1550 Main St. N Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1L3 | (306) 692-5600 | info@hillcrestmj.com
NEXT STEPS
BECOMING FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
We regularly talk about our Mission Statement:
We strive to see all people reconciled to God and mature in Christ.
After a lot of prayer, research, and consultation across all age groups of Hillcrest, we have developed a tool designed to give our church community common language around what it means to be a "fully devoted follower" of Jesus Christ.
Whether this is your first time at Hillcrest or you have been with us for years, we hope the following definitions and exercise are helpful in your Discipleship at Hillcrest and becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus.
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Together we: Celebrate Big, Connect Small, Walk with Jesus, Share the work & Engage in Mission
CELEBRATE BIG
We believe in celebrating the glory of God together in big gatherings. From the earliest days in the Christian movement, believers met regularly in the temple courts with numbers of 3000 to 5000. Like the early church, we emphasize the necessity of corporate preaching, teaching, worship, prayer and communion to encounter God together, as HIS PEOPLE. The things we do when gathered as His church help to spur us on as we follow Jesus with our lives. We are called to celebrate the goodness of God together - in a big way - regardless of each of our personal circumstances.
Ways to Celebrate Big:
CONNECT SMALL
The early church gathered in big groups in the temple courts, but they were also meeting in smaller settings regularly. They were doing life together: eating, sharing, helping, and having close spiritual friendships with one another. We want you to be a part of a 'Hillcrest Discipleship Group' - a place where someone notices your spiritual growth and cares about you. When we CONNECT SMALL, it is all about authentic relationship - trusting others as we learn how to live out our faith. We all need support as we learn to submit our lives to God's truth.
Ways to Connect Small:
WALK WITH JESUS
We can see the early church devoting themselves to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. While Hillcrest Church can provide opportunity for corporate worship, teaching, prayer and connections, we cannot coerce you to personally spend time with Jesus. We all have to take personal responsibility for our own relationship with Christ. We believe that through spiritual disciplines like bible reading, solitude and prayer, you will encounter Jesus. When you regularly walk with Jesus, it may not always be an emotional experience, but through prioritizing time in your day or week to intentionally meet with Jesus, we know He will be with you and change you in small and large ways by the Holy Spirit. We seek to know God for ourselves so that we can give to others out of an overflow of our own growing relationship with Jesus.
Ways to Walk with Jesus:
SHARE THE WORK
We believe that God has uniquely given every Christian spiritual gifts that help advance His continuing work in this world. Since these gifts are Holy Spirit given, He will empower you to use them and you will likely feel joy when you do. When we're working in our spiritual giftings, people will be in awe of how well we work together in unity. This helps us avoid any temptation of comparison - I don't have to be you, you don't have to be me - we get to joyfully serve in what God has assigned us to do. Sharing the work is not independence, nor dependence, but INTERDEPENDENCE - understanding how the Spirit has uniquely given us gifts to SHARE THE WORK together.
Ways to Share the Work:
ENGAGE IN MISSION
All of us are called to take the Good News to the world, letting it influence our families, workplaces, schools, friendships and neighborhoods. The Good News of Jesus changes our motivations and gives us a new perspective on what truly matters in life. We are invited to give our time and our money, that we would invest in Kingdom initiatives that last, at the local level and beyond. Hillcrest Church has established local and global partnerships focusing on affecting communities for the good of the people and the gospel of Jesus Christ. ENGAGING IN MISSION through Jesus, will give you a love of people, seeing them the way God sees them. It is not a final step on a journey to discipleship, but is CENTRAL to who we are as followers of Jesus!
Ways to Engage in Mission:
UNSURE OF WHAT NEXT STEP TO TAKE?
Whether this is your first time at Hillcrest Church or you have been with us for years, we hope the following assessment and following pages are helpful in your Discipleship at Hillcrest Church.
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Take an in-depth look at Discipleship at Hillcrest with the self assessment.
Overview of the Discipleship Pathway (Sept 2022)
Steps to Complete the Self-Assessment
Discipleship at Hillcrest Church is not a checklist - instead, each of the five categories are designed to be a continuum where we can always grow closer to Jesus. As we learn more about ourselves, God, and others we will regularly find new opportunities - Next Steps - to increase our devotion in each category.
#1 CELEBRATE BIG
#2 CONNECT SMALL
#3 WALK WITH JESUS
#4 SHARE THE WORK
#5 ENGAGE IN MISSION
The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete.
Self-Assessment Example
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