THE HOPE UNITED KINGDOM JOURNEY
It all started on Thursday, 22nd May 1998 when Kim and I landed in the Heathrow Airport, London. We wasted no time and had our first fellowship on Sunday, 25th May in our small living room in North London. We were 4 people at that meeting [Pic. 1].
Hope London video
After a few months of meeting at home, we held our first public meeting at London City YMCA on Sunday, 2nd August [Pic. 2]. 12 people and a dog joined the 1st celebration service [Pic. 3].
The Hope UK journey, like all church pioneering work, was never plain sailing. Church attendance was more erratic than the Financial Times Stock Exchange indices, a roller coaster experience that is both exhilarating and frightening.
Gradually, home groups cropped up in different parts of London, to cater for the spread of our people in this vast metropolitan.
[Hope London church anniversary]
In 2001, another small fellowship started in Leeds, a city in Northern England, a 3-hours journey from London.
A group of mainly nurses in Ealing, W London was growing in size. So instead of them having to travel about one hour by car to Central London for Sunday service, they were encouraged to start their own service in W London. Indeed, the first service started in 2005.
A few years ago, a group of students studying in the University of Hertfordshire to the north of London decided to start a fellowship.
Students came and went, but a few faithful persevered to keep the fellowship alive despite of low attendance. Then, about a year ago, God opened a door for them to have access to the use of the University Chaplaincy. God also brought many overseas students to join the fellowship. They became the fastest growing group in the UK!
[Hope Hatfield church anniversary]
Now, in the UK, we are 4 churches – one in Leeds and 3 in London (North, West and Central).
The average Sunday attendance totals over 300 people, roughly evenly shared by the 4 churches. This year, they respectively celebrated their 8th, 1st, 4th and 11th Anniversary.
[Hope Leeds church anniversary]
Together, they took the overall attendance to over 500 people. The Anniversaries were truly a time of thanks-giving to our great God and His faithfulness!
Besides the 4 churches, we also have fellowship in major cities including Birmingham, Nottingham and Southampton, where students are reaching out to fellow students in their campuses. The aim is to pioneer in many other cities principally through the student ministry.
[Hope Ealing church]
The Hope UK journey had a very humble beginning. Kim and I are indebted to the numerous brethrens who have joined at different time to partake in the Great Commission in the UK. By God’s grace, we will soldier on to saturate the United Kingdom with Biblical and vibrant churches up to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Your brother,
Pastor Pk Tse
London, United Kingdom
