God’s mission for Hope is to:
Worship God together, grow in the knowledge and love of Christ, and live sent God’s light in our neighborhoods and around the world.
Someone once said that the church does not have a mission – God’s mission has a church. At Hope we don’t merely want God to bless us, but we want to bless God by joining Him in his mission to restore a broken world, to save us from evil and sin, and gather people into the family of God.
Our Vision is to:
Love Big
We all know what small love is – it is when someone loves us expecting something in return, or loves us because we love them too. Big love goes the extra mile, loves the unlovable, expects nothing in return, and even loves our enemies.
Grow Deep
God doesn’t merely want us to know about Him. He wants us to grow deep in his love and in relationship with each other. God’s Spirit invites us into the deep as we live out his Word in daily life.
Live Sent
“The mission is God’s. The marvel is that God invites us to join in.” – Christopher Wright. We don’t want to sit on the sidelines waiting for heaven. We want to live into God call to join Him in bringing heaven to earth right now.
Our Core Values
Statement of Faith
God
There is only one God, Creator and Lord of everything, infinitely perfect, all powerful, all knowing and eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (The Trinity).
Jesus
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus entered the human race through a virgin birth. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself by dying on a cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people. He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He returned to Heaven’s glory and will come again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, Counselor and Helper who convicts of sin, reveals God’s truth and indwells believers empowering them for godly life and service. The Spirit uniquely endows each believer with spiritual gifts for the common good of the church.
Bible
The Bible is God’s Word written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the source of truth and the final authority for Christian faith and victorious living. All scripture is rightly understood and interpreted through the lens of Jesus’s life and teachings.
Salvation
All people sin (disobey God) through choices they make resulting in eternal separation from God. Our only hope of being reconciled with God is through repentance of our sins, faith in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and confession of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Baptism
The baptism of believers with water is a pledge of their commitment to God. It publicly identifies them with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is a sign of their cleansing and freedom from sin, and their promise to live life in the way of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Leadership
Kevin Kanagy
Lead Pastor
Kevin began as Teaching Pastor at Hope Community Church in the summer of 2016 after co-pastoring with his wife Nan in Ohio for eight years. Kevin transitioned to Lead Pastor in 2017, following the retirement of Pastor Gary Blosser.
Kevin enjoys preaching, encouraging the church, and reading and discussing theology. He has a vision to help HCC grow more and more into the family of God that lives out God’s mission in the world. Kevin completed his undergrad at Goshen College and a Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He enjoys art, especially photography and oil painting. He is married to Nan, and enjoys playing legos with his three daughters, Hannah, Madi, and Ellie.
Nan Kanagy
Youth and Worship Pastor
Nan loves youth ministry and all things that have to do with worshiping God. She was called to Hope Community in the summer of 2016 after co-pastoring with her husband Kevin in Cleveland, Ohio for eight years. One of her primary passions is to help people discover God’s calling on their lives, especially youth. She firmly believes that every follower of Jesus has a ministry and should be living into it daily. Nan has been married to Kevin since 2000 and they have three daughters whom they homeschool. In addition to her responsibilities with youth and worship at the church, she will direct a homeschool group called Classical Conversations at HCC on Wednesdays. She enjoys gardening, nature, and exploring new places with her daughters and their dog, Pepper.
Connie Homm
Church Administrator
Connie has been attending Hope Community Church since 1997 and began serving in her role as Church Administrator in 1998.