Hope Point Naz gathers on George Washington Boulevard in Yuba City, and Sunday worship at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM is the center of its week. The congregation describes itself with three words that shape nearly everything it does: Worship, Gather and Love. Weekend services focus on the presence of Jesus, relationships are built by doing life together, and that love reaches into the Yuba-Sutter community through bike repair, cleanups, a diaper bank and other practical service.
Worship, Gather and Love: A Family That Has Found Hope in Jesus
Hope Point Church is described as a family that has found hope in Jesus, and dynamic worship every weekend focused on the presence of Jesus is called the foundation of the church. The vision names three dimensions of the life of Jesus. Worship comes first. Gather is about developing meaningful relationships by doing life together, and there is a place for people regardless of personal history, family background or ethnicity. Love points outward toward Yuba-Sutter. The congregation names repairing bikes for people experiencing homelessness, picking up trash and serving at a local soup kitchen as ways of fully engaging a broken world with the love of Jesus Christ.
Hope Point Naz is part of the Church of the Nazarene, a global community of faith commissioned to take the Good News of life in Jesus Christ to people everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness. The Church of the Nazarene is described as the largest denomination in the classical Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The teaching that distinguishes it and other Wesleyan denominations from most Christian denominations is entire sanctification: God calls Christians to a life of holy living marked by an act of God that cleanses the heart from original sin and fills the individual with love for God and humankind.
People who want to know more about the church are invited to a membership lunch at 12:30 PM, right after the second service. Lunch is provided, and the conversation covers who Hope Point Naz is, what the church believes, what it means to be a Church of the Nazarene, and the mission and values that guide the congregation. Membership also gives members a voice in church elections, since members vote. First-time guests can request a connect card, and the church offers a free gift with it.
Sunday Worship at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM
Two services anchor the weekend at Hope Point Naz, and both are built around worship that is dynamic and focused on the presence of Jesus. Visitors are told plainly that they will not be met with shame, guilt or condemnation, because the church is made up of imperfect people with every kind of story. Whatever questions someone brings about God and faith, the welcome is described as an experience of the love, grace and forgiveness Jesus gives to everyone. The simple invitation is to come as you are and journey together.
Worship can be watched online during scheduled livestream times, and recent sermons are available for viewing as well. Watch worship online. The congregation also keeps Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels under the Hope Point name, with separate accounts for the kids, middle school and high school ministries.
NextGen: From the Nursery Through High School
The NextGen family ministry is built around a simple observation about young people: they want something to believe in, they want to belong, they want to be loved, and they need examples. Ministry department heads work closely together so that as young people grow, their transition from one group to the next is seamless. Children are offered a fun, safe and welcoming environment where they learn about the love of God, grow in faith and build friendships while their parents attend service.
The age groups run across the whole childhood and teen years:
- Nursery and Kids Club serves birth through third grade. Bible teaching is age-appropriate, engaging and fun, and the class is taught by dedicated volunteers who love Jesus and serve children. Sunday school meets at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, with a Thursday gathering from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.
- S.W.A.G. stands for Saved With Amazing Grace and serves 4th and 5th graders, combining fun with building a strong foundation in Christ. It follows the same rhythm: Sunday school at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.
- Middle School serves 6th through 8th graders, described as a big season of growth and a place for students to have fun, build real friendships and discover what it means to follow Jesus in everyday life. Gatherings are Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.
- High School serves 9th through 12th graders during a season of big decisions, new challenges and growing independence. Students meet Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and Tuesday from 6:15 to 8:30 PM.
Matt Wickline leads the children's and S.W.A.G. ministries, Amethyst Kurtz leads middle school, and Jeremy and Shay Kurtz lead high school.
The Table: Thursday Night Discipleship for the Whole Family
The Table is Hope Point Naz's weekly discipleship gathering, meeting every Thursday at 6:30 PM. Its purpose is to help people grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus, build meaningful community and learn what following Christ looks like in everyday life. Around the table, people ask questions, study God's Word and encourage one another, because the church holds that faith was never meant to be lived alone. Children and youth programs run at the same time, which makes The Table a gathering for whole families. The invitation is straightforward: come as you are, pull up a chair.
Men, Women, Young Adults and Seniors
Adult life at Hope Point Naz is organized into standing groups that meet throughout the week, and many of them gather around the same table on Thursday evening.
Empowered Women of Faith
The women's ministry is built around connection, encouragement and growth for women of all ages, whether new to faith or walking with Jesus for years. Bible studies, events, mentorship and service opportunities are used to equip women to live out their faith with confidence, love and purpose. The recurring rhythm includes Moms Group on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, an age 25 to 35 Bible study on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, Coffee and Conversation with the PT Cruisers on second Thursdays at 10:00 AM, Love Has A Name on Fridays at 10:00 AM, the Women's Hike on third Saturdays at 7:00 AM and The Table on Thursdays at 6:30 PM.
Men of the Way
The men's ministry centers on building faith, character and community through Bible studies, mentorship, service projects and events, with the aim of helping men lead with integrity in their families, church and community. Men of the Way meets every other Monday at 6:30 PM, the age 25 to 35 Bible study meets Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, and men are part of The Table on Thursdays at 6:30 PM.
Young Adults
The young adults ministry is a space for people in college, starting a career or figuring out their next steps, offering real conversations, Bible-centered teaching, opportunities to serve and lead, and the chance to build friendships and find direction. Ages 18 to 25 gather for Bible study and a weekly gathering on Sundays at 6:30 PM, and they also join The Table on Thursdays at 6:30 PM.
Senior Adults
PT Cruisers is the name given to the senior adult ministry, a place for connection, encouragement and spiritual growth for people in the later seasons of life who want to build friendships, serve others and stay engaged. The group meets for a potluck fellowship on the fourth Sunday of every month, and Peter Cremer handles questions about the ministry. Seniors also take part in Coffee and Conversation on second Thursdays at 10:00 AM, Brothers of Hope on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, The Table on Thursdays at 6:30 PM, Love Has A Name on Fridays at 10:00 AM and the Women's Hike on third Saturdays at 7:00 AM.
Serving Yuba-Sutter
Serving at Hope Point Naz is described as a way to live out faith, and the church has teams for welcoming guests, leading kids, joining the worship team, supporting outreach and helping behind the scenes. Several outreach ministries run on a monthly rhythm in Yuba City and the surrounding area.
- SAY Love is a grassroots citizen organization formed to care for, support and clean up the community. The group meets in the church parking lot at 7:30 AM on the last Saturday of each month and then disperses to different locations around the city, with breakfast and lunch provided.
- Bike Kitchen provides people experiencing homelessness with used bikes, bike repairs and a light meal once a month. It is held on the third Thursday at 10:00 AM in the northeast corner of the old K-mart parking lot, under the maple tree. Repairs run from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, a light meal is served at 10:00 AM, and bikes are given out shortly after 10:00 to those who have signed up and are present when their name is called. Volunteers, bike donations and referrals for people who could benefit all come through Jim Kuphaldt.
- Be Xtra was built from a sneaker donation program called Sneaker Love in 2020 and continues to distribute new or gently used sneakers to people experiencing homelessness, to schools and to hospitals. It now also assists with wildfires, hurricane relief, underprivileged youth and community needs across the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa area.
- Diaper Bank gathers on the fourth Friday of each month at 10:00 AM to provide free diapers and other essential needs to families in a welcoming, judgment-free space. No registration is required.
A Care and Concern Group eases the burden on families who have to plan a funeral service for a loved one. One of the ways it serves is by assisting with the reception portion of funeral services held at Hope Point, providing food and volunteers to set it out and serve it. The group may also be called on to bring some additional love to a family during an illness or after a surgery.
Prayer at the Center of Church Life
Prayer is called the heart of everything at Hope Point Naz, sought before programs, before plans and before decisions. The conviction is that prayer is how the church builds relationship with God, listens for God's direction and aligns hearts with God's will, and that lasting transformation happens when God moves. Prayer and Worship Night is held on the first Sunday of each month at 6:00 PM, and a prayer room is available for those who want to spend time in it. Prayer requests and praise reports can be submitted online, and each person chooses whether a submission is shared publicly or kept anonymous.
First Steps for Newcomers
People are invited to find a next step wherever they are in their faith journey, whether they are new to church, ready to grow deeper or looking for ways to get involved. Small groups are offered as a way to find their people, with the reminder that the church is better together. Serving on a team, joining a ministry and learning more about following Jesus are all presented as options. The Table on Thursday evening is an easy place to start, and the membership lunch after the second Sunday service offers a longer conversation about the church's identity and beliefs. For anyone exploring faith for the first time or returning after a season away, the church's message is that there is a place to belong.
A Church Plant in Plumas Lake
Hope Point Naz also carries a church plant in Plumas Lake, where Revive Church is described as a community church where everyone belongs. Revive exists to help people encounter God, grow in faith and live out their purpose in everyday life, and its welcome extends to those exploring faith for the first time, returning after time away or looking for a church family to call home.
Giving as an Act of Worship
Giving at Hope Point Naz is described as an act of worship. Gifts can be given online, in person during a service or through recurring support, and the church says every gift, big or small, helps spread hope, serve the community and support ministries. Give online or ask about recurring support.
What holds it all together is a steady rhythm: worship on Sunday morning, gathering through the week, and love directed outward into Yuba-Sutter. Hope Point Naz meets at 600 N George Washington Blvd in Yuba City, with Sunday services at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, The Table on Thursday evenings, and family, adult and outreach ministries running between them.