A Baptist Congregation on Hayes Road
Hope Community Baptist Church meets at 42259 Hayes Road on the east side of Sterling Heights, Michigan, where three pastors lead a congregation shaped around three short words: loving God, modeling Christ, and serving others. The building hosts Sunday worship at 10:00am and Sunday school at 11:30am, and on Wednesday evenings it fills again with students from grades 6 through 12. The church's mission is rooted in two passages, Luke 10:27, calling believers to love God with their whole being, and Matthew 28:18-20, sending them to make disciples of every generation.
Three Pastors, Three Stories
The pastoral team brings together three very different paths to the same pulpit. Pastor Jay Currie grew up on the west side of Michigan before moving east to study at Rochester College, where he graduated in 2013 with a bachelor's in biblical studies while playing basketball. He and his wife joined Hope in August 2019, and he is now working toward a master's at Moody Theological Seminary. He is a diehard Detroit sports fan who preaches with a steady eye on everyday life.
Pastor George Johnson and his wife Michelle first came to Hope in 1990 to work with the teens and young adults, more than three decades before the present day. Over the years he has earned a B.S. in political science and philosophy, an M.A. in religion, an M.Div., and a D.Min. with a focus on church leadership. Beyond Hope he teaches at Detroit Bible Institute and inside the Macomb County Jail, serves as Moderator of the North American Baptist Great Lakes Association, and supports Barnabas Ministries, a network that mentors pastors across southeast Michigan.
Pastor John "Free" Freeman joined the church at Easter 2025 along with his wife Beth. The two met as college students doing ministry in the dorms at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Free spent eleven years as a campus missionary before helping replant that church and later leading church planting teams to Michigan State and the University of Pittsburgh. He and Beth have six children and a household that runs on coffee, chicken wings, and the occasional board game.
What Happens on Sunday Morning
The Sunday service begins at 10:00am and runs through a pattern of fellowship, congregational worship, and teaching. Hope Kids takes over at 11:30am, offering Sunday school classes for children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in age-appropriate rooms while adults continue in additional classes. The service is livestreamed on YouTube so that anyone unable to attend in person can watch live or catch up later, with a full archive of past sermons available on the same channel.
Abide Students on Wednesday Nights
Midweek programming centers on Abide Students, the youth ministry for grades 6 through 12 that meets every Wednesday at 6:30pm. The night combines games, biblical teaching, and small groups, giving teenagers a place to bring their real lives. During the summer Abide also hosts bi-weekly backyard barbecues starting in late June, opening the front lawn for food and conversation.
City Groups, the Heart of the Church
Hope describes itself as a church of small groups rather than a church with small groups. City Groups are micro-communities of three to twelve Jesus followers who do the Christian life together, and they are the primary way members connect, care for one another, and reach into Sterling Heights. Each group gives attention to four areas: theological growth, relationships, restoration, and mission. City Groups meet throughout the week in homes across the area and are the backbone of the church's life beyond Sunday morning.
Ministry Across the Generations
Several groups give shape to life at Hope beyond the Sunday service.
- 412 is a community for adults 18 to 30-plus, focused on small group Bible study with occasional social gatherings. The name comes from 1 Timothy 4:12, the charge not to let anyone look down on a young believer.
- Prime Time gathers those 40 and older for monthly outings, including museum visits, city tours, plays, and evenings together.
- Seniors Unlimited is the most active seniors group, with weekly Bible studies, day trips, and overnight excursions on the calendar.
- Men's Ministry brings the men of Hope together for Bible study, prayer breakfasts, and sports events.
- Women's Ministry gathers women for Bible study, a book club, and service projects.
What Hope Believes
Hope Church holds to a short list of doctrinal convictions rooted in the Baptist tradition. Salvation is by grace alone and comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired and are the infallible authority for the Christian. Believers carry a mandate to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, beginning at home and extending around the world. Baptism by immersion and church membership are reserved for those who have personally received Christ and demonstrated that faith in baptism and life. Christians are called to a lifestyle that reflects their beliefs. The church is to remain separate from the state and operate democratically, with every member equal. The Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily to establish his kingdom, and there will be a bodily resurrection of the just to eternal life with God and of the unjust to everlasting separation from God.
How Giving Works
Hope teaches that giving is defined by Scripture and that no one should ever feel manipulated into giving. Members and friends can give in three ways: in person by placing cash or a check in the offering plate, online through Tithe.ly by card or direct deposit, or by mailing a check to the church office. Giving is a form of faith and trust in the Lord and a way to support the church's work in Sterling Heights and beyond.