Welcome to Heights Christian Church

Welcome to HCC! We are a Disciples of Christ congregation located in Shaker Heights, and we are excited to serve the community!

We offer hybrid worship (online and in person in Herr Chapel) each Sunday! Find more information on our Sunday Worship page.

Although we recently celebrated our 95th Anniversary, some things have changed in the past few years. We moved in September, 2021 from our building on Van Aken Blvd. to a new church home and are now “nesting” within Plymouth Church on Coventry Road in Shaker Heights. We were able to sell the Van Aken building to East View UCC! Our Senior Minister of 16 years retired in 2022 and the congregation called Dr. Kate Gillooly to serve.

While our in person location has changed, much stays the same. We continue to worship God – both in person and online via Zoom and Facebook Live each week. Please go to our worship page to find out more about participating in worship. We look forward to connecting with you, online or in person, but always joined together in spirit through the God who loves and cares for each of us.To get details (with photos!) on how to find us, click this link:

Intro to HCC @ Plymouth – Rev 2better copy

We continue to be an independent, vibrant, caring, and diverse congregation, committed to serving the community and doing God’s work in the world. We are delighted to continue our community partnerships in Shaker and beyond.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to focus on mission and community engagement”, says, Dr. Kate Gillooly, Minister with HCC. “I am excited about the new possibilities before us, and looking forward to seeing where the Spirit may lead us next!”

Who We Are

“…a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world”

Heights Christian Church is part of the Christian Churches, Disciples of Christ, an ecumenical denomination with 3,000 congregations across North America. Our congregation consists of approximately 120 members who are diverse in many aspects. When the Heights Christian Church building was designed, the founding members envisioned a complete facility that not only would serve the church as a place of worship, study and fellowship, but also serve the community. While we have sold the building to another church, we remain in Shaker Heights and continue our commitment to service the community.

Our focus now is on anti-racism, food scarcity, immigrants, and children and youth. We are eager to partner with other individuals and agencies in Shaker to understand and meet the many needs of our community. We are an anti-racism/pro-reconciling congregation, a Green Chalice church (for Creation Care/environmental concern), a Shalom congregation, striving for peace and wholeness in our world, and an open and affirming congregation, welcoming and affirming the dignity and worth of every person.

Values & Traditions

Open Communion
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is celebrated in weekly worship. Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome at HCC.

Freedom of belief
Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Persons are free to follow their consciences, guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit, study and prayer, and are expected to extend that freedom to others.

Baptism by immersion
In baptism, the old self-centered life is set aside, and a new life of trust in God begins. Although Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other baptism traditions are honored.

Belief in the oneness of the church
All Christians are called to be one in Christ and to seek opportunities for common witness and service. We are a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”

The ministry of all believers
Both ministers and lay persons lead in worship, service, and spiritual growth.