My journey with Hill City began in 2015. My life felt settled then—predictable. I was married fifteen years, and parenting was entirely foreign to me. I searched for a church home: a place to genuinely connect and grow. Instead, I found a foundation strong enough to hold me through life’s most unexpected and transformative seasons.
I eventually moved past being an observer. I dove into leadership and launched a small group to share the belonging I found. That commitment blossomed into an incredible opportunity: joining the Hill City staff. This new role let me pour my time and energy back into the community that invested so much in me.
The biggest moves happened at home. I opened my heart and home to foster care, dramatically expanding my world. I suddenly parented three amazing children. The steep learning curve required sacrifice and unconditional love. It was deep joy, but successfully navigating it demanded the dedicated support and practical help of my church family. Not long after, I faced the profound challenge of divorce. My small group leaders and the staff gave constant, non-judgmental, and crucial support during that grief and difficult transition.
The years after 2020 severely tested the Hill City foundation. We are proudly multi-racial and multi-generational. Navigating issues like the George Floyd tragedy, the political polarization surrounding Donald Trump, and the fear of COVID-19 was incredibly difficult. In my small groups, I live life with die-hard Republicans and die-hard Democrats. Staying in those conversations took immense courage, honesty, and grace. We chose the harder path of dialogue. That choice didn’t just deepen individual relationships; it profoundly expanded our understanding of what it truly means to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken and divided world.
My story testifies to this church’s commitment: they walk alongside people through every messy, beautiful, and unexpected chapter. I arrived as one person. Through fostering, leading, serving on staff, changing my marital status, and navigating a cultural firestorm, I have been fundamentally transformed. Hill City didn’t just save me a seat; it gave me roots and the wings to embrace my future.
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