Steve Hare

My spiritual journey began in a family that loved the Lord. I was blessed with a mother and father who have modeled Christian living and service for my entire life. I have watched them serve God and His church in variety of ways: as Bible teachers for children and adults, offering hospitality to young men and women, on the missions committee, as an elder and as faithful servants of the body of Christ in a variety of other ways. I have been blessed with many great Bible teachers and mentors throughout my spiritual journey and God has used all of them to shape and form me. I am thankful that He is faithful and is continuing to use life experiences and relationships with people to make me more like Jesus. God blessed me with a wonderful, loving wife. She has been a source of strength and encouragement to me for almost 25 years. He blessed us with two children who have taught us so much about unconditional love, forgiveness, and mercy. We have all been blessed by the love and care of so many brothers and sisters here at Highland.

In my first years in ministry God provided mentors and shepherds like Lynn Anderson, Glenn Owen, John Willis, and David Wray and in recent years He added men like Don Jackson, Roland Orr, and Jerry Strader. I feel so blessed to have served the Highland Church of Christ alongside men like these for the last eighteen years. So much of what I know about ministry and shepherding came from watching and observing these men. I believe a great vision already exists for Highland's shepherds. I am prayerful that we will continue being men who care for God's flock by loving, serving, praying with and for people, and empowering them for works of service in the Kingdom.

I believe Highland is poised to enter some very challenging times as God's Spirit leads us in new ministries and as we implement expanded roles for women in public worship. We will be enriched, as women of faith are encouraged to use their God-given gifts in ministry in this church family in new ways. The renewed interest in ministry to our immediate neighborhood is calling us to embody afresh our mission statement and find ways to invite those searching into our community of faith. Many in our midst are hearing a call to be more welcoming, offering hospitality and care for those who are oppressed, suffering, and looking to us for the love of God. New ministries are beginning and people are being transformed as they put into practice the passion God has planted in their hearts. God has been very faithful and gracious to the Highland family for almost 75 years and that gives us reason to believe He will continue to mold and transform us into the church He desires us to become.