Who We Are

Vision Statement:

We are God's Community Front Porch:

Inviting, Including and Involving people in the life of Jesus.

At Southern Hills Church of Christ, our vision is to be a front porch to our community. A front porch is where fellowship begins, relationships are formed and lives are changed. We believe that when we are a front porch in the community, it will be transformed. This is accomplished by allowing Jesus to change our lives so that we become more like Him. When we become like Jesus, we will influence those who live and work around us. We desire to utilize the same three-stage process that Jesus used in his ministry: inviting, including, and involving others.

-   Inviting. We want to invite others to join us in the journey of grace and obedience. We invite them to see the transformation that Jesus can bring to our lives.
-   Including. We want to include everyone in a community of accountability, forgiveness, discipleship, genuine fellowship, and worship.
-   Involving. We want to involve everyone in sacrificially serving others. We are committed to equipping people to become partners with God in sharing His grace with others.

Our Beliefs

God

There is one true God who is the creator and ruler of the universe. He exists in three persons: the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and is fully God and was fully man when on earth (Luke 2:26-32; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 2:14-18). Jesus died willingly for our sins (Colossians 1:14; Romans 3:23-26) and that He was raised from the dead to be the mediator between God and humanity (1 John 2:1, 2). We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in every follower of Christ. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Christian is empowered to live according to God’s plan.

Authority

God is the ultimate authority in our faith and life, and He speaks to us through the Bible as His inspired word. Therefore, our foundation is based firmly on the Bible as our final authority on Christian beliefs and as a guide to living. We believe the Bible is accurate, complete, and reliable. We look to the Bible for the revelation of the character of God and the final authority on all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16).

Scripture teaches that the local church is to be autonomous and governed by a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23). Although the elders have ultimate responsibility to God for the members of Southern Hills, they realize that God gives gifts, talents, and skills to other individuals for specific ministry, leadership, and management duties. Wisely, our elders delegate these roles, as necessary. We believe each member of Southern Hills demonstrates submission to Christ by being submitted to the local church leadership (Hebrews 13:17).

Satan

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan. His purpose is to defeat God’s people (1 Peter 5:8). However, Christians can overcome Satan by applying scriptural principles to their lives and conduct (James 4:7).

Salvation

Humanity was created in the image of God, but sin separated us from God. Reconciliation to God comes only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It cannot be earned. Our conversion to Christ is a multifaceted experience that is both private and public. We must believe in Jesus as our Savior (John 1:12), put our faith or trust in Him (Romans 3 and 10:9), and repent of our sin or wrongdoings (2 Peter 3:9). Our relationship with Christ is visibly demonstrated and sealed by our baptism (immersion) in water (Romans 6) and validated by the Holy Spirit (God) dwelling in our heart (Ephesians 4:30). (If you would like to communicate with someone about becoming a follower of Christ, please link here.)

Church

The church is God’s spiritual family—people who follow Jesus. It is not a building. We believe that the church represents Jesus Christ to a world who needs to experience His grace and love. God’s spiritual family must work together to accomplish this mission. Therefore, we regularly gather together for times of celebration, learning, and fellowship. Our Sunday morning celebration is a special time where we are equipped and encouraged through teaching, fellowship, singing, prayer, and communion.

All Christians are called to the work of Christ, being a servant to all. To accomplish His vision for the world, the Holy Spirit furnishes the believer with gifts, talents, and skills. These are to be used to glorify God and serve others rather than promote an individual’s agenda. We believe that each member of Southern Hills must:
-   demonstrate Christianity as a lifestyle, not a once-a-week event.
-   pray regularly and study God’s word, the Bible.
-   share a burden for those who do not know Christ and a passion for taking Jesus to them.
-   participate in the fellowship, worship, and growth of the church body through regular attendance.
-   involve themselves in a ministry to which God has gifted them.
-   give of their financial blessings so that God’s work might be realized.

Southern Hills Church is non-denominational. We are Christians only, but not the only Christians. We love and desire to fellowship with all believers but do maintain a special relationship with other groups of believers called Churches of Christ.

Christ’s Return

Jesus will return to earth and gather His followers (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Titus 2:11-13). The coming of Christ can occur at any time but will be unexpected (2 Peter 3:10). We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, the timeless (eternal) gift of citizenship in heaven for the saved, and the timeless, conscious punishment of the unsaved in hell (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 and Revelation 20:11-15).