We believe that God has called us together to receive life-giving practical truths from the Living Word of God – truths that are relevant to the times in which we live and truths that works do as much good on Wednesday and Thursday as they do on Sunday mornings. We believe that God has called us together that we might grow together, developing the gifts, skills, and talents that God has put within us for His glory and for His honor.

We are a spirit-filled, interdenominational body of believers, and for over two decades, we have been committed to three very specific things as part of our vision and purpose as a congregation:

1) That we would worship the Lord with all of our hearts;

2) That we would honor and embrace His Word without reservation; and

3) That we would love one another unconditionally.

We believe that these three principles are the foundation upon which God has called this congregation to grow and to function. Worship is the highest privilege of any believer, and when we come together as a body, something incredible happens as we begin to release worship and praise unto God in a way of which He is worthy. God’s Word declares itself to be alive, sharp, and powerful. When we embrace God’s Word and endeavor to live according to the teachings and principles of God’s Word, incredible and unbelievable things happen in our lives. When we set our hearts—even in our failings—to attempt to desire and attempt to love one another as Christ has loved us, we grow and mature in a marvelous fashion.

Our goal and our vision is with God’s help and by His grace and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to reach toward these goals and become the people that God has called us to be.

We would love for you to join us and be a part of this church family as we worship, learn, and grow together in God’s love and grace.

our history

Originally named The Full Gospel Church of Carnegie (FGC), Hillside Christian Community was founded in 1956 when a small group of people began to meet to study the Bible under Rev. Leonard Fox.

By 1960, the FGC purchased property at 600 Washington Avenue and began a new sanctuary. From 1962-1982, FGC was an affiliate church of the Assemblies of God and was under the leadership of Assembly pastors.

In 1982, under the leadership of its new pastor, David R. Morgan, the church stepped away from affiliation with the Assemblies of God to broaden its outreach to a wider spectrum of the Christian community and became known as an interdenominational congregation.

In 1984, our present sanctuary was erected to accommodate the growing congregation. From 1956 to today, the Hand of God’s blessing has been upon the congregation. It is the hope and desire of the HCC family that it is a positive influence in the community reaching out to young people, children, the elderly, families, and single parents to equip them in the Word of God so they may actively serve the Lord with all their hearts, enjoying the blessing, provision, and faithfulness of God upon their lives daily.

On August 28, 2013 Ben Kendrew was voted in as the eighth senior pastor of HCC. Pastor Ben Kendrew was installed by former Sr. Pastor David R. Morgan on Sunday, September 1, 2013 during the worship service. Pastor David R. Morgan retired from HCC on December 22, 2013 and now lives with his wife Cherrie in Tenneessee. 

With other Christians throughout the ages, we proclaim classic Christian beliefs as expressed by the Apostles’ Creed. At Hillside Christian Community, we believe we must emphasize what is most important, and not divide over minor points. More specifically, you will find our teaching is based on the following core beliefs:

On God

God Almighty exists eternally as one God in three persons: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. (This is historically understood as the Trinity.) God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. God is of one substance but three Persons in relationship. God is a personal Being; He wants personal relationships with His creation.

On Jesus

Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. He was born of the Virgin Mary by miraculous conception. Being both fully God and fully human, Jesus lived a sinless life, perfectly revealing God the Father. By His suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus provided the only way to salvation. Jesus rose from the dead after three days and ascended to heaven where He rules and reigns with God the Father. Jesus will return again to earth and rule as the supreme Judge and King of all. 

On The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, not a mere force. The Holy Spirit’s inner prompting makes people aware of their need for Jesus. He is given to believers at the moment of salvation, to empower them to live a holy life and to grant gifts for the service of the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit leads all believers into truth and to become like Christ as a result of submitting to His leading.

On Humanity

God creates men and women in His image and God loves all. We are made to know God personally and to glorify Him in and through our lives. However, in addition to the wonderful promise and potential, each of us also has an inner attitude of rebellion against God’s leadership in our lives. This is sin. Sin separates us from God. Sin causes us to fall short from God’s purpose for our lives. No one has lived a sinless life (except Jesus Christ), and therefore, all of humanity is in need of God’s forgiveness and salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

On Salvation

Salvation is a gift of God which one received through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not earned or deserved or entitled to someone. All are able to experience the assurance of salvation because of God’s promise in and through Jesus Christ.

On The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to each of us; human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote it. The Bible is God’s full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. The core teachings of the Bible have defined Christianity for 2,000 years. The Bible is a “canon” (“standard” or “rule”) made up of 66 books. There are 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.