Jesus Himself said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We ascribe to a number of biblical values – our treasure – the things we have paid a price for and are prepared to continue to pay the price to preserve.
In our journey as a church community over the last number of years, a number of our values have become central to what we hold dear as a community. They are statements that aim to describe what we have discovered thus far of who God has called us to be as the Hillside Church International community. In no specific order:
Embrace the World. God has called us to be world-players, there is nothing that is outside our potential scope of impact. The impact may be small, and we may be a small component of a broader group involved in tackling the same issues but we refuse to be small-minded in terms of the potential of incarnation – Jesus in us our hope of glory.
Love Life. Life by its very nature is organic – we want the order of the maternity ward rather than the order of the grave-yard. Our time and energy and devotion is given to life, to Jesus, not to structures, buildings etc. We have no obligation to prop up structures if those structures have come to their natural end. If it is not working, unless there is a specific injunction from God to persevere in it, we will be honest and stop. We take our stand against empty religion that has the form but no life.
The Courage To Be Honest. It sets the platform for living by our convictions. We want to be those that don’t contradict what we say, with what we do. Integrity speaks of integration, no pretending. What we are in public is what we are in private, what we do in public, reflects what we do in private. It is so less stressful. We are not talking about the brazeness of truthfulness at any cost, rather the honest pursuit of integration. The scripture reminds us that, “The double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.”
Take Ownership – We, Us and Ours. This is us and we all participate in the shaping of this church community. It is our money, our time, our energy, our impact.
Live Generously. God has called us to release life. If His promises are money in the bank, then we have the resources spiritually, emotionally, realtionally and financially to live generously! The precious gift of the Holy Spirit is about witness, about preaching and proclaiming the gospel. God never intended for us to be consumed with the sensory component that ultimately leads us to feel good about ourselves but results in no impact in the spirits of people around us. We want to be a people that do not withhold from each other or God – we reject a spirit of withholding – the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Spiritual maturity is defined as a sustained ability to release spiritual life to others, an ability to encourage yourself in God and continue to release life to others even in the face of great difficulty. As a people we want to resist everything that turns us inward.
Walk The Cross. The cross is at the center, the Lamb that was slain at the center of the throne. We cannot drift from God’s provision of life through the death, resurrection and ascencion of Christ. We die to the carnal nature and its desire, we live for Christ and His kingdom. Our source of life is the divine exchange of life for death accomplished by Jesus on our behalf at the cross. That life is made available to us in the minsitry and working of the Holy Spirit both in us and through us.
Discern Authentic Spiritual Authority. Christ is the Head, we are the body. All authentic spiritual authority is rooted in Christ as the head. Hierarchy has no place in church community – religious hierarchy or organizational hierarchy. The exercise of spiritual authority is marked by the witness of the Holy Spirit and the “Amen” spoken to the glory of God. While we embrace a culture of leadership, we realize that the task of leadership is one rooted in the responsibility of keeping God’s people free of control and manipulation – free to do what God is calling each and every one of them to do!
Amen!