A Foursquare Church on Glencoe Road
Evergreen Christian Center gathers at 4400 NW Glencoe Road in Hillsboro, Oregon, and is affiliated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. The church describes itself as a fun, friendly, multi-generational community committed to helping people find and follow Jesus. On a typical Sunday the building fills twice - once at nine and again at eleven - with families, students, and longtime members moving between worship, classrooms, and the auditorium. Midweek, small groups meet in rooms named the Green Room and the Center, and teams prepare to serve here in Hillsboro and across the world.
Sundays at Nine and Eleven
Evergreen holds two Sunday morning services, at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and each gathering runs about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. The format centers on worship and a Bible-based message. The teaching team, led by the co-lead pastors, includes several men and women representing a wide range of age groups, and the stated aim is to teach what the Bible says in a relevant, application-oriented way. Newcomers are encouraged to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early to grab a coffee, check children into eKids, meet a few people, and find a seat. The dress runs from tees and jeans to Sunday best. Services are streamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person, and the weekly message is released as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The eKids World
Children from birth through sixth grade are welcomed into eKids at both Sunday services. Classrooms are organized by stage. Lil' Bytes is the nursery for the littlest ones, Liz Yandall directs the Preschool and Kindergarten room, and Jordan and Lauren Roth co-direct the 1st through 6th grade classrooms. Each class is designed for hands-on, discovery-based learning, with the goal of helping kids build a foundation of faith that will help them navigate life's challenges. Behind the auditorium, the Family Hub wall offers free faith tools, parenting tips, and family activities, and the church points parents toward Parent Cue resources for ongoing help at home. Kim Lawless serves as the Kids Ministry Pastor, with Julie Gray as assistant and Kelli Elmers as volunteer coordinator and nursery director. Child dedications are scheduled throughout the year, with a week's notice requested through eKids@ecc4.org.
eYTH: Deeply Loving, Freely Giving, Always Growing
The youth ministry, known as eYTH, meets middle and high school students right where they are. Seventh through ninth graders gather on Sunday mornings during the 11:00 AM service, and seventh through twelfth graders meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. High school students also come together on weeknight evenings twice a month. The ministry's three watchwords - Deeply Loving, Freely Giving, Always Growing - are rooted in 1 Corinthians 13, Proverbs 11, and Luke 8, and the team describes its goal as encouraging and empowering young people toward loving God and loving others through serving, Scripture, and everyday life choices. Makaio Thompson directs eYTH and is the main point of contact, while Kayla Thompson is available as a female leader for students who would prefer to talk with a woman.
Small Groups and the SOAP Rhythm
Small groups are the backbone of Evergreen's midweek ministry, and several of them follow the SOAP rhythm - Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. A women's SOAP group meets Monday evenings at 6:30 PM, a men's SOAP group meets Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM, and a Spanish-language women's group meets Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Green Room. The Spanish group, led by Ignolia and Erika, is described as ongoing so newcomers can join at any time. A men's prayer group gathers Monday nights at 8:00 PM in the Green Room under the leadership of Keith Sjodin, also open year-round. Carlos Gomez leads an eight-session Practicing the Way introduction course on Tuesday evenings that walks participants through the spiritual practices of Jesus. GriefShare, a confidential, video-based grief support program, meets Monday evenings at 6:30 PM under the leadership of Dave and Debi Countryman. And on the third Thursday of each month, a prayer gathering runs from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the Center, led by Deb Gabel and Ilcian Gomez-Lemus. Kids are welcome at some groups with advance sign-up; most small groups do not provide childcare.
Care, Counseling, and Pastoral Support
Evergreen surrounds its congregation with a network of pastoral care resources for the harder seasons of life. A prayer request form connects needs to a prayer team, and a Connect With a Pastor form opens the door to a conversation or pastoral counseling. The church hosts Her Journey, a faith-based, non-denominational support class designed to assist women working through current or past abuse. Pastors are available by appointment. Weddings and quinceañeras are considered for current participants in the Evergreen community when the church calendar allows, and the pastors conduct weddings between a man and a woman.
Serving Here, Near, and Far
Evergreen organizes mission and service into three concentric circles. Here means caring for one another inside the church family - prayer, meals, small groups, counseling, and service opportunities. Near focuses on Hillsboro and includes support for Hillsboro School District students experiencing housing instability, kids' events during Hillsboro Holly Days, and eKids summer camps. Far extends the church's reach internationally. Evergreen partnered with Food for the Hungry in Chacalte, Guatemala for twelve years, helping to build classrooms, a school computer lab, safe cooking stoves, water filters, a community medical center, home gardens, and a sustainable water source. That formal partnership concluded in 2026, and the pastoral team is discerning future global work. The church also partners with Youth With a Mission's Homes of Hope in Ensenada, Mexico, building 16-by-20-foot homes alongside families in need over two-to-three-day trips. Globally, Evergreen supports missionaries and church planters in Austria and Uganda and continues to walk alongside child sponsorship relationships in Guatemala.
Baptism and Next Steps for New Followers
Water baptism is taught as a significant step forward and a public declaration of choosing to follow Jesus. The church walks adults, youth, and children through that step. Children attend an eKids Baptism Class the Wednesday before their baptism, and baptism Sundays are scheduled several times a year. For those newer to faith, the church lays out a clear pathway: tell someone, read the Bible, be baptized, attend church regularly, pray, and join a small group. A short guide titled You SAID YES offers a starting point for those who have just begun following Jesus.
Beliefs and Values
Evergreen is part of the Foursquare Church and points visitors to the denomination's statement of beliefs for its doctrinal convictions. The church itself summarizes its values around six words drawn from the picture of the early church in Acts: Intentional Diversity, Honest Communication, Unselfish Relevance, Extravagant Generosity, Team, and Joyful Celebration. The mission statement distills the whole effort into one line: we help people find and follow Jesus here, near, and far.
Staying Connected Throughout the Week
The Evergreen app, available on iOS and Android, gives members a way to give, register for events, and stay current on announcements. A weekly eBlast email, a YouTube channel, and a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify carry the Sunday teachings beyond the building. A Family Resources page points parents toward Parent Cue articles and blog posts. Giving can be done online through Pushpay, through a bank's bill pay feature, or by mail to the church address, with designated gifts noted in the memo line. The church office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, closed for the noon lunch hour, and the phone number is (503) 648-7168.