Our Mission:

To bless the community and introduce them to Jesus.

Several years ago, we began reciting "our declaration" at the beginning of our service on Sunday. It is a reminder of who we are, who we are called to be, and what things we are called to do. In November of 2024, we'll be expanding our declaration and spending some time trying to more fully understand the role that Jesus calls us to play in our community.


Here is a sneak peek at our new declaration:


Heavenly Father,


As we enter into worship today, we are believing for our city’s transformation!

     …souls saved and set free,

     …godly dreams and desires being birthed,

     …your will being done in Billings as it is in Heaven.


We’re seeking to be the Body of Christ. Teach us to be

     …in love with the Gospel story,

     …living in the Holy Spirit’s power,

     …Christlike disciples making Christlike disciples.


Make ours a church where individuals and families can be restored, revived, and transformed by the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.


Through us, transform Billings into a community where every home proclaims Jesus as Lord!


We thank you, LORD, for choosing us, for such a time as this, to proclaim your Kingdom to our beautiful city. Amen!

 

Jesus gave his disciples instructions that have been dubbed, the Great Commission. "...go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the command I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).


Paul clarified the mission of the church in 2 Corinthians 5. Because we have been reconciled to God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are now ambassadors of reconciliation to a lost and broken world.


In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that the church gathers so we can be equipped to serve. We learn how to use our gifts and talents in unity so we can reach into the hopelessness and rescue those that are caught in the traps and lies of the enemy.


We have a sign in our foyer that reads, "Ladies and gentlemen, the church is leaving the building." As we wrap up our gathering each Sunday, we are reminded that we are not called come to church...we are called to be the church.


Heavenly Father,


As we leave from worship today, we are believing for our city’s transformation!


Use us as we go about each day. Through us

     …sow Your hope where there is hopelessness

     …spread Your peace in the midst of chaos

     …shine Your light into the darkness


We thank you, for choosing us to serve this beautiful city. Now fill us with your Holy Spirit as we leave this building and go into the world to be the  church.


Amen!



Reconciliation with God.

What is the glory of God? The glory of God is the gravity that keeps those who see and savor it from spinning off into the spacious trivialities of sin. God’s desire is that He might be known and enjoyed for His nature and character.


We believe that the center of the gospel is the glory and grace of Jesus Christ, so we strive to be a church that is centered on the gospel and reconciled to God through Christ. We preach the grace of Jesus unapologetically because it is God’s grace that trains us to be holy (Titus 2:11-12). Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can now be reconciled to God. Our mission is to preach this gospel unapologetically to the world.

Reconciliation with others.

Though each Christian has a personal relationship with God, that relationship is not individual or private. The Christian faith is not intended to be lived in isolation. We were made for community; relationship with God and with each other. The local church is not merely a place that we attend but a people to whom we belong. The Bible calls us members of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) with the expectation that we contribute to the body for the glory of God and the good of His people.


Reconciliation with others means living in a Gospel-centered community together; a radical call amid a culture of mere attendance and casual involvement. It involves mutual love, care, consistency and authenticity as we seek to adorn the person and work of Christ with our lives.

New Hope Naz:

It's always about Jesus, it's never about me (or you)

Recently, we've been reading a book by Dennis Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ. Originally published in 1998, this book needs to find its way into the hands of anyone seeking to follow Jesus. Challenging. Encouraging. Revealing. Just a few of the words that would accurately describe this short book.


Consider the opening line of chapter two, "The essence of sin is self-interest." Six words that will put a great deal of life into perspective...if we will let it.


I want you to find a copy of the book and read it for yourself, so I won't give away any more nuggets from it, but I will tell you that if you read this book (and all the supporting Scriptures that Rev. Kinlaw included throughout) you will be changed! There is nothing particularly special about the book, except for the plain and clear way that Kinlaw helps us see, hear, and understand Scripture.


Since one of the driving philosophies at New Hope Naz is to know Jesus and not just know about him, we are constantly looking for ways to better understand what it means to live "like Christ."


When God says, "Be holy, because I am holy," do you think he was commanding us to accomplish something that was impossible? Did God set a standard of life and living that is too lofty for us to attain? What a petty and unkind god he would be if that were the case. God did indeed say that we were to be holy, and if he gives us that command, it is something that we can achieve...because our God is not petty.


We cannot achieve it on our own. But, if we will heed the instructions in Scripture, God will work in our lives in such a was as to transform us from the inside out. God calls us to be holy and Jesus says that we need to deny ourselves daily, take up our cross, and follow him.


This journey we call life isn't without its frustrations and difficulties, but God promised that he would never leave or forsake us. He promised us that if we would seek his kingdom and righteousness above everything else, he will provide all that we need along the way.


We invite you to join us as we seek to know Jesus, and to make him known.


Pastor JD