Posted on: Saturday, May 26, 2001

Where We Worship
New Hope Christian Fellowship believes church is a 'team effort'

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

• Name of church: New Hope Christian Fellowship O'ahu

• Our denomination or affiliation: Foursquare Gospel, based in Los Angeles

• Where we are: The administrative office is at 290 Sand Island Access Road. The church services are held at various locations. About 6,500 gather for Sunday service at the Farrington High School auditorium. An additional 1,500 members view the service via video simulcast at the office facility in Sand Island as well as the Farrington High gymnasium.

• Our numbers: 8,000 on average attending each Sunday

• Our pastor: Wayne Cordeiro, senior pastor

• What we believe (our purpose statement): "To present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that turns non-Christians into converts, converts into disciples, and disciples into mature, fruitful leaders who will in turn go into the world and reach others for Christ."

• Our history: Cordeiro began planting New Hope churches in the state in 1984, with the first one in Hilo. New Hope Christian Fellowship O'ahu was established in 1995 by Cordeiro, and services were first held at Stevenson Intermediate School in Makiki. Cordeiro said that the church's location moved each time the congregation outgrew their facility. They have used 42 different locations, including the Stan Sheriff Center, Pacific Beach Hotel and Moanalua High School. Members have been gathering at Farrington High for the past two years.

New Hope International, a close-knit network of ministry leaders, was founded by Cordeiro last year. The administrative office of the international organization is based in the same facility on Sand Island Access Road. NHI has planted and oversees 36 churches worldwide, including New Hope Christian Fellowship O'ahu, more than a dozen churches statewide and churches in Finland, Myanmar, China, the Philippines and Japan.

• What we're excited about: Cordeiro said that one of the events members are looking forward to is the church's sixth anniversary on Sept. 10.

"But the events that we like most is what happens every weekend," he said. "It's not like we build up to something and then kind of swoop back into the next event. It's every week, we just love what's going on. So we see every Sunday and Saturday — I mean, that's where 8,000 people come together every weekend ... as the highlight of our week and our ministry."

• What's special about us: New Hope Christian Fellowship O'ahu is one of the largest churches in the state. Cordeiro said that one thing that stands out about the church is a belief in what members call "Doing Church As a Team."

"What we really believe the Bible says is that everyone has a dream and everyone has a gift of what they can be for God, and we believe that the church becomes what God created it to be when everybody is involved," Cordeiro said. "It's not a spectator thing, it's a participatory thing.

"We have so many volunteers," Cordeiro continued with a smile. "If it weren't for our volunteers, we would not be able to have church. They're just some of the best volunteers, and they're so committed."

• Contact: Call 842-4242, e- mail info@enewhope.org or visit www.eNewhope.org

If you would like to recommend your church, temple or faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 535-8174 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.