A Sunday Morning on Cogswell Avenue
On a quiet street in Pell City, Alabama, New Hope Baptist Church opens its doors each Sunday morning to a community that calls itself, simply, "a community of followers who believe in the power of Jesus Christ to change lives." The church's tagline - "meet life's challenges with the power of Christ" - is printed next to its name throughout the building's printed bulletins, and the congregation takes it to heart. Two weekly gatherings form the rhythm of the church: Sunday morning worship at 10:15 AM and a Wednesday evening Bible study at 6:30 PM.
Life at New Hope starts earlier than the worship hour. At 9:00 AM on Sundays, Bible Study Groups meet across the campus. Some classes gather upstairs in the sanctuary, some in the Family Life Center, and others in the youth building, with each group working through books of the Bible and curriculum from Lifeway. By the time worship begins at 10:15, generations of the church family have already spent an hour in the Word together.
Finding New Hope as a First-Time Visitor
For anyone walking through the doors for the first time, the church's own description is candid: expect to be greeted but not embarrassed, included but not pointed out. Sunday worship is structured to focus the room on the God who loves us, moving through prayer, Scripture reading, music and singing, and preaching and teaching. The people gathered are described as "authentic people in pursuit of God just like you."
Sunday mornings stretch from 9:00 AM Bible study through the conclusion of the 10:15 AM service, with children's ministry running concurrently. Wednesday evenings bring another full slate, with the church's main Bible study hour beginning at 6:30 PM and children's programs (AWANA for kids and a preschool class) starting at 6:00 PM. The church livestreams its services on YouTube, so visitors and members can also join from home.
Those who want to follow up after a first visit can fill out a Connect Card on the church's website, and a separate form lists the most common next steps people ask about: how to become a Christian, baptism, becoming a member, finding a small group, and serving in the church.
A Discipleship Program for Every Age
One of the most distinctive features of New Hope is how thoroughly it has built its ministry around age-specific groups. The discipleship pathway the church describes moves from nursery and preschool through children's ministry, youth, young adults, adults, and "experienced adults."
Preschool and Children
The Preschool and Children's Ministry is led by Halie Whitmire, who joined the New Hope staff after years of serving in children's work since arriving at the church in 2015. The preschool class, for two- to five-year-olds, meets Sundays at 9:00 AM in the Sanctuary Nursery and Wednesdays at 6:00 PM. Ruth Pope leads the babies' nursery on the same schedule.
Children in first through sixth grades move up from the Family Life Center on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for graded Sunday School, then return on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM for the church's AWANA Club. The first and second grade class is led by Steven and Melissa; third and fourth grade by Kelli Whitten; and fifth and sixth grade by Wayne Smith, Greg Davis, and Cassie Padgett, with boys' RA and girls' GA groups. The preschool and children's programs cover children whose leaders have all completed and passed a background check.
On summer nights, Vacation Bible School takes over the campus. Lifeway's "Illumination Station" VBS runs from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM for grades K through 6, complete with a sound-track playlist shared on YouTube.
Youth (7th through 12th Grade)
Matthew Pope leads the youth ministry, which gathers in two weekly settings. On Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, students meet in the Family Life Center for Sunday School; on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM they move to the Youth Room. The ministry's stated goal is to help students "be the church RIGHT NOW" - sharing their faith, serving in ministry, and growing closer to Jesus through encountering His Word, worshiping together, and serving in His name.
Young Adults (College and Career)
For college students and young professionals, Chuck and Lorraine Hale teach a Sunday morning class at 9:00 AM in the Family Life Center. Every lesson is intentionally discussion-based, designed for direct interaction around everyday struggles and life challenges facing young adults today. The group also meets off campus on the first Sunday of each month as a small group, hosted by Greg and Pam Compton.
Adults
Adults at New Hope can choose from a roster of life groups. Dan Duke teaches the Middle Fish class upstairs; Dean Scott leads a men's Bible study on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM and co-teaches Faith Couples with his wife upstairs on Sundays. Pam Strickland oversees women's Bible study, Ray Wiggins leads New Beginnings, Johnny Gregg leads the Berea class, and Lanny P'Pool teaches the Moving On Up class. Some groups meet in both Sunday morning and Wednesday evening slots to reach different schedules.
Experienced Adults (Seniors)
New Hope's "experienced adults" ministry gathers around the conviction that long-time believers have much to give. The Sunday morning class, Moving On Up, meets at 9:00 AM. The J.O.Y. Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 AM for fellowship. The ministry's own description puts it this way: they "continue to grow in the Word and by serving others."
Living on Mission in Pell City and Beyond
New Hope names Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 as the biblical backbone of its mission: worship Christ, serve others, share the Gospel, and disciple believers, locally, regionally, and globally. The Missions ministry is structured around two tracks.
Locally, the church's Food Ministry engages in feeding the hungry of the community. New Hope supports and partners with other local agencies and ministries as gospel-promoting opportunities, and members are encouraged to serve regularly with those partners personally.
Globally, the church partners with church planters and international missionaries across North America and around the world. Short-term trips provide members the opportunity to live on mission alongside these missionaries as they plant churches.
Music, Worship, and Special Celebrations
Worship at New Hope centers on congregational singing. The Worship Team is led by Worship Leader Joseph Smith, who came to New Hope in the summer of 2022 along with his wife Rhonda after filling in each Sunday for nearly a year. A career musician who sang with The Booth Brothers, the Gaither Homecoming Tour, and The Mark Trammell Quartet for fifteen years before settling at New Hope, Joseph is a University of Montevallo graduate who also teaches voice and piano at the church. Worship Choir members join the band on Sunday mornings to draw the room into praise.
Worship at New Hope includes prayer, Scripture reading, mutual encouragement, preaching, teaching, and giving. Christmas and Easter celebrations are highlighted as two of the most meaningful services of the year - "a worship experience that exalts Jesus and stirs your heart to love Him deeply," the church writes.
What New Hope Believes
New Hope's doctrinal statement closely follows the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church affirms one true and living God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe; God the Son became incarnate as Jesus Christ - conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, now exalted at the Father's right hand as the one Mediator; and God the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, regenerates, and seals believers until the day of final redemption.
The Bible is held to be God's revelation to humanity, written by men divinely inspired, totally true and trustworthy, the supreme standard by which all human conduct and creeds are tried. The church's full doctrinal expression is found in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
The church's vision statement is to live out the Gospel locally, regionally, and globally. Its priority is to be a powerful church through prayer.
Serving, Giving, and Staying Connected
New Hope lays out four primary ways members serve: the Food Ministry, the Welcome Team, Building and Grounds, and the Worship Team. The church writes that "serving at your church allows others to feel God's love and reach their potential as you share your time, talents, and love."
Giving can be done online through the One Realm platform, dropped off in offering boxes at each entrance on Sunday morning, or mailed to the church office at 75 Cogswell Avenue. The Financial Office ensures faithful accounting and stewardship of contributions; an annual contribution statement is mailed to givers at the close of the calendar year.
To stay informed, members can join the church's text and email list, download the One Realm app, watch services on YouTube, or read the church bulletin and newsletter online.
A Note for First-Time Visitors
Sunday morning at 10:15 AM is the main worship gathering, with Bible Study Groups for every age starting at 9:00 AM. Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM bring Bible study for adults and youth, with children's AWANA and preschool at 6:00 PM. The nursery is staffed during all of these sessions. Services are held in English in the Sanctuary on the church's Pell City campus at 75 Cogswell Avenue, and visitors can expect a warm greeting, traditional Baptist worship with strong congregational singing, and Bible-centered preaching.
New Hope Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist congregation rooted in Pell City and reaching beyond it, committed to making disciples of every age through Bible study, worship, missions, and serving one another and its neighbors in Jesus's name.