Living Hope Community Church

We exist to enable people to love God, love others, and serve passionately!

Dr. Dimas Castillo - Senior Pastor

A native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Dr. Dimas E. Castillo is the Senior Pastor of Living Hope Community Church. Prior to his arrival at Living Hope, Pastor Dimas served as the Director of Multicultural Evangelism at the New River Baptist Association for eight years. Pastor Dimas enlisted in the United States Navy and served faithfully for 23 years, retiring as a Hospital Corpsmen Chief Petty Officer.

Pastor Dimas gives the credit for all success in the growth of Living Hope and his personal life to God. He knows through his own experiences that if you are truly repentant, God is quick to forgive you. And more than that, the Bible tells us He is able to keep us from falling! He is continually in awe of how God is using His people to advance the ministry. It is his heart's desire to see Living Hope become the vessel that brings Christ to the masses by combining a solid foundation with a fresh and inspired vision of change.

Pastor Dimas holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Campbell University, a Master of Divinity in Church Planting and Evangelism and a Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership from John W Rawlings Divinity School at Liberty University. He is married to Nora and into their union they have one daughter, Dee and one son, Jonathan. They have 4 grandchildren, Kevin, Jaylen, Mya, and Abel. Email him.
Robert Hall - Associate Pastor

Robert is an Associate Pastor that teaches during our Traditional Worship service on Sunday mornings. He also oversees our senior ministries. Robert has been serving in this location since 2003. He enjoys old cars and teaches courses at Campbell University in Jacksonville, NC. . Email him.
Cathy Rhoades - Office Administrator

Cathy started as our Financial Secretary in 2015. She retired in 2011 from the Department of Navy, Installations Command in Washington D.C. as Deputy Inspector General for Fraud Waste Abuse and Mismanagement after 34.5 years. She is married to Todd and has two daughters and four grandchildren and two rescue dogs.

Our Core Values

Jesus! He is the source of our salvation and through him alone we can have a personal relationship with God the Father. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source of our beliefs, revealing Jesus as the Son of God. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
Love. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13 1
Diversity with Unity. We are a multicultural and multigenerational church seeking to create an environment where everyone is welcomed and can encounter Christ authentically. Our members and ministry leaders are multicultural and include men and women from many backgrounds. We pray that our church’s worship will reflect the diversity found in heaven (Revelation 7:9).
Family. We believe in strengthening families and honoring God with lifelong commitments to marriage between one man and one woman. Marriages need the support of their church community. We want to support parents, as they disciple their children. And we, as the Body of Christ, are an intergenerational family. We join together in celebrations and in tears. If a misunderstanding arises, we graciously seek to understand each other and be reconciled.
Sanctuary. Apart from Christ, the world is without hope and peace. We offer a safe place for all and desire to be a beacon of hope to the hurting, spiritually needy, and physically needy in our community.
Prayer. We expect God to speak to us and guide us individually and corporately. Prayer declares that we need the supernatural power of God’s presence to see our world changed for His glory and good. For our battle is not just physical, but the battle is a spiritual one requiring spiritual weapons (II Corinthians 10:3-5).
Discipleship. We are called to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded. We value daily prayer and reading of the Scriptures. We value mentors and a humble desire to continue growing and learning together. When one of our members relocates, we pray that they will be better equipped to serve God in their new location as a result of their participation at Living Hope.peter@livinghopejacksonville.org
Serving. We believe that serving is vital for healthy spiritual growth and is an act of worship, which reflects the example of Christ. God has given each of us the privilege and responsibility of serving and ministering in a variety of ways in our church, neighborhoods, and workplaces.

Our Mission

We exist to love God, love others, and serve God with passion.

Our Vision

To be the church that brings people to Jesus, displaying the love of God by connecting with people of many backgrounds, to disciple them into faithful followers of Christ, and to equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in our community and beyond.

Established in 2011

By the merging of Rock Creek Community Church & New River Baptist Church

New to Living hope

Visiting a new church for the first time can be overwhelming. At Living Hope, we exist to enable people to love God, love others and serve with passion. Whether you are curious to know more about God, or simply looking for a new place to call your church home, Living Hope is here for you. We look forward to welcoming you!

Our Priorities

Our priorities keep us focused on the task in fulfilling our purpose.

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42 NKJV).

DISCIPLESHIP

Our priority is to assist believers in their spiritual development leading them to a closer daily walk with Christ.

EVANGELISM

Our priority is to train believers to share their faith in Christ in the city of Jacksonville, the county of Onslow, the state of North Carolina, the nation of the United States of America, and internationally around the world.

FELLOWSHIP

Our priority is to provide a place where the hurting, depressed, frustrated, and lonely can find encouragement, love, help, comfort, inspiration, and hope through fellowship with believers leading to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

MINISTRY

Our priority is to offer an opportunity for every member to discover their purpose in life and their place in ministry, understanding and utilizing their spiritual gifts to build the Body of Christ.

PRAYER

Our priority is to teach and practice the power of prayer, giving our members a heart and passion for personal holiness that results in lives completely surrendered and obedient to Jesus Christ.

WORSHIP

Our priority is to join together in corporate worship, uniting our hearts in praise to God, listening to the preaching of God’s Word for the evangelization of the unbeliever and the edification of the believer, learning and serving together in Christian love.

Our principles

Principles are the operating values that guide us in maintaining priorities and achieving our purpose.

We are FAITH BASED

We are not afraid to dream and to dare to do the impossible because we know and believe that all things are possible with God. Our faith is grounded, not in what we can do but in what God can accomplish in people that are willing to walk and live by faith.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37 NKJV).

We are CHRIST HONORING

We believe that everything we do must honor Jesus Christ. We believe based on the teachings of Scripture, when Christ is exalted, He will draw people to Himself. Every ministry, organization, team, event, and activity in this church exists to honor and magnify Jesus Christ.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32 NKJV).

We are BIBLE DRIVEN

The Bible is our guide. It is the owner’s manual for the church. Everything we do must be biblical in nature and approach. If it is not biblical, we will not do it.

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105 NKJV).

We are PRAYER POWERED

We believe in the power of prayer. Nothing can take the place of prayer. It must be practiced in our private lives and corporately as a church family. Everything that happens here must be saturated in prayer.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7 NKJV).

We are PASTOR LED

We believe God has called our pastor to lead our church. We strive to follow the leadership of the pastor as he follows the direction of our Chief Shepherd – Jesus Christ.

"And I will give you shepherds according to My Heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding" (Jeremiah 3:15 NJV).

We are STAFF MANAGED

We believe each staff member is called by God, and under the leadership of our pastor is here to oversee the various ministries of the church. Our staff is responsible for equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry.

"Obey those who lead over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17 NKJV).

We are DEACON SERVED

We believe our deacons are ministers who provide pastoral and spiritual care to the members of our church.

"For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1st Timothy 3:13 NKJV).

We are CONGREGATIONALLY APPROVED

Major decisions such as calling senior staff, electing officers, leaders and teachers, acquiring property, and adopting an annual budget, are congregationally approved.

"And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…" (Acts 6:5 NKJV).