LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS, CHANGE THE WORLD
As a spiritual community, we exist to extravagantly love God with everything we are, because He has first loved us with everything He is – giving Himself for us in Jesus Christ. Because of His great love for us, we are called to love and serve other people, seeking their welfare before our own. It is by this transforming love of God in us, among us and shared with others through relationship that we prove to be His disciples, seeking to make disciples as we walk through daily life with His love demonstrated in all we say and do.
In pursuit of His mission we are engaged – locally, regionally and globally – as individuals, families, and as a Community – through praying, giving and going. Our heart is to share the love of Jesus in every way possible, to everyone possible, everywhere it is possible for us to do, being the Church everywhere, anywhere and all the time.
Discipleship
The primary means by which we seek to see the Lord fulfill His purpose here is through discipleship. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us “to 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.” We are convinced that discipleship is at its best through the vehicle of relationship. We are relational beings and need more than simple didactic (teaching) structures to learn. It has been said, “more is caught than taught.” The apostle Paul wrote: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (I Cor 11:1). Modeling through relational ties is then crucial for effective discipleship. As a result, we desire to be a community or family of sons and daughters that are bound together by the love of Christ. May the world know we are His disciples “in that we love one another.”
Actively, intentionally following the way of Jesus every day – individually, as families and as a Community; becoming disciples and making disciples, pursuing Him through eight core spiritual disciplines:
- Prayer (Mark 1:35, Matthew 6:5-13)
- Scriptural Study (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Worship (John 4:23-24, Psalm 150:1-6)
- Reflection (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:148,145:5)
- Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18)
- Community (Acts 2:42-47,Hebrews 10:34-25)
- Serving (Matthew 25:31-46, Philippians 2:4)
- Generosity (Malachi 3:10-12, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
As a Community of the Reconciled We Will Seek to Live Out Love, Acceptance & Forgiveness
Being loved by God with everything He is and loving Him with everything we are; actively loving and serving others with His love. Accepting people where they are at, and honoring the individual for who they are, not for what they do; simply because they are made in God’s image. Walking in forgiveness towards others, even as we have already been forgiven in Christ (John 13:34-35, Romans 15:7, Matthew 6:12, 14-15).
As a result, New Heights is a place of Shalom. We are a healing and prophetic community of reconcilers that bring healing, restores identity and establishes purpose and destiny.
New Heights will seek to wholeness through Christ through whole-life transformation, receiving and giving the Shalom of God, His healing salvation that is spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, practical, financial; for ourselves, our marriages, our families, our Community and our society (Mark 6:56, Isaiah 53:4-6,61:1-4).
New Heights desires to be an authentic people living faithful lives of simplicity as a people on a journey together with Jesus and His people; seeking to love God with all that we are, love others as we love ourselves and as we live life, making disciples (2 Corinthians 1:12, Philippians 4:11-13, 1Timothy 6:6-10).
KEY COMPONENT: Without hesitation, we state that prayer is vital to the life flow of the church. If the church is to be a place that is happening, then something needs to happen for this to be true. What we long for here is not a religious happening, but one in which Jesus Himself ushers in a mighty outpouring of His Spirit that saves, heals, releases, and restores broken lives. In order for this to happen, it must be happening in us. As a result, we embrace fully the reality of prayer and its necessity for personal growth and communal growth. May we be a people who pray with intensity and fervor because we love our God and our world. Our prayer is that God would raise up a mobile army of believers who are walking in relationship with the Lord and each other.