Hope congregation

The idea of ​​creating a new congregation was born in September 2019 on the basis of the results of the EMC congregation development study conducted by Vitali Baranov, based on which it could be concluded that instead of increasing the number of members of existing congregations, it is more effective to create a new congregation, which would allow new members to better realize their potential. Superintendent Robert Cherenkov, Pastor Stanislav Ossipov and Vitali Baranov met regularly to discuss the idea and plan the church. In January 2020, a team of the church to be established was formed, which met weekly to discuss the vision and strategy of the church.

The first church service was held in October 2020 at the cultural center “Kaja”. An average of 30 people attended Sunday services.

On April 25, 2024, the founding meeting of the Hope congregation was held with the participation of 14 people. The establishment of the congregation was finally confirmed by the annual conference of the Estonian Methodist Church in May.

The main evangelization tool of the church is the Alpha course, which introduces the gospel message to unbelievers. The goal of the congregation is to organize at least two Alpha courses a year.

An integral part of the congregation’s activities are Sunday services, which take place every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the “Kaja” Cultural Center in Mustam’e Tallinn’s district on the 4th floor of the building. As part of the service, breakfast is eaten, questions are discussed and a sermon is heard.

The main values ​​of the Hope congregation are:

• openness to everyone – the church values ​​every person and considers it important to spend time together to spread the message of Christ;
• love for God – not commandments and duties change a person, but love for God;
• a safe atmosphere – hope in God can be found and faith can grow in a welcoming environment;
• cooperation with other congregations – in order to serve people better, we cooperate with other religious communities.

Vitali Baranov is the pastor of the “Hope” congregation.