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History
"Aussie Church Starting" - That was the announcement of the arrival of 'The Hope of Sheffield Christian Church' in a newspaper advert at launch in Easter 1991. Here's the story so far:
'The Hope of Sheffield Christian Church' as it was first called started in 1991 after Dave and Jenny Gilpin watched coverage of the Sheffield Hillsborough disaster on Australian television. For Dave it meant coming back home, as he was born in Birkenhead but for Jenny it meant leaving her native Australia and launching into the unknown. The following is a brief timeline of key events that have seen it grow in to the multi-congregational Hope City Church that we know today.
1991 - 1993
The church kicks off in Sheffield at the John Barnett Centre in Westfield, Sheffield before moving to the Carter Lodge School in Hackenthorpe, Sheffield. After a short stay it was off to the University Halls on the outskirts of Sheffield and then to Granville College in 1993. Ponds Forge International Sports Centre then became home to the church.
1994
The Hope of Sheffield Christian Church moves to a more permanent address right in the heart of the city in an old warehouse on Matilda Street. The church continues to grow and thrive!
1998
'The Megacentre' is born as the church continues to grow and be of influence in the city and the local community. As the church takes over this old derelict tool factory, right in the heart of the city, that has been left empty for around eight years the name is also changed to the simpler ‘Hope City Church’.
The Sheffield Megacentre is now home to one of Sheffield’s largest indoor play centres for children - Megakidz, and comprises of everything from a Meganursery, Conferencing facilities, the Storehouse, and the MegaRelax Café. The Megacentre is also the centre of all church operations including all the business and finance offices, event and pastoral administration and our creative media teams.
October 2002
With a vision to build congregations in cities across the North of England, a team headed up by Dave starts Hope City Manchester. Hiring a room in Manchester's Jarvis hotel, and taking out adverts in the paper and the local Wesley Owen bookstore provide the beginnings of this new congregation which meets at 5:30pm, allowing a team of about 20 people to travel across from Sheffield on a Sunday afternoon.
The Manchester congregation met in the Jarvis until mid 2004 when it moved briefly to the Novotel hotel before leasing a small warehouse in the city centre on Mary Street in September 2004.
October 2003
In October 2003 the initial plan was to launch out into Leeds, but an unexpected turn of events leads to Hope City Church being given an existing congregation in Liverpool. Sheffield's youth pastors, Andy & Karen suddenly find themselves making a quick move as they are asked to take on the role congregation pastors - and Hope City Liverpool is born.
After starting out in an old school hall where the existing congregation had made their home for some time, the congregation moved into the city centre to the Marriott Hotel and then on to the FACT cinema.
October 2004
A similar team led by Pastor Dave that had started Manchester, begins making the Sunday afternoon trips and Hope City Leeds is born in the Radission Hotel at 5:30pm on a Sunday.
October 2005
After a year of building up a consistent congregation, the student pastors from Sheffield, Chris & Gosia are asked to step into the role of Congregation Pastors in Leeds. Services move to a Sunday morning in a new home at the Hilton Hotel.
April 2007
After great growth and success in Manchester the congregation is released to become Audacious City Church under the leadership of Glyn & Sophia Barrett who had been Associate Pastors in Hope City Church for 11 years.
September 2007
Once more the teams head out from Sheffield on a Sunday afternoon - this time up to Newcastle to establish the next congregation of Hope City Church. Simon & Rachael Taylor head over from being Congregation Pastors in Manchester to now pastor the new Newcastle congregation.
October 2007
Hope City Liverpool acquires its own Megacentre. The building is a Sports Centre with a vast array of facilities including a gym, flood-lit football pitches and a bowling green! This leisure, recreation and conferencing business is owned by the congregation and gives Hope City Church a great opportunity to reach out into the community of Liverpool.
September 2008
With the congregation in Sheffield expanding, the Sheffield Megacentre concert hall is expanded from a 600 seater to a 900 seater creating a brand new state-of-the-art concert venue. Also - after a great year of growth, the Newcastle congregation move to a new venue at Kings Road Centre and begin services on a Sunday morning!
November 2008
Hope City Leeds acquires its very own Megacentre - a large multi-story warehouse and office building on the edge of the city centre looking straight out on to one of Leed's busiest roads and in March 2009 completes Stage One of developments to provide room for the congregation to meet there.
September 2009
After a good season at Kings Road Centre, Hope City Newcastle pull off the coup of the century and start services in Newcastle's most iconic landmark - St James Park, the home of Newcastle United.
October 2009
With all our congregations growing, Hope City Birmingham is launched on a Friday night in the Radisson Hotel in the city centre with Pastors Colin & Beth Blois at the helm. It immediately takes off with over 100 people attending in the first few weeks. At the same time our Sheffield Congregation Pastors, Roger & Anna move to take over the reigns of Hope City Liverpool releasing Andy & Karen to prepare for their move to Ghana to launch Hope City Accra!
March 2010
Hope City Accra begins pre-launch meetings with Congregation Pastors Andy & Karen helped by a small team who have moved out to Ghana with them. Following a successful mission week in May (seeing over 150 people attend and 22 decisions) a second mission week in September 2010 officially launches the congregation in the centre of the city of Accra. Over one weekend they see four meetings packed with over 100 people attending each meeting and 70 decisions across the services!
September 2010
Hope City Liverpool move their Sunday services from the Megacentre, which remains as a mid week base, to the Black-E, a key landmark in the city centre receiving great coverage in the local press and an immediate influx of new people. Meanwhile Hope City Newcastle also head into the centre taking their services to Tiger Tiger after a successful year at St. James Park. Furthermore, Hope City Leeds begins development work on a new 400 seater auditorium which will become their future home for Sunday mornings.
October 2010
Following the success of the last year, Hope City Birmingham launch services on a Sunday Morning with the new Birmingham Assistant Pastors, Simon and Olivia Bolton at the helm. Friday Night services also continue.
June 2011
Hope City Church celebrated it's 20th Birthday with a big celebration in Sheffield City Hall, with all the UK congregations coming together to celebrate and the Hope City Theatre Company wowing the crowds with the city's dignatories.
September 2011
A church in Chorley, pastored by Dave and Lisa Stoner, became Hope City Lancashire and Hope City's eighth location! The Stoners and their church have been friends of Hope City for years, so slot in perfectly. In Easter 2012 they'll add a service location in Preston so watch out Lancashire!
We also opened our first City Hearts Safe House for men in the North West on England. This is in addition to a home for women rescued from human trafficking in Yorkshire. These are operated in conjunction with the UK Government and Police through The Salvation Army.
February 2012
The UK team landed in Frankfurt in preparation for the start of Hope City Frankfurt - our first congregation on mainland Europe. Headed up by Ps Steve and Siobhan Bullock, we 're expecting to see a thriving church established following the official launch in May 2012.
The future...
In September of 2012 we plan to start in England's Capital city and one of the most significant city's in the world with Hope City London! This will see us with nine congregations in 11 locations including 9 in the UK, one in Accra, Ghana and one in Frankfurt, Germany. Our goal in 2012 is to have over 3,000 people worshipping in our services across all of these Congregations.
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