Cherry Hills Community Church occupies 66 acres in the heart of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, just south of Denver, where a 255,000-square-foot main building, the stained-glass and cherry-wood Dixon Chapel, and the on-site Nixon's Coffee House share a campus with an attached Christian school serving preschool through middle school. The congregation identifies with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and gathers as a Christ-centered, Bible-based community drawing families and individuals from Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker, Castle Rock, and the wider Denver metro area. Senior Pastor Curt Taylor leads a teaching team that, alongside an elder board and dozens of ministry directors, oversees three Sunday services, a large midweek calendar, and outreach that reaches from Douglas County to the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Mexico, and Nepal.
Three Sunday Services on One Campus
Worship is offered three times on Sunday morning. An 8:00 a.m. Chapel Service meets in Dixon Chapel and is designed for those who prefer an intimate setting. At 9:00 and 10:30 a.m., the congregation moves into the main building's 2,800-seat worship auditorium for services that feature contemporary music and expository preaching. All three services include a Spanish translation of the sermon, and a Spanish-speaking Connect Group called Construyendo una Comunidad meets at 9:00 a.m. in Room 102 for fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. Services typically last 60 to 70 minutes, and the dress code is casual. Kids and student ministries are available during every service.
Newcomers are invited to stop by Trailhead, a hospitality area at the back of the Worship Center staffed by volunteers ready to pray, answer questions, and help with next steps. A Starting Point luncheon meets periodically after the 10:30 service to introduce newcomers to ministries, staff, and other newcomers over a provided meal, with childcare available by reservation. Online giving, a sermon archive, and live-streamed services are all available for those unable to attend in person.
Up in Worship, Out in Mission, Down in Discipleship
The church organizes its life around three directional commitments, each anchored in Scripture. Up in Worship is the call to glorify God and grow in relationship with Him through gathered praise. Out in Mission treats love as a commandment and pushes the congregation into compassionate service to neighbors near and far. Down in Discipleship frames the Christian life as a lifelong journey of growing in relationship with God and becoming more like Jesus within a supportive community. The same three-part rhythm shapes how the staff talks about church: worship that honors God, service that extends His love, and formation that grounds believers in His Word.
The beliefs of the church are summarized under eight core values that color everything from preaching to small-group life. Cherry Hills holds that every person is made in the image of God and therefore worthy of love (Love God, Love People), that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (Rooted in the Bible), and that prayer should come before, during, and after everything (Wholly Reliant on God). The church is committed to Building Community through worship, the sacraments, and meaningful relationships, to being Invitational by opening homes and lives so others can encounter Jesus, to being Inter-Generational by giving every age a God-given role, and to pursuing Excellence for the Glory of God in programming, facilities, and stewardship.
What Cherry Hills Believes
The doctrinal statement affirms that the Bible - the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments - is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God, the final guide in matters of faith and life. The church believes in one sovereign God, infinitely perfect and eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Cherry Hills confesses that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became fully human through miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and the virgin birth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose bodily on the third day, ascended into heaven, and now reigns at the right hand of the Father as exalted High Priest, Mediator, and Advocate.
The Holy Spirit is confessed as the one who glorifies Jesus Christ, convicts of sin, gives new life, indwells believers, imparts spiritual gifts, and seals believers for the day of redemption. Salvation is entirely dependent on God's free grace; through faith in Jesus alone, God justifies sinners, credits His righteousness to them, and makes them children of God and heirs of eternal life. The church is the global body of all believers united through saving faith in Jesus and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, visible - though imperfectly - in local congregations where the Word is faithfully preached, the sacraments are rightly administered, scriptural discipline is practiced, and Christian community is nurtured. The church joyfully awaits the personal, visible, and bodily return of Christ to judge the living and the dead and to bring final fulfillment to God's redemptive plan. The church affirms the EPC Essentials of Our Faith and the Westminster Confession as modified by the EPC.
The Campus: Main Building, Dixon Chapel, and Nixon's Coffee
The main building anchors the campus with the 2,800-seat worship auditorium at its center, surrounded by a bright, welcoming atrium and Nixon's Coffee House. Nixon's is more than a coffee shop; it serves handcrafted drinks year-round and has become one of the church's main gathering spots, with the volunteer Lobby Coffee Bar team serving more than 31,000 cups of coffee annually. Tucked into the building is Cherry Hills Christian, the affiliated school serving preschool through middle school, allowing families with school-age children to build a single rhythm around the campus. The Gym, used for the Centershot archery ministry, sits alongside other ministry spaces.
Dixon Chapel, constructed in 2006, stands apart as a 400-seat venue designed with native Colorado stone, rich cherry wood finishes, and masterfully crafted stained glass windows in an old-world style. It hosts weddings, memorial services, and Christ-centered gatherings. The chapel is open to members and non-members alike for weddings; one of the church's pastors provides pre-marital counseling and officiates the ceremony. For funerals and memorial services, a pastor meets privately with the family and a service coordinator helps plan a service that celebrates the loved one's life while pointing to the hope found in Christ. State-of-the-art audio and visual technology supports both worship and ceremonial use.
Cherry Hills Kids: From Nursery Through Preteen
Cherry Hills Kids welcomes children from birth through fifth grade into classrooms designed for each developmental stage. The Nursery provides a safe, Christ-centered environment for babies from birth to age two, with trained volunteers who introduce infants and toddlers to the love of Jesus. The Early Childhood area serves toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners with age-appropriate Bible stories, play, and worship. Lower Elementary gathers children in Grades 1 through 3 for engaging Bible lessons, energetic worship, hands-on activities, and small group time, while Upper Elementary serves preteens in Grades 4 and 5 with interactive teaching, age-relevant worship, and small-group discussion that prepares them for the leap into student ministry.
Two milestones mark a child's spiritual journey in the Kids Ministry. Child Dedication gives parents a public opportunity to commit to raising their child to know and follow Jesus, supported by the wider church family. Kids Baptism classes prepare older children to take this step of obedience to Christ, celebrated publicly in a Sunday service. Every volunteer in Cherry Hills Kids must complete a background check and receives training; roles include caring for infants in the Nursery, assisting in Early Childhood classrooms, leading small groups for Elementary kids, welcoming families at check-in, and preparing rooms and supplies.
Cherry Hills Students: Middle School and High School
Cherry Hills Students is a Christ-centered youth ministry for middle and high schoolers in the South Denver area. On Sunday mornings, middle schoolers in Grades 6 through 8 meet at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. in Pavilion 1, and high schoolers in Grades 9 through 12 meet at 10:30 a.m. in Pavilion 2. Each week blends worship, teaching, small groups, and time for friendships. The Wednesday night Student Midweek meets at two different times: middle schoolers gather from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Pavilion 1, and high schoolers from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Pavilion 2, with optional late nights at Chick-fil-A afterward. Small Group Leaders, Hospitality volunteers, and Event Support team members all serve under a team that invests in students during what the church calls some of life's most formative and challenging years.
Women's, Men's, and 55+ Ministries
Women's Ministry at Cherry Hills exists to connect and equip women of every age and stage, building a community where every woman feels known, supported, and encouraged to deepen her faith. Weekly offerings include Tapestry, a Tuesday-morning verse-by-verse study of Joshua led by women of all ages; Women on Wednesday, a Wednesday-morning walk through the Gospel of John with live teaching and discussion; Theology Thursdays, which slow the pace to camp through Philippians; and Mom's in the Word, offered both Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening, with women working through the Exodus era. MomCo at CHCC gathers moms on selected Thursday mornings with paid childcare for children 9 months to 5 years old. The 55+ Singles Community Group, the Faith Quilters, the Kingdom Knitters and Crocheters, the Breast Cancer Support Group, and the Mosaics Widow Ministry round out a calendar with options for nearly every circumstance. A Women's Hiking Group organizes outings for all skill levels. Questions and connection requests go to women@chcc.org.
Men's Ministry, led by Pastor Anthony Pranno, centers on a weekly Bible study that meets both Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the Atrium. The fall semester works through the Sermon on the Mount in a series called Best Sermon Ever, with large-group teaching followed by small-group breakouts of six to eight men. The men's ministry grows outward from this weekly meeting into small groups, discipleship relationships, missions opportunities, retreats, and events.
The 55+ Ministry, pastored by Mark Shupe, is a community for adults ages 55 and better - singles and marrieds, those retired and those still working - who want to build friendships, enjoy activities and events throughout the year, and grow in relationship with God. Sunday-morning Connect Groups anchor the ministry, including Thrive at 9:00 a.m. in the Orchard Room, Grand Central at 9:00 a.m. for grandparents and seasoned adults, Prime Life at 10:30 a.m. for empty nesters and those navigating transitions, and Cultivate: All Ages and Stages at 10:30 a.m. for a multigenerational mix. The 55+ Singles Community Group meets offsite for meals, hiking and biking, dancing, game nights, movie nights, and serving opportunities. The annual Erwin Concert, sponsored by the 55+ Ministry, brings a Southern Gospel sibling group to the campus for worship leading and an evening concert.
Connect Groups and Midweek Bible Studies
Connect Groups meet on Sunday mornings across the campus and are the church's primary pathway into year-round community. Offerings span nearly every life stage: Chain Breakers welcomes those rebuilding lives impacted by incarceration, addiction, or homelessness; It's Complicated is designed for singles, blended families, and anyone whose story doesn't fit a traditional mold; Married Life serves couples who are married, engaged, or newly married; Blessed & Blended supports adults who are dating, engaged, married, or thinking of becoming a blended family; Rooted & Raising walks with parents of fifth graders through high schoolers; and Cultivate: All Ages & Stages gathers multiple generations in one room. Spanish-speaking adults join Construyendo una Comunidad, and the Internationals Community Group hosts a multicultural lunch on the third Sunday of each month. The Military Support Community holds a quarterly lunch gathering four times a year.
Midweek Groups run on a semester system, with options in the fall and spring on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. Studies include Manna Alpha (offered in English and Spanish), Midweek Alpha, the Precept Bible Studies on Amos, Daniel, and Ephesians, a Denver Seminary Class on the history of American Christianity, Her Story His Grace for women, the Marriage Check Up, Path of the Prodigal Parent for parents of prodigal adult children, the Practicing the Way series on generosity and Scripture, and a Pastoral Care Training Class for those who want to be more effective in walking with the hurting. Precept Bible Studies use the Inductive Bible Study Method, walking students through books of the Bible verse by verse.
LifeLines: Healing, Recovery, and Support
LifeLines are the church's safe, supportive groups designed for life's hurts, habits, and hard places. The flagship LifeLine is re:generation, a 12-step discipleship through recovery that meets Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. in Dixon Chapel. Open to men and women, re:generation addresses substance abuse, codependency, pornography, eating disorders, depression, fear, control, emotional and physical abuse, unwanted attraction, anger, obsessive thoughts, and many other struggles, working through biblical steps within an authentic community. Other LifeLines include the Breast Cancer Support Group, which meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:15 p.m. in Room 257, and Her Story His Grace, a women's Bible study for those walking through brokenness.
Local Missions: Manna, Prison, and the Inner City
Cherry Hills approaches local missions through Manna Ministries, a family of outreach efforts designed to meet practical needs and share the hope of Christ. The Manna Care Food Pantry provides food, Bible study, and connection to neighbors facing food insecurity; volunteers serve on Sunday and Monday mornings and on Tuesdays in roles that include stocking shelves, assisting guests, helping with setup and teardown, and driving the box truck for food pickups. The Manna Resource Center walks alongside neighbors through coaching, education, and wellness, with community gatherings on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings and educational programs running throughout the year. Manna Rescue focuses on individuals affected by trafficking, with volunteers praying regularly and offering encouragement through approved channels.
The Prison Ministry shares the hope of Jesus by bringing encouragement, Scripture, and support to those who are justice-involved, inside correctional facilities and in re-entry spaces. Volunteers disciple inside facilities, support outreach events and worship gatherings, write letters, pray for inmates and their families, and assist with logistics. The Inner City ministry partners with several local organizations to provide help and care within Douglas County and the broader Denver community. Cherry Hills also hosts the annual Love Extended weekend, when the whole congregation steps out into service projects across the region.
Global Missions
Globally, Cherry Hills fields short-term mission trips and supports partnerships in the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Mexico, and Nepal. Trips have included hosting evangelistic camps, sharing the Gospel, and building spiritual and relational bridges. Three doors of participation are kept open: going on a short-term mission trip, giving financially to a team, and praying for or serving alongside the country's prayer team. Mission trips are organized through ServiceReef, and applications are open year-round for those interested in joining a team.
Leadership, Staff, and Governance
The church is governed by an Elder Board made up of ruling elders and the Teaching Elder/Senior Pastor. Curt Taylor serves as Teaching Elder/Senior Pastor, leading the Directional Leadership Team alongside Executive Pastor Bronson Stewart, Worship Pastor Myron El, and Pastoral Care Director Brett Garretson. The Directional Leadership Team oversees the broader Directional Staff, which includes directors and pastors for Adult Ministry and Missions, Creative and Production, Facilities and Operations, Guest Experience, Kids and Students Ministry, Pastoral Care, and Worship. Ministry directors pastor specific communities: Anthony Pranno leads Men's Ministry, Mark Shupe leads the 55+ Ministry, Ramona Spilman pastors the 55+ Singles Community Group, Jose Perez leads the Spanish-speaking Connect Group, and Brian Bortz pastors re:generation. Cherry Hills Christian School operates as part of the broader ministry of the church. The general budget for the fiscal year running July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 stands at $13,000,000, with transparency about year-to-date giving.
Giving and Stewardship
Cherry Hills teaches that giving is an act of faith and worship rather than an obligation. Gifts fund local ministry, community outreach, and global missions. Online giving is processed through PushPay, with one-time and recurring options; ACH transfers are encouraged to reduce processing fees so more of each gift goes directly to ministry. The Cherry Hills mobile app handles giving from a phone. In-person gifts can be dropped in the offering plate during services or delivered to the main reception desk. Mailed gifts go to the Finance Office at 3900 Grace Blvd. Appreciated stock, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs for those 70½ and older, Donor Advised Funds, cryptocurrency, and gifts of real property are all coordinated through the Business Office, with detailed instructions available.
Visiting Cherry Hills
Building hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The campus is wheelchair accessible. Spanish translation of the sermon is available during the Sunday services. Sunday services last about 60 to 70 minutes, and casual dress is the norm. Children and students are welcomed into age-appropriate ministries during all three services. The address is 3900 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126, and the phone number is 303.791.4100. Visitors who want a personal touch can fill out a Connect Card before they arrive, and the Trailhead team at the back of the Worship Center is staffed to greet newcomers in person.