Highview’s New Vision Statement

By Pastor Stephen Hess –

On the weekend of October 20^th-21^st we celebrated our 25^th anniversary as a congregation. One of the things that was introduced during that celebration was a new vision statement for Highview. The elders worked hard to articulate this new statement in the months leading up to the anniversary, and it is our hope that this vision will be a Biblical blueprint for our ministry as we move into the next 25 years together.

This new statement says that our vision is “To glorify God and make disciples who are completely transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.” At Highview, we don’t want to create generic religious people; we want to make disciples who have been completely transformed by the gospel. The second part of our vision statement uses four points to describe what it means to be completely transformed by the gospel.

First, a person who is transformed by the gospel will be saved by the gospel. The gospel is the good news that through Christ’s substitutionary atonement he has brought salvation to the world. We receive this salvation and are justified before God by grace alone, through faith alone, and on the basis of Christ’s work alone. As the Apostle Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

Second, a person who is transformed by the gospel will be united by the gospel. The gospel unites us with believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation who worship Jesus. The church is an outpost or embassy of Christ’s kingdom, and we are his citizens. As the Apostle Paul says, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6).

Third, a person who is transformed by the gospel will be renewed by the gospel. The gospel changes us from the inside out so that we are continually renewed in the image of Christ. Our calling is to reflect the gospel in every aspect of our lives. As the Apostle Paul says, “God chose you as the first-fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-14).

Fourth, a person who has been transformed by the gospel will be sent with the gospel. The only hope of the world is the gospel, and the missional mandate of the church is to take the gospel to all nations. As our Lord Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:24).

In addition to these truths, we articulated six core values to guide our ministry and assist us in realizing our vision. They are as follows:

• The Supremacy of God – We exist for God’s glory, and we desire to see Him reign supreme in the church and in our lives.
• The Centrality of the Gospel – We desire to keep the gospel central to our identity, our ministry, and our purpose.
• The Primacy of Worship – We were created to worship God, and we seek to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
• The Authority of Scripture – We recognize Scripture as our first and final authority.
• The Necessity of the Church – We believe that the body of Christ is indispensable for those who desire to follow Jesus.
• The Priority of Mission – We believe that the gospel is the world’s only hope and that all believers are sent by Christ to share the good news.

Only God knows what lies in store for Highview in the next 25 years. But one thing is for sure: The gospel will always remain at the center of our mission and our ministry!