Hey,
here are some thoughts I had about our visit to the 25th anniversary of New Hope Church.
- No pastor i’ve ever met prays like Chuck Farina. The man prays like all the time. We had daily staff prayer from 8:30-9:30 M-Th, and Saturdays at 6pm. Sadly that can not be said of many pastors or churches…so when a church says “our staff prays every Tuesday for you!” I’m like that’s a good start…but every day should be the norm.
- Same with Fasting. We had corporate fasts ALL THE TIME. Every January, every August, and twice a year around our Freedom Weekend events. Once, I was checking out at Target down the street, and I invited the cashier to church. She said, “Oh, i’ve heard of that church! aren’t ya’lll the ones that are always fasting?!” Prayer + Fasting makes the difference.
- New Hope was built on faith and miracles. BUT the biggest miracle of that church, heck of any church, is NOT the building…it’s the people. We should make much of the stories of people saved, healed, marriages restored, mental health healed, and baptized in the spirit. The best stories out of New Hope’s 25 years are not those of desks and buildings… they’re the PEOPLE.
- New Hope pioneers citywide connections and movements outside of not only their own church, but denomination as well. I have not seen anyone lead cross-denomination, real connections in the Kingdom in the way Chuck Farina does. I believe that directly ties into his longevity and success.