A Mountain Congregation Since 1953
Church of the Hills sits along Buffalo Park Road in Evergreen, Colorado, where it has been a Presbyterian (USA) presence since 1953. The congregation draws members from Evergreen and the surrounding mountain communities of Conifer, Kittredge, and Idaho Springs, serving as one of the area's longstanding mainline Protestant churches. Its vision frames the church as a vibrant family of faith rooted in God's Word, gathering together to worship and to be equipped to share the love of Christ with the world, and visitors are welcomed with the invitation to come as you are and experience God's unconditional love.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. the congregation gathers for worship in a traditional reformed style, with the offering collected and blessed during the service. The church reassures newcomers with the words: we may be traditional in our service, but no need to worry about what you are wearing; jeans look great with everything. Services are also available for livestream on YouTube, and recordings can be viewed later on the same channel, allowing those who live farther up the canyons or who are traveling to keep up with the preaching and music. A printed bulletin accompanies each service, and a calendar of upcoming Sundays and church events is published online.
Choir and Music
The choir rehearses and sings every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., supporting the gathered worship with music rooted in the reformed tradition. Singers who would like to join this regular rhythm of preparing music for the 10 a.m. service are invited to connect with the church office.
A Faith of Grace and Mission
The church teaches that God comes to the world with grace and love in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose so that believers might belong to God and share in abundant life. Members and friends are encouraged to open themselves to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, while valuing every person as uniquely gifted for ministry. The mission statement gathers the church to be grounded in God's Word and equipped to go into the world through divine worship, the administration of the sacraments, spiritual fellowship, service to others, and proclamation of the Word. Five core values shape the life of the congregation: Creativity, Fellowship, Outreach, Spiritual Growth, and Worship. Communion is celebrated on significant Sundays in the church year, including World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October, when members bring loaves from their own cultural traditions to share after worship.
Growing in Christian Life
Christian formation at Church of the Hills happens through several steady rhythms.
Thursday Bible Study. A Bible study meets at the church each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and is open to anyone in the congregation or community who would like to dig deeper into Scripture together.
Sunday School. A Sunday morning study is offered during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Open to everyone from middle schoolers through older adults, the class uses the curriculum Feasting on the Word, a companion to the sermon topic, so that learning flows out of and back into the same texts being preached on Sunday morning.
Spares and Pairs. This fellowship group meets the second Friday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in different participants' homes. Members bring an appetizer, salad, entrée, or dessert to round out the meal, and hosts' addresses are shared through the weekly newsletter. Carpooling is encouraged because parking at the hosts' homes is often limited.
Lunch and Learn. Following worship on occasional Sundays, the church hosts a lunch and discussion series that explores missions, congregational life, or community topics in an informal setting.
Love in Action Locally
The Love in Action committee guides the church's local, national, and international service. The committee's stated goal is to share a deep life of service and participate in God's mission to care for the needs of the sick, the poor, and the lonely to establish Christ's just, loving, and peaceable rule in the world.
Shelter Program. Church of the Hills is one of several supporting congregations in an interfaith shelter ministry that provides shelter, meals, showers, and laundry service for those without homes in the mountain communities. From October through the close of the shelter season, the church prepares and serves a meal on the first Sunday of each month, with preparation beginning in the church kitchen around 4:30 p.m. and supper served to shelter guests at 6:30 p.m. Volunteers help with both preparation and serving.
Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO). The church consistently supports EChO with food donations, financial contributions, and volunteer hours. EChO offers groceries, clothing, short-term financial assistance for rent, utilities, gas, auto repair, insurance, phone bills, medications, and child care, along with mentoring, prayer support, a job center, and workshops on interviewing, résumé writing, and budgeting. A food drive is held in the church parking lot on the first Monday of every month at 11 a.m., and donations may also be delivered directly to the EChO Food Bank at The Place, 27886 Meadow Drive, at the corner of Highway 74 and Meadow Drive.
Resilience1220. The church supports Resilience1220, which provides free counseling to youth ages 12 to 20 in the mountain communities west of Denver, along with support groups and community outreach that raise awareness of the social, emotional, and mental health issues young adults face.
The Building as a Gift. An ongoing part of the church's mission is opening its doors to community groups free of charge. The building currently hosts Alcoholics Anonymous, a scout troop, and People Comforters, a group that makes quilts and other items for people in need, including those served by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
Hands Across Borders
Beyond Colorado, Love in Action reaches around the world through several partnerships.
Pura Vida Ministries. Since 2014, the congregation has supported Pura Vida's work to promote health and education in the Quiché department of Guatemala. The partnership includes contributions to the unsponsored student fund, individual sponsorships that allow rural students to attend school, support for an English Camp, and work sessions to compile materials. Sponsors can exchange correspondence with their students, and those who travel to Guatemala meet their sponsored students and their families in person.
Operation Christmas Child. Each year the church takes part in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child, filling shoeboxes with gifts for children in need around the world as a tangible expression of God's love.
Rooted Wisdom Africa. The church supports Rooted Wisdom Africa, which works to empower children and families in rural Uganda to rise above the constraints of poverty through education and business development.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Special Offerings. As a connectional church, Church of the Hills allocates a portion of its mission budget to the Presbytery of Denver, the Synod of the Rocky Mountains, and the PCUSA General Assembly. The Love in Action Team also coordinates two PCUSA special offerings each year: One Great Hour of Sharing during Lent, and the World Communion Offering received on the first Sunday in October.
Alternative Gift Fair. Each November the congregation supports a two-day gift fair featuring 45 to 50 nonprofit organizations whose programs serve communities in the U.S., Haiti, Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Giving, Volunteering, and a Trade Vendor List
Members and visitors can support the ministry of Church of the Hills in four ways: in person during the Sunday offering, online through a giving portal, by mail to the church's P.O. box, or by participating directly in the life of the church. A $500 scholarship is available through the Love in Action committee for members, friends, or employees pursuing continuing education or attending a camp or retreat that would benefit the congregation. The Stewardship Team also coordinates a Trade Vendor List that connects members who need services with members who offer them, building mutual support within the body.
Pastoral Team and Friday Features
Pastor Richard Aylor leads the congregation. The pastoral and administrative team is supported by Office Administrator Peggy Farnham and Finance Administrator Tom Maxey, who keep the day-to-day operations, finances, and communications running smoothly. Friday Features, a weekly email newsletter, carries a message from the pastor along with announcements, opportunities, and information about the upcoming worship service, making it easy for newcomers and longtime members alike to stay connected between Sundays.