We recently had the opportunity to catch up with our friend, Vance Pitman, senior pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Not only is he a pastor, but he is also an author, church planter and missionary. He’s traveled the world doing mission work and speaking globally and has planted over 50 churches on the West Coast.
We discussed his church’s outreach to the city of Las Vegas, the importance of having a kingdom perspective and how to navigate the challenges and changes that are taking place in our nation.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
You’re in Nevada. Last week was the first time that you had an in-person service at your church since the pandemic broke out. Talk about how you’re navigating and what you’re seeing there.
Myself and a small group of pastors have been working directly with our governor’s office, trying to negotiate a reopening of the church in a way that could be a blessing and a benefit to the community. We believe churches are essential, for the ministry of churches is not something that’s optional. People need the Lord, the Gospel and community.
We’re doing our service live on Thursday nights in front of an audience, and then we play it online on Sundays and have live hosts. We’re seeing God do things in this season that are unique; it’s a great opportunity now for the church to engage the city like never before. These are opportunities that God has given us as a church to really be the church. When you study the church historically in times of pandemic, God greatly expands the footprint of his church. And so there is an opportunity for the church to accomplish the mission that he’s given us.
Las Vegas has been hit hard because it has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. How has that been an opportunity for your church to be able to serve?
We partnered with some churches and together we’ve served 3.8 million pounds of food to those in need. Together, we’ve collectively provided over 5,000 meals to essential workers and hospitals and grocery stores where we go to serve their employees. We’ve been able to test well over 5,000 people through drive-thru testing sites that we’ve set up in partnership with the state. We’ve led over 20 supply drives for hospitals and health care workers and first responders. We’ve done multiple blood drives. We actually have a unique niche where we’re providing meals and services to foster care families. Over 500 foster care families have been served through meals and supplies.
We look for any and every way possible as a church in partnership with other churches to let this be an opportunity where we show the city the love of Jesus, the power of the Gospel and what kingdom community looks like.
Hope Church is unique because you have over 4,000 people who attend when you’re regularly meeting and have 54 languages represented in your congregation. What is it like leading a church with that much diversity and multicultural perspective?
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SOURCE: Christian Post, My Faith Votes
