why change the name?
On October 2, 2011 our church was launched as Harvest Bible Chapel Rochester. Our church was one of over 160 churches planted in cooperation with Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF) in Chicago. Every church planted through HBF adopted the name “Harvest Bible Chapel” for the purpose of clarity and alignment. We are grateful for the foundational distinctives provided by HBF which were rooted in biblical authority and a vertical focus on the glory of God. In the summer of 2017, Pastor James MacDonald, the founder of Harvest Bible Fellowship, resigned from his position as president and HBF was dissolved.
Although we mourned the loss of HBF, our elders and pastors realized this gave us an opportunity to clarify our church’s unique identity and purpose. Since our church’s launch, God has been writing a story distinct from other churches and ministries who shared our name. And we believe the next chapter of our story is filled with opportunity and impact. Choosing a new name for our church allows us to be identified by our own character, values, and vision.
As of January 1, 2020, Harvest Bible Chapel Rochester is officially called by a new name . . . Lift Church.
what does our name mean?
Our new name was chosen with great intentionality. We wanted our new name to clarify both our mission and our message.
The word "lift" is found in the Bible over 200 times. It is almost always used in the sense of focusing on the Lord rather than ourselves. From the very beginning, our church has been focused on a vertical perspective in everything we do. We don't want to pursue anything in our strength, rather respond to the call of Psalm 121 - "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
We chose the word "church" for a very simple reason - that's what we are! In the past, there has been confusion around the word "chapel" and what that meant. We want to take this opportunity to make the declaration that we are called to be a vibrant and healthy church.
faq’s
What was the process for deciding on a new name?
There was a lot of prayer and discernment from both the elders and the staff leadership team as we considered many different names. Ultimately, there is not a specific scripture to tell us how to pick a church name, so we put our confidence in Godly wisdom and the direction the Lord is leading us.
What if I don’t like the new name?
One of the things we discovered in this process is that it is far easier to critique a name than to create a name. Every name has shortcomings. Two people can hear the same name with completely different reactions based on their past experiences. Over time, a name simply becomes the accepted norm, no matter how strange. (Think of it, who in their right mind would name a computer, “Apple”? It seems to be working for them.) A name is important, but it is not ultimate. Don’t make any name a bigger deal than it is. Remember, Jesus is the name above every name.
Why didn’t we keep “Bible” as our middle name?
First off, don’t worry. Our commitment to the authority of the Bible isn’t going to change. Rather, we didn't see a strong need to have the word Bible represented in our name because we believe it's more about what you DO with the Bible than what you SAY about the Bible.
Why didn’t we keep “Rochester” in our name?
Although we gather in Rochester, Minnesota many people who attend our church do not live in Rochester. They come from all over southeastern Minnesota. Like the first century church, we are called to make disciples in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)) Our new name does not limit our reach geographically.