Forest Hill Presbyterian Church is committed to being deeply rooted in God's Word and to reaching our neighbors and the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our mission is simple, but we believe it reflects the heart of Jesus' calling to the church. In the Gospels and in the book of Acts, Jesus gave His church a commission. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read this Great Commission:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20, ESV

The mission Jesus gave His church is to "make disciples of all nations." In making disciples, we are to teach all that Jesus taught. Since Jesus Himself had a very high view of Scripture, this means teaching the whole counsel of God's Word. To do so, we must be deeply rooted in God's Word, which is rich and varied and provides us with more than we could study in a lifetime. On the other hand, the call is to "go" and so we cannot hide behind closed doors and keep to ourselves.

Some churches have a reputation for being "holy huddles," where the Bible is taught but where believers keep themselves distant from the world, unknown  and not involved in their community. Other churches have a reputation for being "seeker-driven" and welcoming to outsiders, but are not known for deep and rich Biblical teaching. 

Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are thus called to pour ourselves out for God in love and worship, studying His word and praising His name, while also loving our neighbors and sharing the good news of Jesus with them. This good news is not just for our neighbors in Harford County but also for the nations, to the ends of the earth. 

For more about our church philosophy, read these blog posts from Pastor Jason: Part 1 & Part 2