Raising faithful priests to reclaim our culture (1 Samuel 2:35, 1 Peter 2:4-5 & Isaiah 2:2) 1 Samuel 2:35, "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always." 1 Peter 2:4-5 "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Isaiah 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it." Jesus Christ is Lord, and as a result, we are called to be a holy priesthood. The church will disciple its members to discern God’s calling and equips them to live it out. Even though there were seven tribes that occupied the Promise Land who were bigger and stronger than the Israelites, God commanded them to take it. In the same way, it is the vision of The Hill to raise up its members, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to reclaim the "7 mountains" of our culture: Arts and Entertainment, Business, Education, Religion, Family, Government, Media & Religion. The Fellowship of Believers (Acts 2:42-47) Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." The Hill will be a place where believers can come together to share their lives with other believers. In order to achieve this type of fellowship, the church must be a place aligned with the needs of its members. The church must be open and available during times that work for its members, be a place where members feel at home and can be productive, and most of all, be a place that is safe from the “world” where members can be "real" and vulnerable. Furthermore, it must be comfortable, like home, where its members want to spend a lot of time to grow and recharge spiritually. The Hill's environment must allow members to share in everything from breaking bread, praying, worshipping, talking, studying, working and just hanging out,filtering all activity through Jesus Christ. The environment will look like your most welcoming church, your favorite restaurant and your family room combined. • It must be a functional environment to foster the different types of fellowship, worship and discipleship. • It must accommodate different types of fellowship: private and group discussions, study, prayer, worship and perhaps even nap. • The hours of operation are more like that of a bar/restaurant, rather than a traditional church. • Programs and services are offered in small interactive, relevant segments and repeated frequently, like those found on the news and internet. • Technology is readily available and effectively used such as the internet, audio and video. • It must be a "home away from home". Overcoming the patterns of this world to live in spirit and truth (Romans 12:1-2 & John 4:23) Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." John 4:23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." The world has us locked up in prisons of the mind created by the lies and deceptions of this world. If our 19 to "thirty somethings" are not spending time in church, they are spending it the world. In their pursuit of success, significance and purpose, the church will show how to navigate through these critical years and find Jesus Christ and follow God's will. Helping others break down the patterns of this world in order to live life in spirit and truth will be a driving force of the church. Faith in action to glorify God by completing His work: (James 2:26, John 5:17 & John 17:4) James 2:26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." John 5:17 "Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."" John 17:4 "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." The vision of The Hill is to have an active and obedient body of Christ. The vision for The Hill is to be a haven to recharge and grow our faith, so that it can be alive and active outside of the church walls by accomplishing God's work and ultimately bringing Glory to God. To do that, the church will focus on using and applying God's word, prayer, worship, discipleship and fellowship in order to identify and discern God's purpose, will and call. The Hill will be a place where its members spend a lot of time spiritually, so they can go out into the world and do His work. The church will develop relationships with other ministries, businesses and non-profit organizations to support their cause, to connect and serve in the name of Jesus Christ, with the purpose to fill the divide between the secular and sacred and bring glory to God. | 
