What We Believe
Like any church, it would be difficult to compose an exhaustive list of “what we believe.” However, the following are a few things we believe are especially important:
Our Beliefs
We believe in mission.
Mission is more than a person who serves in another country or what one individual does. We believe mission begins with God and the story of God’s invitation is for all of us to join the work here “on earth as it is in heaven.”
We believe in a high view of the living, written, and spoken word of God.
We aim to live faithfully in the world envisioned in Scripture. We believe the story of Jesus Christ is the most compelling story we will ever invite people into. We believe this story continues through the local church empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe scripture matters deeply as it points us to the story of Jesus.
We believe in discipleship.
We believe in following Jesus and in following him we commit to learning or “becoming like Jesus.” We believe discipleship is a journey where we walk with Jesus and fellow disciples. We believe discipleship serves as the compelling vision for our church family.
We believe in the equal leadership gifts of men and women.
Though traditionally many churches have only allowed a male voice to be heard publicly, we believe strongly the story of scripture affirms the equal giftedness of both men and women in our public gatherings and every area of leadership.
We believe in the welcome of anyone to our church family.
We believe that Christ used the image of a table to invite anyone to come and have a place. We believe that “anyone” should have no qualifications or special expectations. We believe that anyone is welcome to our family regardless of economic status, race, gender, or sexual identity. *Please read the “How we are different” section for more information specifically regarding our welcoming posture to our LGBTQ friends.
We believe in water, table, and word.
We believe in the sacraments of water, table, and word that have been practiced by local congregations for thousands of years. We believe in the power of water baptism as a continuation of our commitment to discipleship and the local church. We believe in the weekly practice of communion at the table as a way for us to not only remember Jesus but practice his invitation of welcome. We believe in the word of God being heard and preached with conviction and imagination.
Mission is more than a person who serves in another country or what one individual does. We believe mission begins with God and the story of God’s invitation is for all of us to join the work here “on earth as it is in heaven.”
We believe in a high view of the living, written, and spoken word of God.
We aim to live faithfully in the world envisioned in Scripture. We believe the story of Jesus Christ is the most compelling story we will ever invite people into. We believe this story continues through the local church empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe scripture matters deeply as it points us to the story of Jesus.
We believe in discipleship.
We believe in following Jesus and in following him we commit to learning or “becoming like Jesus.” We believe discipleship is a journey where we walk with Jesus and fellow disciples. We believe discipleship serves as the compelling vision for our church family.
We believe in the equal leadership gifts of men and women.
Though traditionally many churches have only allowed a male voice to be heard publicly, we believe strongly the story of scripture affirms the equal giftedness of both men and women in our public gatherings and every area of leadership.
We believe in the welcome of anyone to our church family.
We believe that Christ used the image of a table to invite anyone to come and have a place. We believe that “anyone” should have no qualifications or special expectations. We believe that anyone is welcome to our family regardless of economic status, race, gender, or sexual identity. *Please read the “How we are different” section for more information specifically regarding our welcoming posture to our LGBTQ friends.
We believe in water, table, and word.
We believe in the sacraments of water, table, and word that have been practiced by local congregations for thousands of years. We believe in the power of water baptism as a continuation of our commitment to discipleship and the local church. We believe in the weekly practice of communion at the table as a way for us to not only remember Jesus but practice his invitation of welcome. We believe in the word of God being heard and preached with conviction and imagination.
How we are different
We acknowledge that when someone hears “Church of Christ,” there are all kinds of assumptions. So it’s important to be upfront and honest with a few things we believe make Highland Oaks different:
We are multi-generational. Seriously… we have all different kinds of ages represented in our family. This is one of our key strengths – we lean into the wisdom of the aged and learn from the vitality of our children. When you attend in person you will be surrounded by a family comprised of all ages.
We strive to welcome everyone. We understand most churches say, “We are welcome to everyone.” But at Highland Oaks we are committed to a welcoming posture for anyone. We want to especially make you aware that we are on a journey of welcoming our friends from the LGBTQ community. Though currently we are not a fully “affirming” space, I believe you will find a family that will love you right where you are. And if you have any question about whether you will be welcome or not based upon a previous experience, we are humbly asking you to give us a chance to see you just as YOU are: a beloved child of God with a seat at the table.
Women are equally gifted by God. Yes, women lead, preach, teach, pray, read scripture publicly, lead our communion thoughts, and anything else you might think “only men do.” We plan to ordain both male and female Elders during our next Elder selection (2025).
Communion matters. We practice communion every week. In fact, our primary gathering space has a table at the very center in order to remind us of the table’s central importance. Regardless of where you on the journey of discipleship, you are welcome to join us as we take the bread and cup as signs of our commitment to Jesus and one another. This means anyone, regardless of age, background, faith journey (we could go on…) is welcome to participate in communion.
Baptism matters. Our baptistry is in our lobby to remind our church family of the commitment baptism makes to the Jesus story. As we enter and leave our gathering space for public worship, we see the water as our reminder of our entry into God’s story and God’s claim on our life.
Worship form and style. We are very much a Church of Christ singing church. This means we are a group of folks who sing primarily acapella (without instruments). BUT, we are not opposed to instruments or look down on those who use them. We do not have two separate gatherings of “contemporary” and “traditional.” Rather, as a family we want to honor our rich heritage of acapella singing as well as remaining open to other forms of worship (silence, meditation, reading scripture aloud, etc.). Most of all, we want our worship form and style to lead us towards God and deeper discipleship.
Our physical space. In September of 2023 we transitioned to our new location. When you enter, we believe you will find a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels more like a safe sanctuary than a church building. Our main gathering space has beautiful stained glass, chairs instead of pews, and adequate handicap access. We also have classrooms, safe and secure spaces for children and students, and restroom facilities that will accommodate any needs.
Justice and Racial Reconciliation. For us, justice is not a political agenda but a key characteristic of God’s mission and identity. Our family is learning to confront the injustices those in our Lake Highlands community face: access to nutritious food, homelessness, and economic hardship. In addition to partnering with local organizations, we have our own ministry called Hope 4 Lake Highlands that exists specifically for those impacted by injustices in our neighborhood. We are also learning about the sin of racism and how vital reconciliation is between people of different colors. In this, we partner with churches that look different than we do and are on a journey to become a more diverse (less predominantly white) church family.
We are multi-generational. Seriously… we have all different kinds of ages represented in our family. This is one of our key strengths – we lean into the wisdom of the aged and learn from the vitality of our children. When you attend in person you will be surrounded by a family comprised of all ages.
We strive to welcome everyone. We understand most churches say, “We are welcome to everyone.” But at Highland Oaks we are committed to a welcoming posture for anyone. We want to especially make you aware that we are on a journey of welcoming our friends from the LGBTQ community. Though currently we are not a fully “affirming” space, I believe you will find a family that will love you right where you are. And if you have any question about whether you will be welcome or not based upon a previous experience, we are humbly asking you to give us a chance to see you just as YOU are: a beloved child of God with a seat at the table.
Women are equally gifted by God. Yes, women lead, preach, teach, pray, read scripture publicly, lead our communion thoughts, and anything else you might think “only men do.” We plan to ordain both male and female Elders during our next Elder selection (2025).
Communion matters. We practice communion every week. In fact, our primary gathering space has a table at the very center in order to remind us of the table’s central importance. Regardless of where you on the journey of discipleship, you are welcome to join us as we take the bread and cup as signs of our commitment to Jesus and one another. This means anyone, regardless of age, background, faith journey (we could go on…) is welcome to participate in communion.
Baptism matters. Our baptistry is in our lobby to remind our church family of the commitment baptism makes to the Jesus story. As we enter and leave our gathering space for public worship, we see the water as our reminder of our entry into God’s story and God’s claim on our life.
Worship form and style. We are very much a Church of Christ singing church. This means we are a group of folks who sing primarily acapella (without instruments). BUT, we are not opposed to instruments or look down on those who use them. We do not have two separate gatherings of “contemporary” and “traditional.” Rather, as a family we want to honor our rich heritage of acapella singing as well as remaining open to other forms of worship (silence, meditation, reading scripture aloud, etc.). Most of all, we want our worship form and style to lead us towards God and deeper discipleship.
Our physical space. In September of 2023 we transitioned to our new location. When you enter, we believe you will find a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels more like a safe sanctuary than a church building. Our main gathering space has beautiful stained glass, chairs instead of pews, and adequate handicap access. We also have classrooms, safe and secure spaces for children and students, and restroom facilities that will accommodate any needs.
Justice and Racial Reconciliation. For us, justice is not a political agenda but a key characteristic of God’s mission and identity. Our family is learning to confront the injustices those in our Lake Highlands community face: access to nutritious food, homelessness, and economic hardship. In addition to partnering with local organizations, we have our own ministry called Hope 4 Lake Highlands that exists specifically for those impacted by injustices in our neighborhood. We are also learning about the sin of racism and how vital reconciliation is between people of different colors. In this, we partner with churches that look different than we do and are on a journey to become a more diverse (less predominantly white) church family.
