Hope Community Church
Bern, Switzerland
Hector Paredes
Hope Community Church
A Changing Nation
Switzerland is a highly diverse, global crossroads.[cite: 20]
Total Population
National growth is engineered almost entirely by immigration.[cite: 20]
Foreign Nationals
Almost a third of all permanent residents hold foreign passports.[cite: 20]
The English Bridge
English unites the global diaspora. An English-speaking church reaches the nations gathered here.[cite: 20]
“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth...” — Acts 17:26
Spiritual Landscape
A secular culture with deep, hidden spiritual hunger.
- The "Nones": 36.8% claim no religion. They are the largest demographic in the country.[cite: 20]
- Hidden Hunger: Traditional cathedrals are empty, but 28% of the unaffiliated still pray during a crisis.[cite: 20]
- Free Church Vitality: Evangelical Free Churches (6.0%) remain stable and are actively planting new congregations.[cite: 20]
Religious Affiliation
The 1% - 2% Church Tax
The Swiss government automatically collects a 1%–2% tax from citizen wages to fund state-recognized traditional churches.[cite: 20]
Independent free churches receive zero state funding.[cite: 20] We rely entirely on voluntary generosity to reach Europe.
Operational Barriers
Systemic challenges to independent church planting.
Strict Zoning Laws
Strict noise laws and Sunday rest regulations (Sonntagsruhe) restrict home-based "house churches."[cite: 20] A dedicated, zoned commercial facility is mandatory for survival.
The Solution: Shared Facility
We partner with a legacy church (EGW) to use their building for roughly 100 CHF a month, securing a Main Hall (80-90 seats) and a commercial kitchen without crippling real estate debt.[cite: 20]
Our Church Strategy
How we navigate 20%-50% annual transience through our Three Circles model.[cite: 20]
1. Organization
- Shared Facility: Maximizing our partnership at Rosenweg 2 to lower overhead.[cite: 20]
- Legal Integrity: Operating transparently as a tax-exempt Swiss Verein.[cite: 20]
2. Cause
- Multiplication: Sponsoring and launching a Ukrainian church plant.[cite: 20]
- Compassion: Serving displaced refugees through practical ministries.[cite: 20]
3. Community
- Rapid Integration: Anchoring new expat arrivals quickly into a spiritual family.[cite: 20]
- Discipleship: Building resilience through Life Groups and relational ministry.[cite: 20]
Real Ministry
Frontline initiatives making a daily impact.
Tea & Talk
Providing language help and a safe space for displaced refugees, opening doors for authentic gospel conversations.[cite: 20]
Ukrainian Church Plant
Sponsoring a dedicated congregation to serve displaced families in their mother tongue.[cite: 20]
Annual Kids Camp
Our largest outreach initiative, breaking through strong cultural barriers of privacy to reach unchurched local families.[cite: 20]
Deep Discipleship
Rooting believers deeply in a transient culture through our Men's FIRE Group, Women's Group, and corporate Worship Nights.[cite: 20]
Mentoring & Teams
We need your specific expertise and presence.
Executive Mentoring
We need retired professionals, executives, coaches, and administrators to use their decades of experience to mentor our developing leaders and advise on Kingdom expansion strategy.
Short-Term Teams
Deploy teams to execute major outreaches. Your presence helps us run our Annual Kids Camp, lead worship, and encourage our core volunteers.[cite: 20]
"We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth." — 3 John 1:8
Latest News & Prayer
Stay updated on prayer requests for the church and the Paredes family.
Giving Options
Bank Transfer (USA)
Via Schools First.
- Recipient: Olina & Hector Paredes
- Account: 400644266702
- Routing: 322282001
- Type: Savings
International Wire
Direct global transfers.
- Bank: PostFinance Switzerland
- Hope Community Church:
- PostFinance Ltd
- Mingerstrasse 20
- 3030 Bern, Switzerland
- IBAN: CH35 0900 0000 1691 5354 8
- BIC: POFICHBEXXX
