FAQ's

In 1997, a few families embarked on a four year journey of gathering and training volunteers to form a church plant team. The purpose was, prayerfully, to start a uniquely designed church in the eastern neighborhoods of Cincinnati for our friends who were interested in God, but not necessarily interested in church. This new church was created with multiple, carefully designed environments which included two deliberately distinct service styles.  This was complemented by a variety of comfortable options for relational community connection and spiritual growth.  The goal was to provide the right pace and depth for everyone drawn to learn more about God at Horizon.

Horizon’s public opening didn’t feature mass postcard blasts, advertising, arm-twisting or curious people coerced from other churches. Instead, each of the 40 plant team families simply mailed to their friends a personal handwritten invitation to another nice neighborhood party... only this time at Horizon.  Over 400 friends accepted the invitation and came to Horizon for the first public Sunday service on April 15, 2001. Since then, the number of people enjoying God at Horizon has quadrupled to over 1,600 on a typical weekend.  

Along the way, God blessed Horizon with 75 acres of beautiful parkland, ideally situated to continue the founding vision in our beautiful, new God-honoring facility. The move to our new home in 2011 was indeed momentous and enhances the comfortable connection of friends to God through the Bible and a community of growing followers of Christ.

Praise God for blessing this unique church and for bringing together a dedicated and talented team of staff and volunteers to help it grow.  We love being part of Horizon, and we hope you do too.

The home of one of the plant team members was the location for the first meetings and services, including Student Ministry. Horizon is grateful to the many families who have continued this important Horizon Biblical tradition by blessing people through the use of their homes for Horizon meetings and events.

On January 31^st 2000, Indian Hill High School Auditorium became the Sunday morning temporary home for Horizon with Student Ministries relocating there in various classrooms later that summer.  After years of quiet preparation, training and prayer, Horizon opened our doors to the community on April 15, 2001 at the Cincinnati Country Day High School Auditorium, Horizon’s third temporary home. Thank you to both Indian Hill and Country Day School for their wonderful support during our important formative years.

From the beginning, we were deliberate, hopeful and prayerful about what God was building at Horizon.  And so over many years, we tied down various available properties until it was made abundantly clear that the breathtaking plot of parkland on 3950 Newtown Road was our permanent home. Upon completion of our beautiful God-honoring facility on January 9, 2011, we opened the doors of the beautiful building where God will take Horizon into its third decade.

Welcome Home.

Horizon holds two identical Equipping Services every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. and an Exploring Service at 11 a.m. Horizon does not hold services the last weekend in December.

Click here to view descriptions of the Equipping and Exploring services.

Horizon welcomes all who want to explore God. Horizon isn’t connected with or monetarily supported by any denomination.

From its beginning, Horizon has been blessed by advice, prayer and collaboration with a few churches from both Cincinnati and across the nation, including Calvary Chapel Association.

Isaiah 40: 21-22 NKJV

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

We have said, “Horizon is Yours to Explore” because life is a continual journey that begins with exploration. We find ourselves at different places in our spiritual life, exploring what it means to have a deeper connection with God. As we look out beyond the earthly horizon to the utmost heavenly horizon, our earthly life combines with our spiritual life journey.  We then grow in knowledge, faith and relationship, with our eyes and heart ever focused upon that fixed horizon of the unchanging truth of Jesus Christ.  

Every church must discern the scriptural beliefs of that individual church, resulting in some doctrinal personality differences among different evangelical churches. The Horizon Staff, the Elders and Executive Board members recognize that our Statement of Beliefs are a prayerful human attempt to discern and summarize the riches of an infallible divine revelation. This in no way detracts from the importance of the Statement of Beliefs, which carefully affirms and accurately summarizes our position with regard to major Biblical doctrine. Our doctrine provides our framework for all instruction and teaching at our church, and provides an anchor, which protects us from drifting away from our beliefs in our quest to be relevant and gracious.

Click here to view a Creative Summary of Beliefs

Click here to view the Statement of Beliefs

A personal decision to become a Christ-follower and receive Jesus Christ as Forgiver and Leader is an individual and inward decision. Baptism is an outward expression of that inward decision, which Jesus himself modeled before starting his public ministry. At Horizon, we celebrate these decisions as acts of obedience and faith.

Visit the Baptism page for details.

Horizon holds a Child Dedication Services several times during the year. At this service family members prayerfully commit to set a Christ-like example for their children.  Members of the Horizon community also commit to support these families as they raise their children. Visit the Children Dedication page for details or contact Ellen Rasmussen at 513 272-5800.