by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

On Sunday morning Jason talked about vision, about our core values and about the things we still need to figure out while we go through this visioning process. One of the next steps, he said, is figuring out who we are, what makes HMC unique. I have blogged about this a bit in the past on my own blog, but this got me thinking again about the beauty of our small piece of the body and I wanted to share it with you.

I am still a newer part of this church. I don’t really consider myself to be new anymore but compared to a lot of you I am. I have been part of this church for almost four years. Before that I was a part of or a long-term visitor at about nine other churches (over my lifetime and mostly due to moving great distances) and there is something beautifully unique about HMC that I haven’t seen at other churches.

HMC is a mix of many different theologies, many different backgrounds, many different preferences but we all fellowship together and worship together because we all worship the same God and we all want to serve Him. Some of us come from Baptist backgrounds, some from Brethren, some from Pentecostal, some from Catholic, Salvation Army, Charismatic, Non Denomination, Methodist, Mennonite and I am sure I am missing a lot.

We all have different backgrounds, different views but we agree on the really important stuff. We all love the same Jesus. We are all saved by grace through faith in Him – not by anything we have done or could do – and we all look forward to being with Him in Heaven; and so we worship our God together.

It is a beautiful thing. It is something that I so greatly appreciate about HMC and I think it is what makes us unique and very special.

I am so interested to hear what others see in us that is unique and where this visioning process will take us as we reevaluate ourselves and prepare for the next step of serving our awesome God together.

Kristina Dyck currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over on her own blog, Unashamed Grace.