Hope Church NYC: Rule of Life

Being Before Doing

Hope Church NYC exists to lead people into a transformational relationship with Jesus and a community of faith. This happens in so many beautiful ways, but for those who call Hope their home, we want to offer a specific way to be transformed by Jesus together.

We live in one of the world’s most relentless cities. While we love NYC passionately, we believe that we need to counteract the incredible demands of the city by living out a slowed-down spirituality that cultivates loving union with Jesus. We recognize that God has called us first to be “with Jesus” as a countercultural community in our city.

We “be” before we “do.”

This means our activity flows from our identity. Our value is not in what we produce, but in who we are: children of God, made in His image, called to bear witness to His kingdom in one of the most demanding and distracted cities on earth.

The way we will practice this is by having a shared Rule of Life.

As members of Hope Church NYC, we commit ourselves to the following “rule” to keep us centered in the Lord Jesus and His call for our lives. As Benedict wrote 1,500 years ago, in the Benedictine tradition that has formed countless followers of Christ: our “way of acting should be different than the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else” (Rule of Benedict 4:20–21). We draw on that tradition not as a constraint, but as a gift, a structured invitation to a full and flourishing life.

We organize our common life around four areas: Prayer, Rest, Work, and Relationships. Below you will find both personal rhythms to practice and church resources to support you. These are not requirements but an invitation to build a life with God that is sustainable, rooted, and fruitful in New York City. It is from this place of being with Jesus that we experience a transformational relationship with Him, one that shapes us into people of compassion and propels us toward our mission as a local church.

Prayer

Loving union with Jesus is at the heart of community. We deepen and strengthen that union through regular rhythms of encountering Jesus through prayer, Scripture, worship, and more. We believe that the Word of God is a beautiful gift, and that the Holy Spirit moves uniquely through the Scriptures to transform us. As such, we commit to spending time each day in Scripture, seeking God’s face, dwelling in His presence, and praying out of His Word. Daily moments of silence and solitude are crucial for centering ourselves on Jesus in the midst of our busy lives. And we seek to meet God in unique ways, outside of our regular rhythms, so that we might encounter Him in a meaningful, transformational way.

Grounding Scriptures: Daniel 6:10, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 119:164, Mark 1:35

Rhythms

Daily

• Pausing 2-3x per day for silence, communion with God, meditation on Scripture, and prayer.

• Practicing the Daily Office to deepen our union with Jesus throughout the day.

Seasonally

• Consistently prioritizing learning about Jesus, our unique values (emotional health, contemplative spirituality, and reconciliation), and our particular area of calling in Christ through extended times of study, Hope Courses, retreats, and other opportunities to encounter God.

Resources

Hope Courses

• Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course Part 1 + Part 2

• Emotionally Healthy Woman Course

• How to Read and Study the Bible

• Crafting a Rule of Life Seminar

• Foundations Course

• Baptism Course

Hope Gatherings

• Sunday Worship Services

• Hope Prayer and Worship Nights

• Retreats (All Church Retreat, Young Adult Retreat, etc)

• Leadership Gatherings

• Hope Small Groups

Rest

God consistently calls His people to work and serve out of a place of rest. Our culture in New York City is defined by relentless productivity and the pressure to be always on, always achieving, always consuming, always proving. Against this, we choose a different way.

We prioritize rest, simplicity, and play as faithful stewards of the lives and relationships God has entrusted to us. Our value is not in what we produce; it is who we inherently are as children of God. We believe that a rested person is a more loving, more present, more fruitful person. Sabbath is not a retreat from life but a weekly act of trust in God’s provision. 

We also embrace simplicity in our relationship with money and material things. We model percentage giving (using the tithe as a minimum guideline), and we manage our material resources in a manner that honors God and avoids the traps and enticements of consumer culture.

Grounding Scriptures: Exodus 20:8–11, Deuteronomy 5:12–15, Psalm 131, Hebrews 4:9–10

Rhythms

Weekly

• Sabbath: Setting aside a weekly 24-hour period to stop all paid and unpaid work, to rest, to practice delight, and to contemplate the goodness of God.

• Simplicity: Managing material resources with generosity and prudence, giving proportionally to God’s work at Hope Church NYC.

Seasonally

• Taking annual vacation(s) as an intentional step into a life with God based around rest and play.

• Scheduling a day (or days) alone with God. 

Resources

Hope Courses

• Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course Part 1 + Part 2

• Managing Your Money

• Crafting a Rule of Life

Hope Gatherings

• Various Connectional Events for Fun and Play

• Hope Retreats and Contemplative Experiences

Work

God has called His people to bring the imago Dei (the image of God) into every corner of creation. We believe that work is not simply a means to a paycheck, but a calling: a primary arena in which we participate in God’s redemptive purposes in the world. In New York City, where so much of our waking life is shaped by career and vocation, this is a vital dimension of our discipleship.

We are ministers of reconciliation in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and city. God has created each of us for good works in Christ. This calling is expressed through living missionally, developing a godly vision for our careers and time, caring well for our bodies and health, and engaging the particular place and community God has set us in.

Grounding Scriptures: Genesis 1:26–28, Genesis 2:15, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 3:23

Rhythms

Weekly

• Practicing care for your body through exercise, healthy diet, and sufficient sleep.

• Becoming a neighbor: getting to know your neighbors, frequenting local businesses, and looking for ways to be a blessing to the people around you.

Seasonally

• Every 4-6 months, prayerfully consider the passions God has put on your heart, the priorities in front of you, and how you might structure your life to live into what God has called you to.

• Reflecting on how your work connects to God’s mission, and where He may be inviting you to greater faithfulness, courage, or generosity in your vocation. 

Resources

Hope Opportunities & Partnerships

• The Alpha Course (serving, inviting others)

• Sunday Teams and Hope Ministry (serving, leading)

• Justice and Mercy Partnerships

• Goldenwood (Faith + Work Programs)

• Hope’s Global Missions Trip

• Hope Community Sports

Relationships

God has not created us to be isolated individuals, but persons-in-community. It is in our relationships with others that we learn to love as Christ loves, become more like Jesus, and bear witness to the glory of the Gospel in the world. At Hope we have a high value for relational and emotional health, so that all of our relationships would reflect the love and character of Christ.
We are committed to a spiritual formation model that embraces our whole person, including the emotional component of who we are as image bearers of God. We embrace the skills and behaviors that put feet on our theology to love well (1 Corinthians 13). In all our relationships we seek to speak clearly, directly, respectfully, and honestly. We aim to incarnate like Christ and listen well. We avoid making assumptions without verification. We fight fairly and clarify expectations in all our relationships. And like Christ, we seek to be present with others, and ourselves especially in the presence of anxiety, whether it be our own or that of others.
We also seek to live out of our calling to singleness and marriage, by prioritizing that season of life and its limits, needs, and opportunities. It is crucial for our community to invest intentionally and deeply in whichever station they are in.
Grounding Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4:20, Ephesians 4:25–32, Philippians 2:3-4

Rhythms

WeeklyInvesting in a Hope Group to cultivate meaningful spiritual relationshipsIdentifying significant relationships/friendships that give you life and intentionally scheduling time to engage with them (ie weekly dinner, spending part of Sabbath together, etc)Committing to practicing EHR Skills in your relationships (ie CTR Prompts, Exploring the Iceberg, Clarifying Expectations, etc)For married couples, prioritizing weekly date nights and time together where the focus is on connection, not tactics/logistics.For families, cultivating a shared vision for weekly Sabbath and how you will stop, rest, practice delight, and contemplate God together.For parents, creating simple rituals of faith in your home: prayers at meals or bedtime, a family Sabbath rhythm, or brief moments of Scripture together.SeasonallyTaking a vacation or extended time with significant friends or family.Investing in your relational life through courses, retreats, and other spaces to grow as friends and family.For married couples, intentionally investing in your relationship through coaching, counseling, or programs.For parents, intentionally participating with your children in formational experiences and investing in your parenting.

Resources

Hope CoursesEmotionally Healthy Discipleship Course Part 1 + Part 2Emotionally Healthy Woman Course Emotionally Healthy Dating CourseAlpha Pre-Marriage CourseAlpha Marriage CourseInfant Baptism/Dedication CourseHope GatheringsHope Small GroupsMarriage Investment WeekendsHope Family GatheringsRetreats and Seminars

Closing

This Rule of Life is not a checklist for measuring spiritual performance. It is an invitation to a shared framework for cultivating a life that is centered on Jesus, rooted in community, and fruitful in New York City. We hold it with grace, knowing that seasons change, that we will fall short, and that the mercy of God is our constant foundation.
We commit to this together, not as individuals striving alone, but as a community seeking the face of Jesus in the city, for the city, with one another.

Additional Resources

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero
EHD Rule of Life Workbook + Worksheet
Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way by Steve Macchia