I try to make it out to Northern Hills Christian Church a couple of times a year, and I always enjoy my experience when I'm there.

With almost 2,000 adults (including a large base of members from Broomfield) attending services each weekend, the non-denominational church has done well in bringing worshipers in the surrounding area what they were looking for: A modern approach to the message of the Gospel.

Some might think leaders at the church are a little "kinky." Take, for example, the starting times of the worship services. The church — at 5061 E. 160th Ave. — is technically in Brighton, but in reality is a short 10-minute drive from Broomfield. Saturday worship begins at 5:05 p.m. and Sunday morning services are at 9:09 and 10:44 a.m. Why, you ask? Nobody seems to know for sure, but I have to admit it makes it easier to remember than your usual 9, 10 or 10:30 a.m. start times for most churches' services.

The services at Northern Hills all have "hip" names. Adults are encouraged to attend "The River" ("vibrant," according to the bulletin), and available at all three worship times. Then there is "Whitewater" ("edgy"), held at the two Sunday times and geared toward teens and young people. Children's programs are conducted at all worship times, and are called "Splash."

Previously, I attended "The River," but decided to see what was going on at "Whitewater" on Sunday. The theme at Northern Hills is "Pure Passion," and last weekend's topic was "Pure Courtship," using Song of Songs 2:8-3:4 as the scripture.

Excellent material is provided with the bulletin, including plenty of room on a sheet to take notes, as well as 10 questions to think about and additional scripture to study later in the week.

Most of the preaching is done by Teaching Pastor Rob Kelly and Worship Arts Pastor Scott Hamilton. The church is directed by a leadership team, and Bill Tremmel is serving as executive pastor. At the Whitewater service, Hamilton delivered a message that began with a warning that parents of young children might find the topic of courtship rather graphic and suggested taking younger children to the youth center.

While all services at Northern Hills feature contemporary music (live bands at both venues), the Whitewater service kicks it up a notch. We are told the service is "a loud, edgy and high velocity worship experience." Amen to that. When you walk into "The Garage" for the service, you are greeted with loud, contemporary music and surfing videos (featuring white water, naturally). Hamilton gears his dress and style to the young people in the audience, and there was plenty of positive reaction from the youths in attendance.

As an experiment, I went to The River before its conclusion, and while the audience at Whitewater is definitely young, there also are a large number of young people attending The River service. Older folks at Whitewater were generally parents there to support their children, and I noticed only a couple of older folks at Whitewater by themselves. I couldn't help but wonder why they were there.

There has been controversy for years as to whether churches should take credit cards for tithes and offerings. Northern Hills has jumped on the new-age bandwagon and offers a number of giving methods. Via online giving, you can schedule a one-time or recurring gift from your debit or credit card, or as an electronic draft that will withdraw your contribution from you checking account. Flatirons Community Church has been offering eCheck service for quite some time.

At Northern Hills there is something going on every day of the week. Activities include women's fitness classes, prayer groups for men and women, co-ed volleyball, youth groups for all ages and a number of small-group ministries throughout the week. And for those wanting to know how to navigate the church, there is a three-week course on what's happening at Northern Hills at 6:30 p.m.on the first three Wednesdays of the month.

Looking for a hip, modern church where there is a lot happening? Give Northern Hills a try. Chances are you will be able to remember the worship times of 5:05 p.m. and 9:09 and 10:44 a.m. without any trouble. But, I think that's why they thought of those times in the first place.