Perched on the north slope above Euclid Avenue in Upland, California, San Antonio Heights Community Church (known locally as SAHCC or simply "the Heights" has been a steady presence in the San Antonio Heights neighborhood for more than a century. The congregation traces its roots to a humble Sunday school that began meeting in homes in 1895, and it has been holding worship on its present hilltop site since 1966. Today the church gathers every Sunday morning at 10:15 for worship, with a Bible study at 9:00, a full children's program running at the same hour, and an ASL-interpreted service for the deaf community. Its reach extends far beyond Upland, supporting missionaries on five continents and partnering with Pacific Church Network, an evangelical fellowship of more than 70 churches across Southern California, Hawaii, and Guam.
From Porch Sunday School to a Hilltop Congregation
SAHCC's story begins in 1895, when a Sunday school for neighborhood children began meeting from house to house, followed by informal sermons from visiting ministers. By the fall of 1915 the loosely organized work had grown enough to be officially incorporated, and the name Bethany Union Congregation Community Church of San Antonio Heights was adopted, a nod to the variety of denominations represented among the founders. The first permanent building was dedicated on June 11, 1916, on a site that later became home to the Romanian Orthodox Church just down the hill from the current property.
The first full-time minister arrived in 1946, and in 1958 the church formally affiliated with the American Baptist denomination, taking the name First Baptist Church of San Antonio Heights. New property was acquired just up Euclid Avenue, and a sanctuary and classrooms were built and dedicated in 1965. On July 24, 1966, the church family moved up the street to its current home. Additional buildings have been added over the decades, including Belton Hall (used for Bible studies and overflow gatherings) and Gott Hall, a building dedicated entirely to the children's ministry. The 50th anniversary at the present location was celebrated on July 24, 2016.
In 2001 the congregation adopted its present name, San Antonio Heights Community Church, and in 2007 the denominational affiliation shifted to what is now Pacific Church Network (formerly the Conservative Baptist Association of Southern California). Senior Pastor Jim Smith has also led Pacific Church Network as its president since 2006, a connection that ties the Heights to a wider family of churches across the Pacific region.
What to Expect on Sunday Morning
Sunday is the centerpiece of the week at the Heights. The morning begins at 9:00 AM with the First Hour Bible Study, a one-hour adult study and discussion class held in Belton Hall and led by a rotation of teachers throughout the year.
At 10:15 AM, the main Sunday Gathering takes place in the sanctuary. Visitors can expect a clear, sequential message from the Bible, congregational singing led by a worship band, and a warm, family-style welcome. The church describes its own style as Practical, Biblical, and Simple - a phrase Senior Pastor Jim Smith has summarized as "PBS preaching style." There is no formality pressure: people come as they are, and the focus stays on hearing from God's Word and growing in relationship with Jesus Christ.
Children in kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to Kids at the Heights, which begins with singing alongside everyone in the sanctuary and then moves next door to Gott Hall, a building the church reserves entirely for its Sunday morning kids' ministry. On the fifth Sunday of any given month, Kids at the Heights becomes Sunday Funday, with an extra-special celebration built into the morning.
For newcomers, the church has online forms ready to go: an "Are you new?" connection card, a "Next Steps" form for those exploring membership or baptism, and a "Need Prayer?" form that routes requests to the pastoral team. The office can also be reached by phone at 909-982-5907 or by email at office@sahcchurch.com.
A Place for Kids and Students
Beyond Sunday morning, the Heights invests heavily in its next generation. SAH Youth meets on Friday nights at 6:30 PM in the youth room. The group is described as "biblically based, gospel focused, disciple-making," and the weekly rhythm mixes Bible study and prayer with outreach and service projects plus social events that build friendships across the youth group. Discipleship Pastor Nick Greenwood oversees the youth ministry along with the church's children's, small-groups, and assimilation teams.
For younger children, Kidz Kount is the Heights' children's ministry coordination effort, run by a team that includes Community Coordinator Rhonda Livesay. Children's ministry volunteers are vetted and active throughout the year, and the church welcomes kids, grandkids, and neighborhood children to its Sunday morning program. Megan Martin, who serves as Church Administrator, was previously the children's ministry coordinator before stepping into her current role in November 2022.
Small Groups and Weekly Bible Studies
Sunday morning is only one slice of life at the Heights. Throughout the week, several smaller gatherings keep the congregation connected in study and prayer:
- Men's Bible Study - Wednesdays at 6:30 AM in Belton Hall. A one-hour study and discussion with coffee and tea, open to all men.
- Seniors at Coy de Estes - Tuesdays at 2:30 PM at the Coy de Estes Senior Living Center near downtown Upland. The pastor leads residents in prayer and Bible study; exact days follow the center's calendar.
- Women's Bible Study - A women's study that meets in seasons, with breaks between sessions.
- Women's Monthly Coffee and Tea - 2nd Saturday at 9:00 AM on the patio (or inside if the weather turns). Women gather to share, pray, and dig into a short devotional.
- Men's Monthly Breakfast - 4th Saturday at 8:00 AM at Brandon's Diner (370 N Mountain Ave, Upland). A casual meal, fellowship, and a check-in on how everyone is "winning at loving one another."
- Activated Teams - Outreach-oriented small groups currently meeting in the Upland area and two teams in Rancho Cucamonga. Those interested can email Nick Greenwood.
Easter at Sunrise
One of the most beloved rhythms at the Heights is the Easter Sunrise Service, an outdoor tradition that has continued for more than 50 years. On Easter morning at 6:15 AM, the congregation gathers outside to celebrate the resurrection of Christ as the sun rises over the Inland Empire, with a panoramic view stretching across the valley. A free breakfast follows at 7:00 AM, and the regular 10:15 AM sanctuary service completes the day. Good Friday is observed with a 7:00 PM service in Belton Hall featuring worship, praise, and communion. In case of rain, the sunrise service moves indoors to the auditorium.
The Pastoral Team and Elders
The Heights is shepherded by Senior Pastor Jim Smith, who joined the staff in June 2014. Jim holds a Bible Theology degree from Moody Bible Institute, a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity College, and both an M.Div. and a D.Min. from International Seminary. He and his wife Vicki have been married since 1978 and have four married children and 11 grandchildren. Before coming to Upland he served as a youth pastor in Wisconsin and Michigan and as senior pastor in Apple Valley. He is also president of Pacific Church Network, which he has led since 2006.
Nick Greenwood came on staff in January 2023 as Discipleship Pastor, overseeing youth, children's ministry leaders, small groups, and the assimilation teams. He and his wife Emily have four children and a background in ministry that spans youth pastoring at Cornerstone Community Church and Talega Life Church in San Clemente, associate work at Bear Valley Church in Big Bear Lake, and founding a music-industry chaplaincy ministry called RYFO. Nick is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and also works with NOVO, a worldwide mission agency.
Emily Greenwood serves as Worship Leader, a role she took on in June 2019. A Biola University and Moody Bible Institute graduate with a Bible Theology degree, Emily is a singer and musician whose recordings can be found online.
Megan Martin is the Church Administrator (and bookkeeper), joining the staff in November 2022. An accounting graduate of California Baptist University, she previously served in the praise band and as children's ministry coordinator (Kidz Kount).
Rhonda Livesay is the Community Coordinator, a role she took on in 2023 after retiring from the mortgage banking industry. A member of the Heights since 2012, she has joined medical mission trips to Cambodia and Thailand and stays active in Kidz Kount and Women's Ministry.
John Livesay serves as the church's Mission Coordinator, a role he has held since 2008. A member of the Heights since 1989, he helps oversee the congregation's global outreach partnerships.
The eldership of the church includes Pastor Jim Smith plus Michael Boyd, a Glendale High School and Azusa Pacific University graduate who retired from the City of Chino after years as its purchasing manager and has served as an adjunct instructor at UC Riverside; and Steve Gutierrez, a longtime worship ministry volunteer who, with his wife Olga, leads several Bible studies at senior centers in the area. Only biblically qualified men serve in the roles of pastor and elder, a conviction spelled out in the church's statement of faith.
Statement of Faith
The Heights holds to a thoroughly evangelical, Bible-centered confession. The church teaches that the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the supreme and final authority for faith and life, to be understood through literal, historical, grammatical, and contextual interpretation.
God is one being eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each equal in every divine attribute, executing distinct but harmonious roles. The Father is the infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. The Son, Jesus Christ, is both fully God and fully man: conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, sinless in life, crucified and risen in the same body that was glorified at His ascension, and now seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for His people. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person who convicts the world of sin, regenerates, baptizes, seals, and indwells every believer, distributing spiritual gifts for the common good of the church. The fruit of the Spirit, not spectacular signs, marks His ministry.
The first man and woman were directly created by God in His image, free from sin and given the purpose of glorifying God. Through Adam's fall, all people are sinners by nature and choice, spiritually dead and unable to reconcile themselves to God. Salvation is wholly a gift of grace, received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross. Justification, regeneration, forgiveness, and eternal life are granted to all who believe, and the eternal security of true believers is guaranteed by God's faithfulness.
The Church is the universal body of Christ, expressed in local congregations of baptized believers who gather for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. The church observes two ordinances: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, which is a memorial in which the elements remain symbols rather than vehicles of grace. Marriage is defined as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, gender is understood as rooted in biological sex, and the sanctity of human life is affirmed from conception to death. The church and the state are seen as distinct institutions, both ordained by God, each with its own God-given role. The church looks for the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ for His church and the premillennial coming of Christ with His saints to establish His kingdom.
Reaching Beyond Upland
The church's mission statement comes straight from Matthew 28:19 - "go and make disciples of all the nations." That Great Commission calling shows up in the long list of missionaries the Heights supports through prayer, encouragement, and finances:
- Alec and Tammy Harrison serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Brazil, focusing on Old Testament translation among the Xavante people and training mother-tongue translators across Portuguese-speaking countries.
- Steve and Trina Graham have served with Wycliffe since 1976 across Brazil, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Steve has earned an M.A. in Sociolinguistics, and the couple now also contributes to the Ethnologue, the authoritative reference on the world's languages.
- Shannon and Danielle Hurley founded Sufficiency of Scriptures (SOS) Ministries in 2002, providing humanitarian aid and biblical training in Uganda from a base in Luweero, north of Kampala.
- Lonney and Paula Moore, who met and began ministry at the Heights, moved to Costa Rica in 2014 and now serve at The Hope Center in the Pavas neighborhood of San José, caring for children and families affected by poverty and hosting mission teams.
- Lance and Jessica Kanagy are with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Indonesia. Both grew up as missionary kids in Brazil; Jessica's grandmother is Heights member Sue Graham.
- Kevin and Peggy Grip serve with CRU out of Orlando, Florida. Kevin works with the International School Project training teachers across Southeast Asia, and Peggy ministers to international students through Bridges International at the University of Central Florida.
- Nick and Emily Greenwood also serve with NOVO, a worldwide mission agency with missionaries both in the United States and abroad.
Closer to home, the Heights supports the John and Rhonda Livesay-led mission coordination, sends medical mission teams to places like Cambodia and Thailand, and partners with Pacific Church Network's church-planting, pastor-training, and church-consulting ministries across the Pacific region.
Ministry to the Deaf Community
The Heights is one of the few churches in the area that offers an ASL-interpreted worship service every Sunday, welcoming deaf and hard-of-hearing members and visitors into the main 10:15 AM gathering. Interested families and individuals can connect through the church office at 909-982-5907 or office@sahcchurch.com.
Giving and Getting Connected
Tithes and offerings can be given online through the Heights' Subsplash giving page, or by mailing a check to San Antonio Heights Community Church, PO Box 730, Upland, CA 91785. The church frames financial giving as an act of worship, citing 2 Corinthians 9:7, and pairs the online option with a C.S. Lewis quotation about giving more than we can spare. Sermon recordings, complete with downloadable sermon notes, are posted on the church's YouTube channel and made available for catch-up viewing at any time.
For anyone exploring faith, the church's "Becoming a Christian" page lays out a simple ABC path - Admit, Believe, Confess - with Scripture references and a sample prayer. Those wanting prayer or further conversation can reach the office at office@sahcchurch.com or 909-982-5907.
The church sits at 2520 N Euclid Avenue in Upland, California, with a mailing address of PO Box 730, Upland, CA 91785. Sunday worship is at 10:15 AM, with Bible study at 9:00 and a full children's program running alongside the service. San Antonio Heights Community Church welcomes everyone who comes through its doors to discover, in the words of its own mission, what it means to glorify God and make disciples of Jesus Christ.