Hillcrest Baptist Church stands at 17300 Pulaski Road in Country Club Hills, a Southern Suburb of Chicago, a few minutes northwest of Interstates 80 and 57. The church calls itself “A Great Place to Turn Your Life Around” and is known as a loving congregation where “All are welcome through our doors.” Its life combines Bible-based worship with children’s and youth education, music, counseling, support groups, food assistance, and practical service.
Sunday School at 9:30, Worship at 10:45
Sunday begins with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. Classes are for all ages and focus on teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, strengthening individuals and families through Scripture study, and encouraging people to obey the commandments. A weekly New Members Class also meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. It introduces new members to what it means to be a Christian and gives them a basic understanding of Baptist doctrine. The class encourages regular prayer, daily Bible reading, weekly Bible study, and Sunday School.
Morning Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. The congregation can participate through HBC Live, which also provides past broadcasts and the order of service. Children’s Church begins at the same 10:45 time, with age-group activities starting at 11:15 a.m.
What a first Sunday can feel like
Hillcrest says first-time visitors can expect to meet people who are genuinely glad to see them. Clothing may be casual or “Sunday Best,” as long as it is appropriate. Members may be seen in jeans or suits. Hillcrest says God is more concerned with how a person looks inside than how they look outside, and that attire should not keep anyone from visiting.
Those joining in person can find the church at 17300 Pulaski Road, and its office telephone number is (708) 799-8300. The 10:45 a.m. worship service is also available through the livestream.
Pastor Adron Robinson and a ministry of discipleship
Reverend Dr. Adron Robinson has served as Hillcrest’s senior pastor since April 2009, when he was called as the church’s first African-American pastor. He began considering full-time ministry in his mid-to-late 20s, accepted the call in August 1997, and was licensed to preach the gospel that Thanksgiving weekend. Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in 2004 and a Master of Divinity from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2008. He was ordained at Shiloah Baptist Church in Chicago in 2006 and then served four years as its assistant pastor before coming to Hillcrest.
Robinson describes the heart of his work as seeing people grow in their relationship with God and watching transformation begin. He sees the pastor’s role as servant leadership that follows Christ and leads people toward understanding God’s love. He states his mission this way: “Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Children, teenagers and Kingdom Perspective
Children’s Church serves ages 5 through 13 and divides them into groups for ages 5-6, 7-9, and 10-13. Each group has a different instructor each Sunday and participates in a lesson, crafts, music, and snacks. The ministry’s stated aim is to engage children in learning and growth in the Word of God through a fun, Spirit-filled experience.
Kingdom Perspective is the church’s youth discipleship ministry, meeting weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Minister Daymont VanPelt leads work focused on leadership, relationships, mentoring, missions, service, and spiritual growth. The ministry seeks to reach young people inside and outside the church through groups, classes, Bible studies, and activities that build relationships and foster hope.
Vacation Bible School is a one-week program of Bible stories, creative activities, energy, and inclusion, with leaders assigned by age level. “Girl Talk,” another youth gathering, meets monthly on the fourth Saturday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Mass Choir, men’s choir and Radical Praise
Music is a major part of Hillcrest’s worship. Reverend Tony L. Fisher serves as Minister of Music and Director. The ministry includes the HBC Mass Choir, directed by Fisher; the HBC Men’s Choir under Dennis Jackson; the HBC Contemporary Ensemble, Radical Praise, under Sharon Holmes; and HBC Voice of Grace under Keshia Ward. Members also serve as keyboardist or organist, drummers, and bass guitarists.
The Mass Choir typically sings on the first Sunday, during Communion, and on the third Sunday of each month. Typical rehearsals place Voice of Grace on Sunday morning at 10:45, the Men’s Choir on Monday at 8:00 p.m., the Mass Choir on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., and Radical Praise on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Choir members are expected to attend rehearsals, arrive for prayer before services, and participate fully in the ministry.
The musical approach includes psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and contemporary ensemble worship, giving Hillcrest a blended sound. The music ministry’s vision is to bring people into God’s presence through worship and to use a diverse presentation of sacred music.
Counseling, grief, recovery and health care
Biblical counseling is offered as a face-to-face conversation grounded in the Word, ministering the grace and truth of Jesus Christ to individuals, families, or groups. Meetings are by appointment. Burnette Hughes is Hillcrest’s biblical counselor. He is certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and the International Association of Biblical Counselors, holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary, and is working toward a Doctor of Theology.
Hillcrest’s care ministries also include Grief Share and Celebrate Recovery. For families affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, the church hosts a support group meeting on the third Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Its stated approach is to show love, respect, compassion, and support.
The Health Care Ministry seeks to reflect the compassionate healing love of Jesus Christ by helping the congregation and community pursue health and wellness of mind, body, and spirit. Its work includes education about regular screenings, proper diet, exercise, health, and prayer.
Manna Ministry feeds families in Bremen Township
Hillcrest’s Manna Ministry operates a food pantry from the church’s Pulaski Road location in Bremen Township, Cook County. It provides food to people who come to the church in need and focuses especially on the surrounding Bremen Township community. The ministry says it does not turn away believers or nonbelievers.
Its approach combines church services with attention to the needs of entire families. Manna Ministry uses Matthew 25:35 as a guiding text: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Food support and spiritual care are joined in the church’s neighborhood ministry.
Men, women, seniors and Tuesday morning prayer
Men’s Fraternity meets Mondays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The ministry welcomes men of all ages and emphasizes fellowship, mentoring, and discipleship training. Women’s Ministry meets on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with a focus on caring, sharing, encouragement, love, acceptance, and a closer walk with Christ.
Seniors Ministry offers fellowship through a monthly lunch on the second Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers help with setup, serving, and cleanup. A Tuesday Morning Prayer Line begins at 7:00 a.m. for prayer about the needs and concerns of Hillcrest members and their families.
Hospitality, welcome and support behind worship
Hospitality Ministry prepares food and light refreshments for visitors, members, and friends while helping with meals, event setup, decorating, and a clean, safe environment. Ushers seat people, gather offerings, pass out literature, and help visitors feel comfortable. The Security Ministry supports the peace and tranquility of guests and worshipers, while the Media Ministry provides sound and video projection and social media support for preaching, teaching, and communication.
The Media Ministry offers training and welcomes people regardless of experience. A Library Ministry is also part of Hillcrest’s ministry family, and one-time or recurring online gifts can support tithe, mission, or other church funds. Online giving is available through the church’s secure giving service.
What Hillcrest believes
Hillcrest’s Baptist conviction holds that the Holy Bible is divinely inspired, fully trustworthy, and centered on Christ. It affirms one living and true God, eternal and triune as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, while the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which believers memorialize the Redeemer’s death and anticipate his return.
The church is understood as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel and operating under the lordship of Christ through democratic processes. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. Both men and women are affirmed as gifted for service, while the office of pastor is held by qualified men. Evangelism and missions are described as the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ, accomplished through verbal witness, a Christian lifestyle, and other means in harmony with the gospel.
Hillcrest also states that every person possesses dignity because all are created in God’s image. Its social teaching calls for care of the orphaned, needy, abused, aged, helpless, and sick, opposition to racism, greed, selfishness, and sexual immorality, and respect for human life from conception to natural death. It supports religious liberty and the separation of church and state. The church’s family teaching defines marriage as a covenant commitment for life between one man and one woman, describes children from conception as a blessing from the Lord, and assigns distinct responsibilities to husbands and wives in the home.
A church centered on discipleship and service
Robinson’s words about making disciples describe a church whose Sunday rhythm and weekday ministries are closely connected. At Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills, Scripture teaching, worship with choirs and contemporary music, children’s classes, youth groups, prayer, counseling, support for older adults, food distribution, and volunteer service all form part of an active congregational life.
Hillcrest’s identity is also captured in its motto: “A Great Place to Turn Your Life Around.” The church describes itself as Bible-based, open to visitors, and committed to loving people, strengthening families, and helping neighbors in Bremen Township. That mix of worship, discipleship, and direct service is central to life at 17300 Pulaski Road.