About Us — The Hougen Block Project | Mission BC

Overview: Church with Mission in Mind

Where do we come from?
New Heights was planted in 1996 as a church that wanted to engage with a demographic that wasn’t being reached by other churches.
We were birthed out of a church called Mountain Ridge Free Methodist Church in Abbotsford and launched with the support of the movement that we call our extended family; The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
The following 3 sheets outline some of the core beliefs of the Free Methodist Movement. We affirm that denominations are manmade and imperfect but extremely important and helpful.
Who are we uniquely as New Heights in Mission?
One way we continue to grow is through a cycle of self-evaluation that we call a life plan. Below are 2 significant things that have emerged as lenses from previous life plan processes, that help people understand the unique way we describe a) Mission and our b) Guiding Ideas. ) Mission Statement. We framed it as a question…
We asked the question, “Where is God leading us in HIStory?”
TOGETHER, on a journey of finding hope in Jesus, being inspired to change and living out a passion to bring others along.
How do we envision growth out of New Heights?
WHAT IS DISCIPLESHIP?
One of the main priorities that we are wanting to live out as a community is to do everything through the lens of Discipleship.
We believe discipleship is the focus for a church as it relates to people who are FAR FROM CHRIST and journeys with them until they are actively influencing others in following after Jesus.
When we say Disciple we mean, “A person who learns to be like Jesus and learns to do what Jesus could do. Therefore, a disciple is someone whose life and ministry reflect the life and ministry of Jesus. Dallas Willard put it this way: “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you”.
Excerpt from Multiplying Missional Leaders: Mike Breen.
We are in a season of moving from a consumer-driven culture (providing servicing, programs and care for people who needed to be fed) to a discipleship culture (which aims at equipping people to live out their own story of following Jesus by being like Him and doing things that He would do.)
2 Ways we are doing this:
Missional Communities: We are experimenting with how to form groups of 20-50 people who live as an extended family and take on a mission together.
Huddles: We are actively growing the capacity of leaders by inviting them into year-long discipleship huddles that ask people, 1. Is your life worth imitating before you hold influence 2. What role would God have you play in the kingdom?
What is our measure of success? THE BIG PICTURE
Church – That we are a growing group of sent-out disciples that are engaging with God, each other and the world around us in relevant ways.
With – That we are widening our pool of relationships with people that connect with our culture and want to move ahead.
Mission – That we are faithfully representing God and His Word.
That we are equipping individuals to be disciples
That we have a growing community of people we hold influence with
That our city would be disappointed if we no longer existed.
In – That we step into places because of Jesus that need the presence of Christ.
Mind – That we are united (of one mind) in creating a spiritual family that lives out our calling intentionally together.