Free pizza on Saturday nights and donuts and fruit cups on Sundays help build a family environment and draw people, who may not be able to pay for a meal, from the economically diverse community.
“We call ourselves a church family, and people take chores seriously,” Liston says.
With a lean staff of nine pastors, 30 full-time and 30 part-time staff, the church places value on its 2,000 volunteers by providing them with a T-shirt that says ‘volunteer’ and the year of service, a badge of courage that often appears on volunteers for years to come.
Marketing is in the hands of church members who use social media to post photo opportunities that the church creates in its lobby using a backdrop with its church logo and props from race cars, alligators and Toro, the Houston Texans mascot.
“We have to give them something to take pictures of that they are proud of, and it will appear on Facebook in five minutes,” Liston says.
A survey from a few years ago found that more than 60 percent of new attendees had not attended church in the two years prior to coming to New Hope. In the first eight months of 2013, 400 people were baptized.
In addition to its main 288 Campus, the church completed a Haiti Campus in July and was scheduled to complete its Alvin Campus in September. Meanwhile, circumstances allowed the purchase of the entire East Campus building for only $76 more per month than the monthly rent payment. The church went from leasing 26,000 square feet to owning 70,000 square feet for $76 more per month.
Palm Sunday 2014 will mark New Hope’s 25th anniversary. As part of its 20/20 vision, plans include a new campus in three years and possible mergers to breathe life into struggling churches.
“God continues to bless us because of the willingness of the church to make tough choices that will ultimately bring growth,” Liston says. “Once we accept that pain and discomfort are part of growth process, then we can make a tough decision whether to relocate, let go of a staff member or go through a stewardship campaign. When we take hits, it puts us in good place for God to bless us.”
NEW HOPE CHURCH Manvel, Texas
Lead Pastor: Tim Liston
Twitter: @Tim_Liston
Website: NewHopeChurch.tv
Founded: 1989
Affiliation: Independent Christian
Locations: 2
Attendance: 5,686
Growth in 2012: +545 (11%)
Fastest-Growing: 84
