the Book. This reminds us that we don’t come to impose our ideas on God, but to have God’s truth impressed upon us (Rom. 12:1-2). In a world of deceit and conceit, we say with Peter “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

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9. We Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

It’s 2026. There’s a lot of things to disagree about. There’s a lot of things to fixate on. Yet in the church, we keep the main thing central: the glory of God and our joy in knowing and glorifying Him together. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb.12:1-2).

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8. Grace is the Atmosphere

We are defined by the grace of Jesus [full stop]. This releases the pressure valve. We can graciously accept one another because Christ has graciously accepted us already (Rom.15:7). No pretense. No need for comparison. No place for accusation. It is good for the heart to be established by grace (Heb. 13:9).

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7. Theology is for Life

We love the glorious doctrines of the faith, but not in a way that’s detached from life on the ground. Theology expands our horizons, while also grounding us in daily life. The goal isn’t to know about God, but to know God. That makes all the difference on Monday morning (2 Tim. 3:16).

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6. Members Do Their Job

We believe that membership is an office of the church. There are certain duties and privileges entrusted to the whole of the church (not just its pastors). Whether it’s guarding the gospel, guarding one another through hard yet loving conversations, or guarding the ministry of the word through service - we understand that membership means more than simply being a name on a list (Eph. 4:16; 1 Tim. 3:15). I’m grateful for our church covenant that becomes sweeter as the years go by.

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5. We Let Jesus Build His Church

We’ve been through ups and downs as a church. Through it all, we let Jesus do what He said (Matt. 16:18). As we steward the kingdom keys Christ entrusted to His church (cf. Matt. 18:18), we trust that He is building something, even when we can’t quite see it. In humble submission, we give ourselves to the New Testament church’s patterns and principles, trusting that God’s ways are always for our good and for His glory.

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4. We Don’t Pit Truth Against Grace, and We Don’t Pit Grace Against Truth

God is holy. God is love. These two realities are not mutually exclusive. I’m thankful that our church doesn’t hold to truth in an ungracious way. Neither do we hold to grace in a way that leaves people to themselves. We receive Jesus as a full Savior and Lord - full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

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3. The Gospel is For Everyone

We never graduate from the gospel. We proclaim the good news of Jesus not only for the unbeliever in our midst, but also for the believer and the seasoned believer. The gospel is always good news, and Mount Hope Church relishes hearing about our Savior (Rom.1:16; Gal. 2:20).

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2. People are People

Our “low anthropology” helps us remember that people are people. We are a mixed bag - always repenting, always in process, always in need of grace (Rom. 7:21-24). This enables us to truly see one another and sympathize with one another in our struggles. We don’t have to present airbrushed versions of ourselves. We also appreciate the unique personalities, various gifts and quirks of people. An “island of misfit toys” keeps things fun and fresh. Because life is pretty boring when everyone is just like you.

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1. Jesus Loves MHC

Our church is far from perfect. This side of heaven, we will always be a work in progress. We will let each other down. Things won’t always go according to plan or preference. But Jesus loves Mount Hope Church. He bought Mount Hope Church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Jesus identifies with our church as His own body (1 Cor. 12:12; cf. Acts 9:4). He has put His Spirit into us (Eph. 2:21-22).  And He will one day bring to completion the good work He has begun, when we see Him face to face (Phil. 1:6).

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I love our church from two vantage points: the present and the future. In the present, we are a blood-bought work in progress - a community that God is patiently and graciously working in. I love that church. In the future, we will be a blood-bought, finished work of glory. And that future reality is true right now because we’ve been seated with Christ already in the heavens (Eph. 2:7). That’s why I love our church, and why I’m so grateful to be an individual part of it.

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