Welcome to Hillside!

We get it. It's never easy to be a visitor, especially at church! Let us put you at ease: Hillside was founded to serve and love people like you—this has been our heartbeat in the community for over 60 years!

We know that life is hectic, messy, and stressful. Hillside wants to journey with you, heralding the Gospel which gives us the freedom to live a new life that empowers us to love and serve our neighbors and give glory to Jesus Christ.

Hillside Church is a community where you will hear and experience the life-giving message of forgiveness from sin and freedom in Jesus Christ!

You are invited and welcome to join us at our Sunday Worship Service. Please take a few minutes to check out the rest of this website to learn more about our church and discover places for you can get involved.

Worship

with Us

Our regular worship service time throughout the year is a combined service of both familiar hymns of the faith and contemporary worship music.

Worship Service 10:00 aM 

During our service, infants aged 6 months to 3 years old are able to be in our nursery care, and children ages 4 to 7 are able to attend Sprouts (our kids' worship) during the sermon.

Who We Are

Hillside is a church committed to being faithful to the Word of God which it sees as the source of faith and life. We believe that preaching should proclaim both Law (God's commands) and Gospel (God's gracious work through Christ).

Law and Gospel are to be rightly distinguished so that faith can rest upon God's promises and Christ's work, and not on human agency or effort. God's commands can bring us to repentance and show us the good works God prepared for us to walk in.

We seek to be people who take God's words and promises into the world, making disciples and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Hillside is a Family Church.

Hillside Church seeks to be a church for families. We love children and want to provide a lively and fun environment for them to grow in faith. We know that raising children in community as part of a church family allows access to the diverse span of generations who have had their lives changed by Christ.

We also care about parents and grandparents, singles and young adults. Hillside Church has many programs for all of the various age demographics. But we feel we do things best when we are all together.

It is our prayer and vision to reach our local community with the message of Jesus Christ, to support church planting efforts in urban areas where more and more post-college families are moving, and we have a long history of support for foreign missions.

Please call or visit us if you have any questions about Hillside as we'd love to introduce ourselves. We hope one day you will find yourself part of the Hillside Church family!

Mission statement

We sum up our mission this way:

“Because of who God is and what he has accomplished for us in Christ: we listen to his words, we speak those life-giving words; we live those words by actively serving one another in Christian love and sacrificially bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people.”

And our vision for this mission is:

“To connect people to Christ and to each other.”

Meet OUR Team

  • Church Council of Elders

    (Front L-R) Pastor Brad Hogason, Scott Dunsmore, Chris Monaghan, Vinnie Sottile

    (Back L-R) Kevin Cullen, Steve Geiger, Andrew Spotts, Kevin Verbeke

  • Brad Hoganson

    LEAD PASTOR


    Pastor Brad Hoganson joined Hillside Church in the summer of 2025 as Lead Pastor but is no stranger to the church! Brad grew up in Roxbury and Hillside is his home church from childhood. He previously served on the pastoral staff from 2010-2017 as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Families.

    Brad loves Jesus, people and building friendship!  Nothing brings him as much joy as the opportunity to share the Gospel! An ordained pastor in the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, Brad served churches in Washington State and New Jersey for 25 years before being called to serve as President of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy from 2017-2025.

    Brad and his wife Traci enjoy good coffee, antique shops, flea markets, DIY projects and spending time with friends and family (especially their new grandson!)  Brad loves to explore used bookstores and is always looking for the next great find. You may contact Pastor Brad by email at brad@hillsidelbc.org

  • Vinnie Sottile

    DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

    Vinnie is the Music Director here at Hillside. He is responsible for planning and leading our Sunday worship experiences.  Aside from enjoying playing the piano and all things theatrical, he is also a nurse, working bi-vocationally.  He is married to his lovely bride, Katie, and are proud parents to their son Liam, daughters Elise and Lucia, enjoying both outdoor and indoor adventures together. Vinnie would be delighted to learn of your musical talent and desire to invest in helping with the worship time at Hillside! You may contact Vinnie via email at vinnie@hillsidelbc.org

  • RUTH BASILE

    MINISTRY COORDINATOR

    Ruth is our Ministry Coordinator; overseeing all of the various ministries we have here at Hillside. Since beginning to work at Hillside in 2013, Ruth has held several roles here and now she focuses on creating graphic media, taking care of facilitating communication and connection with ministries to the congregation, helping ministries get launched, and maintaining our website and newsletter. Ruth and her husband, Frank, live in Flanders and share a blended family of both adult children and some still at home. They also are enjoying their first grandchild, and settling into the joys of that new role in their lives. She enjoys painting, cooking, gardening and spending quality time with her family. You may contact Ruth via email at ruth@hillsidelbc.org


  • SABRINA PRONKO

    CHILDREN’S MINISTRY COORDINATOR

    Sabrina is the Coordinator of children's ministries here at Hillside. She manages a group of volunteers for weekly Sunday School classes (ages Pre-K thru 5th), our Wednesday evening Hillside Kids program (grades K-5th), and summertime Vacation Bible School. Sabrina is married to her wonderful husband Zak, raising their daughter and an adorable puppy, Mingo. They both have been known to galavant in VT during the winter, enjoying the snow, and down the shore in the in the summer, to enjoy the sunshine and waves. Sabrina holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, Minor in American Sign Language and has obtained her Masters Degree in Social Work. Her zest for life is contagious! You may contact Sabrina via email at sabrina@hillsidelbc.org

  • TAMI SUNWALL

    YOUTH DIRECTOR

    Tami has the wonderful privilege of working with our younger adults - the Jr and Sr High students. She comes to us from Faith LB Church in NY, with 20 years of youth leader experience. Phew... that makes me tired just thinking of 20 years with teenagers! Tami is up for the challenge though, and is making her mark with our students. Besides working as a youth leader, she spent 2 years working at a Boys & Girls Club in MN, has directed VBS programs, run a midweek children's ministry, and has served on various church boards. We can't leave out that she has also been a part time church secretary and a preschool teacher for 13 years! Tami received her Associate's degree in Biblical Studies and is guided by the Lord who has given her a passion for the church and serving however God leads. She delights in seeing multiple generations within the body connecting and doing life together. Tami also loves to hike, quilt and spend time with the people God has placed in her life. You may contact Tami via email at tami@hillsidelbc.org

  • RACHEL ELLISON

    SOCIAL MEDIA & OUTREACH COORDINATOR

    Rachel Ellison is the Social Media & Outreach Coordinator at Hillside. Having grown up at Hillside, she is grateful to now serve the church family that has always been home! Rachel oversees Hillside's social media and outreach initiatives, helping connect people to the life and mission of the church both inside and outside our walls.

    Rachel is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work and has a heart for serving others and building meaningful connections within the community. Outside of church and work, you'll often find her baking sourdough, exploring hiking trails, or enjoying a good cup of coffee.

    You may contact Rachel via email at rachel@hillsidelbc.org

hillside’s core values

The Bible is central in our congregations and in our households. The Word of God is the focus of our worship services, the textbook for our teaching ministries, and the foundation of our daily lives. Whether we are preaching, teaching, singing, or just talking, we want to be people of the Word.

The Gospel is our treasure and our joy. We want the Good News of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ to be the centerpiece of our mission. All people need the Gospel. God’s children need to hear it again and again. The Good News is God’s power—which saves us—draws us together and motivates us for service.

We revere God's Law. The Law of God cannot save us, but it is necessary for our salvation. We need to see our sin and be driven to the cross of Christ for forgiveness. We need to be reminded that we cannot earn God’s love or merit His blessings. We need the ethical guidance that God’s Law gives. We dare not make up our own morality.

The Word and the Sacraments are God’s precious means of grace. The Word teaches us, Baptism washes us, and the Lord’s Supper nourishes us. In our sacramental life together we are brought again and again to the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, who alone is the source of our salvation.

We cherish the love and fellowship of God's people. We need each other. We need the spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit imparts to His people. We experience God’s peace as we worship and work together, forgive one another, and bear each other's burdens.

We long for people to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to come to know Him in a personal way. We are called by the love of Christ to share His Gospel to all creation. Our mission is as local as our neighborhood and as universal as the whole world.

We seek to be people of prayer. Whether in public worship, small groups, or in our personal lives, we want prayer to be foundational. Prayer supports and propels us in our mission. We desire that prayer be as essential in our ministries as breathing is to our physical life.

In the late 1940s, Lutheran Scandinavians in Brooklyn began making an exodus out of the city to the greener and more rural parts of Northern New Jersey to raise their families. Hillside's history births from this migration.

A small group of Norwegians who moved to Roxbury felt lead to creating a church that valued Biblical principles and the Gospel. The first meeting was held at a local home. In a short time, the current property became available for sale, and the little congregation decided to buy it.

Unable to afford a building right away, the summer months were filled with campfire and tent meetings, a popular outreach at the time when revivalism was reaching its apex. At these meetings, testimonies were shared about God's grace, and the Gospel was preached. People were excited. It was a time of beginnings and close friendships.

1950–1960

On September 18, 1950, the church officially organized as Hillside Lutheran Free Church. It consisted of ten families. The little church had a series of interim pastors the first year before calling its first full-time pastor, Rev. Joel Lunde in 1952. In May of 1951 the ground was broken for a building, what today is called the "Fireside Room," but at that time was the entire complex.

1951 was a formative year not only because of the construction of the new building but because Hillside decided to join the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB). The Lutheran Brethren was founded as a missions society but had evolved into a denomination with a central governing Synod. Based out of Fergus Falls Minnesota, the CLB had strong Scandinavian roots. Hillside's charter members who had come from Brooklyn had associations with CLB churches in the city, and so the dissolving of the free church into the CLB was an easy transition. What that meant for our church, however, was that Hillside was no longer alone. We partnered with a larger church family—a family we remain a part of today.

The church quickly grew as the surrounding area increased in population dramatically. But the late 50s and early 60s, Roxbury was no longer a rural area but was quickly evolving into a suburb. To accommodate the new growth, a new building project was approved on April 29, 1957. And in 1958 the construction was underway. Additionally, the church purchased a parsonage across the street from the church on Tonneson Road, and it was dedicated on May 29, 1960.

1960–1970

The church continued to experience rapid growth in the early 60s, and a new sanctuary was approved in April of 1962 and was completed in 1964. This is the current sanctuary in use today.

The 60s gave way to new ministries and outreach to the surrounding community. To better meet our neighbors and be a Christian presence in the community, the church organized The Hillside Nursery School (now called "Preschool") in September of 1970. The enrollment the first year was 24 children. Today we minister to over 100 children and their families.

1970–1980s

Throughout the 70s the church began to expand, and new properties were added increasing the land ownership of the campus to its current size. An additional parsonage was purchased.

The final expansion of the building to its current size was in 1984. It provided a 22,000 square foot expansion that includes the Multipurpose Room, classrooms, and the present home of the Preschool.

Today & Beyond

Today, Hillside Church continues to look towards the future without abandoning its past values. We believe that the culture at large is now predominately unchurched and unlikely to find any inherent value in church. It is our sacred task to take the Good News of Jesus Christ out to our neighborhoods and communities so that they can hear about the God of the cross who saved them from their sins.

The Hillside pastors have recently presented a new vision for the future of the church. This vision is exciting because it looks to God's missional work to bring the Gospel to our neighbors, meet community needs, and love and serve our community. We are hoping that you will see the value of this mission and would partner with us and join our family.

We continue in a tradition that has long valued and trusted the God of all hope. And it is our prayer that God will continue to provide for and through us, to accomplish his mission.

THE HISTORY OF HILLSIDE