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Our name represents what we want to be as a church— A community worshiping, learning from, and living for the One on the hill.
Mountains and hills are obvious geographical landmarks, but when the theological landscape is surveyed they too rise prominently out of the story of God's people. Throughout the Bible mountains and hills mark significant moments where God asked people to meet him, or where he met them in dramatic and life-changing ways.
Worshiping
On the first hill God asked Abraham to meet him there with his son. It was to be a time of logic-defying obedience for Abraham and as they headed up the mountain Abraham said to those with them, "We will worship and then we will come back to you" (Genesis 22:5). We want to be like Abraham on that hillside— worshipers of a faithful God.
Learning from
Fast forward over 2,000 years of human history, and other great moments on mountains, and on our next hill we find Jesus teaching his followers (Matthew 5-7). Not only is the truth taught clearly, but Jesus expects a response. Hearers who walk away unaffected or unchanged are found wanting. Jesus' words— and the entire Bible— call for the total engagement of our mind and the response of our heart. We want to be like those gathered on that hillside and become transformed hearers.
Living for (service)
Only a few years later we find Jesus on another hill, this one is named Golgotha (Matt. 27:33). This time the teaching is not with words, but by his own death. Jesus is demonstrating a kind of love that is difficult for our human minds to comprehend— willingly giving his own perfect life in exchange for our sin-filled lives. Followers of Jesus are also asked to give of themselves in service to God for the sake of others. We in no way affirm that our service ("works") contributes to our salvation in any way, rather it is a response to the work of Jesus on the cross, empowered by the work of the Spirit in our hearts. We want to be like Jesus— servants till the end.
Living for (outreach)
On another hill Jesus left his disciples with a charge to reach the world with the good news of his death and everlasting life. Matthew's gospel records Jesus' parting words, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (28:19-20a). The Church remains here on Earth for the primary purpose of engaging and sharing the Truth with those who do not yet know Jesus. We want to be like the disciples on that hill and see Jesus' charge as our personal mission.
Community
We are a community, and many times it was a community gathered on the hillside to meet God. The Church is not about individuals; it's about community. And Christian community is not rooted in the values of the world; here the last are first and the lowly walk upright. At Hillside we want to be intentional about community— real relationships and genuine hospitality.
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