July 2026

Loss, Leading and the In-Between

From her colorful, flowy skirts paired with a Pizza Ranch graphic tee or a flannel shirt of coordinating colors, to her beaded necklaces and bracelets, unique pieces she crafted herself, Hilary’s individuality, confidence, creativity, and playfulness shine through! Being raised on a farm in Ohio, the youngest of three and only daughter, she was taught to be resourceful and self-sufficient. Besides baking bread from scratch and canning alongside her mom, she remembers how her uncle came to the rescue when the family had a need. “We had an old Ford f350. My uncle pulled the bed off, built a flatbed, and then my mom sewed a canvas cover for horse trail riding trips. We called it The Conestoga Ford because it looked like a covered wagon when we put the hoops up and the cover on!” Jokingly, she adds, “I MacGyver things all the time!”

Chat with Hilary for only a few minutes, and you will realize that she is someone with a deeply rooted, genuine, abiding trust in God, a relationship that she can trace back to childhood. Her faith developed into something more personal in middle school, and during high school and college, as she came to know and understand God and His Word more, her faith is what propelled her into serving and leading youth.

Her ever-growing trust in the Lord has been hard-fought and marked by three significant losses. The ways in which the Lord met her in those places and her response serve as encouragement to all of us and are important parts of her story. She reflects on losing her dad as a little girl. “I knew that losing my dad showed me my need for God in a way that I never would have realized if I had been the youngest and only daughter in an intact family.” Sadly, Hilary and her husband Jeremy experienced the loss of their infant son several years ago. She describes the deep grief afterward as a time she identified with Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”-NIV

Most recently, in 2022, Jeremy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. As their family walked through surgeries, recovery, chemo, MRIs, and adjusted to a new normal, Hilary remembers, “Fear had to be submitted often, not just occasionally. This meant taking every thought captive in obedience and relying on each day’s portion of grace from God, daily bread.” Grace, manna enough for each day, new morning mercies. Daily bread.

Between the ages of eight and ten, and not long after the unexpected passing of her father, Hilary realized that her faith was everything to her. Even after the heartbreak and the ways in which it impacted her home life, she believed Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”-ESV  Later as a middle schooler, while brushing her hair and singing Lord I Lift Your Name on High, something felt different, kind of strange to Hilary, even though she had sung the song countless times. “From the earth to the cross, My debt to pay…” The lyrics suddenly connected with her heart. "The words hit me that this was a relationship." She recalls thinking, "Oh! You love me. Oh! I really love You!" Hilary understood for the first time the love of the Father for her and how much she loved Him, too.

As she talks about her years attending youth group, Hilary mentions two leaders, a husband and wife, who impacted her in very meaningful ways. They welcomed and included her, not only in youth group, but by inviting her into their home and family life. “Watching them live their faith,” she says, “in their marriage, as a family with their children, and at church showed me what an intact family with a dad, mom, and children looked like.”  She credits them with helping her decide that she wanted to do the same for someone else someday and smiles happily as she shares that she is still in touch with them after all these years.

Years before New Hope, the Lord was preparing her for her current role. A mission trip, an overseas youth internship, and during college, serving alongside the youth pastor at a church in Ohio are just a few of the opportunities she was given. One experience, Hilary says, helped her to be able to adapt to various leadership styles, and another she describes as ‘trial by fire’! "When the Youth Pastor went on sabbatical during my internship, it was the first time I was responsible for all of the administrative parts of ministry, and I didn’t know how to balance that with the relational aspect of it. This gave me a broader view of what ministry entails."

Asked how she got involved in youth ministry at New Hope, she explains. “Jeremy and I volunteered to teach 4th and 5th grade Kidz Klub when our son Samuel was in 4th grade. As Samuel, and our daughter Haydee, got older, we followed them to middle and high school youth groups as leaders. Since 2024, Hilary has been on staff at New Hope as part time Youth Associate. When asked what she believes the greatest reward has been, she answers without hesitating. “The joy of seeing the youth make the connection between knowledge and true faith and get excited about it! If someone wanted to be part of the youth ministry here, I would want them to know that it is fun and exhausting, and it requires 100% genuineness; kids know when you’re faking. They need truth. And we’d love for more people to join us!” Hilary is helping youth understand what she realized that night back in middle school as she sang “My debt to pay”: It’s all about a relationship with Jesus, and they are so loved.

If you are interested in getting involved in youth ministry, contact Hilary or Pastor Don.