Welcome to Hope Community Church

God-centered. People-focused

We are an international, English-speaking church family located fifteen minutes from Bern City Center. Whether you have followed Jesus for years or are simply exploring faith, you are welcome here. We are a place where the Bible comes alive, Jesus is lifted up, and everyone can find a place to belong.

Who We Are

More than just a Sunday gathering

Hope Community Church (HCC) is a vibrant, English-speaking family made up of people from many different nations. But what unites us isn’t just our diversity or our location, it is our shared faith in Jesus Christ.

  • Rooted in Scripture: We look to the Bible as God’s trustworthy guide for our daily lives.

  • Centered on Jesus: We believe Jesus is the heart of everything we do and the bridge that brings us back to God.

Faith integrated into daily life

Life in Switzerland can get busy. We believe church should encourage and equip you, not crowd your calendar with endless programs.

We focus on five intentional areas to help you live a balanced, purposeful life with God at the center:

Worship (Magnify)

We invite God into our everyday moments. True worship happens in at work, inside relationships, while resting, and not just during Sunday songs.

Fellowship (Belong)

We love genuine relationships. Nobody is meant to walk through life alone and so we want everyone to move beyond casual hellos and find a supportive spiritual family.

Discipleship (Grow)

The goal is not religion. We want you to deepen your understanding of, and relationship with Jesus Christ through the practical study and application of the Bible.

Ministry (Serve)

You were shaped to make a difference. We believe everyone has unique gifts to help others both inside our church family and across local communities.

Mission (Share):

We believe that anyone who has seen their lives transformed by God lives with open eyes and an open heart, and is ready to share the hope he has with others.

Meet Our Servant Leaders

We are a team of ordinary people serving an extraordinary God. Our goal is not to draw attention to ourselves, but to be faithful in serving this community and helping you find your place in God’s family.

Hector Paredes

Senior Pastor

Hector leads HCC with a passion for teaching the Bible clearly and making the Gospel accessible to everyone. He carries the vision for our church and loves seeing people transform as they discover their purpose in Christ.

Olina Paredes

Operations & Kids Ministry

Olina shapes the next generation by leading our Kids Ministry on Sundays. Behind the scenes, she is our problem-solver-in-chief, known for her ability to take difficult challenges and turn them into smooth realities.

Anna Skiba

Outreach & Youth Director

Anna has a contagious passion for the next generation. She hearts desire is to lead youth and young adults to a deep relationship with God. She also loves sharing the hope of the Gospel with people outside the church walls.

Stephan Grossenbacher

Care & Prayer Ministry

Stephan has a true shepherd’s heart for people. While he serves in preaching occasionally, his primary passion is counseling and prayer—walking alongside people through life’s highs and lows to offer spiritual support.

Patty Blaser

Community & Administration

Patty has a heart for genuine community and a powerful personal testimony of God’s grace. She supports HCC by simplifying complex ideas and handling the administrative details that keep our family running smoothly.

Our Core Tenants

What We Believe

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the center of our faith and the foundation for everything that happens at HCC. As an evangelical church, the commitment is to share the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus with everyone, regardless of denominational background.

While the community is diverse, unity is found in the life-changing power of the Gospel. Faith here is not just a theory; it is lived out in practical ways that demonstrate God’s love to the world.

We believe the Bible was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, it is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living, and it is without error. It is our final authority in everything we say and do.

We affirm the eternal existence of God, who is revealed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and one. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We affirm that He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and that through Him all things were created.

  • His Life: He came to earth to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people.
  • His Victory: He died on a cross and rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death.
  • His Return: He will return to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
  • The Only Way: He is the only Way, the only Truth, and He is Life.

The Holy Spirit is the expressed essence of God, co-equal with the Father and Jesus Christ. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, providing power, understanding, and guidance. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.

We believe that humans are God’s supreme creation, made in His image for His joy and glory, with tremendous potential for good. However, sin—an attitude of disobedience towards God—has separated us from Him. This separation affects all of humanity, and we cannot bridge this gap on our own.

Salvation is a gift we can accept through faith or reject; it cannot be earned through self-improvement or good works. Only through faith in Jesus Christ as God’s sacrifice can we be forgiven and have our relationship with God restored.

We were made for eternity. We were created to rest and rule with God, but sin has separated us from Him.

  • Heaven: Through forgiveness in Christ, we can join God again in heaven.
  • Hell: Rejecting Christ leads to eternal separation from God in a place the Bible refers to as hell.

Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is a biblical command that demonstrates our love and obedience to Christ. While it does not have the power to save us, it shows the world that we have already been saved.

Communion is an ordinance given to all believers by Jesus Christ to symbolize our new covenant with Him.  The bread and the cup represent Christ’s broken body and the blood He shed for us on the cross.  It is a regular testament to our faith in the power of the cross to cover our sins.

We believe family is created by God as a foundation for love, community, and faith. Following the biblical model, marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. Men and women carry equal worth and dignity before God. A husband is called to lead his home with humility and sacrificial care—loving his wife as Christ loves the church and placing her needs above his own. A wife is called to love, honor, and support her husband as they walk out their faith together.