Hope Church, Ferndown
Six months ago, a group of 25 members from Moordown Baptist Church, Bournemouth, met for their first service as a church plant.
This was a step of faith, not knowing quite what might happen but confident that there was a work to do. What would be the reaction? Was it the right place? Would anyone turn up?
Six months on, we have an average congregation of between 40-50 people. We have to vary our meeting place, mostly meeting in a theatre but sometimes in a community centre on a local housing estate.
For those involved it has been an enriching experience, trusting God, learning to work together, working out of our comfort zone and taking on new tasks. More importantly, new people have come in.
Several Christians have joined us on a regular basis, and we have been visited by many non-Christians – some out of curiosity, others by invitation. On Easter Sunday, one of these regulars became a Christian, the first seal of God’s blessing.
We now have another two non-Christians attending an Exploring Christianity group and are getting encouraging contacts from others in the neighbourhood. Pastor Mike Mellor, an experienced evangelist, leads the work, supported by fellow elder Stuart Fisher and a committed team from Moordown. The gospel is preached each week in a clear, easy to understand way that is relevant to the needs of people today.
We have been encouraged by generous prayer support from other local evangelical churches in the vicinity and have been amazed at what has been achieved in so short a time. God has been very good. More information from: www.hopechurchferndown.org.uk
Stuart Fisher
