Greater Hopewell Baptist Church is a purpose-driven church; we are not meeting just to be meeting, we are not singing just to be singing, we are not preaching and teaching just to be preaching and teaching.

It is with great intentionality and great purpose

We have a goal that we are marching toward; that goal is the vision statement that the Lord Himself gave around November of 2010.

That Greater Hopewell in order to be the most effective church in drawing people to Christ, we would have to show people Christ in us. The Bible calls this spiritual maturity.

If Greater Hopewell is going to be all that she can be to maximize God’s plan to save sinners from a burning hell, and to lead saved folks to become spiritually mature. 

Personal ambition, to lift ourselves to receive glory from people, is not why God saved us; we are saved to become like His Son, Jesus.

As long as it is about us, it cannot be about God.

Every member needs to know where we are going and how we are going to get there.

Our vision, a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard, is where we are going.

We are going get there by obeying the great commandment found in Matt. 22:37-40 and the great commission found in Matt. 28:18-40.

The Great Commandment

“Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." 38, “This is the first and great commandment." 39, And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.", Matthew 22:37-40

Two principles of growth to enable us to become a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard.

1. Worship 2. Ministry

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" 20, “ Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Three principles of growth to enable us to become a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard.

1. Evangelism 2. Fellowship 3. Discipleship

Our theme for 2026 is “Living the best in Christ through obeying God’s word.

We are to obey every commandment God gave from Genesis to Revelation; however, our focus is obeying the great commandment and great commission to enable us to reach our God-given goal, “A spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard.
  
It is imperative and of the utmost importance that every member, including our childre,n understand where we are going and how we are going to get there.
 

A Spiritual church where Christ is seen and heard.

1. Obeying God’s commandment to worship Him.

2. Obeying God’s commandment to ministry

3. Obeying God’s commandment to evangelize

4. Obeying God’s commandment to fellowship

5. Obeying God’s commandment to discipleship

Obeying God’s word is how God grows us to be who he made us to be and to do.

Obeying God’s word is when God is the supreme ruler of our lives. 

Obeying God’s word results in living the best life in Christ

1. Obey God’s commandment to worship Him- vs. 37-38

    “Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

1. Worshipping God is to be the top priority in our lives.

• This is the first and great commandment.

2. The greatest commandment to obey is worshipping God.

• Heb. 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much more as we see the day approaching.”

• God warns us if we are going to live the best life, don’t forsake worshiping me

  • It is a great sin not to develop a habit of worship

  • Israel had it right, Acts, the 3rd chapter, Peter and John went up to the temple at the hour of prayer, three times a day.

3. Worship is the greatest commandment because God does his greatest work through worship.

• Our ancestors said it like this: I went into the valley, one day to pray, my soul got happy, and I stayed all day.

Worship is when the Holy Spirit connects with our spirit and fills us with God Himself.

Worship is when the Light from heaven shines into our darkness and lights up our lives.

Worship is where God turns your situation around.

• Turn your midnight into day

• Turn your sorrow into joy

Isa. 61:3 says he will give beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

4. Then God tells us how to Worship Him.

• Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.

• Worship must be wholehearted worship enables us to live the best life in Christ.

The old church would say 99 and a half just won’t do, I am running to make a hundred. 

Milton Biggham says is your all on the altar.

Obeying God’s commandment to worship is living the best life, and we will become a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard!