A few years ago we got together as a congregation to work out a mission statement.
Obviously, we think the mission statement of the church is pretty well
summed up in Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
But we realize we fit into that bigger picture in a unique way.
The word that we continually heard when we asked people about Hillside was "real."
We took that as a genuine compliment and the more we thought about it,
the more that seemed to shape our mission.
After a few months work, we came up with this as our mission statement:

"Connecting Real People in the Real World with the Real God"

In keeping with this mission statement,
we try to review all the programs and activities of the church and keep them in line with this goal.
Authenticity, deep faith, and an openness to our community are essential for us to do what God is calling us to achieve.
 We are not perfect, but we have agreed that this is what we want to do for God.

.We call this our "Church on Target" sheet and we give every member
 a copy to keep in their Bible. When people ask about Hillside,
people who attend here can take out this laminated card
and use it to explain how we see the church carrying out its mission
in our community and the world.

We do it like this. Christ (the Cross) is at the center of the church.
This is the goal of every church and we certainly want it to be true
here. If you "mouse over" the cross, you will see a box with Scriptures
that tell how people became Christians in the Church in the New
Testament. We teach that people should follow this same path to Christ.

Around that core are the key practices that connect us to Christ and
keep us walking with Him. We have simple goals for each member related
to each one of these seven practices. You can see those goals and at
least one supporting Bible verse by resting your mouse on each one of
the seven wedges in this ring. As a church we would like for each
member to make it their goal to be able to say each of these statements
with integrity. Understand that these are goals, not requirements, but
we want everyone to consider making these goals their own.

The ring that is outside the name of the church represents the various
programs and activities provided by the church to connect real people
in the real world to Christ. They range from our worship services to
missions to youth group to--well, you fill in the blank with what God
is calling you to do! We see these two circles as the part the church
plays in connecting people with God.

We believe this visual mission statement communicates something very real:
that the church does have a vital role to play in this world.
Many people say that they can relate to Jesus,
but they just don't like churches or see the need for them.
But when the church is functioning according to God's plan,
it is connecting people in the real world to God.
We want Hillside to be a church like that.