By Pastor Stephen Hess –
Psalm 100 says, “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” It is important to look back and remember how God has been faithful in past generations. For example, we can remember God’s faithfulness to his people in the Old Testament by reading about him rescuing them from Egypt, leading them through the wilderness, and bringing them into the Promised Land. Remembering God’s faithfulness in past generations strengthens our faith and assures us that he always fulfills his promises.
However, it is equally important to reflect upon how God has been faithful in our own lives and in recent generations. This summer marks a major milestone for Highview as we finally pay off the loan on our building. This is a great occasion to pause and reflect upon how God has been faithful to our congregation over the years. Here are just a few key moments in the history of God’s faithfulness to Highview:
1993: God called together a people – During the summer of 1993, God called together a group of people who were seeking a new beginning and a new church. On the 5th of September, 66 people signed a membership covenant. Later that fall on the 21st of November, the new congregation was received and installed as part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
1995: God provided a piece of land – Highview began without land and without a building. The first worship services were held at Reformation Lutheran Church, whose members graciously allowed the people of Highview to use their building. Soon afterward the people of Highview began using the Lion’s Club in Genessee Depot for Sunday services. However, in December of 1995 the land on the corner of GE & E was purchased, which would be the future site of our building.
2000: God provided a building – After worshiping for several years at the Lion’s Club, God provided enough funds to begin “phase I” of a building project. Groundbreaking took place in the summer of 1999, and the project was completed by the following spring. On April 2nd of 2000 the new church building was dedicated.
2007: God provided a sanctuary – For several years, worship services were held in the fellowship hall, however, the dream was always to add onto the building with a larger sanctuary for worship. In September of 2002 the building committee began “phase II” of the planning process. Groundbreaking took place in May of 2007 and by December of that same year the sanctuary was completed and dedicated.
2025: God helped us pay off our loan – Through the faithfulness of God and the generous giving of our members over many years, the loan has now been paid in full and Highview is debt free!
The full repayment of our loan does not represent the end of Highview’s journey but a new beginning. With our building paid off, we believe that this is going to free us to pursue new ministry initiatives and opportunities that up to this point have not been possible. We ask the entire Highview family to join us in praying for God’s direction as we enter this new chapter together. We are excited to see what God is going to do among us in the coming years, trusting that the timeline of his faithfulness will have many more significant dates added to it.
Just as God has been faithful in the past, he will continue to be faithful in the future, because his faithfulness endures to all generations!