From Our Elders & Leadership
As you scroll through this annual report, we pray that you are encouraged and reminded of the incredible goodness of our God.
If you call our church your church home, you are a part of a story that is truly inspiring. We are one church in three locations - each location with its own vibrant history, and together, a thriving ministry that the Lord is using in truly incredible ways. For almost 70 years, the Lord has blessed Willamette Christian Church, located in West Linn. For over 95 years, He has blessed Beaverton Christian Church. And the legacy of Hope City Church is a very special one - a 10-year-old church plant that merged with a 75-year-old church in Milwaukie to build a new thing and reach people in a new way.
Our church has seen many changes over the combined 250 years it has been in existence, and yet, we absolutely believe the best is still to come. We believe that our God is constantly calling us forward, consistently renewing us, and daily presenting us opportunities to trust Him, place our faith in Him, and be courageous for Him. And because of that, we know He has massive ministry for us to participate in.
Thank you for your sacrifices of finances, of time, and talents to be a part of this incredible church family. Thank you for being a blessing to your neighbors locally, nationally, and globally. Thank you for investing your time, talent, and treasure into the ministry of our church. We celebrate incredible stories of impact with you.
We are humbled and grateful to serve with you, and we want you to know we pray continuously for you. We anticipate even more of God’s goodness in the months and years to come.
2022 Elder Board
Mike Grubb, Kevin Marple, Rich Miller, and Joe Villa
Lead Pastors
Jon Furman of Beaverton Christian, Brian Becker of Willamette Christian, and Daniel Knutson of Hope City Church
Lead Executive
Chris Yarco
After a careful and lengthy discernment process, the Willamette and New Hope elder boards unanimously voted to merge as one church effective January 1, 2024. While the formal relationship begins in 2024, our partnership began much earlier. Team members from across our organization participated in the renovation process at New Hope, which culminated in a Renovation Celebration on December 3. New Hope has participated in events such as our Night of Remembrance in early December, and several faces familiar to the attendees of our other campuses have been seen at New Hope on Sundays, either on stage or in key ministry areas.
We experienced significant growth in Kids Ministry this year as even more families returned to in-person services. Kids Ministry hosted vibrant Sunday morning gatherings, VBS (the Willamette and Hope City campuses), Moms' Playgroups at the Beaverton and Willamette campuses, a Kids Mentorship program at the Beaverton campus, a Parent Lab, and fun, family-focused events across all locations. We're excited to continue to pursue dynamic ways to inspire our kids to know, love, and follow Jesus
In addition to hosting weekly gatherings, Students Ministry welcomed the return of some major events such as the YUGO High School Missions Trip at the Beaverton and Willamette campuses, and Black Lake Middle School Camp, attended by students from Beaverton, Hope City, and Willamette (New Hope students will participate starting in 2024). Make sure to check out the Black Lake recap video below!
Everything centers on discipleship (Matthew 28:16-20). This
means we focus our resources across all three campuses on program
services that support kids, students, families, missions and outreach,
community, and teaching and worship. Approximately 82% of our giving
goes directly to programs and efforts meant to help people grow in their
relationship with Jesus and get important physical, emotional, and
spiritual needs met locally and around the world.