Eastern Hills Bible Church

Annual Report

2024–2025

Dear Eastern Hills Church Family,

I’m thrilled to share our annual report with you. As we reflect on this past year and look ahead to the next, there is so much to be grateful for—and so much to look forward to. Thank you all for your partnership in helping people become fully engaged in Christ, at church, and on mission!

Reflections


This year we welcomed Pastor Leon to our staff. Leon is a gifted communicator, deeply knowledgeable in the Scriptures, and his arrival allowed us to launch our new Growth Track ministry. We praise the Lord for the fruit of his arrival. Through Growth Track, we’ve been able to offer both core and elective classes that move us toward our Life in 3D strategic initiative—helping people discover, deepen, and duplicate their faith in Christ.

I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take a sabbatical this year. While it was a stretching season for our staff, I was encouraged to hear how many volunteers stepped up to serve in significant ways. Special thanks to Caroline Lee for stepping into a temporary role, to Eun Lee for volunteering her time in a key position while Lindsay was on maternity leave, and to Jon Lee for his steady leadership in my absence, helping us continue forward as a church.

Our elder board also grew stronger this year, deepening our relationships through important conversations and navigating significant decisions together. Serving on the board is no small calling, and I am deeply thankful for the sacrifices these men and their families have made.

We also introduced a new rhythm of membership meetings that created space for connection, prayer, and meaningful interaction with leadership. These gatherings have been life-giving, and I look forward to the fruit they will bear in the year ahead. When the body comes together in unity, it brings joy to the Lord!

Challenges


Alongside the victories, this year also brought challenges. Many of our staff are still growing into their roles while we are simultaneously building infrastructure. We faced hurdles in launching Small Group Catalysts, refining our assimilation process, growing in generosity, managing staff turnover, and implementing strategic planning. These challenges contributed to a flat year of engagement in some key areas of discipleship.

Going Forward


To address these challenges, we’ve set goals around our strategic initiatives and are making essential hires. We plan to bring on a full-time Office Manager to strengthen administrative systems, a part-time Office Concierge to handle day-to-day communication and logistics, a part-time Engagement Coordinator to manage workflows for baptisms, connection cards, membership, and group/class participation, and a part-time Missions & Outreach Coordinator to expand our Kingdom Collaborations, and coordinate service opportunities this year.

These additions will free up our Executive Director of Operations, Jon Lee, to invest more in staff development through weekly one-on-one meetings with department leads. They will also allow me to focus more on strategic vision and pastoral coaching—building out both family and adult ministries, and spending more intentional time with our staff and congregation.

I believe this year will be a year of strengthening our foundation. As we build the infrastructure to support deeper discipleship and broader engagement, we will be positioned to make a greater impact locally, regionally, and globally.

Let God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Together on mission,


Pastor Rob

Pastor Rob

our year in numbers

Attendance & Growth

  • 634

    Average in-person attendance

  • 74

    Families represented each month (average)

  • 59

    New families joined the EHBC community this year

  • 20

    Baptisms

  • 23

    New Members

  • 3

    Parent Child Dedications

Kids

  • 108

    Kids average weekly attendance in EHBC Kids

  • 100

    Over 100 Kids Ministry volunteers (up from 40s last year)

  • 77

    Kids registered for VBS.

Students

  • 15

    Students average weekly attendance in EHBC Students

  • 11

    Average Group attendance

  • 15

    Kids sent to camp

  • 10

    Volunteers added

  • Boost

    Student attendance boosted with new midweek groups and camps

Care & Support

  • 42

    Meals provided through Care Ministry

  • 8

    Supported 8 families with memorial services

  • 30

    Over 30 people attended GriefShare

  • 2

    Two new leaders added to DivorceCare ministry

  • 187

    Prayers prayed

Outreach & Generosity

  • 165

    Boxes donated for Operation Christmas Child

  • 116

    Turkeys donated for the Turkey Drive

  • 200

    Over 200 individuals helped pack hundreds of meals at Feed My Starving Children

  • 100

    Over 100 baby bottles collected for New Hope Family Services

  • 1

    One new lobby provided by EHBC to New Hope Family Services

  • 200+

    Assembled 200+ Mercy Bags for local distribution

Groups & Growth track

  • 13

    Learning groups offered with 242 registrants

  • 209

    Total group members across all ministries

  • 125

    Women attended the Women’s Luncheon

  • 6

    Offered 6 Growth Track classes with 90 registrants

Digital Reach 

  • 163

    Average of 163 household engaging with YouTube channel each week

  • 5300

    Watch hours

  • 164

    New channel subscribers

  • 19,654

    Total views

  • 355 & 313

    355 YouTube video likes and 313 shares

kids ministry

This year in EHBC Kids, our mission remained clear: helping kids become fully engaged in Christ, at church, and on mission at their level. Through fresh curriculum, baptism classes, and themed Sunday experiences, we have created more opportunities for kids and families to connect deeply with Jesus.

One of the greatest joys has been watching several kids accept Christ for the first time and others publicly proclaim their faith through baptism. Our volunteer base has grown dramatically—from the 40s last year to over 100—allowing us to better serve the 108 kids who join us on average each Sunday.

This growth has not been without challenges. Leadership transitions, including staff changes, brought emotional and logistical hurdles. Yet, these moments also fostered heartfelt conversations and strengthened our sense of community.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • The overarching goal is to see kids become more engaged and better equipped in the fundamentals of the Christian faith, including the basics of reading and understanding the Word.

  • Teach and reinforce these fundamentals through Sunday curriculum, including three “Holy Habits” series each year: Community Basics, Worship & Prayer Basics, and Bible Basics.

  • Continue offering baptism classes and meetings for kids and their parents, which help families discern readiness for baptism while also walking children through salvation, baptism, and what it means to live a life following Christ.

  • Add an Assistant Kids Ministry Director to help support growth, leadership development, and the increasing needs of families and volunteers.

EHBC Students

In 2024–2025, our Students and Young Adults ministries leaned into our value of “One Another” and our initiative to move “Beyond Rows and Into Circles.” Weekly small groups and bi-weekly young adult gatherings have become spaces where relationships are deepened, faith is strengthened, and new people are welcomed.

We’ve seen students return who had drifted away, new friends invited into the fold, and several decisions to follow Christ—both first-time commitments and recommitments. Young Adults have plugged into local outreach, global missions, and church events, forming friendships that extend beyond Sunday.

Our volunteer team has grown significantly, adding 10 new leaders since January. We’ve welcomed 20 first-time student visitors (12 now attend regularly) and 13 new young adults (7 now attend regularly).

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Increase outreach opportunities—at least one per quadrimester for both students and young adults

  • Introduce deeper discussion topics on faith, culture, and integrity

  • Equip students with Bible reading and prayer tools through new teaching series

CARE

The Care Ministry continued to be a living demonstration of the love of Jesus—through meals, visits, cards, prayer, and grief support. This year, we walked with grieving families, launched new leadership in DivorceCare, and welcomed over 30 participants to GriefShare.

From the Myer’s family to countless others, we heard heartfelt thanks: “My EHBC church family is my Garden of Life.” Care is the heartbeat of our value “One Another,” removing barriers for people to experience God’s love during life’s most vulnerable moments.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Continue developing the Care Leadership Team

  • Strengthen and support all Care sub-teams

  • Launch an offsite GriefShare program at Limestone Garden Apartments

  • Implement Spiritual First Aid

adult ministry

One of the most exciting developments this year has been the launch of Sunday morning core classes. These four rotating classes are designed to ensure that every member and attender at EHBC is introduced to the foundational tenets of the faith and the essential practices of discipleship. We’ve now completed two full rounds, and both attendance and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. Each class has maintained a steady registration of 10-15 participants, with attendance rates averaging above 70%.

Another highlight has been the establishment of Wednesday night elective courses as a regular rhythm in our church life. While attendance fluctuated early on, momentum has been building steadily as more people recognize these evenings as valuable opportunities to deepen their walk with Jesus and strengthen relationships within the church family. Our recent Jude class set a record with 24 people in attendance — standing room only by the time we began!

Our women’s ministry has also seen encouraging growth. Their Wednesday morning Bible studies continue to draw strong participation, and special events are thriving. I had the privilege of attending their summer luncheon, where 125 women gathered for a meal and an enriching message from renowned speaker Lydia Brownback. This year’s Women of the Bible study also reached record numbers, with one session nearing 50 attendees.

Together, these initiatives are clear evidence of God’s grace at work among us and the fruit of intentional efforts to serve and strengthen our church family.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Move people from rows to circles—helping them go beyond Sunday attendance to fully engaging in meaningful community and shared discipleship.

  • Bring greater structure to groups, as well as men’s and women’s ministries, so that those ready to take their next step into community are welcomed and well-supported.

  • Launch two new men’s groups (one morning, one evening) with the vision that, after a season of intentional leadership, they will become self-sustaining, multiply, and raise up new leaders.

  • Expand discipleship electives with a focus on strengthening families, offering courses such as parenting and finance to provide practical, gospel-centered tools for everyday life and discipleship in the home.

sunday services

This year we welcomed just under 1,500 people to our Christmas Eve services and nearly 1,000 during Holy Week. We celebrated life change through our Freedom Sunday services and explored new ideas by offering family-oriented services throughout July. Our sermon series covered a wide range of topics, including EHBC, a look at our mission, vision, and values; Romans 13: A New Testament Guide to Citizenship; Generosity from 2 Corinthians; Advent through the Gospel of Luke; Binge the Bible: Season 1, unpacking the Old Testament; Refocus, a call to make Jesus our priority; Storyteller, highlighting the parables of Jesus; and Blockbusters, drawing timeless biblical truths from familiar family films to spark gospel conversations in the home.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Continue to recruit and develop new worship team members

  • Focus on volunteer skill development through resources like Worship Online

  • Host quarterly development nights to strengthen musicality, teamwork, and spiritual growth

  • Create more moments in services to celebrate life change and share stories of generosity

  • Host a Worship & Prayer Nights to unite the church around God’s presence

operations

This year, we focused on building systems and processes that bring consistency and clarity to the way our staff serves. We developed new tools for event planning, facility care, and staff communication—ensuring that what happens behind the scenes supports ministry on the front lines.

A key step forward was hiring a Facilities Coordinator to lead preventive maintenance, proactive planning, and care for our aging facility. Alongside that, we created staff tools and guides to foster a healthy culture, set clear goals, and align expectations.

On the financial side, while overall giving was slightly down compared to last year, the number of households giving actually increased. Encouragingly, 51 new givers became tenured, regular supporters. We also continued building the Repair and Replace Fund through interest income to ensure that we can care for our facility as it ages.

We completed a full rebrand, giving our communications, signage, and spaces a unified look and feel. Major planning began for a renovation project that will create new staff offices and redesigned spaces for students and adult learning environments, with early phases already underway.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Complete renovation of staff offices and updated student/adult learning spaces

  • Build stronger behind-the-scenes systems to support all ministries

  • Establish consistent communication rhythms that make it easy for people to engage

  • Continue investing in staff development for long-term ministry health

  • Hire an Office Manager and Office Concierge to strengthen organizational support and hospitality

  • Begin implementation of Generosity OS, a new initiative to grow generosity and provide tools for discipleship through giving

digital outreach

This year, we saw continued growth in how God uses digital platforms to extend the reach of Eastern Hills. Our online services remained a vital front door for guests, averaging over 400 monthly views. Our YouTube channel continued to grow, now with more than 350 likes and 300 shares, building on last year’s milestone of surpassing 600 subscribers and 5,000 watch hours. On Instagram, we reached an average of 1,500 accounts per month, further expanding our ability to connect with people beyond Sunday mornings.

Social media and online content have become more than announcements—they are tools for ministry. Whether it’s teaching clips, service highlights, or reminders of upcoming events, digital outreach has helped us disciple our congregation and invite our broader community to engage with the gospel.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Develop and implement a new social media strategy that delivers consistent, helpful, and hopeful content

  • Create digital pathways for engagement (sign-ups, resources, prayer requests) to help people take their next step wherever they are

missions & outreach

Our outreach efforts continued to grow—locally, nationally, and globally. We partnered with ministries like New Hope Family Services, young life, young lives, and Eagle wings, while sending and supporting a team to Ghana. We also hosted our first Kingdom Collaborations Night . The church rallied to pack Mercy Bags, donate turkeys, contribute to Operation Christmas Child, and over 200 people participated in Feed My Starving Children mobile pack event. 

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Hopes for the Year Ahead:

  • Implement a new process for evaluating outreach partnerships

  • Expand local and international serving opportunities

engagement

This year has been one of development and learning, and we recognize there is still plenty of room for growth. We were encouraged to expand our security team, helping ensure that everyone who steps onto our campus feels safe and cared for. At the same time, we see the need to continue strengthening our Guest Services team so every person is welcomed with excellence. In the year ahead, we will also focus on improving the systems and processes that lead to greater engagement in membership, baptisms, classes, and groups.

Hopes for the Year Ahead

  • Continue expanding guest services teams to create an even more welcoming environment

  • Host quarterly “Next Step” connection events to help people join groups and serving teams

  • Implement new monthly membership and baptism classes

  • Enhance the Spiritual Formation Pathway with online tools and resources for each stage of engagement

  • Improve lobby environments by better using existing spaces

  • Hire an Engagement Coordinator to strengthen connections, next steps, and the Spiritual Formation Pathway

2025-2026 budget allocation

organization chart

closing letter

Dear Eastern Hills Church Family,

As we conclude this year’s annual report, I want to pause and thank you, not only for taking the time to read and reflect on all that God has done, but also for the part you’ve played in making this possible. Every baptism, every meal served, every group launched, every child and student discipled,  is the result of a church family deeply engaged in Christ, at church, and on mission

This past year, much of our work has been focused on strengthening our systems and structures so that ministry can flourish. From new tools for planning and communication, to updated processes for facility care and staff development, to early steps in our renovation project, our goal has been simple: to build consistency, clarity, and sustainability that will serve the mission for years to come.  And yet there is still much growth needed.  

I am especially grateful for the way so many of you stepped up, volunteering in new ways, joining teams, serving in kids' ministry,  and caring for those in our community. It’s clear that the strength of Eastern Hills is not only in our programs but in the people God has brought together to serve Him here.

Looking ahead, I am encouraged by the hires we plan to make and the initiatives we are beginning to implement. The addition of roles like an Office Manager, Office Concierge, and Engagement Coordinator will help us care for people more effectively and free our pastors to lead and disciple more intentionally. Generosity initiatives like Generosity OS will help us grow a culture of giving and build capacity for the mission God has entrusted to us. And as renovations move forward, we will see spaces transformed to better serve our staff, our students, and our adults in meaningful ways.

My prayer is that as we strengthen the foundation of our church, we would continue to see lives transformed, both within our walls and beyond them. Thank you for serving, giving, praying, and stepping out on mission with us. I am grateful to serve alongside you.

Serving with you, 

Jonathan Lee

Executive Director of Operations