In a new development for the NKU community, Seven Hills Church, based out of Florence, Kentucky, is set to launch a new location on campus starting Sunday, Oct. 22.

The new Seven Hills Church location will meet in room 200 of the Mathematics, Education and Psychology Center and conduct services on Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The church will also offer a children’s ministry program called Hills Kids for children up to sixth grade during both services. Youth services for children grades sixth to 12th will take place on Wednesdays at their Florence location, to which charter bus transportation will be provided for local youth.

Jeremy Alltop, NKU’s Vice President of Administration & Finance, said in an email statement: “The space use agreement with Seven Hills Church is a way for NKU to support the community while offsetting the cost of facility maintenance and generating revenue for the university. Seven Hills has invested in a facility upgrade to the space that it will occupy, which includes upgrading the AV system and landscaping. NKU has similar agreements with multiple organizations throughout the community.”

“We love people, we love helping people,” said Erin Kollman, director of the new location. “A church-wide initiative we have is called Heart the City, and it’s probably one of the things we are most passionate about church-wide.” The program strives to meet the essential needs of the community. 

Kollman said that Seven Hills Church has a long history of serving the communities in which they are located. “Our phrase is ‘one church, many rooms,’” he said, because even though they may be in separate locations, they are all one church. The Highland Heights meeting place is the fourth location, and the church has already helped NKU with tasks such as taking down dead trees, uprooting stumps, mulching, pressure washing and even purchasing a refrigerator for a teacher’s lounge.

The church’s mission statement is: “a better life with Jesus, a better life together and a better life for others,” Jake Kollman, the new location’s pastor, said. “We don’t believe the church is four walls. We believe it’s the people.” 

Kollman said that Seven Hills’ heart is to serve and that they want to “love people, to love students, to be part of an incredible community and ask the question how can we make it better and ultimately introduce people to Jesus.”

“I feel like we [NKU] have a lot of organizations and things on campus that may separate us,” Kirstin Spellman, senior law major, said. “But I feel like Seven Hills is a way to be connected and really form a community with God in the center.” 

Kollman said that the church is committed to serving the NKU community in any way that they can. “We are not coming to NKU because it is a bad place needing help,” said Kollman. “We come because it is an already incredible community and we come to be part of that community and make it better.”

Nevaeh Votel, public relations senior, talked about her excitement of Seven Hills opening a new location on campus saying, “I think it will be so impactful and so positive, and I think that they put their heart into everything they do.” 

“I am so excited to have the Seven Hills location on campus,” Votel said. She said the church does a “great job at making a positive presence in their community.” 

“Our heart really is to come and serve,” said Kollman. “We want to come into a community, we want to partner with an organization that is a central hub of that community and we want to come serve and so that is what we have come to do.”

The church’s leadership is excited to be a part of the NKU community and they look forward to getting to know the students, faculty and staff.

“We hope to partner with the NKU community to continue to make NKU better and the surrounding region better,” said Kollman.