Our history
From a small country church to a caring faith community, our story is part of a much larger journey that began with the Mennonites centuries ago.
Our Story
A journey through time
Beginnings
In 1964 God carried a seed from a well-established tree (East Zora Mennonite Church) and planted it in the New Hamburg community – not far from the river – where it has taken root and flourished. Since its birth Hillcrest has been a congregation that has paid attention to the activity of God’s Spirit, producing the fruits of innovative practice, joy-filled life together, and embodied service in the world.
Attentiveness
From Hillcrest’s earliest days, God has been nurturing who we are becoming by bringing together diverse and visionary people – attentive and Spirit-led Gardeners – who have carefully tended the soil and the seed God planted. Hillcrest’s earliest Gardeners played a significant role in how the soil was prepared, and the early life of the seedling tended. Their early efforts have contributed significantly to the character and shape of the mature tree.
We have also been a congregation open to exploring new perspectives and receiving new people. Hillcrest has been willing to engage new ideas through challenging conversations and faithful discernment by remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Pioneering spirit
This openness to the Spirit has provided fertile ground, giving rise over the years to a culture of innovation and change. From the beginning, Hillcrest’s pioneering ethos has been evident in its willingness to embrace new ideas and dreams. Growth and change continue to be welcomed as signs of the Spirit’s activity among us.
From an early decision to leave gender segregated seating behind in favour of sitting as families, Hillcrest has continued to embrace innovative practices for its time around such things as seminary training for pastors, women in leadership and creation care.
Loving life together
Spirit-inspired innovation and change thrives where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to tend relationships with one another and find ways to love life together.
Intentionally making space to connect across generations has been the creative inspiration behind numerous activities and initiatives at Hillcrest. In worshipping together, playing together, and caring for one another we are formed into a people of God for the world. We are a congregation that is most who we are when loving life together.
Embodied faith
Gathered around table, sharing wonderful food and meaningful conversation, we are reminded that we live in bodies and it is in bodies that faith is incarnated. Faith is always an embodied venture. We are people of God for the world not only as we gather, but also as we scatter.
Loving life together forms us while growing gifts within the church and beyond as we care for others near and far. What gets planted in our gathering, produces fruit in our scattering. Gathering to make quilts and comforters or to restore tractors has given us opportunity to show care for God’s people across the street and around the world. Contributing to life beyond our congregation is an important part of who we are.
Always becoming
In many ways these embodied expressions of our faith are all metaphors of the life we share as God’s people. They are both formative for the people involved and our gift to the world. In the end you can’t separate the gathering to grow and the scattering to serve.
What gets planted in our gathering produces fruit in our scattering. Yet, embodied expressions of faith are always culturally rooted and contextual. These are all particular cultural expressions of the Spirit’s work among us. Many of these practices will change or give way to something new in the years to come. What will not change is the activity of God’s Spirit in shaping who we are becoming as Hillcrest Mennonite Church.
