Since we changed our name from Hilversum International Christian Center to Thousand Hills International Church you must have noticed that the banner with the core values of the church has disappeared. Some of you have been wondering if we had no vision anymore or if all the good stuff we had before the name change would be totally lost. Well… neither is true! We’re building on the foundation that was already there and are strengthening it. As a result, we did have to redefine (or rather: refine) the vision, mission and core values.
Last Sunday I mentioned that we completed the process of refining the vision, mission and core values and that they would be presented for the first time during the “Connect – Membership Explained” seminar. If you did not have a chance to attend that time, we want to encourage you to come on September 12 or November 28 to get the full story. Tonight we also presented the final version during our All Leadership Meeting, which is one of the forums that has been involved in the process besides the Pastoral Lead Team, elders and ministry leaders.
In the coming few weeks I will be posting some articles that will give you more detailed insight in the vision, mission and core values. Let me give you the full document here which, thanks to Klaas van Mill, is only one page long, yet gives all the necessary info!
Vision, mission and core values of Thousand Hills International Church
Thousand Hills is an international church that welcomes people from all backgrounds. In the church more than thirty nationalities are represented. English is the main language. It was founded in 2006 in Hilversum. Since then it has been growing steadily and is now one church with sites in Hilversum and The Hague.
The church has a strong biblical foundation with the Word of God being taught in scripturally sound and practical ways, helping us grow towards Christ-like maturity. Through the Bible we are able to know God and understand the issues of life.
As followers of Jesus we believe that our Christian lifestyle, as well as our church, is not limited to just Sundays. Our style as a church is contemporary, relevant, open and welcoming.
Our vision
To be a life-giving church that loves God, loves people and impacts lives for Jesus.Our mission
To exalt God by sharing the Gospel, leading people to Jesus and connecting them to the local church; to equip believers and help them grow in faith and spiritual maturity; to reach out and serve in the church and the world.Core values
Exalt – because God deserves all the glory.
To have a lifestyle of worship with Jesus as the focus of our lives; to worship together in the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into a first-hand encounter with Jesus (John 4:23-24).
Connect – because we are the body of Christ.
To connect to God and one another in a spirit of grace, love and care; to welcome people from all nations, races and backgrounds into our church (Revelation 7:9-10; Ephesians 2:22).Grow – because God has great plans for us all.
To grow in personal faith and Christ-like maturity by applying God’s Word to our lives; to commit ourselves to equipping believers, multiplying leaders and starting new celebrations, sites and churches (Acts 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:2).Reach – because the world needs God’s love and grace.
To lead people to Jesus by sharing the Gospel with the world around us in a relevant way (Matthew 28:18-20).Serve – because Jesus came to serve.
To show God’s love in practical ways by serving all people both in the church and the world with the gifts that God has given us (Mark 10:45).
Want to know more? Watch the video of the All Leadership Meeting on June 17, 2010. Klaas van Mill explains how we ended up with this vision and mission statement and core values and give some insight in the next steps that need to be taken.
All Leadership Meeting June 2010 part 2 from Thousand Hills Int’l Church on Vimeo.