Dear Hope Family,

As you read through this Annual Report, my prayer is simple: that you would pause for a moment and say, “I’m so glad I’m part of this church!” Not because everything has been easy or perfect, but because God has been unmistakably present, active, and faithful among us.

This past year has reminded us (again) that God often does His most meaningful work in ways we don’t expect. Sometimes through steady growth and celebration. Sometimes through quiet faithfulness that never makes headlines. And sometimes through moments that initially feel disruptive or even discouraging.

Many of you will remember the lightning strike that hit our campus last year. In an instant, plans were interrupted, systems failed, and what we thought was solid suddenly felt fragile. It wasn’t something we asked for. It wasn’t convenient. And yet, as time went on, it became clear that God was at work even there. What felt like a setback became an unexpected gift, and we were reminded (again) that our true foundation has never been a building, a system, or a plan, but the faithfulness of God Himself. That same theme has quietly played out in many stories throughout this year. Because again and again, we have seen God use unexpected hardships to bring about unexpected blessings.

As you read the stories that follow, from Kids Ministry and Youth, to Recovery, Missions, Special Needs, Adult Ministries, and beyond,
you’ll see this same theme woven throughout. You’ll read about lives being changed, faith being renewed, and people finding hope in Jesus right where they are. You’ll see numbers, details, and reports from our pastors that show careful stewardship. But more than that, you’ll read stories of real people encountering a real God.

This report isn’t about celebrating ourselves. It’s about bearing witness to what God is doing through a community of people who are imperfect, willing, and deeply dependent on Jesus. It’s about a church that keeps showing up, serving, loving, giving, praying, and trusting, even when the path forward isn’t always clear. (I’m so grateful I get to serve here at Hope!)

If you're new to Hope, I hope this report helps you see the heart of this church. If you’ve been here for years, I hope it reminds you that your presence, your prayers, and your faithfulness matter more than you realize. And if you’ve ever wondered whether God is still moving, still healing, still calling people to Himself, I believe this page answers that question with a resounding yes.

Thank you for being part of this story. Thank you for trusting God together. And thank you for leaning in to read more closely how He has been at work among us.

Peace,
Nick

Ministry updates for 2025

ADULT PROGRAMS

Adult Education

Pastors Naomi and Mark started in January of 2025 with our journey from Genesis to Revelation. One year in, we're five books down, and only 61 to go! We've built in more time for small group reading and discussion, and have been able to show many pictures, maps, and charts using a giant touch screen monitor that was donated by a Hopester (thanks!).

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that numbers are not everything. One of our Next Step classes, Faith Basics, tends to be a very small class, often with only a handful of people. But we continue to see that attendance numbers are only part of the story. Walking alongside people who are trying to figure out what they believe often leads to deep discussions that couldn't happen in large group settings. We've seen the fruit of this class each year on Baptism Sunday.

We also had a few Hopesters teach classes, including Corey Piper walking a group through 1 Peter. This is Corey’s second class taught at Hope. We also had David Wells co-teach a class this summer on Reading Prophetic Literature with over 50 people consistently attending the weekly class. Look for another class led by David starting this Feburary!

Browse all the adult groups.

Men of Hope

Our men have walked through various studies on Wednesday nights, and Thursday and Saturday mornings.

We hosted events for building connection which included our Chili and Cornbread Cookoff as well as Guns-n-Grub (notice the theme of food!).

A smaller group of men traveled to Colorado to summit a 14er (14,000 ft. mountain). A few of the guys made it to the top and they all had a great time experiencing God’s creation and building relationships.

Men of Hope page
Women of Hope serving at RMH

Women of Hope

In 2025 Women of Hope continued exploring our call to be disciples and to disciple others. Every event we plan is connected to one or more parts of Hope’s core mission: know Jesus, love Jesus, and be Jesus.

Many women learned more about Jesus and His word through Bible studies and mini-retreats, covering spiritual disciplines, specific books of the Bible, and theme-focused studies.

Women served a few times throughout the year by cooking meals and offering prayers for the families at Wichita’s Ronald McDonald House. Serving together also formed relationships.

Circle of Hope is our group for widows of all ages. They met monthly for lunch and a program or a special outing, building new friendships. In the Fall, the Circle of Hope volunteers hosted a retreat for the group.

And through our regular social events, women connected through shared meals, social outings to local attractions, and gatherings for crafts or games.

Women of Hope page.

Young Adult

Our Young Adult group has been growing! Crystal and David Atkins have faithfully led a Tuesday night Bible study this past year every other week (and in 2026, it will be every Tuesday!). The group did studies in the books of Job and James. We have done monthly hangouts and events as well with some highlights being Disco Bingo, Friendsgiving, Pickleball, and our Christmas Gingerbread House Contest.

Young Adults page.

Family Life

2025 was a full and encouraging year. Here’s a snapshot of what God has been doing among marriages, parents, and families across our church.

Strengthening Fathers. We piloted a Not Perfect Dads class in the spring and then launched a full 13-week version in the fall, co-lead by Pastor Shane and Rod DeKonig. The tone was honest and practical. Watching dads take real steps at home and build meaningful connections with one another was one of the highlights of the year.

Investing in Strong Marriages. We trained 10 couples to step into marriage discipling so they can walk helpfully with other couples.
In addition, we piloted a few re|engage marriage small groups. The fruit has been so encouraging that we're multiplying the groups in 2026, allowing marriage care and growth to continue spreading throughout the church.

Equipping Parents for Discipleship at Home. We hosted multiple groups of parents focused on developing spiritual habits in the home, practices that are realistic, grace-filled, and sustainable.

Faith Through Shared Experiences. One of the most memorable times this year came when Joe Hepburn brought men and their kids together to rebuild engines. What began as a hands-on project turned into powerful moments of bonding, learning, and shared accomplishment - a reminder that discipleship often happens best shoulder-to-shoulder, through time, attention, and shared purpose.

Celebrating Marriage. We hosted our first annual Marriage Date Night, welcoming over 50 couples for an evening of food, laughter, and connection. Couples met others from across the church, enjoyed lighthearted fun, and were reminded that marriage is worth celebrating, not just fixing.

Supporting Foster & Adopt Families: Our Foster/Adopt Parent Ministry continues to be a place of encouragement and support for families walking unique and sometimes difficult paths. Matt and Trisha Thomison faithfully lead this effort, and we're grateful for the way this ministry reflects God’s heart for children and families.

Foundations for Newly Married Couples: Greg and Sharon McCoy led Foundations, a year-long class for newly married couples navigating the challenges of the first three years of marriage. This group helped couples grow deeper with one another and with other couples as they shared life honestly together.

We’re grateful for what God has done this year and excited for what’s ahead.

Email Shane, Family Life Pastor.

Missions

In 2025 it was fun for the Missions Team to see God at work all around the world!

Ecuador. We helped set up a new TUMI site in our fifth country — Ecuador. Six students finished Fight The Good Fight of the Faith, the 9-week TUMI program. They'll continue the Capstone program in 2026. God is moving in Ecuador!

Lebanon. Ride4Refugees raised money for "Heart for Lebanon." (See next entry.)

Uganda. I was able to accompany Paul Ford to Uganda this Spring for the dedication of the Julie Ford building, part of the Barnack High School campus. Paul has been a long-time Hope missions partner, and to help celebrate this dedication to his late wife was very special. While in Uganda, I also got to visit Sarah's Love and see the work that ministry is doing, reaching children with education, food, and God's love. God is moving in Uganda!

Andover - and Spain. In 2026, we'll start an official TUMI satellite right here at Hope Community Church and re-establish a site in Madrid Spain.

The Amazon - and beyond. We'll go visit the Spicers in the Amazon in June and are looking for other trip opportunities for Hopesters to jump in.

God is moving in Andover, Kansas, the US, and around the globe! If you'd like to be a part, please reach out to me via email.
Email Charlie, Missions Pastor

Ride4Refugees

There are approximately 43 million refugees in the world now. People just like our families, you and me, who find themselves abandoned, forgotten, poor, without proper shelter and care, many through no fault of their own. To demonstrate to them the love of Jesus, 90% of the support R4R raised in 2025 went to our longtime trusted partner Heart for Lebanon. The other 10% was given locally.

We made some changes in 2025 to keep things more sustainable, enable more people to be involved, and to enlist the participation and community of other churches. We also added our first two women’s teams. While this event was still epic, we shortened the time needed from a week to only a weekend, so we could involve more riders and crew and other churches to help expand this vision.

It worked! On September 20-21, we had eight teams (four riders and four crew each) from three churches who continuously rode the 415 miles from West to East across Kansas. A total of $60,500 was generously given. Yay God!

ride4refugees.com

Recovery & Support

In 2025 God worked powerfully through our Recovery ministries. Each ministry, in its own mission, points people to Jesus, the only place where true healing can be found.

Alcoholics AnonymousOpen meeting.

Celebrate Recovery met throughout the year providing a safe place for ALL in recovery, pointing people to Jesus through teaching, testimonies, and worship. Those who want to do deeper work may join our Step Studies, a 12-step study in a small, confidential group. Twenty people completed this process in 2025!

Circle of Hope Widows group. For women of all ages who've lost a spouse. The ladies met monthly for lunch and a program, and once for a special retreat.

Faithful and True is a men’s group with grace-focused support for sexual purity, with guys who have been there. Men found acceptance and healing.

Finding Hope provides a safe space for those with loved ones with addiction. This group met and prayed for each other while sharing the challenges they face.

GriefShare gave men and women a place to share their loss, and 24 people completed the 14-week session. In the Fall, we added a group specifically for widows.

316HOPE

We launched 316Hope in 2025 as a way for Hopesters to connect directly with underresourced people in our community and organizations currently serving that population. We chose four community partners to begin this new ministry: Simply Hygiene, The Andover Community Food Bank, Redeemer Food Bank, and BridgesICT.

Early in 2025 we participated in Simply Hygiene's launch of a program to provide diapers and wipes to community members by hosting a diaper drive.

In partnership with Redeemer Food Bank we helped increase the number of people they serve by 30%, and we did an extra drive in December, allowing them to give an extra bag of food to each community household served.

Partnering with BridgesICT, we supported two Getting Ahead classes, seeing 18 investigators graduate from the classes. Over 100 people helped provide meals for our Getting Ahead classes, and over 100 people brought gifts at Christmas.

During the Christmas season, we partnered with the Andover Community Food Bank through Andover Caring and Sharing, providing gifts and Christmas dinners to families in the Andover Area.

It's honestly impossible to count the number of Hopesters who pitched in and connected through this new ministry. There were the hundreds who helped with Getting Ahead classes, the people who regularly bring food for collection in the Hub, and the Hopesters who provided diapers and wipes for Simply Hygiene. And all those who helped make Christmas a little more joyful for many families.

This year was a huge learning year for this new ministry. I'm so thankful for how Hopesters choose to love and care for the people in our community who lack physical resources. I'm truly looking forward to the growth that God brings us in 2026.

Sign up to learn more about 316HOPE.

STUDENT MINISTRIES

Middle School

What a year the Middle School Youth had in 2025! A year full of fun, fellowship, and most importantly, growth in our relationships with Jesus.

We packed the Bison Room on a regular basis on Sundays and Wednesdays, and had record numbers for events like The Big Chill and CIY MIX Camp.

Between the amazing volunteers who pour into our students, and the students' eagerness to grow, it's a blast watching what God is doing in our group. Here's to bringing students closer to Jesus in 2026!

Middle School page

High School

We kicked off 2025 with 97 students attending The Rush winter retreat, where they learned that God wants every part of our lives to be an act of worship to Him.

Fun community events helped students welcome friends who don't yet know Jesus. Students stepped up to lead on Sundays and Wednesdays through Bible study, worship, and loving others well. The highlight was seeing five students baptized in 2025, publicly declaring their faith in Jesus—Yay God!

And finally, we transitioned the leadership of the ministry to Josh Montgomery, our new High School Youth Pastor. I'm so excited to see how God uses Josh for the years to come!
- Ben Griffis

Even in just a few short months, I've seen God move so much in the High School ministry here at Hope. I've seen students show up every Wednesday and Sunday and have such a desire to learn more about Jesus! We wrapped up the Fall semester with almost 100 students and 20 leaders gathering to have ton of fun together. I'm super excited for the future of the High School ministry here at Hope!
- Josh

High School page



KIDS' MINISTRIES

Kids of Hope

Kids of Hope experienced a joyful and fruitful year in 2025, marked by spiritual growth and intentional discipleship. Our Sunday School ministry remains a place where children discover their identity within God’s grand redemptive story through a Bible-centered, relationship-based approach. Throughout the year, children were grounded in these foundational truths of faith:
  • I am known by God (Psalm 139:13–14)
  • I am loved by Jesus (John 13:34–35)
  • I am led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14–15a)
  • I am a child of God (1 Peter 2:9)

This year, we also introduced family-focused events designed to strengthen faith through relationships with parents. Our first Mother–Son outing, hosted on a farm, provided a meaningful opportunity for fellowship and fun, while equipping mothers to intentionally pray with their children and nurture their spiritual growth.  We plan to create more parent/child events in 2026.

Another new launch was Milestone Classes for kids and their parents, offering classes on baptism, communion, and salvation; helping families understand and celebrate these significant steps of faith. More classes to come this year!

During Vacation Bible School, children embarked on an Alaskan adventure where they discovered Jesus as their faithful “True North.” The Bible came alive as children explored Jesus’ miracles, parables, crucifixion, and resurrection. They learned that Jesus Christ is our unchanging guide, faithfully leading us through this wild life.

Kids of Hope page

Kids Day Out & Preschool

Both these ministries not only reach little ones with the love of Jesus, they're also a community outreach. Local families find us while looking for a quality, affordable kids day out or preschool, and many come back as a family to learn more about Jesus on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. And grandparents visit for the special events!

Kids Day Out at Hope. In summer 2025 we had the privilege of bringing 75 kids ages 3mo through 3rd grade into our building for a 7-week program. We look forward to summer because we see new families we don’t see through the typical school year!

Our 2025-2026 school-year session has 45 kids enrolled. This is such a special time for us to love and teach these children about Jesus every week. My favorite part about our program is watching families start to attend Hope because they know it's a safe space for their children.

Kids Day at Hope page 

Bullfrogs & Butterflies Preschool. It's been another amazing year of teaching our students and connecting with their families! We have 52 students attending this year, and 28 of them are non-Hopesters.

The Bullfrogs and Butterflies Preschool began operating in January of 1989, so as of this month, we're starting our 37th year serving as an outreach to the Andover community. Yay, God!

Bullfrogs & Butterflies Preschool page

Special Needs

Wings of Hope continues to grow through God’s faithfulness and grace!

Nurturing special needs kids. In addition to our special needs spaces on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, each month, we host a respite night providing a safe, joyful, and nurturing environment for kids, while offering parents a time of rest and renewal. These evenings are an expression of Christ’s love, serving families with compassion and care.  

Serving with teens and adults. In partnership with three other churches, we also host monthly service projects that unite teens and adults in meaningful service to our community. Participants grow in their understanding of Christ-centered service, learn about the needs of those around them, and strengthen relationships with one another.

Connecting and supporting parents. Our parent group serves as a supportive and faith-filled community where parents of children with special needs can find encouragement, spiritual growth, and deeper connection in Jesus Christ.

Wings of Hope is a testament to God’s work through His people and a blessing to all who are involved.

Wings of Hope page

Finance Report 2025

Original 2025 Budget - $2,239,540
Total 2025 Giving - $2,687,273
Number of individuals/families participating – 796
Additional Funds for Local Outreach - $26,873
Additional Funds for Refugees - $60,479
 
2026 Budget - $2,477,918
% increase over 2025 – 10.6%