Our Vision
Lister Hill Baptist Church: 'Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known'
Our vision is fourfold. It explains who we are and what God has called us to do, and is mentioned in more detail below. The image at the bottom is based on the roundabout near our church building.
Be Family
God calls us to be a family of all ages. In the Bible he describes his church as “one body with many parts”, and Christians as his children, so we are brothers and sisters together, each with a part to play in his church. We are grateful that God loves and uses broken people, or he wouldn’t have need of us! Because family is all about sharing life’s highs and lows together and because there is no one who can help us make sense of them but Jesus, we are his family and are called to keep him central.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35)
Worship Jesus
An image long associated with Lister Hill is a ‘beacon’, hence the beacon on our logo. In biblical Hebrew beacon means ‘mast’/‘signal’ – a call to assemble for a great purpose. For us that purpose is to worship Jesus. As a family God calls us to be ready – ready to worship and ready to serve. Everything we do can be done for Jesus, meaning we can worship him in all things. In worshiping him we call others to worship him.
“He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!” (Isaiah 5:26)
Make Disciples
Jesus commanded his disciples to make more disciples, not more converts. ‘Disciple’ means ‘learner’, and the ‘L’ plates won’t come off this side of heaven. We learn by hearing and then doing what Jesus did. We are called to learn together, learn from one another, and help show others how to follow Jesus.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Tell Others
This is where we need contact with those who don’t yet know Jesus, so they too may come to believe. 'Mission' isn’t just something that people do in other countries – it’s on our doorstep, on the streets of Horsforth. God’s mission is to bring all people back to himself, and we join in when we begin to follow Jesus. As Spirit-filled people whose lives tell a story we will live the good news as well as tell it, so others can join God’s family, worship Jesus, and help others come to know him. After all, our strapline is ‘Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known’.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This includes Horsforth!
