Hillcrest …becoming like Christ

Accepting the Acts 1:8 Challenge

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you waill be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Our Commitment

As an evangelical, Southern Baptist church, Hillcrest has always had a vision for being obedient to the Great Commission task of our Lord. Our church motto, “Becoming Like Christ,” has come alive through the testimony and faithfulness of our people in sharing God’s love with others, baptizing them, and discipling them in God’s unfailing word.

It is with a commitment to that task that we dedicate ourselves to sharing with all those who will hear: the truth of God’s word, the fullness of God’s love, and the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of whom the scriptures so faithfully testify.

Today Hillcrest, as a Global Priority Church, is uniquely positioned to fulfill our mission of making disciples of all nations as described in Acts 1:8. We apply ourselves to this task by implementing a comprehensive, integrated, and intentional strategy of evangelism, ministry, and missions as directed by our pastoral staff and Missions Leadership Team.

As we read Acts 1:8, we realize that our Lord commands us to be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. As followers of Jesus, we are supposed to be witnesses to each and all of these areas at the same time.

The eight “Kingdom-growing” responses of our commitment to Acts 1:8 are to: prepare, learn, pray, give, go, tell, send, and multiply. These elements are expressed by: expository preaching with an emphasis on spiritual growth and a call to commitment; age-appropriate missions and ministry education and preparation; cheerful giving; strong missions partnerships; and acknowledgment of the responsibility that we, as willing servants of our Lord, have to reach out and share God’s love across the street and around the world.

Our Focus

As the body of Christ at Hillcrest, our “Jerusalem” lies in the individual neighborhoods, schools, offices, work places, and family/friendship relationships of our church members. These are the people to whom we are closest and for whom we are most responsible to share God’s love.