Jesus at the Center: Reimagining Faith Community at Hill City Church

Why do so many people say they love Jesus but hesitate to step into a church?

Barna’s latest research reveals that, while many individuals report a personal relationship with Jesus, they’re increasingly reluctant to affiliate with a church. This tension highlights a deep desire for fellowship with Christ while presenting pastors with the challenge of bridging the gap between personal faith and communal church life.

Charlie Dawes, lead pastor at Hill City Church, located in the Washington, D.C. metroplex area, is keenly aware of the paradox: Many people love Jesus yet hesitate to join a church. He warns that, in the absence of community, faith can become an intellectual exercise rather than a life-transforming relationship.

“I just can’t imagine following Jesus without being part of a church,” Dawes says. “There was always this sense of community, always a sense of connectedness.”

Commitment: Modeling Consistency in a Shifting Culture

Dawes and his wife, Nicole, planted Hill City Church in October 2020, originally gathering in nontraditional spaces—from an AMC theater during the pandemic to its current location in a high school. The church quickly became known as a vibrant community and now serves a diverse population drawn from local professionals, entrepreneurs, civic leaders and military-connected families.

For a portable church like Hill City, anchoring in Jesus isn’t just a figure of speech—it’s a necessity for providing stability to the community they serve. Modeling the character of Jesus has helped them cultivate a space where relationships grow, faith deepens and even non-believers (and those resistant to affiliation) may eventually find belonging.

Reimagining Church: Inviting the World In

While actively searching for a permanent location, Hill City Church continues to show up—week after week, year after year—their rootedness becomes an open invitation with no expiration date. Over time, this reliable presence creates space for those hesitant about church affiliation to gradually find belonging.

For Dawes, the mission is clear: reimagine what it means to be a church so that faith is lived holistically—mind, soul, body and strength united under the centrality of Jesus.

Clarity: The Simplicity of the Gospel

For Hill City Church, clarity in teaching is essential, especially in an age when faith is sometimes seen as a clash between intellect and belief. Dawes is unapologetic about keeping the message centered on Jesus, trusting that the Word and the Spirit are enough to sustain and transform lives.

“We’re bold enough to believe that the Word and the Spirit [are] enough,” he explains. “I’m not graduating beyond the Bible. I realize most of my sermons are going to probably sound the same. It’s going to be about Jesus and our dependence on him.”

Curiosity: Looking for the Common Thread

Dawes leads Hill City Church with a genuine curiosity about every individual.

“When I walk into a room, I look for that 1 percent of commonality,” he says. “Once I discover that, I know we could be friends.”

This posture of curiosity extends beyond shared interests—it’s about truly listening.

“Whether it’s a person visiting our church, someone exploring faith or someone wounded by their faith, I have my own stories of being wounded by faith or wrestling with it—I want to listen from that posture,” Dawes explains.

By leading with empathy and attentiveness, Hill City fosters a culture of communitas—a deep sense of shared mission and belonging that transcends mere community. This intentional approach creates opportunities for people to encounter Jesus in the everyday moments of life, knowing they are truly seen and heard.

At Hill City Church, consistency lays the foundation for a faith community that people can trust. Through clear and accessible teaching and a culture of genuine curiosity that fosters deep connection, Hill City models a vision of church that resonates with both the committed and the questioning.

These qualities work together to create an environment where faith is both rooted and dynamic, inviting people to engage and grow in Jesus, and ultimately belong to his Church.

This is an excerpt from a full-length profile in this month’s State of the Church release, which can be found exclusively in Barna Access Plus.