Church of the Hills PCUSA, Evergreen

Church of the Hills PCUSA, Evergreen We are a vibrant family of faith rooted in God's Word, gathering together to worship and equipped to

Congratulations to Judy Jensen, our very deserving Service Award winner for 2026!
06/09/2026

Congratulations to Judy Jensen, our very deserving Service Award winner for 2026!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy...
06/05/2026

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”- Matthew 28: 19-20

Next week, a group of us from COTH are heading to Guatemala for the Pura Vida mission trip. I am very excited! Church of the Hills is the sponsor for the English Camp this year. I give thanks for the generosity of our church that ensures camps like this happen. Four others will be joining me from COTH: Briana, Heidi Smithson, and Donna and Jerry Bucholz. Former member Joanna Cook will also be going.

In case you don’t know about the English camp, I will give you a brief overview. We are based in Chichicastenango, which is a town in the Guatemalan highlands known for its famous market days. The Catholic Church in the heart of the market is pictured below. The Each day, we travel outside of the town to Lemoa, a small village with a beautiful lake. On the shores of this lake is a Methodist Camp, where we set up for the week. For 5 days, local students are brought to the camp, and we teach them English. Education is so important for children in Guatemala. It’s one of the ways they can break the generational cycle of poverty. Pura Vida supports these students with scholarships and by hosting these camps where they learn English.

This will be my second time going to Guatemala to teach at the English Camp. Like a lot of mission trips, the first time was a life-changing experience for me. I really enjoyed working with the children and getting to know them. I may have taught them some English, but I learned a lot from them, too. I hope to see some of the same children again, and I’m also looking forward to meeting new children that were not at the camp the last time I was there.
There are many ways to share Jesus as we do mission work. I’m excited to share Jesus by teaching English. But I’m also exciting for what the children will teach me. I suspect my eyes will be opened in more ways than one, and I will come back inspired to do more mission work.

Please keep us in your prayers for safe travels and a successful trip, filled with blessings, both for us and all those we meet.

May the love of God be with you,
Pastor Richard

On May 30th, we celebrated the life of our dear Carla McFadden.
06/04/2026

On May 30th, we celebrated the life of our dear Carla McFadden.

Sunday, May 24 was a fun celebration of Pentecost, Memorial Day and our graduates!
05/27/2026

Sunday, May 24 was a fun celebration of Pentecost, Memorial Day and our graduates!

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteous...
05/22/2026

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work”- 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

I am excited to announce that we will resume our COTH Summer Reading Group this year. Over the past couple of summers, we have read some thought-provoking books. The first full summer I was here we read Mere Christianity by CS Lewis which helped us discuss our core beliefs as Christians. Last summer, we read Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster on the inward and outward spiritual disciplines. This summer, we will be reading Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson on the life of King David. I am really excited to read this book with you.

All of us have heard of King David. Most of us have read parts of his story. David slaying Goliath is as well-known as anything in the Bible. But you may not have read all of his story. In this book, Peterson looks at David’s life in the scriptures, from his calling to his death. The story of David is not a small story. It takes up a large part of the Bible! Because of this, we know more about David than anyone else in the scriptures. We know David’s successes and we know his failures. He is someone we can relate to on a very human level. Peterson does a great job of connecting David’s story to us.

We will meet 3 evenings over the summer at different homes and have dinner together before our discussion: June 25th, July 30th, and August 27th. Even if you can’t make every session, please join us in reading this book. Copies are available for free at the church. Email me at [email protected] to be put on our email list.

I’m looking forward to another rich discussion with you this summer!

May the love of God be with you,
Pastor Richard

A fun lunch and learn on May 17!
05/19/2026

A fun lunch and learn on May 17!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for...
05/15/2026

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”- 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

On Sunday, we celebrated Mother’s Day, giving thanks for our mothers and grandmothers and the difference they have made in our lives. We also remembered the mothers and grandmothers that have gone before us to be with God. I give thanks for a day to celebrate our mothers!

But that was not the only thing for which we gave thanks Sunday. We also celebrated and gave thanks for the many Evergreen Christian Outreach volunteers from our congregation. There are so many people in our congregation that volunteer for EChO throughout the year, whether it’s for the shelter program, for the food bank, for the resale shop or in some other way. I give thanks for all of you that give so much of your time to this wonderful organization with which we are partnered.

That wasn’t the last thing we gave thanks for on Sunday. We also welcomed two new members into our congregation: Joan Osborne and Linda Skarrup. It’s always such a joy to welcome new members into our church family. I give thanks for Joan and Linda and that God has brought them to Church of the Hills!
Given that we had so much for which to be thankful Sunday, I was reminded of the importance of giving thanks. I mentioned this briefly in my sermon Sunday. Each new day gives us an opportunity to give thanks, no matter what is happening.

Practicing giving thanks on a regular basis can change our mindset and how we live our days. Paul reminds us to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.” Paul wasn’t writing to a people that were happy all the time. He was writing to Christians who suffered. But Paul knew the importance of giving thanks regardless.

I encourage us all to practice giving thanks. I’m going to try to get up and do that every morning in my prayers so that I begin my day remembering my blessings.

I give thanks for such a special Sunday worship service when I was reminded of our many blessings at COTH and to “give thanks in all circumstances.” And I give thanks that I’m your pastor.

May the Love of God be with you,
Pastor Richard

Spares and Pairs May 8, 2026
05/12/2026

Spares and Pairs May 8, 2026

"I was a stranger and you welcomed me"- Matthew 25:35On Sunday night, COTH hosted the final EChO shelter dinner of the s...
05/08/2026

"I was a stranger and you welcomed me"- Matthew 25:35

On Sunday night, COTH hosted the final EChO shelter dinner of the season. As I enjoyed dinner with the guests and volunteers, I reflected on this incredible ministry.
I have been blessed to volunteer at the shelter for 4 seasons now.

During that time, I have met countless guests and have heard the stories from many of them of how they got to the shelter. I have seen just as many guests leave the shelter on their way to somewhere else. While they are in the shelter, they are given a roof over their heads, warm meals and a lunch to take with them, fresh laundered clothes, time to take a shower, a place for their pet if they have one, and an opportunity to work with EChO to hopefully find a permanent solution to their housing needs. Countless volunteers organized by Tim Clancy make this ministry possible. Throughout the shelter season, strangers are welcomed into our building and given the care they need, just as Jesus calls us to do in the scripture above.

I give thanks for another successful EChO shelter season! I give thanks also to Tim for his leadership, for the many volunteers inside and outside our church that give their time and resources so the shelter season can happen, for our church for opening our building so the shelter can be downstairs, and for the many guests that blessed us with their presence this season. I pray for the guests as they move on to the next stop on their journeys. May the Lord bless and keep them wherever they go.

And may we always remember and practice the scripture that hangs above the door to our sanctuary: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

May the Love of God be with you,
Pastor Richard

Address

28628 Buffalo Park Road
Evergreen, CO
80439

Telephone

+13036746641

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