Three Sundays a week, on a leafy stretch of Camp Bowie Boulevard in west Fort Worth, Arlington Heights United Methodist Church swings its doors open for a steady rhythm of worship, study, music, and outreach. With two styles of Sunday worship, a celebrated Rose Window that fills the back wall of the sanctuary, a children's choir that performs two musicals a year, and a working food truck that rolls to shelters across Tarrant County, the congregation carries a long heritage with the steady habits of a neighborhood church.
Two Worship Services, One Congregation
Worship at Arlington Heights UMC runs in two parallel streams. At 8:30 a.m. and again at 11:00 a.m., the Sanctuary fills with organ, choir, and traditional hymns in a service led by Senior Pastor Rev. Nick Scott. Communion is shared every week at the early service and on the first Sunday of the month at the late service.
At 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, Encounter offers a modern, family-friendly alternative. The atmosphere is relaxed, the music is contemporary, communion is served weekly, and an engaging children's sermon is built into the flow. A designated children's area with activities allows parents and kids to worship together, then to step aside for age-appropriate formation during the sermon. Rev. Tim Clifford oversees Encounter.
Both services are livestreamed on the congregation's YouTube channel, and an archive of services from earlier years is kept on Vimeo. A weekly "Looking Ahead to Worship" email goes out each Saturday, with scripture, a sermon outline, and highlights of upcoming events, so members and newcomers can prepare in advance.
A Music Ministry That Fills the Building
Music is one of the strongest traditions at AHUMC. The Chancel Choir, directed by Nathan Benavides, sings at both sanctuary services and rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The choir prepares additional performances throughout the year, including Handel's "Messiah," an annual Dinner Theatre, a Pops Concert, and special music during Lent.
An accomplished handbell choir, the Bell Conte Ringers under Frank Shroyer plays for Sanctuary worship throughout the year and offers major concerts in May and December, including "Carols by Candlelight." The ringers also bring music out into the community, performing at the Jo Kelly School Christmas party each year.
For the youngest musicians, Children's Choir (K-3) and Junior Choir (4-6), directed by Megan Hibbetts, rehearse on Sunday afternoons during the school year and lead worship several times a semester. Junior Choir members earn speaking parts and solos in December and April musicals. Children's Choir members focus on child-friendly theology and biblical literacy through song, crafts, and games. Both choirs combine for performances in December and May. Soloists, instrumentalists, and small ensembles are invited to serve throughout the year as well, with noon concerts during Lent and Advent.
The Rose Window: A Fourteen-Foot Treasure
One of the most striking features of AHUMC is the Rose Window that fills the back of the sanctuary. Fourteen feet in diameter, the window was installed by Homer Rusk, Sr., and is celebrated as one of the finest in the South. It is built of cathedral glass, hand painted, stained and glazed, then fired seven times.
The window represents the twelve apostles, beginning with the Shield of St. Matthias, who was chosen to succeed Judas Iscariot and whose shield shows an open Bible and a battle axe. St. Simon Zelotes follows with a fish on a book, signifying the Gospel. St. James the Less appears with a saw, recalling the story of his death. An inverted cross at the bottom of the window represents St. Peter, who by his own request was crucified head downward, with crossed keys referring to his confession and the power to forgive sin.
Continuing around, the window includes St. Thomas with a spear and a carpenter's square, St. Bartholomew with a flaying knife, St. Jude with a sailing ship, and St. John with a chalice and a serpent. On the outer rim stand St. Philip with two loaves of bread, St. Matthew with three purses, St. Andrew with the X-shaped saltire cross, and St. James the Greater with three scalloped shells. The stylized rosettes, the crescent, and the fleur-de-lys on the outer rim represent Mary, the Mother of Jesus, while the letter S in ruby glass represents God as used by ancient Jewish people. At the center of the window is the head of Christ, hand painted in beautiful coloring, taken from Sallsman's "Head of Christ." The pointed or Eastern Arch on the frame signifies aspiration and striving for growth in the spiritual life.
Children, Students, and Sunday School
Children are a serious part of the worshiping life at AHUMC. Sunday School is offered for all ages each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., with classrooms spread across the east and west wings of the building. Nursery, two-year-olds, and three/four-year-olds meet on the "Blue Floor," reached by the stairs in the narthex outside the Sanctuary. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade meet on the Children's Floor, up the stairs at the west entrance.
Children's Chapel is offered during the 11:00 worship hour for children who are three years old and potty-independent through first grade. After the children's sermon, leaders take them to Room 210 for an age-appropriate lesson. Parents can register children at the Children's Ministry Stand in the Atrium or at a registration table in the Fellowship Hall.
The nursery, located on the Blue Floor, is staffed year-round during Sunday mornings and selected church events by paid caregivers. New families are asked to register so the staff can know each child's needs. Toys and surfaces are cleaned and sanitized regularly, and only paid caregivers handle diaper changes. The nursery coordinator is Lora Garnett. Children's Director Linda Nevitt oversees the program.
For older students, middle and high school Sunday School meets from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and is taught by Meagan Schwarz, Director of Student Ministries. Weekly youth activities run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, with a Zoom option for those who cannot attend in person. Each summer the youth travel for a week-long mission trip, usually within Texas or a neighboring state, doing light construction and landscaping for those affected by storms or elderly homeowners who cannot make home improvements themselves. Throughout the year the youth serve with the Five & Two Food Truck at the Presbyterian Night Shelter, participate in literacy events in Fort Worth, and assist with Vacation Bible School. Summer camp at Glen Lake Camp and Mid-Winter retreats in January and February round out the year.
Adults in Class and Small Groups
The adult ministry at AHUMC is built around a wide circle of small groups. Sunday School classes meet at 10:00 a.m. in both the East and West Buildings. East Building classes include Salt & Light (twenties and thirties, Room 251E), Cornerstone (sixty and older, Room 252E), Keystone (thirties through sixties, Room 253E), Joint Venturers (fifties and sixties, Room 254E), and Horizon Seekers (thirties and forties, Room 351E on the top floor). In the West Building, the Group class (sixty and older) meets in Room 202W, New Heights (sixty and older) in Room 205W, and Companions (sixty and older) in the Library near the restrooms. Coffee & Conversations, an intergenerational drop-in group, meets in the Parlor before worship.
Midweek, several groups gather for Bible study and fellowship. Companions in Christ, a women's group, meets Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in person and over Zoom. The Bible Year(ish) small groups meet Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at the church, with an additional Monday evening group online. Rev. Mary Spradlin co-leads the Bible Year(ish) groups with Rev. Tim Clifford.
On Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m., Rev. Mary Spradlin leads a Pastor's Bible Study at the Indian Creek Condominium Clubhouse. Smaller fellowship groups for women and men meet once or twice a month in homes. Graceful Souls is for women in their twenties through forties, Kindred is for women in their twenties and thirties, and Journeymen is for men of all ages.
The Bible Year(ish)
A distinctive practice at AHUMC is the Bible Year(ish), a congregational effort to read the Bible together from beginning to end. The program began in January 2024 and runs through Acts to Revelation. Three pieces keep it moving: daily Bible reading, weekly small groups, and Sunday morning sermons that walk through the same passages.
Members can join at any time. The recommended translation is the New Revised Standard Version, though any version is acceptable. The Daily Reading Plan is drawn from The NRSV Daily Bible. Those who want a study Bible are pointed toward the Harper Collins Study Bible or the Wesley Study Bible, both of which are aligned with Wesleyan theology. Daily readings take most readers about 15 to 20 minutes. Small groups are highly encouraged, since John Wesley considered Christian conferencing a Means of Grace. If readers fall behind, the advice is to start with the current day's reading and move forward.
Congregational Care, Prayer, and Support
Pastoral care, hospital visits, support groups, and prayer all sit under the umbrella of Congregational Care. Congregational Care Ministers are lay volunteers trained to serve alongside the pastors and staff, making hospital and homebound visits, praying, listening, and offering one-on-one comfort and encouragement. The prayer team maintains confidentiality and prays for each request shared through Prayer or Care Request Cards or through Linda Nevitt.
Other care ministries include the Prayer Shawl Ministry, which meets monthly to knit shawls, newborn blankets, caps, and bookmarks for those grieving, welcoming new life, or in transition. Jo's Love gathers women from AHUMC, the Zeta Amicae Auxiliary of ZPB Sorority, and the Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business & Professional Women to pray for those facing breast cancer surgery while stuffing mastectomy pillows. Stage: Hope is a cancer support group for members and friends of AHUMC, offering comfort from diagnosis through treatment and post-treatment.
The Prayer Room, in Room 203 of the West Building, was dedicated in September 2021 in memory of Dr. Jim Pledger, who served as Associate Pastor of AHUMC from 2013 until January 2021. Visitors are welcome on Sunday mornings or any weekday when the church office is open; the office can provide the door code.
Five & Two, Pack A Sack, and the Wider Mission
Outreach is a defining mark of AHUMC's ministry. The Five & Two Food Truck is the centerpiece. The truck partners with community agencies to serve meals at no cost to those receiving the shelter at Presbyterian Night Shelter's Women's and Children's Center and Patriot House, as well as SafeHaven, Samaritan House, Como Community events, and more. Volunteers help with food prep in the AHUMC kitchen, serve meals from the truck, provide hospitality at the Presbyterian Night Shelter, and visit with veterans at Patriot House. Youth twelve and older are welcome to serve.
Pack A Sack is a feeding ministry for children in need. Meals on Wheels extends the church's food ministry to homebound seniors in the area. AHUMC also maintains an adopt-a-school relationship with North Hi Mount Elementary and Jo Kelly School, a school for profoundly handicapped children and youth, and offers a Christmas Store each December where families can shop for gifts for their own children.
Refugee Ministry welcomes newcomers arriving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area from Afghanistan. Volunteers pick up families from the airport, drive trucks for furniture delivery, purchase groceries from a list with reimbursement, set up apartments, host families for two to five days while housing is finalized, and donate furniture, with storage available.
United Methodist Women (UWF) meets regularly for mission projects, a book club, and fundraising. United Methodist Men supports youth scholarships and other ministries through meal fundraisers, small construction projects, and Christian fellowship.
Internationally, AHUMC supports Gaston Nkulu Ntambo, a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Gaston serves in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a pilot and mechanic with Wings of the Morning Aviation Ministry, providing air transportation for those who are critically ill in hard-to-reach areas of Africa.
The church also has long-standing mission relationships with Habitat Global, Africa University, CTC Youth in Mission, United Community Centers, and Glen Lake Camp.
Haupt Preschool and Mother's Day Out
The Mildred Haupt Preschool is a weekday paid tuition program for children two years old by September 1 through Pre K, and a Mother's Day Out program serves children 12 to 24 months old. The Preschool operates Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The program emphasizes intellectual, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional growth, with a Christian environment that nurtures a love for learning through creative and mindful play.
Registration for church members and existing families begins in mid February, with general registration beginning the next day. The program is a ministry of the church and meets the needs of both church families and the wider community. The preschool office can be reached at preschool@ahumcfw.org or 817.731.0662.
Clergy, Staff, and Lay Leadership
Rev. Nick Scott serves as Senior Pastor. Laureen Kuizon also serves on the clergy team. Rev. Tim Clifford oversees the Encounter service and co-leads the Wednesday Bible Year(ish) groups. Rev. Mary Spradlin leads the Thursday morning Pastor's Bible Study and co-leads the Bible Year(ish) program. Meagan Schwarz directs Student Ministries. Linda Nevitt oversees Children's Ministry and Congregational Care. Megan Hibbetts directs the Children's and Junior Choirs, and Nathan Benavides directs the Chancel Choir, with Frank Shroyer directing the Bell Conte Ringers. Laurie Meek coordinates MinistrySafe and discipleship. Lora Garnett serves as Nursery Coordinator. Becky Smith is the Financial Administrator.
The congregation's core values guide the work of the staff and lay leaders. Members hold four values close: Sincere Welcome, Relevant Worship, Purposeful Spiritual Growth, and Passionate Service. An extensive Lay Leadership structure keeps the ministries running, with committees covering children, youth, adults, hospitality, congregational care, welcoming, missions, and the administrative work of the church. The mission statement of the congregation is the same one that runs through The United Methodist Church: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Joining the Life of the Church
Visitors are welcomed at every level. The Welcome Table in the Atrium is staffed each Sunday morning to help newcomers find Sunday School, nursery care, and worship services. Nursery care is offered throughout the morning, including Children's Church during the late services. The church office can be reached at ahumc@ahumcfw.org or 817.737.3161. Giving is available online, by check mailed to the church address, or in person. An Amplify Media subscription is offered to members for additional online Wesleyan discipleship resources for children, youth, and adults. The Dinner of 8 program brings eight people together from different corners of the church to share a meal across worship service, Sunday School, and generational divides.