Darlington District MWiB Project 2024-2025 Hope Church East Cleveland
Darlington District MWiB Project 2024-2025 Hope Church East Cleveland
Hope Church East Cleveland is a lively church family where the door is open to all. Children and young people of all ages are very welcome to all its groups:
- Messy Mondays 1pm for 0-4s, exploring faith through messy play
- Toddler Thursdays 10am, a drop-in toddler group;
- Blast youth 6pm on Fridays for 5-9 years followed by Ignite and Blaze for 10-16 years;
- 1st Loftus Rainbows, Brownies, Guides & Rangers from 5pm on Wednesdays for girls 4-18 years;
Holiday clubs and special seasonal events for children, young people & adults as publicised, as well as regular adult groups that welcome all-comers: e.g. Tuesday Small Groups from 10.15am for informal chat and fellowship around faith, Here to Help sessions with support and advice on housing, benefits and other social issues as well as a home educated families support group and a fortnightly Wednesday Wellbeing Walk.
Not to forget regular worship, of course, including Forest Church once a month.
The Community Grocery is a low-cost shop, costing £2 per basket, open to the community and their way of supporting households where you can also grab a brew and there is always someone at hand to chat. This runs alongside the warm space, where company, conversation and free refreshments are on offer most weekdays.
Worship takes place on a Saturday, which is lively, creative and welcoming for all the family with a variety of speakers, contemporary worship and prayer, alongside time to build connections and relationships.
As a church it connects with the community and also takes part in community events and the venue is available to hire. During the week they work alongside local schools such as St Joseph's RC primary school.
As part of circuit worship challenge Hope Church decided to take their worship outside – the start of a monthly Forest Church pilot from the first Sunday in March that allowed people to notice God in the environment around them, encourage nature to flourish by making some bird feeders, and to join in reflection and prayer around the campfire.
On Friday evening 16th May the Rev Helen Cameron visited the Hope Youth Group where she was welcomed at the start of her Presidential weekend in the Circuit.
To date Darlington District MWiB has raised more than £1,000 for Hope Church which is being used e.g. during their Advent Narnia event to provide each child who experienced going through the Wardrobe Door into Narnia with a new Nativity Story book to take home along with other Christmas treats.
Pamela Stenson
Darlington District President & Ambassador