Mission Statement

  • Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church’s mission is to reflect God’s gracious love by following Christ’s example to welcome, nurture, heal, and serve.

Vision Statement

We envision:

  • A vibrant caring community that draws and energizes people to grow in faith, serving together to make every breath count.

Value Statement

As followers of Jesus Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, we share these core values:

Hospitality : We welcome others and embrace our differences
Community : We seek to be a loving caring Christian family
Compassion : We respond to the pain and need of others
Joy: We celebrate the abundance of God’s grace in our lives
Beauty: We discover God with our eyes, our ears, and our hearts
Honesty: We seek and share the truth
Integrity: We strive to live in accordance with our Christian beliefs
Open-mindedness: We explore a diversity of ideas on our journey of faith
Stewardship: We generously share our time, talents, and financial resources

Strategic Vision

At its November 2015 meeting, Session chartered the Strategic Visioning Task Force (SVTF) “to develop, in conversation with the congregation and the Holy Spirit and by the end of 2016 if possible, new mission and visioning statements for Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, and a specific set of goals and recommended next steps for Bradley Hills to take between now and 2022, to fulfill its mission and live out its vision in being the church Christ is calling us to be.” At its December 20, 2016 meeting, Session approved the following Mission, Vision, and Goals.

We begin from a very positive position. According to the Church Assessment survey we conducted as part of the Visioning, 69% of our members are clearly satisfied with things in the church (compared with 1% dissatisfied). The survey showed the areas of highest congregational satisfaction were “worship and music” and “conflict management.” Our survey results show us to be in the high energy, high satisfaction quadrant. We are delighted to be in this position given the overall decline in church membership nationwide and the context of busyness and multiple priorities for families in our region. Our facilitators were enthusiastic about the health of our congregation and readiness to engage in ministries outside our walls. We believe it’s crucial to sustain and enrich this vibrant community, and we depend upon the energy of our community of faith as we live into this vision.

The Strategic Visioning Task Force was guided by input from the Congregational Vitality Task Force Report, the Vital Signs Report from the Church Assessment Tool survey, focus groups we held with lay ministries and the congregation, and interviews with staff.

  • Mission: To reflect God’s gracious love by following Christ’s example to welcome, nurture, heal, and serve.
  • Vision: A vibrant caring community that draws and energizes people to grow in faith, serving together to make every breath count.


Strategic Goals and Objectives –

Welcome: Increase the sense of welcome, belonging, and connection within the church

One of our congregation’s highest priorities (Vital Signs Report) was the importance of strengthening the process by which members are called and equipped for ministry and leadership. The Congregational Vitality Report also urged us to consider Lay Ministry Teams to engage more members in our governance and service and help new members become involved more quickly. We envision activities to connect our congregation and help match new members’ gifts, interests, and needs with programs, small groups, and other activities within the church such as: keeping our lay ministry structure robust through an inventory of current and desired lay ministry activities to engage all church members; an online member directory; better publicizing of opportunities for involvement; yearly member canvas and visitation initiative for connectional purposes; a Family Life Ministry Team to plan all-church activities; annual review of lay ministry charters and encouragement of ministry teams; and invigorating our call to service, orientation, and leadership development for new leaders within our congregation.

  • Objective: Integrate newer members into the life of the church.
  • Objective: Invigorate congregation through increased member engagement. Support all members of the congregation in feeling loved by God and included in the church through increased member engagement and expanded family ministry.


Nuture: Increase our capacity to nurture our faith across all ages Increase the sense of welcome, belonging, and connection within the church

Our internal Focus Groups encouraged us to pay particular attention to the spiritual growth of each member, and youth in particular.  The Vital Signs Report indicated that other things often were more pressing in our lives than our spiritual growth. We envision continuing to expand small group opportunities through a small group ministry team that would foster age-specific, issue-oriented, and other types of groups where members can form relationships with each other and nurture their faith and spiritual life.

  • Objective: Expand our ministry to provide spiritual practices and growth across all ages and stages to strengthen each member’s relationship with God
  • ​Objective: Strengthen our youth ministry to provide a safe place and engaging program rooted in Christian values


Heal: Expand our capacity to contribute to the healing of the world through caring support and interfaith witness

Our congregation is committed to providing support to members and the community in times of physical, emotional, and spiritual need. Moreover, our interfaith witness with Bethesda Jewish Congregation (BJC) and our outreach to several Muslim congregations is a special aspect of our community. We hope to continue our emphasis on journeying with those in need of counseling, parish nurse support, and pastoral care. We envision that our interfaith events will draw our congregations and the community to work, serve, and worship together and will serve as a model for healing throughout the world. These are unique and special aspects of the BHPC mission and service to God and offers our faith community unique opportunities to offer healing and wholeness.

  • Objective: Expand our interfaith witness by connecting with BJC and Muslim congregations through worship, service, and sharing space
  • Objective: Continue to build our capacity to be a house of healing


Serve: Change lives, have an impact outside our church, especially on those in need, and fulfill our calling to help others

The Congregational Vitality Report encouraged the development of new and customized mission service opportunities and programs, and both Focus Groups and Vital Signs input urged focusing on mission projects that could engage a large number of our members. We envision Bradley Hills creating or connecting with one or more mission projects annually in which the majority of active members participate as well as an on-site mission opportunity widely associated in the community with our church.

  • Objective: Increase hands-on mission work both at BHPC and in the community.


Uphold: Enrich our vibrant faith community

The Vital Signs Report and the focus groups with lay ministries showed a high degree of satisfaction with our church as it is now. To sustain our current health and vitality, we believe we must focus on membership growth, greater member involvement, and increased stewardship in annual and planned giving. These initiatives will help ensure the robust strength of our building, staff, and lay involvement. Offering staff salaries that are competitive for our area, conducting repairs on the building within the timeframes suggested by the capital reserve study, and looking at needs for additional part-time staff will enable us to sustain a vibrant faith community.

  • Objective: Create an environment for staff, worshippers, and the community that stands as a witness to our faith.