Chattanooga is sometimes considered the buckle of the Bible belt. However, even Chattanooga hasn't been immune to religious trends in our nation. More and more people are leaving the church. More and more people are growing up without a church. Chattanooga is growing rapidly and as it grows we want the gospel to spread and grow with it.
THE MISSION
Living Hope succeeds in its mission when hope forever in Jesus brings hope for every day in life.
THE CULTURE
Living Hope wants to be a family where real people give real hope to real people.
THE DREAM
Living Hope is a church where a person grows into whatever unique callings God gives them to do.
THE OUTREACH
Living Hope is designed not for people who have been here longest but for those who are not here yet.
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Living Hope is a new church plant supported by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The WELS has existed since 1850 and is a group of nearly 400,000 people in 1,300 churches across the United States united by a common faith in Christ's saving love.
A group of WELS Christians living in the Chattanooga area saw the need for a Lutheran church on the growing east side of the city. The WELS had no church in the Chattanooga area and so the group requested the WELS to send a missionary for a new church plant.
In May of 2017, a graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary was sent to Chattanooga, TN, to start this new church. Eric Melso and his wife Jennifer moved down in July. The rest is history! We look to God for his guidance and blessing as Living Hope gets set to serve the people of Chattanooga with the good news of Jesus!