Hope Community Church, Mount Joy PA

My family and I have been looking for a church to call home. A place where we can worship, receive sound biblical teaching, and fellowship with other believers. I have visited this church 3 times now (technically 4). The message is good and the music is decent.

The vision statement of this church is “internally strong and externally focused. ” They have definitely put some effort and thought into their logo which is memorable. However, this is where I experience a dissonance of mission statement to actions.

As previously stated, the message is good and has been sound. The worship is decent. However, the fellowship aspect has come across somewhat disingenuous and superficial to a visitor such as myself. In the 3 (4) times I have attended a service, I had two total interactions. 1 conversation/ exchange took place with a gentleman my wife and kids already knew (this exchange actually took place at an event the church was hosting and not the actual service. Hence my parenthetical 4th visit). The other interaction was with one of the pastors. He greeted me and had a very brief exchange of pleasantries. All said, I did no feel unwelcome but certainly did not feel welcome either. I was just there and no one cared if they had seen a new face. If a place to call your church family and home is what you seek, my experience tells me the apathy towards visitors is a sign to keep moving and looking elsewhere.