The Vision For Christ's Church and Southern Hills
There is much talk in our church culture from one ministry to another about, “What is your vision for the church?” The question should be, “What has God designed and called The Church to be about? The “Vision” of the Church is to derive from Scripture as the people understand their own context in a given location.
First, we must understand what the Bible says about the local church. Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus are key books to understanding the local church and her polity and purpose. Furthermore, the New Testament gives several tasks to guide the local church in her mission. Here are a few questions we should have asked ourselves as we’ve developed a specific vision for our context (our cultural moment in history), with an eye toward the next few generations who will lead Southern Hills:
- How can we take what God has given us and best steward both people and resources?
- Given our geographical location, how do we best serve our community for the sake of gospel witness and relationships?
- Given our community demographics, we must seek to value and reflect the multi-ethnicity of our communities in our church. This is a direct reflection of God’s Kingdom.
- Given the high percentage of poverty in our area, we must seek to help the poor and marginalized as Jesus taught.
- Given the biblical illiteracy of our culture, we must teach sound doctrine and church history so that believers can grow and stand against the dangers of false teaching.
- Southern Hills is willing to be a people and a safe place for spiritual orphans who have been hurt by false doctrines and abusive spiritual systems.
Biblical Vision in our Polity:
Southern Hills seeks to align with Scripture and have a plurality of elders that are entrusted to lead the church by the authority of Scripture and not abuse that authority for personal gain.
Southern Hills seeks to align with Scripture and have a healthy structure of deacons and deaconess to meet the practical needs and serve the local membership.
Biblical Vision of Service:
Southern Hills seeks to discover and encourage the spiritual gifts of its members so that they can find meaningful service within the body of Christ. Serving one another is a primary means of spiritual growth and enjoying God. Christians are encouraged to serve to fulfill a purpose, not a position.
The local church is where the believer grows and discovers their true identity as image bearers of God. It is in this context that the believer does God’s will and obeys Jesus’ teachings. The goal is to move everyone toward involvement.
Biblical Vision of Teaching:
The elders of Southern Hills are responsible for the teaching ministry; to teach sound doctrine and to guard the flock from false doctrine. They are to keep watch of their own beliefs and maintain a learning environment for those under their care. (Titus 2:1; 1 Tim. 1:10; Acts 20:28)
The elders of Southern Hills serve to equip the believers (saints) for the works of ministry and oversee the work, the various areas of service in all humility (Eph. 4:11-16). The elders of Southern Hills will prioritize their time to study the Scripture and prayer. They will labor together to rightly divide God’s Word and be accountable to each other (2 Tim. 2:15).
Biblical Vision of Unity
Southern Hills will be unified as their members walk in the Spirit and do not seek to gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16). It is the Holy Spirit that unifies sinners save by grace. Believers must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:5-11, 3:18). Nothing divides us when the Spirit guides us.
Southern Hills will be unified through healthy recreation and rest. In our culture, entertainment is a way of unifying people. We must be creative to establish rhthyms of entertainment to build memories associated with Christianity in our church. This will serve to strengthen and connect the various demographics of the local congregation.