Today we’d like to introduce you to Hadley Baker.
Hi Hadley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
City On a Hill Community Church launched in September of 2018. We opened our doors with one focus–to be a place of hope and healing. In this crazy world, we are living in, so many people feel anxious, depressed, and uncertain about the future. We all need a hope that transcends what we are experiencing. We invite people to know God in a personal way. Forget stale religion, we are all about being in real relationship with God and with one another. City On a Hill (COAH) is all about “doing life” with others as find healing from our past and hope for our future. We like to say we are a church for people who don’t like church. We are not perfect, but we follow a God who is. That’s what this journey of following Jesus is all about.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Heck no! LOL. It’s been incredibly challenging on so many levels. Only 18 months after we launched, we had to square off against the COVID-19 pandemic. As if that wasn’t enough, 2020 also brought the breakdown of race relations and contentious political division. Being a young church, we are also portable. Since we do not yet have a facility to call our own, we gather in a conference center that we lease. This venue has served us well but requires that we set up and break down all of our equipment every Sunday. This is certainly challenging.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about City on a Hill Community Church?
So many people want to know God, they just don’t like church. City On a Hill is trying to change that. We want to be a church for people who are burned out on religion and are looking for something meaningful and authentic. Our church is known for being “real.” We talk and interact in a genuine way. We believe church should be the realest place on earth, a place where you don’t have to pretend. A place where you can be known and loved.
What makes you happy?
Seeing peoples’ lives changed makes me incredibly happy. Most people find it interesting to learn that I, as a pastor, have a history of brokenness and addiction (I am actually writing a book about this right now…due out in early 2023). My story is not neat and tidy. I have experienced the pain and emptiness of this world. But I have also found hope and healing through Jesus. Being able to share my story, reminds me that God is all about turning our mess into a message. I love seeing the light come on in someone’s head or heart when they realize that God loves them and has an amazing plan for their life. This NEVER gets old
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wearecoah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearecoah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreCOAH/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/wearecoah
