HopeUC Santa Fe is turning 10-and it is bringing in one of contemporary worship music's most recognizable voices to help celebrate.
The New Mexico church has announced that legendary worship leader Darlene Zschech will travel from HopeUC Australia to lead worship during its 10th anniversary celebration on Sunday, September 13.
And for the HopeUC family, this isn't exactly a random celebrity worship booking.
Zschech and her husband, Mark, have served as lead pastors of HopeUC in Australia since January 2011. Under their leadership, the church has expanded to six campuses across New South Wales, including locations in the Central Coast and Hunter regions.
Now Zschech is crossing the Pacific for the Santa Fe milestone.
"Join us September 13th as we celebrate 10 YEARS of HopeUC Santa Fe!" the church announced, calling it an honor to welcome Zschech from Australia for what it described as an "unforgettable Sunday."
The anniversary gives the congregation plenty to celebrate.
HopeUC Santa Fe is currently led by Pastors Larry and Rachel DeLaGarza, whose ministry emphasizes transformed lives, strong families and Christians discovering their God-given purpose. The church describes community as its "heartbeat," with ministries ranging from small groups and discipleship classes to outreach initiatives serving the wider Santa Fe community.
But bringing Zschech in for the anniversary adds some serious worship history to the occasion.
Long before becoming a HopeUC pastor, Zschech became one of the defining voices of the modern worship movement. Yet she has consistently resisted the idea of treating worship leadership like celebrity culture, previously explaining that she sees herself first as a worshiper rather than simply a worship artist.
That philosophy remains deeply embedded in HopeUC. The Australian church describes Mark and Darlene's vision as building a church centered on Jesus, faith, worship and God's Word.
And Zschech remains actively involved in developing the next generation of worship leaders. Just weeks before the Santa Fe anniversary, she is scheduled to participate in HopeUC Worship School 2026, running August 30 through September 1 at HopeUC Newcastle in Australia. The event is designed to equip worship leaders, musicians, production teams and other church creatives.
So her September 13 appearance in Santa Fe feels particularly fitting.
The church's anniversary announcement isn't focused on buildings, numbers or institutional achievements. Instead, HopeUC Santa Fe is looking back at "every prayer prayed, every life transformed," along with the volunteers, families and countless moments that have shaped the congregation over its first decade.
And after 10 years, they're marking the milestone the way the HopeUC movement knows particularly well-with worship.
