On Nelson Brogdon Boulevard in Sugar Hill, Georgia, Sugar Hill Church opens its doors three times on Sunday morning and once more in the evening to serve one of the fastest-growing, most multilingual communities in Gwinnett County. The phrase Welcome Home runs through every part of the church - from the greeters at the door to a Weekday Preschool that educates more than 300 children. What sets the congregation apart is the unusual way it has built a fully bilingual life: English-language gatherings at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m., a Spanish-language service at 5:00 p.m., and an extensive Sugar Hill Español program with its own pastor, classes, and midweek Entre Semana gatherings. The church's Instagram bio sums up the spirit: "The perfect place for folks who aren't."
Three Sunday Mornings, One Spanish Service
Most first-time guests step onto the Sugar Hill Church campus on a Sunday morning. The English services are intentionally offered three times - 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m. - so that families can pick a time that fits their week. Each gathering includes a time of worship, teaching from Scripture, and programming for children from infants through fifth grade. Services are also livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, and past gatherings are kept available for replay.
For those who prefer Spanish, the Sugar Hill Español service meets at 5:00 p.m. in the Chapel. The ministry describes the music as "engaging and sincere, while we seek to focus our minds and hearts on God," and the teaching as "practical, stimulating, and straight from the Scriptures." Services run about 90 minutes. The church is unapologetically casual: "You can really 'come as you are.' We are not going to judge you if you are in a suit or your jeans. There are people from all over Latin America. So what should you wear? Whatever you want. The only thing we want is for you to feel comfortable with what you are wearing."
Sugar Hill Español: A Bilingual Church Family
What began as a Sunday evening Spanish service has grown into a parallel ministry under Pastor Mauricio Menesses, who joined the team in 2018 and grew up in more than five Latin American countries. The Español side of the church is now woven into every part of the week.
On Sunday mornings before the 5:00 p.m. service, four pre-service classes meet at 9:30 a.m.: Ejercitando Nuestra Fe, Formación I, Formación II, and Liderazgo. After the service, members and guests can attend a Membership Class (Bienvenido a Casa) and a Baptism Orientation.
Wednesdays are the heart of the Entre Semana rhythm, a 6:30 p.m. gathering designed for those who want more than a single Sunday. The first Wednesday of the month is set aside for Alabanza y Oración (praise and prayer). The second Wednesday features teaching. The third is a panel night with subject-matter experts. The fourth is a night of victory stories. When a month carries a fifth Wednesday, the night becomes a family game night with dinner.
Beyond the regular calendar, Sugar Hill Español runs men's, women's, marriage, singles, and youth ministries in Spanish. The men's group meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. at the church every other week, with sports nights on Mondays and Thursdays at Lanier High School. The women's ministry gathers on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with a separate group for women in their twenties and thirties and another for women 55 and older called Floreciendo en gracia. Couples meet once a month through Ama2, and singles meet monthly for connection, intimacy, and purpose.
The ministry has also planted 10.10.1, a network of small groups meeting in ten cities across the region: Lawrenceville, Dacula, Cumming, Duluth, Alpharetta, Gainesville, Norcross, Sugar Hill, Buford, and Suwanee. Each location is led by a husband-wife team, and the groups walk through the same semester curriculum.
Kids from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Sugar Hill Kids is a full-scale children's ministry that takes the doors-opening-seriously motto to heart. On Sunday mornings, Kids Ministry doors open 15 minutes before each service. Preschoolers are checked into classrooms for the entire service hour (8:30, 10:00, or 11:30 a.m.), with twos through PreK rotating into a Preschool Worship Room for a Bible story video, worship songs, and playground time when weather permits. Elementary children participate in a mix of small groups and large group Kids Worship during both the 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. services.
Families with fourth and fifth graders get a flexible rhythm: those students can attend the main worship gathering with their family one hour and Elementary Programming the other. Kids Pastor Rhonda McMahan, who joined the team in 2017, oversees the program alongside Elementary Pastor Joe Wells (attending Sugar Hill Church since 1995). A Kids Ministry Coordinator, a Childcare Coordinator, and a Special Events Coordinator round out the team.
Check-in is electronic, with matching parent and child security tags. Parents keep the pickup tag; without it, the child is not released. Every leader has been background checked, all are trained in fire, weather, and lockdown procedures, and a uniformed officer is on duty each week between the preschool and elementary areas. A clear well-child health policy keeps classrooms healthy.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the Kids Ministry runs Vacation Bible School each summer for rising PreK through fifth grade, Summer Serve (a day camp for rising first through fifth graders that combines teaching with hands-on community service), Parents' Time Outs (drop-off events so parents can take a morning or evening off), family events, and 4th and 5th grade outings like pool parties, corn mazes, and Main Event trips. Fourth and fifth graders also serve in leadership on regular Serve Sundays, helping teach and lead worship for the younger elementary kids.
SHINE for Friends with Special Needs
SHINE is Sugar Hill Church's special needs and disability ministry. It exists so that parents of children with additional needs can worship and engage in community with the peace of mind that their child is being loved and served. SHINE offers both a kids space and an adult space. The Kids SHINE room is open during the 9:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. programming times, and the Adult SHINE room for adolescents and older is open at 11:00 a.m. SHINE also provides buddies who can sit alongside friends in small or large group settings, and a quiet sensory environment for those who need a calmer space.
Middle and High School Students
Student Ministry at Sugar Hill Church, branded as Sugar Hill Students, serves sixth through twelfth graders. The heart of the program is relationships: "We believe small group leaders are the real pastors in the lives of middle and high school students. Our hope for students is that they are seen, heard, loved, and known."
On Sunday mornings, students can serve, attend the main worship gathering, or join Table Groups. Table Groups run between the 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. services, with free hang-out time in the Underground and Backyard before students break into groups of seven to nine for discussion. Table Group Leaders walk students through a passage of Scripture, helping them write down observations, connections, and personal take-aways.
Wednesday Nights run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and typically include hangout time, games, food, group worship, teaching, and small groups divided by grade and gender. Throughout each semester the team schedules Invite Nights - high-energy events like dance parties, glow-in-the-dark nights, dodgeball tournaments, and all-you-can-eat bacon - designed as a natural way for students to bring friends.
Special events include High School Beach Camp at BigStuf, Middle School Camp at MIX, a fall Middle School Retreat, a winter in-town retreat called LIFT Gwinnett, and a student mission trip to the Mayan village of Ichmul in the Yucatan through Mission House International. Financial help is available; the church never wants cost to keep a student from going on a trip.
Student Pastor Jordan Chambliss, who grew up at Sugar Hill Church from 2004 to 2012 before returning to the staff in 2023, leads the team alongside Student Discipleship Pastor Jake Martin and Student Ministry Coordinator Angie Homer.
Adults at Every Stage of Life
Sugar Hill Church's adult ministry is built around the conviction that "life really is better together." The church runs small groups by semester - spring, summer, and fall, with each session running about three months. The groups meet in homes, at the church, and online, and cover categories including singles, married adults, men, women, and parents.
Women's Ministry
Women's Pastor Debbie McGrath, on staff since 2017, organizes the women's calendar, teaches a weekly Bible study, and leads other women in pursuit of the Lord. Allison Pinckley directs the Mom's Ministry, helping mothers be loved, encouraged, and confident in their God-given role. The ministry runs Bible studies, fun evenings out, women's events, and lasting small group friendships.
Men's Ministry
The men's ministry is led by volunteer Men's Pastor Jay Greer and centers on small groups designed to help men grow as husbands, fathers, and leaders. Monday Ministry sends a team each Monday morning to area senior living homes (Benton, Charter, Pruitt and Wickshire, and Holbrook) to lead worship and encouragement - no singing experience required.
Marriage and Parents
The Marriage Ministry offers helpful teaching, a comprehensive workbook, practical lessons, and monthly online videos, with groups and events designed for couples at any stage. The Parents Ministry exists to equip moms and dads to be the primary spiritual influence in their children's lives through small groups, workshops, and curated resources.
Young Adults and Singles
Young Adults (ages 18 to 24) gather on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. for small groups, special events, and lasting friendships. The ministry reaches high school grads through 24-year-olds and is meant to help bridge the gap into the next season of life.
Fifty-Five+ Adults
Senior adults find community through small groups and holiday luncheons. The ministry also organizes the Monday Ministry visits to senior living homes.
The Table
The Table is Sugar Hill Church's midweek adult gathering. It meets on Tuesday evenings and is designed as an additional step beyond Sunday morning teaching, with discussion questions and small group interaction that go deeper into the week's message.
Beyond: Here, There, Everywhere
The missions ministry at Sugar Hill Church is called Beyond, named for the very definition of the word: MORE, FURTHER, LONGER, CLOSER, HAPPIER, BETTER. The ministry frames its work around Acts 1:8 - Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth - and is organized into three concentric circles.
Here
Local missions include a partnership with Neighborhood Meals on Wheels, which prepares fresh meals Monday through Friday mornings and delivers them to homebound seniors across the area. The Backpack Ministry packs food bags on Thursday mornings during the school year and delivers them to local schools for children who are food-insecure over the weekends. The Community Impact Center (also called Welcome Foreign Brother) provides food, clothing, furniture, and household items to families in need and to those who are new to the area. The Foster Care Ministry walks with families through the fostering process, building support teams for prayer, finances, respite, meals, and emotional care. Grace Bridge serves single mothers with mentorship, resources, and a community that says "Welcome Home." Other local efforts include Half-Hour Hero (mentoring students at lunch), ESL classes for adults, Path United (serving school-age children in the Peachtree Village Community), Hope Thru Soap (clothing, food, haircuts, and encouragement for homeless families at Gwinnett high schools), Care Portal, One Sweet Day (a campus block party held three times a year for the neighborhood), and free Spanglish worship services that bring the English and Spanish congregations together.
There
State and national mission efforts mobilize teams beyond Sugar Hill. Clear Path Counseling offers pastoral and professional counseling to the community. Sugar Hill students and adults partner with several other organizations for one-day, weekend, and week-long projects across the Southeast.
Everywhere
International mission partnerships include the Yucatan (Mission House in Ichmul, Mexico), Venezuela, El Salvador, and Colombia. Sugar Hill Español's Pastor Mauricio and his wife Laura co-founded a non-profit that targets unreached communities in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, and the USA.
Through the fall, the church also runs a prayer initiative, organizing the entire congregation to fill 15 hours of prayer every day for the church, schools, community, nation, and world.
The Weekday Preschool
Sharing the Sugar Hill Church campus is the Weekday Preschool, a Christ-centered early education program directed by Julie Whaley. The preschool employs a staff of more than 50 women and serves more than 300 children ages 15 months through five years, including toddlers, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, PreK, Transitional Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. The core curriculum is Wee Learn from Lifeway Christian Resources, supplemented with UFLI, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, and Heggerty Bridge to Writing for English Language Arts. Each class attends daily Music and Movement enrichment, weekly STEAM and Bible enrichment, and weekly Chapel. PreK, TK, and Kindergarten students also participate in QUEST, a project-based learning block. The preschool is an outreach of Sugar Hill Church, designed to engage the community with the love and hope of Jesus Christ.
What They Believe
Sugar Hill Church teaches what it calls the "Big Three" - three foundational beliefs that drive the entire congregation. First, the Bible is a big deal: it is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Second, Jesus is the biggest deal: He is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to God the Father. Third, the church lives this out by serving here and around the world - as representatives of Jesus, commissioned to love others in the community and to the ends of the earth.
The full doctrinal statement lays out the church's beliefs about God (creator and ruler, eternally existing in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Jesus Christ (the Son of God, sinless, crucified, risen, ascended, and returning), the Holy Spirit (present in the world, living in every Christian from salvation, providing power, understanding, and guidance), humanity (made in God's image, male and female, marred by sin), salvation (a gift from God received by faith in Jesus Christ), eternity (heaven and hell as places of eternal existence), eternal security (the believer is secure in salvation for eternity by the grace and power of God), Scripture (God's word, written under the Holy Spirit's guidance, without error), and the end of the world (Jesus will return personally and visibly, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge all in righteousness).
The church observes two ordinances: baptism by immersion as a public declaration of faith in Christ, and communion (the Lord's Supper) as a remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice. The church's stated values include Scripture, relationships, spiritual health and growth, personal stewardship, replication, openly speaking of the things of God, and prayer as the cornerstone of its power.
A Pastoral Team that Has Stayed
Sugar Hill Church is led by Lead Pastor Chuck Allen, who has served as lead pastor since 2011 and been part of the church since 2008. His big belief is simple: "You can do this! You can love God with all your heart, mind and soul and be normal!" Executive Pastor Bobby McGraw has been on staff since December 2008, when he started part-time in Student Ministry; he gives day-to-day direction to Adult Ministries, Communications, and Finance, and serves as a teaching pastor. Worship Pastor Zach Brown has attended Sugar Hill Church his entire life and became worship pastor in 2018. Creative Arts Pastor Austin Poff has been part of the team since 2018, with volunteering and serving dating back to 2009. Production Director Josh Neal, Digital Media Director Parker Waters, and Worship Ministry Assistant Kaela Kranendonk round out the worship and creative side.
Pastor Mauricio Menesses leads Sugar Hill Español with his wife Laura Menesses, who serves as Executive Director of Ministries for Sugar Hill Español and Beyond. Ann Bishop directs community missions. Kids Pastor Rhonda McMahan oversees infants through fifth grade along with Elementary Pastor Joe Wells and the SHINE Ministry. Student Pastor Jordan Chambliss leads the middle and high school ministry, with Student Discipleship Pastor Jake Martin and Student Ministry Coordinator Angie Homer.
Discipleship Pastor Brett Davis helps people take their next step with Jesus, Women's Pastor Debbie McGrath leads the women's ministry, and volunteer Men's Pastor Jay Greer walks with the men of the church. Pastor of Congregational Care and Senior Adult Ministry Neil Strong makes calls on people in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care. Facilities and Operations Pastor Jerad Poff oversees the SHC campus and the many weekday and weekend needs of the ministries. Welcome Home Director Alma Carranza and the rest of the Welcome Home team greet every guest who walks through the doors.
Weekday Preschool Director Julie Whaley has been at SHC Weekday since 2000 and oversees the more-than-300-child preschool alongside Assistant Director of Admissions and Employment Jill Garrison and Assistant Director of Operations Tiffany Casey.
Welcome Home
For first-time guests, Sugar Hill Church offers a simple Plan Your Visit form that lets the team know you are coming. A Welcome Home team member will meet you out front, help you navigate the campus, and answer any questions. The church is casual: come in jeans or a suit, whichever you prefer. The Kids area has its own entrance through the Back Parking Lot for first-time families, infants through second grade, and SHINE friends, with a separate Side Parking Lot entrance for 3s through elementary.
Services are livestreamed for those joining from home. Giving is available online, by texting "Give SHC" to (833) 821-4400, or by check mailed to the Finance Department at the church's address. The church also has an app and a RightNow Media account that members and attenders can request at no cost. Counseling referrals are available through Clear Path Counseling, and the church runs GriefShare groups as a regular part of its care ministry.
Sugar Hill Church is a place where three Sunday morning services and a Spanish-language evening service share the same campus with a Weekday Preschool of more than 300 children, a student ministry that pours into sixth through twelfth graders, a thriving network of adult small groups, and a missions arm that reaches from Sugar Hill to the ends of the earth. The doors are open. The welcome is real.