Church Visits-Hope Presbyterian Church, Randolph

Hope Presbyterian Church, Randolph, NJ
http://www.realhope.org

I got to know the pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church from "day one". He came into this area about 7 years ago, and had some great ideas for church planting. Our visit there was very interesting. They have pretty much a "roll-out church" concept. All the equipment- signage, sound systems, SS material, toys for the nursery, coffee pots, etc., etc are in a trailor (see the picture above). They just "Rolled into" Randoph Middle School, set up for church in their 800 seat auditorium, and in the hallways, and began their worship and Sunday School hour. The key to this success of this ministry was SIGNAGE- they had signs everywhere- the truck and trailor was parked out by the street (hard to miss it!), signs were in the parking lot, out on the sidewalk, in the hallways, by the bathrooms, etc. People greeted you right there in the parking lot, so you felt welcomed right away. The pastor was there, greeters were there, ushers were there- you were greeted by at least 1/2 dozen people before you even entered the building. As you entered, things seemed to be easy to find. There was a coffee and literature table right there in the front hallway, nursery care right by the front hallway. The worship area was in the auditorium. It was a bit dark- they could have used a spotlight or two on the pastor or worship leaders. The powerpoint for worship was beautifully displayed, and worship was excellent- a blend of contemporary choruses and hymns. The pastor's message was easy to listen to and well presented. He spoke on the faith of Abraham, going to place which were unclear (a good word for a church planter to hear! It ministered to my soul). Then, they had communion, a very close, intimate "family meal" kind of atmosphere.

We attended the Bible study hour after the worship service, and it was a great "question and answer" session, with good notes. After the service, we stayed around for coffee, and had some great discussions. People from the congregation seemed comfortable "crossing the great divide", coming over to greet us. I believe that this reflects the character and manner of the pastor. He is a social, affable kind of guy.

After the "party", everything was neatly packed into its designated case, and all the equipment packed into the trailer, and this "roll out church" rolled out of the Middle School, back to its storage unit. The Church offices are located on Sussex Turnpike in Randolph, signalling to this community that this church is here to stay. This is where the pastors, staff and congregation holds their meetings during the week.