Sixty Years on the Roundabout at NW 153rd and Forest

Oak Hills Church has stood at the roundabout of NW 153rd Avenue and NW Forest Avenue in Beaverton, Oregon, since 1965. The congregation was born the same year as the master-planned community around it, when a small group of Beaverton-area residents were offered the chance to acquire property overlooking that intersection. In the nearly sixty years since, the church has ministered to generations of neighborhood families - hosting pancake breakfasts at the Oak Hills Fourth of July celebration, joining Oak Hills Elementary's campus beautification day, putting on Truck or Treat, and underwriting neighborhood community concerts. Lead Pastor Jason De Vries, who began serving in April 2023, frames that long-running commitment in one line: to "be there" for the community. Today, Oak Hills describes itself as a Christ-centered, multi-generational, community-oriented congregation rooted in the Reformed tradition.

A Sunday Morning at Oak Hills

Worship begins at 9:30 AM each Sunday morning and runs roughly sixty to seventy-five minutes. The service moves through a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary praise songs, weaves in prayer throughout, and sets aside about thirty minutes for expository exploration of Scripture. Communion is celebrated on the second Sunday of every month and is open to all believers. Services are offered both in person and online; the livestream is carried on the church's YouTube channel, and a Spotify and YouTube Music playlist of the songs the congregation sings is available for those who want to prepare in advance. Music is taken seriously as a means of grace here - the Worship Arts Director, Mishaela De Vries, plans the musical elements of each gathering alongside the lead pastor, while the kids' chime band rehearses during parts of the year to take part in services.

For first-time visitors, the rhythm of the morning is straightforward. From the foyer, families with infants through three-year-olds can drop their children at the nursery down the Education Wing, just to the left of the foyer and next to the restrooms. Children ages three through third grade are invited to step out for Children's Worship just before the sermon; their teachers meet them in the foyer and walk them down to the Fireside Room for a Bible lesson, crafts, and snacks developed just for them. Kids are always welcome to remain in the sanctuary with their parents if that is more comfortable. Both the nursery and Children's Worship are staffed by at least two non-related adults and frequently a youth helper; all volunteers are safety-trained and background-checked, and parents sign children in and out.

Worship is followed by an unhurried coffee-and-fellowship hour in the foyer, with most folks sticking around to chat. Sunday School for children ages three through high school begins when a bell is rung, meeting in the classrooms down the Education Wing from September through May. On Sunday mornings during the same window, adults can gather in the Fireside Room for thirty to forty-five minutes of sermon discussion led by Pastor Jason. There is no set curriculum and no off-limits questions - the only prompt is, "What jumped out for you today?" A separate Adult Sunday School also meets in the Fireside Room about fifteen minutes after worship ends, frequently covering sermon discussion, the periodic Welcome to OHC class for newcomers, or topical subjects that connect Christian faith to everyday life.

From Nursery through High School: Children and Youth

Oak Hills wraps a network of programs around its young people that begins in infancy and runs all the way through high school graduation. Children's ministry is led by Jessica Aksel, who joined the staff in June 2023 and has taught the Pre-K 5's class at Oak Hills Christian Preschool since 2013.

J-Walkers is an after-school ministry for fourth and fifth graders that meets each Wednesday during the school year, from 2:20 to 4:00 PM. Students at Oak Hills Elementary walk over with volunteer leaders; families coming from other schools can arrange their own transportation.

Each summer, SonSeekers Day Camp takes over the church grounds for one week in mid-June, welcoming kids entering kindergarten through sixth grade. Campers spend their days singing, listening to Bible stories, playing outdoor games, making creative projects, and rotating through elective activity stations. Recess for grades two through six is held at the Oak Hills Elementary playground; everything else happens on church property. The camp hires middle and high schoolers as counselors - middle schoolers volunteer, while high schoolers receive a small stipend on completion of their responsibilities.

For middle and high school students, Oak Hills Youth Ministries run on Sunday afternoons, September through May. TNT - Tweens and Teens, for students in sixth through eighth grade - meets from 4:30 to 6:00 PM with games, Bible study, fellowship, and prayer. The High School Group gathers at 6:00 PM and is deliberately structured more like a small group than a youth group: students choose what they want to study together, while adult leaders mentor them in Scripture, prayer, community, and stewardship. The church's prayer, in Pastor Jason's words, is that students will grow into young adults who can confidently say, "I belong, I understand, I have hope, and I am called and equipped to serve."

The Preschool on Site Since 1983

Since 1983, Oak Hills Christian Preschool has been one of the church's most visible ministries to its neighbors. The preschool offers three programs: a 3-4's class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (8:30 to 11:00 AM), a Pre-K 4's class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (8:30 to 11:30 AM), and a Pre-K 5's class Monday through Thursday mornings (8:30 to 11:30 AM). After preschool, from October through April, two optional enrichment programs are available for an additional fee: Spanish enrichment on Mondays (11:30 AM to 1:00 PM) and Stay & Play on Wednesdays (11:30 AM to 1:00 PM). The preschool's stated goal is to guide each child in their development as an image-bearer of God, fostering love for God and others along with positive self-concept, creativity, social ability, and academic readiness. Six teachers carry the program; several of them also serve in other roles at the church.

The Ministry Team

Pastor Jason "PJ" De Vries came to Oak Hills in April 2023 after ten years of ministry at a church in Walnut Creek, California, preceded by two church plants in Michigan and Washington. He grew up in a Christian family and considers himself to have come to personal faith at sixteen, when he stumbled onto Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 about the sufficiency of grace in weakness; he now lists Jonah as his "patron saint" for his own history of wrestling with God. Pastor Jason holds an Advanced Certificate in Transformational Coaching from Western Seminary and is working toward full credentials with the International Coaching Federation. He and his wife, Mishaela, have two teenage sons and a rescue terrier named Holly. Outside of ministry, the family enjoys hiking, movies, day trips, and family jam sessions on their collection of more than thirty instruments.

Mishaela De Vries, the Worship Arts Director, grew up in the Woodstock neighborhood of Southeast Portland and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Oregon. She teaches private piano and voice lessons in addition to planning the music for the weekly worship gathering and developing a passion for music in young children.

Jessica Aksel serves as the Children & Youth Director. She has been drawn to children her entire life and has taught in the church preschool since 2013. She and her husband have two children and a dog, and her favorite place to be is outdoors in the Pacific Northwest.

Linda Bender, the Administration and Communication Coordinator, is a lifelong Oak Hills resident. She also teaches the Pre-K 5's class in the preschool and looks forward to embedding herself further into the neighborhood through her church role.

The Journey to the Centennial: Rebuilding the Sanctuary

In early 2025, Oak Hills Church launched a campus-wide remodel it calls "Journey to Our Centennial." The vision is a sanctuary, hospitality area, and communal office space that will drive the church's ministry for the next forty years and beyond, carrying it toward its hundredth anniversary. The scope is sweeping: new flooring, acoustic treatment, lighting, storage, exterior doors, electrical, seating, ADA access, HVAC, water mitigation, security upgrades, an audio/visual overhaul, energy efficiency, code compliance, a hearing-assist system, and updated finishes throughout - alongside a careful reassessment of the building's overall footprint.

In the sanctuary itself, the stage will be enlarged side-to-side and will extend all the way to the back wall so that all musicians and singers can gather on stage together. A new center pillar will hold a large cross flanked by two high-definition screens, with energy-efficient LED lighting throughout. A slightly elevated, secured AV booth at the rear of the worship space will allow sound and projection volunteers to work side by side, paired with a new secured storage area. New speakers will give clearer sound to every seat, and a high-definition confidence screen will help worship leaders stay connected to the congregation.

The adjacent office and hospitality area is being reimagined as well. Merging the existing workroom and office will create a single, larger open workspace for staff collaboration; new windows into the narthex will offer visibility and hospitality midweek; the library area will shrink slightly and be reimagined, and a new coffee station will improve the flow of post-service fellowship. The project is being rolled out in phases, with a monthly update sent to the congregation; a Reveal Meeting video and a presentation packet are available for newcomers who want to follow along.

What Oak Hills Believes

Oak Hills is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, a denomination of roughly 200,000 members headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and rooted in the confessional Reformed tradition. The congregation affirms the historic ecumenical creeds (the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Nicene Creed), the Three Forms of Unity (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and the Belgic Confession), and two more recent Reformed testimonies - "Our World Belongs to God" and the Belhar Confession.

On the essentials, Oak Hills teaches that God is the Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the universe, eternally existing as three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully man, who lived a sinless life, offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin by dying on a cross, rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will return to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son; he lives in every believer, providing power, understanding, and guidance, and gives every Christian spiritual gifts for building up the church and serving the world. The Bible is the inspired, truth-without-error Word of God and the supreme source for Christian belief and living.

Human beings, made in God's image, are marred by sin - an attitude of disobedience that separates people from God and from one another. Salvation is a free gift received by faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by self-improvement or good works; eternal life begins the moment a person receives Christ. The church is the community Christ gathers, protects, and preserves through Word and Spirit from the beginning of the world to its end. True believers are eternally secure in the salvation God gives, kept by his grace and power. And people are created to exist forever - either eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation, or eternally separated from God in hell.

How Decisions Get Made: Council, Classis, and Synod

Oak Hills is a council-led congregation. The Council is the combined group of Elders, Deacons, and pastoral staff. Members of all three groups serve three-year terms and are chosen by lot from a pool of nominees compiled by the current Council and the congregation.

Elders are divided into two kinds. Administrative Elders manage facility needs, the church budget, and other administrative tasks. Pastoral Elders assist the pastoral staff in visiting, counseling, prayer, and teaching; all pastoral staff sit on the Pastoral Elders as permanent members. Deacons are charged with addressing the physical and material needs of the congregation - outreach, benevolence, financial support, and community service.

At the regional level, Oak Hills is a member of Classis Columbia, a grouping of approximately fifteen churches stretching from Salem, Oregon, all the way to Grangeville, Idaho. Twice a year, each church in the Classis sends a pastor, an elder, and a deacon to gather with the same from the other churches for worship and prayer, mutual encouragement, ministry planning across the region, and the examination of ordination candidates.

At the denominational level, Synod meets once a year as the highest governing body of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Each Classis sends a pastor, an elder, a deacon, and an at-large delegate to Synod. Synod establishes over-arching policies that help define what it means to be Christian Reformed; it cannot legally mandate exactly what each Classis or congregation must do. Each level of denominational government - congregation, Council, Classis, Synod - only has the authority the level below has granted it, and each level is designed to serve the level below.

Outreach and Service on the Neighborhood Block

Outreach at Oak Hills begins close to home. Over the years the church has served pancakes at the Oak Hills Neighborhood Fourth of July celebration, joined Oak Hills Elementary's annual campus beautification day, hosted Truck or Treat, put on community concerts, and purchased winter coats for low-income students in the Beaverton School District. The church frames its outreach in the same four-part shorthand that runs through its ministries: hope, belonging, understanding, and being equipped to serve.

As it embarks on the sanctuary remodel and looks toward a hundred years in the Oak Hills neighborhood, Oak Hills Church continues to define itself by the same steady presence that has marked its first sixty. Weekly rhythms on the grounds include Sunday morning worship, children's and adult Sunday School, the post-service sermon discussion, the Sunday afternoon youth programs, J-Walkers on Wednesday afternoons during the school year, and small groups that the congregation is reimagining for the new ministry season. Giving is supported online through the church's giving platform, and a livestream of each Sunday service is available on the church's YouTube channel.