about
about
Our Main Mission
We are on a mission to bring the hope of Jesus to Santa Cruz by loving strangers until they become like family.
After all, isn't this what Jesus has done for us?
"... [You] are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family." Ephesians 2:19
To read more about how Jesus's ministry is about the stranger becoming family, check out this blog post (coming soon).
Values
A JESUS COMMUNITY
At New Hope Santa Cruz, we place Jesus at the center of it all. We are not a progressive community nor a conservative community, instead we are a Jesus Community.
Interested in knowing what this means?
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Come join us!
We are located 1275 30th Ave, Santa Cruz, California 95062, right in the heart of the Live Oak neighborhood. We gather at 10:00 AM every Sunday for Service and 6:00 PM every Thursday for Family Night. We welcome you to attend either as your first time with us!
At Newhope Santa Cruz Church, we believe our gatherings should reflect the humble quality of God's kingdom. And, in many ways, we have stumbled upon this by accident. For here, we are not the most educated. We do not have vast resources. Our pastors are bi-vocational, earning their living outside the church. Our services are simple, our music unimpressive, our building worn, our carpets stained, our meals home-cooked, and our events modest.
Yet, we consider this a blessing. It allows the Gospel to shine without distraction. We believe in a community so radically shaped by Christ that it becomes the only "growth strategy" we need. We are an unpolished, imperfect, rag tag, band of misfits—and that makes us a welcoming home for others who feel unpolished, imperfect, or often cast aside.
The apostle Paul described believers as "jars of clay" (2 Corinthians 4) —fragile, common, easily broken vessels that nonetheless carry the treasure of the Gospel. We embrace our cracks and imperfections, knowing that, like Jesus, we bear the marks of suffering and a humble posture. For Jesus, did not trade in his scars, but bears these humble marks today.
To read further about what is means to be a Humble People, read this blog post by us.
We have also put together this Spotify Playlist that encourages in the ways of what is means to be a Humble People:
At Newhope Santa Cruz Church, we believe the good news of Jesus is too great to keep to ourselves. We are a people called to herald—to proclaim, to embody, to carry the message of Christ into every corner of our lives. But this does not mean simply standing on street corners with megaphones or forcing belief upon unwilling ears. Instead, it means living in such a way that the good news can be heard, tasted & seen.
We herald Christ when we serve without expectation, when we love without condition, and when our words and actions speak of a hope that is not our own. We do not need polished speeches or perfect arguments. The Gospel is best declared through humility—through shared meals, open homes, and a love that moves toward the hurting and the lonely.
We also believe this call extends beyond our own city. As a church, we value and support those who take the Gospel to places we cannot go—missionaries who bring the good news to the ends of the earth. We partner with them in prayer, in generosity, and in shared mission, knowing that the story of Jesus is for all people, in all places.
The prophet Isaiah declared, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news” (Isaiah 52:7). This is our calling.
To read further about what it means to be a Heralding People, read this blog post by us.
We have also put together this Spotify Playlist that encourages us in the ways of what it means to be a Heralding People:
At Newhope Santa Cruz Church, we love to celebrate. We cherish the fellowship, the joy, and the laughter that come when we gather together and throw a party. We believe that this rhythm of rejoicing is one Jesus invites us to embrace—not as people marked by despair, but as those to whom hope has come!
This does not mean blind optimism or a refusal to mourn with those who mourn. Rather, it means we choose to live as a community that offers an alternative to a world often resigned to the belief that "no future" or "no newness" is possible (Walter Brueggemann, Prophetic Imagination). While we experience sorrow, we are not overcome by hopelessness (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). The story of Jesus reminds us that hope is on the horizon, and that what He has already accomplished through the cross and resurrection is reason enough to celebrate. The gospel tells us that change is possible, that even people can change, that new life can emerge, that patterns of evil can be broken, and that a weary soul can find rest.
Hebrews 6:18-20 declares this:
"So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us."
To explore more about what it means to be a Hopeful People, check out our upcoming blog post (coming soon). And to encourage you in this journey, we’ve put together this Hopeful People Playlist:
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At Newhope Santa Cruz Church, we strive to make courageous hospitality a cornerstone of our community. Again and again, we see that at the heart of Jesus’ ministry was His willingness to commune with strangers—offering hospitality through shared meals around a table. From the story of Zacchaeus to the parable of the Good Samaritan, we witness the transformative power of hospitality: turning strangers into guests of honor. We choose love over skepticism, recognizing that it is in these moments of welcome that the beauty of the Church is most profoundly displayed—especially in our post-Christian world.
"In a post-Christian community, words can only be as strong as your relationships. Your best weapon is an open door, a set table, a fresh pot of coffee, and a box of Kleenex." – Rosaria Butterfield
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus did not preach a sermon—He hosted a meal. This reminds us that at the center of Christian community is not just a sermon or a song, but the sacred act of breaking bread together. When we extend hospitality, both within and beyond our church, we are participating in that same tradition of radical welcome.
To explore more about what it means to be a Hospitable People, check out our blog post (coming soon). And to encourage you in this practice, we’ve curated a Hospitable People Playlist:
Honesty is not always easy. From the moment we are born, expectations are placed upon us—by family, society, and even ourselves. The weight of these expectations can tempt us to present half-truths, conceal our struggles, or break promises. Yet, Jesus calls us to a better way (Matthew 5:36-37).
At Newhope, we are committed to a culture of authenticity—where honesty about our stories, struggles, and pain is embraced. The Psalms are filled with raw, unfiltered prayers—pleas, confessions, and songs that lay everything bare before God. As a community, we are invited into the practice of confession—not necessarily as something done before a priest, but as a way of life, woven into honest relationships with one another. As a staff, we strive to lead by example, embracing our imperfections and seeking daily renewal in Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).
We also recognize that we live in a time when truth is increasingly contested. In an age where everyone claims to possess it, even seemingly undeniable facts are challenged. As followers of Christ, we are called to be a refuge of truth—a people who make thoughtful, careful judgments, who are slow to speak thus slow to form opinions (James 1:19). Our goal is not to be “fact heroes,” but to reflect the character of Christ, who is Himself “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
To explore this further, read this blog post (coming soon) and check out our Honest People Playlist as we journey together in truth.
At Newhope, we believe our interactions with others should reflect the way Jesus interacted with people—marked by love, compassion, and a deep understanding that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Because of this, all people are inherently worthy of dignity and respect. All means all.
This means we are called to honor not just those who are like us, but also those who are different or even those we might see as opponents (Matthew 5:44). Jesus consistently reached out to those whom society rejected and invited them into His grace (Luke 5:30-32, John 4:7-26).
With this in mind, we strive to create a culture where our role as followers of Jesus is not to engage in culture wars or to see others as ideological enemies. Instead, we adopt the posture of Christ—one of humility, grace, and relentless love (Philippians 2:3-5). It’s not about Us vs. Them—it’s about Us for Them.
So we ask: How can we better serve? How can we better love? When we live this way, enemies can become friends, and all people are treated with the dignity they deserve as children of God (Romans 12:20-21).