Questions About New Hope:
What denomination is New Hope with?
What can I expect when I visit New Hope?
What is available for my children?
How do I get to New Hope?
What should I wear?
What happens in the worship service?
What is Café Two42?



What denomination is New Hope with?
New Hope is associated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance

The Christian and Missionary Alliance (CM&A) is an evangelical denomination with a major emphasis on world evangelism. It maintains a "big tent" stance in reference to many doctrinal matters, encouraging believers of diverse backgrounds and theological traditions to unite in an alliance to know and exalt Jesus Christ and to complete His Great Commission.

How did the CM&A come to be?
It began as a deeper life and missionary movement initiated by Dr. Albert B. Simpson in 1887 to mobilize the under-utilized lay forces and resources of the churches to "take the whole Bible to the whole world." He believed that a life completely yielded to Christ was one in which service to Christ would be of paramount importance. A person controlled by the Holy Spirit has no choice but to be involved in bringing the Good News to others, either as an overseas missionary or as a missionary at home.

The founder was reluctant to establish churches, preferring to call together Christians with a vision to evangelize the world but who remained in their local churches. However, the Christ-centered emphasis in teaching and priority on missions made many people unwelcome in their denominations, causing them to form groups that for years were called "branches," not churches. By the mid-1970s, it became clear that the Alliance was a denomination in all but name, so with revised bylaws and constitution that reality was formalized in 1974.

What is the CM&A doing overseas?
Beginning in 1884, the CM&A gradually expanded from a five-member team in Congo to more than 1,100 missionaries in 49 nations and churches in 66 countries and territories. With emphasis on establishing churches among unreached people groups and responsive populations worldwide, the CM&A is involved also in many types of specialized missions such as communications, medical work, translation, and relief and development aid. While most workers come from the United States, others are supported by churches in Canada and other nations. Many of the overseas national churches belong to The Alliance World Fellowship, a fraternal group with 2.5 million members in over 40 nations.

What is the CM&A doing in the U.S.?
With churches in every state in the Union, the denomination totals about 350,000 believers in 2,200 churches. One quarter of these congregations is intercultural in character, attracting immigrants and minority groups with strong cultural heritages. Services are conducted each Sunday in 19 languages. Affiliated institutions include four colleges, a seminary, a publishing house, four retirement centers and two development/investment organizations.

(Return to top)


What can I expect when I visit New Hope?
New Hope Christian Fellowship has an extended family approach to ministry. We live in a transient community in an ever transient world, which means parents and grandparents often live in different cities than their children and grandchildren. New Hope tries to bridge that gap by offering families, single parent households, and singles a place where our people are committed to each other. This means young adults have access to mentors (kind of adopted parents and grandparents and older brothers and sisters) as needed as well as friends in similar life circumstances.

The worship service is contemporary in style and the dress is casual. But the worship experience is committed to a heartfelt time of praise and entering into God's presence. The messages are both biblically based and relevant to real life experiences. We have a time of fellowship in our Café Two42 after the worship service and then we offer several equipping classes that fit within our mission to "equip people of excellence to change the world."

We have a safe and loving place for young children in our nursery, but if you would rather have your young children with you during the service that is OK also.

(Return to top)


What is available for my children?
There are classes and activities for children of all ages. For a full explanation visit the children's portion of our site.

(Return to top)


How do I get to New Hope?
New Hope is located in Virginia Beach on Indian River Road, just before Lynnhaven Parkway. There is also a back entrance on Lynnhaven Parkway just south of Indian River Road. Visit our map page for a map and directions.

(Return to top)


What should I wear?
Our dress is casual but you will see a wide variety of modest clothes.

(Return to top)


What happens in the worship service?
The worship service lasts about 1.5 hours and is contemporary in style. The dress is casual. We sing praise and worship songs led by a worship team accompanied by keyboard, drums and at times other instruments. There are often times of prayer in small groups during the service and a sermon will be shared on a topic relevant to life experiences supported by biblical passages.

Our worship experience is committed to a heartfelt time of praise and entering into God's presence. The messages are both biblically based and relevant to real life experiences. We have a time of fellowship in our Café Two42 after the worship service and then we offer several equipping classes that fit within our mission to "equip people of excellence to change the world."

We have a safe and loving place for young children in our nursery, but if you would rather have your young children with you during the service that is OK also.

(Return to top)


What is Café Two42?
Café Two42 is our connection cafe where we go to connect with friends and family. There is free WiFi to connect to the internet. Students spend quality study time in the café with no pressure to leave after a cup of coffee or a soda. There are games and the latest magazines. Plans are underway for a 10 foot screen and Hi Def projector with super sound system for movies and sporting events. Café Two42 was named after Acts 2:42 - "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." You can learn more about Café Two42 on our Café Two42 page.

(Return to top)