HOPE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Finding a new church is difficult, and we want to answer some of the basic questions you might have, so that you can learn who we are and what we are about. The information below is a précis of the more detailed information that can found at www.methodist.org.uk.

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Are Methodists Christians?

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Yes – we follow the Christian tradition and have our historical roots in the Anglican Church. We believe in God, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

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What is distinctive about Methodism?

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Methodists believe that everyone is loved by God as much as everyone else, regardless of background, or personal history. All can be saved.

Much of our worship revolves around signing; singing in an understandable language was something that at the time of Methodism’s inception was not commonplace. Music has an important place in our worship.

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Another feature is the focus on lay leadership; the word “lay” meaning someone who holds a role within the church, but has not been Ordained. Many of our services are taken by “local preachers”, who are not ordained by the church,  but are trained by the Methodist church to be preachers. We also have trained worship leaders who share and assist with leading the services.  

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As a church we feel strongly on issues of social justice. The Methodist Church is very much a “people’s church” with control over the direction and leadership of each individual church held locally.

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Does everyone at Hope have to agree on doctrine?

No! We don’t enforce a particular doctrine, feeling instead that the differing viewpoints enrich our church life and lead to greater understanding. There are some very varied viewpoints within the church and we have some great discussions.

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What can I expect on a Sunday at Hope?

Our Sunday services are varied; sometimes we stick to a more traditional form of worship, with litany and a full sermon, but at other times we will use the less formal “Café Worship”. This involves sitting in groups around tables instead of in rows, with tea and cake on tap, with more time for discussion. The constant is singing; we sing a mixture of traditional hymns and more modern worship songs. We have a live music worship group.

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We welcome families, and have a children’s group for our younger members during the service, although they are welcome to stay if they prefer. 

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The service lasts about an hour, and is followed by tea, coffee, cake and biscuits.

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Twice a year we also hold a weekday service which is a joint service for all of our uniform groups. All are welcome to these lively evening services. We'll publish times for these in our Events section.

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Who can take part in Communion?

Our Communion table is open to all, including children.

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Is your church accessible for those with disabilities?

Our church is all on one level and so is fully wheelchair accessible. We have an induction loop for hearing aids. Any hymns or prayers we use are projected onto a large overhead screen, but we do have a print copy available. Our church is working to be dementia friendly with all of our stewards and staff being trained Dementia Friends.

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If you have any particular needs or concerns, please do get in touch and we’ll do everything we can to support you.

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What is your stance on LGBT+?

The stance of the Methodist Church can be found in full on the official website but this is the short version:  no-one is excluded from membership or ministry due to sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Everyone is welcome here at Hope. As far as we are concerned, your orientation or gender identity is unimportant compared with who you are as a person, your experience, and talents.

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We want to see reform and when asked by the Methodist Church of Great Britain we voted for a review of the marriage rules within the Methodist church.

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What is your stance on other faiths?

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We seek a peaceful co-existence with our neighbours, regardless of faith or lack thereof.  We will not tolerate racism or prejudice of any description.