30th Anniversary · Member Stories
Six members of New Hope sit down on camera and tell what God has done in their lives through this church. Recorded in 2022, marking thirty years since the merger that brought Ashbrook Church of Fresno and the original New Hope Community Church together at the Clovis campus.
"For many years, we've been using the phrase 'make a difference.' And we try to do that through all the ministries that we have here at New Hope."
"People here at this church intentionally found me, intentionally accepted me, intentionally looked past my misgivings, intentionally adopted me, believed in me, and put me to work."
A New Hope family began secretly leaving groceries on Robert's doorstep when his dad was incarcerated and his mom was working. His mom followed someone home to find the church. Fifteen years later, he's still here.
"I'll never forget. I know exactly where I was sitting the day Pastor Tim gave a message about: are you going to live safe, or brave?"
Sent out from New Hope in 2010, first to Colombia and now to Uganda, where they run the New Life Ministry Center, training over 100 pastors at a time and running a one-year skills program for vulnerable dropout girls.
"There's a feeling of comfort and belonging. People came because when they came here they felt good. People were friendly and they felt like they belonged here."
Glenn and his wife Janet were Ashbrook members. They walked through the doors of New Hope on October 18, 1992, with the rest of the Ashbrook congregation, and never left.
"I look back over the years of my life. It's New Hope and my place at New Hope. I can't separate the years of my life from that point to now without New Hope in it."
Korrie walked into the youth group right before her 17th birthday in the middle of a spiritual crisis. The youth leaders, the youth pastor, and Pastor Tim saw her. She grew up here.
"New Hope is my home. It's a place where I have grown up and the place where the people who love me live."
Rich and Regina started attending Ashbrook in 1982 and came over in the merger. He served on the pastoral team continuously until January 2023, and now teaches the 9:30 Adult Sunday School class.
"I don't think I've ever been in a church where the teachings were so prominent and the growth of individual Christians was so central."
Marc and his wife Charlotte came back to church in late 2015 after years away. The teaching, the Bible studies, and the breadth of ministry at New Hope (Celebrate Recovery, GriefShare, kids, the new Barn) changed how they live.
Want the institutional story?
These are the human stories. The dates, the buildings, the merger, the pastors, the dedication video from 1980 and the sanctuary construction footage all live on the history page.
