A 135-Year History in the Treasure Valley
Eagle Hills Church sits on North Eagle Road in Eagle, Idaho, a suburb northwest of Boise, and traces its story all the way back to 1888, when it was founded as the Boise Valley Methodist Episcopal Church. Over the following decades the congregation ministered in the Treasure Valley under a series of names and from several different locations. In 1990 it moved to its present site on North Eagle Road, and in 2010 the building was expanded to roughly 33,400 square feet of space designed to serve both the church and the wider community.
In January 2023 the congregation rebranded as Eagle Hills Church to better reflect who it is and how it serves. Later that same year the church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church and became an independent congregation continuing to follow traditional Wesleyan beliefs and practices. Today the church describes itself as egalitarian, welcoming women at every level of leadership including the lead pastor role, and governed by a Board of Deacons elected by the congregation.
A Sunday Morning Built Around Teaching
Eagle Hills Church holds a single Sunday morning worship service at 10:00 a.m. that runs roughly an hour. Each gathering includes music, a Bible-based message, and communion on the first Sunday of every month. Music is a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary songs led by Worship Director Robb French and the choir and worship team, and stained glass windows and artwork play a significant role in the worship environment. Services are livestreamed every week on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
Bible Hour begins an hour earlier at 9:00 a.m., with Lead Pastor Ryan Palmer teaching from a book of the Old or New Testament each week. The teaching style across the church is described as teaching rather than preaching - a deliberate emphasis on walking through Scripture together rather than delivering a monologue. Coffee and a latte bar (with donations supporting the Free Wheelchair Mission) and homemade cookies and desserts are served after the service, and visitors are encouraged to stay and connect.
Pastor Ryan Palmer and the Staff Team
Lead Pastor Ryan Palmer joined Eagle Hills in September 2025 after the church's 18-month pastoral search, succeeding Pastor John Grimsted, who retired after 32 years of ministry. Ryan brings two decades of ministry experience, and he and his wife Alison are raising three children. He is described as a relational pastor who enjoys investing in people, building authentic friendships, and pointing others to the hope of the gospel.
The wider staff includes Lauren French, Director of Children's Ministry, who has served in children's ministry since her teenage years and works to make Eagle Kidz a place that supports parents in the spiritual leadership of their families. Sierra French serves as Youth Director, designing a space where middle and high schoolers can be themselves, build friendships, and grow in their faith. Robb French leads worship alongside his wife Julie, sharing a lifelong passion for leading people in song. James Shattuck is the administrative assistant in the office, and Steve Weiler serves as the church's bookkeeper. Steve Hamm is a key leader in the church's Kairos Prison Ministry involvement.
Eagle Kidz: Children from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children are a central part of Sunday morning at Eagle Hills. The Eagle Kidz program serves Pre-K through fifth grade during the worship service, with classes meeting in the Fellowship Hall on the second floor. Each class follows the same rhythm: a Connection Time of crafts, games, and free play; a Worship Time of large-group singing and the Bible story; a Conversation Time to discuss how the story applies to daily life; and a closing group game or activity with prayer.
Little Sprouts is the nursery for children from birth through age two, located near the sanctuary. Volunteers care for the children through encouragement, support, and developmentally appropriate free play with toys and games, aiming to make a child's very first impression of church a beautiful one. Families with infants or toddlers who would prefer to stay together can use a private Quiet Room behind the sanctuary that is connected to the nursery and equipped with changing tables, toys, and supplies. Children are also always welcome to remain with their parents in the Sanctuary.
Safety is taken seriously. All volunteers are carefully interviewed, trained, and background-checked under a Safe Sanctuary Policy that requires more than one adult present whenever a child is in care. Check-in opens 15 minutes before the service at the Eagle Kidz table in the main hallway, where families are registered in the KidCheck secure system. Parents receive a guardian receipt with a matching code that must be presented at pick-up.
Youth Group on Wednesday Nights
Middle school and high school students gather on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Youth Room. The format mixes games, worship, discipleship, and teaching and is designed to help students process the big changes and big questions of those years. Friends are always welcome, and the group's mission is simply to be a place where students can be themselves, make new friends, and learn about who God is and how He is at work in their lives.
Adults: Small Groups, Bible Studies, and Choir
Adults at Eagle Hills have a full weekly slate of Bible studies and small groups to choose from. Bible Hour with Pastor Ryan meets Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the Music Room. On Monday morning a mixed-group Bible study gathers in the Conference Room at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning brings the Men's Bible Study at 7:00 a.m. and a Prayer Group at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room, with the Disciple/Christian Believer intensive course meeting Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Room 203. Thursday at 1:30 p.m. is the Women's Bible Study in Room 201. The EHC Families Group meets on the second Saturday of each month for dinner, games, study, and prayer time, with childcare provided.
The Choir rehearses Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Room, and musically gifted volunteers are invited to join the Worship Team. The adult discipleship culture at Eagle Hills emphasizes depth, with the 36-week Disciple/Christian Believer course giving members a more intensive walk through Scripture.
Eagle's Wings Preschool
Eagle's Wings Preschool is the church's on-site preschool, serving more than 100 students ages three through Pre-K across eight classes. Directed by Shelli Reitcheck, a graduate of Gonzaga University with a Bachelor's in Special Education and over thirty years of early-education experience, the school embraces a play-based philosophy in which children learn best through games, imagination, creative expression, and exploration. Curriculum spans literacy, math, science, social studies, art, music, and fine and gross motor skills, and the staff is intentional about preparing each child for a confident kindergarten transition.
The teaching team includes Ms. Jeny (Pre-K), Ms. Ann (Three-Year-Old), Ms. Annabelle (Four-Year-Old Co-Teacher), Ms. Meg (Four-Year-Old Assistant), Ms. Connie (Young Four's Lead), and Ms. Andrea (Three-Year-Old Assistant), each bringing deep experience and a love for their students. One of the school's most beloved staff members is Max, a four-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever and certified Go Team therapy dog who provides comfort, joy, and plenty of tail wags to children, parents, and visitors.
Eagle's Wings operates on a calendar that closely follows the West Ada School District, beginning the day after Labor Day and ending on the third Friday in May. The non-refundable registration fee is $175 per child, and children in the Three's, Four's, and Pre-K classes must be independently potty trained.
Missions and Outreach: From the Treasure Valley to the World
Eagle Hills describes itself as a church of Christians in action, and the missions and outreach calendar is one of the busiest parts of congregational life. Locally, the church hosts a bimonthly American Red Cross blood drive and is one of the largest donor sites in the northwest, with 4,317 units donated at the church to date. On the third Thursday of every month, a team prepares and serves dinner at the Boise Rescue Mission's River of Life Mission. Nonperishable food is collected for the Eagle Food Bank year-round, and the church partners with local hospitals through Threads of Love, a sewing group that meets the second Tuesday of each month to make quilts, receiving blankets, burp cloths, doll blankets, dresses, and drawstring bags for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.
Wrapped in Prayer meets every Wednesday morning to knit and crochet prayer shawls, lap robes, scarves, hats, booties, and tiny blankets for premature babies - a ministry that celebrated its 2,000th prayer shawl in September 2023. The church also supports the Free Wheelchair Mission, providing 2,709 wheelchairs to people with disabilities in developing nations since 2013, and packs Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes each November, with 201 boxes shipped in 2024.
Kairos Prison Ministry is one of the most distinctive outreach commitments at Eagle Hills. The church sends volunteers inside the Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI), provides agape letters, prays, and offers financial support to this lay-led, interdenominational Christian ministry that walks incarcerated men, women, and youth through a structured weekend experience and ongoing small-group accountability. Locally, the church hosts several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings during the week in Room 201 and Al-Anon meetings in Room 203, as well as Cub Scouts (Monday evenings at 6:45 p.m.) and Boy Scouts (Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.).
Beliefs and Building
Eagle Hills Church's statement of beliefs centers on the Bible as the inspired Word of God, the reality of human sinfulness, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the love of God for everyone, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the stewardship of all that God has given, and the centrality of the church as the place where God works through His people. These convictions are rooted in a Wesleyan theological tradition even though the church is no longer affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The 33,400-square-foot building at 651 N. Eagle Road hosts an average of 350 people each day. In addition to the church and Eagle's Wings Preschool, the facility serves as a hub for community groups including the Millennial Choir, New Heart Ministries International, Jazzercise, Eagle Theatre Company, AA, Al-Anon, and Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and a prayer box just outside the sanctuary is always available for prayer requests.
What to Expect as a Visitor
Visitors can expect a warm and casual atmosphere. Come in whatever is most comfortable - jeans and a t-shirt, a dress, or a suit and tie are all equally at home. There is no expectation that guests give money, although the offering plate is passed at each service. The Sunday service lasts about an hour, includes communion on the first Sunday of every month, and is followed by free coffee and homemade treats in the fellowship area. Children are welcome in the service or in age-appropriate classrooms, with check-in for first-time families opening 15 minutes before the service begins.