Hope Community Church is a vision that is becoming reality.
After numerous ministry leadership roles, Pastor Terry Ciona sought God’s next call for his life. In February of 2001, after serving in various capacities at City Centre Baptist Church, Terry drafted a proposal to the leadership team of City Centre regarding the starting of a ‘daughter church.’ After months of research and preparation, the leadership team of City Centre endorsed the idea of a church plant with Terry as the team leader.
At the same time, other Baptist churches within the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in the Mississauga area united and endorsed the premise of a Mississauga West Church Plant. The blessing and commissioning of the Mississauga West Church Plant under the leadership of City Centre Baptist Church took place in May of 2001.
By late summer of 2001, under the direction of the Mississauga West Church Plant steering team, City Centre began a fundraising campaign of $50 000 for the start up of this new church.
The steering team began to develop an identity for the new church and by August 2001, Hope Community Church had been conceived.
Through the fall and winter of 2001, launch team recruitment through information nights and special events began. By January of 2002, City Centre alone had raised over $57 000 for Hope Community Church. The partnership in financial gifts from other churches added to this number and allowed for the financing of one of Mississauga’s largest new church campaigns.
In January and February of 2002, using the phone, over 35 000 homes were personally called. People were invited to receive information about Mississauga’s newest church. Sunday, February 3, 2002 saw the first worship service for Hope Community Church take place in the gym of City Centre Baptist Church. There were 30 people present for this first service. After meeting in the gym at City Centre for the month of February, Hope Community Church moved to its present meeting location in Castlebridge Public School on March 3, 2002.
The grand public opening for Hope Community Church was on March 24, 2002.
Since that time, Hope has grown both in depth and breadth. Multiple midweek life groups meet throughout the city serving as a wonderful connection points for the folk at Hope.
Hope is involved in sharing God’s love both locally and globally. Locally in Mississauga, Hope partners with The Dam and The Open Door drop in Centre in Square One with clothing and foodbank drives, and well as giving financial and other assistance to those who have gone through difficult personal and economic chapters in their lives. Globally, Hope Community Church is in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse and Asian Access in Japan.