About The
City on a Hill Podcast
The City on a Hill podcast sits at the intersection of the church of Jesus and the government of the United States. We hope to help people find their “tribe” in the church and their hope in the kingdom of heaven.
Our Goals and Vision
Our vision is to see the church discipled by the Bible instead of news outlets. What is at stake is nothing less than the identity of church as followers of Jesus. We long to see the church live as embassies of the kingdom of heaven, with each individual having citizenship in their true homeland. Christians are commissioned to be ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven to the communities in which they live.
Jesus was political. He was a king. He established a kingdom in plain view of the Roman Empire. Living for Jesus will have political ramifications. Those will be more rooted in our identity than in a particular policy or election outcome.
Who We Are
We are two pastors who have had a hard couple years. The pandemic, racial unrest, controversies about masks and vaccines, the election of 2020, and the storming of the U.S. Capitol all had a negative impact on us and our church.
We spent much of the past couple years on our heels wondering where the anger came from. Our inability to talk to one another about things that matter needs to be improved.
Our Story
Neither of us grew up with any political ambition. It wasn’t until the election of 2016 that Aeric realized that the political world was in trouble. He began to think about getting involved in politics. That led him to run for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives in this current mid-term election.
Scott, on the other hand, didn’t pay much attention in 2016. Shortly thereafter, however, being a pastor became harder and harder. The polarization in the culture infiltrated the church more than he realized. He had prided himself on not getting involved. After the past two years that was no longer an option.
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Meet The Hosts
Aeric Estep
Co-Host
Aeric is a life group pastor and is currently campaigning for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives.
Aeric Estep is the Life Group Pastor at New Life Church and an HVAC guy. He equips and encourages the leaders of small group communities while managing mechanical construction projects for a Portland-area contractor. He lives in West Linn with his wife, Leslie, and their four adorable boys.
He engages in the podcast work because he wants Christians to view themselves as exiled ambassadors, identifying with the Kingdom of God but working hard to stewards the gifts of the present age. He is hoping to model this as he is running for election to the Oregon House of Representatives.
Scott Reavely
Co-Host
Scott has served as a pastor for over 30 years. His doctoral project was on the doctrine of the church.
Scott has served New Life Church for over 30 years. He attended the church on the first Sunday after he moved to town. Four and a half years later he became the senior pastor. He serves on the board of Trustees of Western Seminary and as a Trustee of Church Venture Northwest. He coached his daughters in softball for over 20 years.
Scott grew up during the end of the Cold War and the rise of the Moral Majority. Christians engagement with politics always meant working to get moral policies enacted and seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade. In these past two years, the policy approach has proven inadequate to carry the weight of all Jesus wants for his church.