OUR STORY
The Loft Coffee House and The Hope Center were born from a simple but powerful idea—God’s desire to create a place where people could gather, find community, and experience His love in tangible ways.
In 2004, while leading baptisms in Israel, our then–head pastor, Scott Heare, was suddenly caught in rushing waters and swept away. As a friend pulled him to safety from the shore, God impressed a clear message on his heart: “Be the kind of people who pull others out of the white waters of life. Call this place Riverside, and be a community that brings strength and support to those walking through difficult seasons.”
That moment became the foundation of everything we do.
Today, both The Loft Coffee House and The Hope Center live out that calling—creating spaces of connection, offering hope, and meeting real needs. Whether it’s through a warm cup of coffee, a shared conversation, food, clothing, or financial assistance, our desire is simple: to love people well and provide what’s needed in the moment.
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THE LOFT
COFFEE HOUSE
Riverside was never meant to be “normal.” From the beginning, God gave Pastor Scott Heare a vision to create a Shephelah—a place where believers and non-believers come together to do life side by side, where His love influences the culture.
After returning from Israel, Scott was praying for direction when he saw a simple phrase in a coffee shop: “Coffee creates community.” In that moment, it clicked—the church would begin with a coffee shop.
At the same time, God was speaking to someone else. In 2004, Jenny Rudd felt called to start a coffee shop—without even knowing how to make coffee. That same day, she and Scott shared their vision with the same person. It was clear God was connecting the pieces.
Soon after, they found a small home in Spring Branch—exactly what Jenny had been envisioning. What started there became more than a coffee shop. It became a place for connection, purpose, and community.
While locations have changed, the mission hasn’t: to bring people together, build community, and support outreach locally through The Hope Center and around the world.
THE HOPE CENTER
Birthing of The Hope Center: At the same time, God had impressed on Linda Marceau, who was the one God had called to oversee Prayer Ministry for the new church, to keep $200 in her pocket every day. He impressed upon her that she would meet a significant single mom that couldn’t afford Christmas for her son.
While the The Loft Coffee House was being renovated and cleaned up to open, there was a single mom that had 3 college degrees, in a season of life where she was “hopeless emotionally”, and we hired her to clean the windows as she was just trying to make ends meet.
When Linda met this single mom, named Pamela Barquest, she knew that the $200 was for her! As they gathered to know one another, God birthed the idea of The Hope Center as a place for people in seasons of hard financial times to find hope and have their most basic needs met.
The Hope Center aims to love God and love others by addressing the immediate and diverse needs of our neighbors with compassion and purpose.
MISSION STATEMENT
CORE VALUES
Love God. Love People.
We follow Jesus' example in Matthew 25:40: "What you do for others you do unto Me." We love the Lord and we love EVERYONE as Christ loves us.
Spirit of Excellence.
We believe that excellence honors God and inspires people. We encourage each other to aspire to excellence in every decision we make.
Unity & Collaboration.
Collaboration, not conformity, is our approach to team work. All voices are heard and valued.
Culture of Honor.
We treat every individual we encounter with respect, dignity, and integrity, recognizing their inherent value and contributions.
Prayer & Transformation.
We bring everything before the Lord in prayer, trusting in His wisdom and giving thanks for His faithfulness. Through Him, we strive to transform lives that transform the community.
HOPE AND LOVE
We feel honored to be a picture of “real church”. Our purpose each day is to love God, and love His people, as we love ourselves. As Christians, we are enjoying our relationships with Jesus out of the love, life and example that He gave for us. We get to wake up every day and love on people, have coffee while encouraging others and praying for those who need hope and love. We get to meet their most basic needs with relationship, food, financial sustenance and other critical resources. Isn’t that what the church is supposed to be?
The Hope Center continues to be a financially self sustained ministry due to the love and resources of community. Come join the mission - it's fun to be a part of something bigger than yourself!