On the south side of Cabot, Arkansas, set back from South Pine Street behind a long row of parking spaces, Cabot United Methodist Church has anchored the same community for well over a century. The congregation worships twice each Sunday morning in a Sanctuary that has known three earlier buildings, runs a licensed Child Development Center on site, opens a Tuesday-morning food pantry in the Family Life Center, and sends volunteers into schools, prisons, and the wider Lonoke County community throughout the year. Members describe it as a congregation that has chosen, in the words of its mission, to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and the church's own statement of purpose is plain: to create a welcoming and inclusive community where people can grow in their faith, find support and encouragement, and be equipped to live out their calling as followers of Jesus.
A Congregation on Pine Street Since 1879
The United Methodist Church as a denomination was officially created in 1968, but the Methodist story in Cabot reaches much further back. Cabot United Methodist Church was formed in 1879 as Cabot Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The first home of the congregation was a frame structure completed in 1881 on Olive Street, measuring thirty-six by fifty-four feet and seating about 275. That building was enlarged in 1885 to seat roughly 400, then remodeled again in 1903 with the addition of cathedral windows and the removal of the weather vane and bell tower.
By 1907 membership had grown to 298, and the frame building was razed to make way for a brick structure. In 1923 an eight-room education building was added to the brick church. In 1939, three branches of American Methodism - the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church - united to form the Methodist Church. Cabot's congregation took the new name and continued to grow.
Groundbreaking for a third home was held on December 1, 1957, and the structure was completed in September 1958. In 1968, with the union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the local body became Cabot United Methodist Church, the name it carries today.
On September 13, 1992, members gathered for a "Methodists on the Move" march from the 203 West Olive Street address to a new site at 2003 South Pine. The first worship service and consecration of the new facility was held on September 27. The Family Life Center was added in 1995, and the Wesley Center education building followed in 2010, bringing the present campus to the shape it holds today.
Two Services, One Sanctuary
Sunday morning at CUMC follows a steady rhythm. Two identical traditional services are held in the Sanctuary at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, separated by a 10:00 AM Life Groups hour that fills the rest of the building with Bible study and conversation. The pastor and worship leaders guide the congregation through classic hymns and printed liturgy; the bulletin indicates when to stand and when to be seated, and anyone who prefers to remain seated is welcome to do so. No seats are reserved.
Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. The United Methodist Church practices what is called an Open Table, meaning that anyone may participate regardless of denominational affiliation, church membership, or personal belief. Visitors are invited to receive the bread and cup, and the church is clear that no one will be turned away from the Table.
Children are always welcome in worship. The church's practice is to let parents and children decide their own level of participation, believing it is important for families to worship together. Children's Worship Bulletins, clipboards, and crayons are available in baskets at the entrance to the Sanctuary for each service. For parents who prefer childcare, a nursery is provided for infants and pre-school children during both services.
The church is accessible to those who use wheelchairs or walkers. Accessible parking is available at all entrances, and a ramp leads up to the Sanctuary doors at Entrance 1. Large print hymnals and assisted listening devices are available on request.
Life Groups for Every Age
Between the two Sunday worship services, the building fills with the conversation of Life Groups - the church's name for Sunday morning Bible study and discussion classes that meet from 10:00 to 10:50 AM. The church describes Life Groups as places that foster relationships beyond a typical Bible study, promoting the building of relationships among members and strengthening faith in God through love for one another.
Four adult Life Groups meet on Sunday mornings. Genesis is a discussion-oriented class made up of varying ages that studies books of the Bible and biblical concepts and meets in the Eaton Room. Willing Hands gathers singles, widows, and married couples ranging from the mid-sixties into their nineties and meets in Room M115. The Journey, for adults nineteen and up, focuses on deepening faith through Bible study and exposure to a wide range of authors, meeting in Room E104. The Connection, for adults ages nineteen to forty, combines study and discussion of varied material with friendship, love, compassion, and support through crisis and celebration, and meets in Room E120.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the church also hosts a Tuesday morning Bible study class, a Wednesday night Disciple Bible Study, and several other regular groups. The Joy Life Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 1:30 PM in the Eaton Room for a devotional, a short program, and fellowship, and is open to all. The Nimble Thimble Quilters gather on the second Wednesday of the month in the Family Life Center from 8:30 AM into the early afternoon. A chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) support group for adults 18 and over meets on the first and third Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM in Room M115. A "Who We Are" group gathers in Room M115 three evenings a week.
For seniors, an adults lunch is held at the local Senior Center (The Peak) at noon every Thursday for $5, and a separate Lunch Bunch meets at local restaurants on most Fridays and Tuesdays. Tiles and Smiles, a mahjong group, plays at the Wesley Center every Thursday afternoon.
Children, Youth, and the Child Development Center
The youngest members of the CUMC family are served through both the church's Children's Ministry and its weekday Child Development Center. Children's Ministry serves families with children from age three through fifth grade and offers Sunday School classes at 10:00 AM on Sundays, Wednesday evening Bible stories, games, and crafts at 6:00 PM, and Vacation Bible School in the summer. The team is committed to creating a fun, safe, and welcoming space for children to learn and develop their relationship with God.
The youth ministry serves sixth through twelfth graders. Youth meet for Sunday School at 10:00 AM, and on Wednesdays they gather for Refuge Student Ministries, with supper served at 5:00 PM and worship and lesson beginning at 6:00 PM. Throughout the year the youth also take part in mission trips and retreats. The aim, the church writes, is to create a safe and welcoming space for everyone to explore their faith and grow in their relationship with God and others.
Across the rest of the week, the Child Development Center provides part-time and full-time care for infants through pre-school aged children. The CDC is licensed by the Arkansas Department of Human Services and is an Arkansas Better Beginnings certified facility, a voluntary quality rating improvement system for licensed child care and education programs in the state. Hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. The CDC can be reached at its own phone line, (501) 843-9226, and email, cdcoffice@cabotumc.org. Edith Sharp serves as the director.
The nursery during Sunday worship is directed by Michelle Mato. Diane Wright serves as Minister to Children and Youth.
A Singing Congregation
Methodists have long been known as a singing people, and CUMC carries on that tradition. The Chancel Choir rehearses from 7:00 to 8:00 PM on Tuesday evenings in the choir room and helps lead worship each Sunday with unified voices. The adult handbell choir, known as the Agape Ringers, rehearses from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on Tuesday evenings in the choir room, performs during worship services at various times throughout the year, and is described by the church as a group that makes a joyful noise and manages to have a lot of fun while doing so. Danny Davis directs the choir, and Marianna Sistrunk serves as accompanist.
Congregational Care
Caring for one another is a defining mark of the CUMC community. The Congregational Care Team coordinates five year-round ministries.
Hospital Visitors step in to support families in crisis with presence, love, and prayers. Homebound Fellowship Friends visit, send cards, and deliver communion to members who are homebound and provide updates to the church office. The Prayer Team meets every Sunday at 4:00 PM in the church library for intentional prayer for requests turned in via the offering plate, connect cards, the church office, or the church's online presence; the team also prays daily for the spiritual growth and vitality of the church and coordinates prayer vigils during crises. The Bereavement Meal Team provides meals to church families in bereavement and helps arrange, set up, serve, and clean up meals at funerals and visitations held at the church. The Connecting Team greets first-time guests, helps them find their way, and provides them with goodie bags so that everyone who walks through the doors feels welcome and loved.
Missions Beyond the Walls
CUMC takes seriously the call to serve those beyond its membership. Six standing missions are organized under the umbrella of CUMC Missions.
The Back-2-School Fair is held in partnership with other local churches on the first Saturday of August each year and serves Cabot Public School District students in need by providing clothing, school supplies, new shoes, and other goods needed to start the school year. Donations of clothing from newborn to adult, new tennis shoes for K-12 children, or monetary gifts are welcomed.
The Cabot UMC Food Pantry is open Tuesday mornings from 9:00 AM to noon, except on holidays, in the Family Life Center, accessed through the double doors on the left side of the church. Anyone living in the Cabot School District in need of food assistance may come as a recipient; assistance may be requested once per month, and those seeking assistance should bring a photo ID, proof of address, and a list of all those residing within their household. The pantry is maintained and operated by church volunteers and is funded and stocked by the Arkansas Food Bank, local area grocery stores, multiple food drives within the Cabot community, and donations from church members and the wider community.
The Cabot Community Christmas Feast began more than ten years ago and provides less fortunate residents of Lonoke County with the provisions to prepare a Christmas dinner. The Christmas Feast has grown from feeding twenty people in its first year to feeding more than 1,100 people with the help of over 200 volunteers from CUMC and several other church partners. Green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, turkeys, and monetary donations are needed each year.
The Blessing Box is a red painted box located at the entrance to CUMC that is self-serve twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to meet the food needs of the community. Anyone may leave non-perishable items in the box at their convenience; the rule is simple - leave what you can, take what you need.
CUMC is also home to the Kairos Prison Ministry. Kairos Inside develops a Christian community behind prison walls by bringing leaders together in both male and female institutions for a three-and-a-half day Weekend led by same-gender Kairos volunteers. The Weekend is built around a series of talks, discussions, chapel meditations, and the creation of a Christian community. For many participants the Kairos Weekend creates the desire to become a Christian; for others it deepens the desire to continue spiritual growth.
Finally, CUMC supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) through Ingathering, the annual gathering of items to be used by local disaster response teams to reduce suffering in the aftermath of natural or other disasters.
A Place to Serve
The church's own theology of service follows the Methodist founder John Wesley, who taught that faith is pursued in community and action with others, that personal salvation always involves Christian mission and service to the world, and that United Methodists practice a social holiness. Members of CUMC are active in the community and in service to one another in a wide variety of ways.
Opportunities are organized under headings that mirror the life of the church. Administrative volunteers help fold brochures and mailings, count the offering, and answer phones in the office. Building and Grounds volunteers unlock and lock doors on Sundays, adopt flower beds or islands, join the litter crew, participate in work days, and serve on crews of mowers and weed-eaters during growing seasons.
Children's Ministry volunteers serve as Sunday morning teachers, help with children's choir, organize special events, volunteer for Vacation Bible School, help on Wednesday afternoons, and serve as a Buddy for children with special needs. Communication volunteers take pictures and videos of church events, update bulletin boards, write articles for the newsletter, and help with graphic design for handouts and flyers.
Congregational Care volunteers provide meals to families in crisis, assist at funerals, visit and send cards to homebound members, visit members in the hospital, and help prepare and deliver communion to the homebound. The Connecting Ministry Team serves as Sunday morning greeters and follows up with first-time visitors by delivering goodie bags.
Discipleship volunteers lead a LifeGroup, teach a Bible study, or write for the Lenten Devotional Booklet. Hospitality volunteers make coffee and set out refreshments on Sunday mornings and set up, clean, and organize food for The Bridge Fellowship. Missions volunteers help serve clients in the food pantry, help with food delivery and stocking, participate in a Kairos Inside weekend, help plan and run the Back-2-School Fair, help with youth OMP trips, help cook for OMP camps held in Cabot, provide funds or hands-on service for disaster relief in nearby areas, and help with UMCOR Ingathering.
Worship volunteers assist with seasonal decor in the Sanctuary, run lights, sound, and video during services, serve as Communion Stewards by preparing the elements before the first Sunday of each month, serve communion on the first Sunday of the month, play piano or substitute as accompanist, join the Chancel Choir or the Agape Ringers, usher, assist with streaming video of worship, and serve as lay readers.
Youth volunteers plan events and community service projects, serve as adult floaters on Wednesday afternoons, lead small groups on Wednesday evenings, help prepare snacks and meals on Wednesday afternoons, provide mentorship to youth participants, lead confirmand study prior to confirmation and mentor a confirmand through the process, host pool parties and cookouts, teach Sunday mornings, write birthday cards, and serve as volunteers for trips and outings.
What the Church Believes
Cabot United Methodist Church teaches that God loves all people and that the congregation shares in expressing that love. United Methodist theology, as CUMC describes it, emphasizes God's grace and serving others and holds that Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God's love, showing the fullness of God's care through Jesus' teachings, death, and resurrection.
The congregation shares much with other Christian denominations. The church believes God's grace is open to all and therefore practices open Communion - meaning that anyone may participate in receiving Communion. It teaches that salvation is an open gift from God, accepted by individuals according to their own free will. The United Methodist denomination is described by the church as a "big tent" theologically, providing space for theological discourse and at times disagreement, and the church affirms the historic belief in open hearts, open minds, and open doors.
Like many other Christian groups, CUMC affirms the Apostles' Creed. The church holds belief in one God, who is the Creator and sustainer of the universe; belief in the Trinity, that there is one God in three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is fully human and fully divine.
The church's mission statement echoes the wider United Methodist Church's: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
The Pastor and Staff
Reverend Lauren Grosskopf serves as pastor of Cabot United Methodist Church. Diane Wright serves as Minister to Children and Youth. Danny Davis is the Choir Director and Marianna Sistrunk is the Accompanist. Michelle Mato is the Nursery Director. Edith Sharp directs the Child Development Center. Andrea Beedle serves as Financial Secretary, and Perry Hunter is the church's custodian. Lay leadership for 2026 is listed in a downloadable PDF available through the church's website.
What to Know Before You Visit
CUMC meets at 2003 South Pine Street in Cabot, Arkansas. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM, closed on major holidays. The office can be reached at (501) 843-3541 or office@cabotumc.org. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1118, Cabot, AR 72023.
Sunday mornings begin at 9:00 AM with the first Traditional Service in the Sanctuary, followed at 10:00 AM by Life Groups for all ages, and resume at 11:00 AM with the second Traditional Service. Worship is traditional in style, with classic hymns and printed liturgy, and visitors are welcome at either service.
The dress code is "come as you are." Some members prefer their Sunday best, others wear jeans, and most fall somewhere in the middle; the church's only request is that visitors be more focused on worship than on what they are wearing. Parking is available throughout the lot, with convenient front-row spaces labeled for first-time guests, though guests are asked to be mindful of spaces reserved for those with special needs.
Children are always welcome in worship. Children's Worship Bulletins, clipboards, and crayons are available at the entrance to the Sanctuary. A nursery is provided for infants and pre-school children during both worship services for parents who prefer childcare. Membership is not required to attend or participate, and no one will be asked to join before they are ready. Anyone who wishes to explore membership may do so through Baptism and Profession of Faith, by transferring from another United Methodist Church, or by transferring from another denomination; the church does not re-baptize those who have already been baptized.
Giving can be done online through the church's giving page. Sermons are posted regularly and can be watched or listened to through the Sermons section of the website.
Looking Ahead from a Long Foundation
Cabot United Methodist Church approaches its future from a long foundation. From the frame building on Olive Street in 1881 to the brick church of 1907, the 1958 structure, and the present campus on South Pine that opened in 1992 and grew with the Family Life Center and Wesley Center, the congregation has occupied four homes in its 145 years of life. The ministries that fill those buildings - two Sunday services, ten or more Life Groups, a choir and a handbell choir, a child development center and a nursery, a food pantry and a Christmas feast that feeds more than a thousand, a Blessing Box, Kairos weekends behind prison walls, and a network of care teams that visits, prays, and delivers meals - are the substance of a congregation that continues to describe itself, as it always has, as a community growing in mutual love and trust.