The dates that helped shape Rolling Hills Community Church
Fall of 2002: God leads Jeff Simmons and a few others to plant what is now “Rolling Hills Community Church.” It begins with a core team of 15 people gathering in the Alara Farms apartment clubhouse on Thursday nights (photo on right). During this time, the church develops its philosophies and begins its dedication to missions by sending a team of 18 people to Moldova.
January of 2003: Rolling Hills Community Church is officially launched. The church moves to the Marriott hotel in Cool Springs and begins meeting in the ballroom on Sunday mornings. Baptisms are held in the hotel’s swimming pool. Due to scheduling conflicts, the church is often unable to meet at the hotel and has to find other temporary locations.
Spring of 2004: The church moves from the hotel ballroom to Carmike Thoroughbred Theater in Cool Springs. For five years, the staff and other volunteers meet each Sunday at 6:30 a.m. to transform Carmike into a church. The church hosts two worship services each Sunday, making use of 10 theaters at the facility. Baptisms are held in the lobby. Having to be cleared out by noon each week, the staff and volunteers break down everything as soon as the services end. Although Rolling Hills had no official contract with Carmike, the relationship works smoothly for five years, and the church thrives.
October of 2007: Seeking God’s direction to possibly relocate, the church takes a one-time offering on a designated Sunday. That day, the young church, with an average age of 28 among its members, collects over one million dollars. The church uses the money to purchase a building — now called “The WareHouse”— in Franklin. The church offsets the cost by leasing part of the building to three tenants.
October of 2009: The church holds worship for the first time at “The WareHouse.” It now holds three services there each Sunday.
January 2014: The church launches the Rolling Hills South campus, which now meets in Nolensville. Rolling Hills has since launched an additional campus in Nashville.
