It sounds like a new church in our area
– “West Hills Community Church.” But it isn’t; rather, it is a
new name for a church that has been active in the South Valley
since the end of World War II.
It sounds like a new church in our area – “West Hills Community Church.” But it isn’t; rather, it is a new name for a church that has been active in the South Valley since the end of World War II.
The church’s original congregation consisted of a small group of Japanese farm workers who gathered together to worship Jesus Christ. As time passed, the congregation came to resemble more closely the ethnic mix of SouthValley.
In 1956 it merged with a Coyote congregation to become the Morgan Hill Church of Christ. In the 1970s it purchased 11 acres at 16695 DeWitt Ave., renamed itself Hillside Church of Morgan Hill and became non-denominational.
In 1992 the congregation established a relationship with South Valley Christian Church in San Jose, taking the name of their partner church. About five years later, it again became totally independent while continuing to be “non-denominational in affiliation, biblical in practice, evangelistic in outreach.”
But many local residents have been confused by the church’s name because it resembles so closely other institutions with “South Valley” and “Christian” in their titles. The new name, West Hills Community Church, was chosen because of the church’s location (in the western hills of Morgan Hill) and the “desire to see all people in our community live vital lives in Christ … regardless of their denominational background.”
Pastor Christian Zorio mentions three important emphases of the church:
• Expository teaching, explaining clearly the meaning of biblical texts and how to apply them to life today in Silicon Valley.
• Worship with a dynamic music ministry featuring contemporary music containing meaningful, biblical words.
• Witnessing the truth of Jesus, telling others who he is and what he’s done. He calls West Hills “a place to find biblical answers for life’s issues and to develop Christian life skills, especially focusing on families.”
Another major emphasis of the church is missionary activity. The congregation has sent missionaries to several parts of the world currently including Zambia and the Philippines. Pastor Zorio himself gained his present position when the previous associate pastor left to become a missionary in Cambodia. October is Missions Month at WHCC with special activities and guest speakers scheduled from Oct. 11-26.
With a growing congregation numbering approximately 500, West Hills is rapidly upgrading its facilities while planning for the construction of a larger facility in the future.
The church provides Sunday worship services at 9 and 10:45 a.m., with Sunday School for all ages, a children’s choir and special children’s worship services.
The church also offers a wide variety of ministries, including:
• ALIVE (youth group for junior high and high school students) at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays.
• AWANA, an activity and educational group for ages 5 through 12 on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m.
• Women’s Bible Study on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m.
Pastor Zorio calls WHCC “a welcoming church of people passionate about learning about Jesus where you’ll hear what the Bible has to say about life. You won’t hear our opinions. There’s a home for all here.”
For more information check the Internet at www.westhills.org or call 779-0697.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School in Gilroy. He lives in Morgan Hill with his wife and two sons. For correspondence, write him at The Times, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, 95037.
