Welcome To The Trail!
The Discipleship Trail is Hillside’s pathway for growing spiritually and learning to live out the Great Commission. Each course helps you take practical next steps—following Jesus more closely, finding belonging, serving others, and sharing your faith with confidence.
As you journey through the core classes, you’ll build a strong foundation for your walk with Christ while connecting with others in our Hillside family. And new this year, once you’ve completed the core courses, you can explore a selection of bonus classes designed to help you grow even deeper in your discipleship.
Wherever you begin, the Trail offers a clear, meaningful way to strengthen your faith and step boldly into the life Jesus calls you to live.
Core Discipleship Trail Classes
FIND BELONGING
with Pastor Kevin Matthews
(MEMBERSHIP – Previously “Next Steps”):
Here you will explore why our church exists and how we’re here to help you take next steps and make Hillside your spiritual home as a member.
PLEASE NOTE: Baptism Conversations will be held separately. If you’re an ADULT, YOUTH (Grades 6-12) or PRE-TEEN (Grades 4-5) BAPTISM, please fill out this BAPTISM FORM if you would like someone to contact you with more information.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
with Pastor Dave Steeves
(Previously “Serve”):
Make a Difference is a practical and inspiring discipleship course designed to help you understand how God has uniquely equipped you to participate in His work. Every follower of Jesus has been given gifts, passions, and abilities—and when these are recognized and activated, they bring life to the church and contribute to God’s kingdom purposes in powerful ways.
In this course, you’ll explore what Scripture teaches about spiritual gifts, how to discern your own gifting, and how those gifts can be used to build up the body of Christ. You’ll also gain insight into the serving culture at Hillside and discover meaningful opportunities to join one of our ministry teams.
CHANGE THE WORLD
with Jason Donelle
(Previously “Share”):
Change the World is a transformational discipleship course designed to help you grow in confidence as you live out your faith in everyday life. God invites every believer—not just a few—to participate in His mission of restoring and renewing the world. This course will help you discover how He can work through your relationships, your story, and your everyday opportunities to make a meaningful impact.
Together we’ll explore what it looks like to authentically love people the way Jesus did—through compassion, presence, service, and genuine friendship. You’ll learn how to share your faith naturally and confidently, both in word and in deed, in ways that feel true to who you are and sensitive to where others are on their spiritual journey.
Bonus classes
“WHY BELIEVE CHRISTIANITY”
with Cody Guitard:
The Christian faith is frequently misunderstood as being founded on blind belief. However, Christianity is, in fact, perfectly rational and has good supporting evidence for it’s central truth claims – including the gospel message! This class will explore the rationale behind central Christian beliefs and some key supporting evidence and arguments along the way.
Cody serves as the National Director for Ratio Christi Canada and the Chapter Director for Ratio Christi at Crandall University. RCC is part of a global movement that equips university students and faculty to give historical, philosophical, and scientific reasons for following Jesus Christ.
“MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CHRISTIAN CONTEXT”
with Sarah Fletcher
What does it look like to truly thrive in the life God has given us? We all have mental health, yet there are many misconceptions about what it means to care for our minds and emotions—especially within the Christian community. Join us for an honest and hope-filled conversation about mental health, faith, and what it means to thrive. We’ll explore common misconceptions, discover practical ways to care for our own mental well-being, and learn how we can better support those around us who may be struggling. Come ready to learn, reflect, and walk away with practical tools for yourself and others.
Sarah is the founder of Made to Thrive Counselling, which she started in 2021. She believes that no one is meant to walk through life’s challenges alone, and it is her privilege to provide a safe, compassionate space where individuals and couples can find support, healing, and renewed hope. Beyond her professional life, her story is deeply shaped by faith and family. She has been married to her incredible husband, Chad, since 2005, and they have three amazing sons (Joshua, Luke and Ezekiel) who keep them active, laughing, and continually learning.
“ONE CHURCH, MANY CULTURES”
with Claudia Fernandez
What does it mean to be one church when we come from different countries, speak different languages, and have different cultural backgrounds? In this class, we will discover the importance of embracing the people with whom we share the same faith. Although we are different, we are all children of the same God and part of one spiritual family. We will also reflect on what is behind the transition of every new family arriving in Canada. Their journey is not accidental; God is guiding them and bringing them into a new community. As one church, we are called to welcome, support, encourage, and build up one another in Christ.
Claudia arrived in Canada in 2021 with her husband and two children. She has been involved with YFC Bolivia since 2016 and became part of the YFC Moncton staff in 2022 where she currently serves as Youth program coordinator. In November 2024, she joined the staff team at Hillside Baptist Church as our Preschool Volunteer Coordinator. In Bolivia, Claudia worked as a dentist, but she feels her immigration journey has led her to hear God’s calling to work with families and young people, realizing that God has bigger plans for her life. Recently, she began focusing on working with international youth, driven by her desire to see all young people and families in transition to find their sense of belonging, identity, and hope in God.
“THE GOD WHO IS: ATTRIBUTES THAT ANCHOR A LIFETIME OF FAITHFULNESS”
with Chad Fletcher, Pastor of Community & Connection
Many Christians drift – not because they stop believing in God, but because the God they believe in is too small to sustain real life. In this Discipleship Trail class, we’ll rediscover the greatness of who God truly is and why His attributes are the only solid foundation for a lifelong, abiding faith. If your spiritual life feels fragile, distant, or inconsistent, this conversation may reset everything.
“SACRED PATHWAYS: HABITS AND PRACTICES FOR GOING DEEPER IN SPIRITUAL FORMATION”
with Jerry Reddy, Teaching Pastor
Spiritual formation is a lifelong process of growth, but starting or deepening this journey can sometimes feel overwhelming. Often called holy habits or sacred pathways, spiritual disciplines are the practical tools that open our lives to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. By intentionally making space for God through these practices, believers at any age or stage of life can break free from spiritual stagnation, and build a resilient, maturing, Christlike character.
FAQ
The Discipleship Trail is Hillside’s spiritual growth pathway, designed to help people take their next step in a growing relationship with Jesus. Whether you’re brand new to Hillside or have been part of our church family for years, the Trail helps you discover opportunities to connect, grow, serve, and lead.
The starting point on the Trail is Discover Hillside – a simple, 10-minute introduction offered once a month immediately following a Sunday morning service. From there, the Discipleship Trail provides opportunities throughout the year to grow deeper in your faith, build meaningful relationships, discover how God has uniquely gifted you, and become more engaged in the life and mission of Hillside.
Discover Hillside is a quick and easy first step for anyone who is new to Hillside or simply wants to learn more about our church. Offered once a month immediately following a Sunday morning service, this brief 10-minute presentation gives you an opportunity to meet one of our pastors and learn about Hillside’s culture, heartbeat, and ministries.
Following the presentation, we’ll take you on a short tour of the building so you can become familiar with our spaces and discover some of the ways you can get connected. There’s no lengthy class or big commitment—just a simple opportunity to learn more, meet a pastor, ask a few questions, and discover your next step at Hillside.
To help every Hillsider grow and get more plugged into our church community, 4 core courses are strategically offered including:
“Find Belonging”: this is our next steps class led by Pastor Kevin – here you will explore why our church exists and how we’re here to help you take next steps through baptism and making Hillside your spiritual home as a member.
“Make a Difference”: this is our serve class led by Pastor Dave – discover how you can join the team as you learn about spiritual gifts and how God has uniquely gifted you to serve His kingdom purposes.
“Change the World”: this is our share class led by Jason Donelle – here you’ll gain confidence in letting God use you to change the world by authentically loving people and sharing your faith both in word and deed.
These 3 core classes are designed to equip you with fresh relatable content, along with additional steps and resources, that will help you grow deeper on these topics. When registering, be sure to check out the list of classes for that evening as some classes are offered on a rotational basis.
Because discipleship is an ongoing journey and no believer should ever stop growing, each Disciple Trail gathering will feature several additional classes each evening. Various topics will be periodically featured, including marriage, parenting, grandparenting, spiritual formation, work, mental health, apologetics, prayer, theology, and others will be offered. Watch for class options each time.
Offered as one of our rotating “Grow Night” experiences, the Trail classes are offered 3X per year (quarterly) on Wednesday nights from 5:30-7:30pm. Upcoming classes will take place on Oct. 21, 2026, Feb. 24, 2027 and May 5, 2027. Participants meet in the auditorium for the first part (meal and worship) before breaking off into various rooms for the classes.
Yes, come hungry, a meal will be ready for you. Because ‘here, we’re all family’ this is a great opportunity to meet others in a relaxed setting, enjoy supper (including dessert!), and experience a taste of worship right after.
Yes, childcare for infants to Grade 5 is offered to encourage young families to attend. As part of the registration process, parents are asked to pre-register their children so our team can be ready to serve them well. Check-in for kids begins at 5:15pm (15 minutes before the ‘DT’ begins). A fun time with fellowship, games, a learning activity, and a meal will be provided for the children during this time.
There is a modest cost of $5 per person to attend. This helps offset a portion of the cost for the evening. The same cost applies for children as well, with a $25 overall limit for families. Also, if cost is a factor, no worries. Just let us know through the link below. Certainly, no one should miss out due to cost!
Questions?
We want to make your TRAIL experience the best it can be. If you have any questions or want more information, please feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear from you. Please reach out HERE.