Cedar Park First United Methodist Church on Park Street
On West Park Street in Cedar Park, Texas, just west of Bell Boulevard, sits a small brick sanctuary with a renewed interior and a 31-year tradition that draws neighbors from Cedar Park, Leander, and northwest Austin. Cedar Park First United Methodist Church - known around the building as CPFUMC - is a traditional United Methodist congregation that calls itself A Spiritual Oasis, Committed to Christ, to Peace and to Service. Every Sunday morning the doors open for two worship services, an open communion table, and a roster of Bible studies, prayer groups, choirs, and Sunday school classes that touch every age from elementary schoolchildren to retirees.
From Leander to Park Street: The Founding of CPFUMC
The congregation began in 1984, when several Cedar Park families who were driving to the Leander United Methodist Church decided they wanted to worship closer to home. They were strongly motivated to provide activities and spiritual development for their children. Early on, members helped build the Sanctuary Building, which was completed in 1987. Sunday School and Vacation Bible School became centerpieces of the new church's life.
Over the next four decades the church grew - and weathered downturns when the local economy faltered. In 2009 the congregation adopted the name First United Methodist Church and affirmed its identity as a more traditional body. Building milestones since then tell the story of steady investment in the property. The Multi-Ministries Building arrived in 2005. The main parking lot was renovated and expanded in 2016, adding two specially marked visitor spaces. The Memorial Outdoor Sanctuary, a peaceful outdoor worship and gathering space at the end of a winding sidewalk, was dedicated in 2018. The Park Street Frontage Landscape Project wrapped up in the spring of 2019, replacing a muddy strip of frontage with native trees and drought-tolerant plantings. A major renovation of the Sanctuary Building restrooms and nave was completed in 2021.
Sunday Mornings: Worship, Sunday School, and a Warm Welcome
Sunday is the heart of the week at CPFUMC. Two services are held in the Sanctuary Building: an early service at 8:30 a.m. and a later service at 10:45 a.m. Both are in person, and the 10:45 service is also livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Rumble. The livestream has been a fixture of the church's life since March 22, 2020, when a homemade broadcast went out the day after in-person worship was suspended; the congregation has since built a dedicated sound booth with multiple PTZ cameras, professional mixing, and trained volunteer operators.
Between the two services, Sunday School meets at 9:30 a.m. for adults and youth and at 9:45 a.m. for children. Two adult classes - Followers of the Word and Seekers and Thinkers - meet in the Multi-Ministries Building. Children's Sunday School gathers in classroom 3 of the same building. Youth meet in the Youth Room inside the Sanctuary Building. The services follow a printed bulletin based on ancient Christian patterns: gathering music, opening prayer, a children's moment, prayer of confession, scripture lessons, sermon, prayers of the people, Holy Communion, and a sung dismissal. Communion is open to all who desire it at both services, and worshipers are welcome to remain seated if they prefer.
Casual dress is welcome. A greeter meets visitors at the front door of the Sanctuary Building, invites them to sign a Guest Register and make a name tag (anonymity is fine), and hands them off to ushers inside the worship space. Ushers provide a printed bulletin and help with seating. Bibles and hymnals are available in the pews; hymn lyrics are also projected on a screen at the front. A fully staffed nursery is available on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to noon for infants through Pre-K, located in the Sanctuary Building off the Narthex.
Music at both services is led by Dr. Jodi Blount, the church's pianist and choir director, who accompanies a blend of classical and contemporary hymnody from Mozart and Bach to Lloyd Larson and Natalie Sleeth. The adult choir of 15 to 20 singers leads the congregation in hymn singing and presents an anthem most Sundays, with larger works during Advent and Easter. After worship, coffee, juice, and cookies are served in the Narthex. A typical service runs 55 to 65 minutes.
Be Light Youth: Worship Hard, Work Hard, Play Hard
Middle and high school students find a home in Be Light Youth, the church's ministry for young people entering 6th grade through 12th grade. The name comes from 1 John 1:7: if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other. Youth meet on Sundays at noon in the Youth Room just off the worship space. They start with lunch, then move into an informal worship with music videos, prayer, and scripture exploration, followed by a wide range of afternoon activities.
The youth program is built around three rhythms. Worship Hard is a contemporary, energetic time of prayer and music. Work Hard covers local service projects and two annual mission trips - one to Eagle Pass at the southern border and one with UMARMY - plus the year-round fundraisers that help pay for them. Play Hard covers retreats, beach trips, and the rest. A 2022 Holy Land pilgrimage took the group to walk where Jesus taught and preached, and a 2023 trip sent the high schoolers to the YOUTH 2023 conference in Daytona Beach, Florida, for worship with Rend Collective and FRVR FREE.
Youth Sunday School meets at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Youth Room. The youth director, GiGi Heermans, joined the team with 25 years in the Leander Independent School District and a passion for mentoring young people.
Children Who Carry the Light of Christ
Children's ministry begins early at CPFUMC. The youngest members of the congregation serve as acolytes: elementary-age children who light the candles and bring the Light of Christ into the sanctuary at the start of each Sunday worship service and assist where needed during the service. Children's Sunday School meets at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday in classroom 3 of the Multi-Ministries Building. Two or more adults lead each class.
Two annual events anchor the children's calendar. Each summer, Vacation Bible School invites children entering kindergarten through 5th grade to explore God's love, joy, and faith through Bible storytelling, science, crafts, recreation, music, and snacks - the 2025 program was held as a one-day event across two Saturdays. On Christmas Eve, the children present a play depicting the birth of Jesus at the 5 p.m. worship service, with an archive of past productions kept on the church's YouTube channel. The children's Easter celebration centers on an egg hunt at the start of the service.
Adults on Sundays: Choir, Classes, and the 9:30 Hour
For adults, the 9:30 hour offers two Sunday School classes that meet between the two worship services. Followers of the Word studies a book of the Bible verse by verse; the class has been working through 1 Corinthians and meets in the Conference Room of the Multi-Ministries Building, with a Zoom option for those who prefer to participate remotely. Seekers and Thinkers takes a more cerebral approach, typically watching a video presentation and then opening up a free-ranging discussion; it meets in the Large Classroom of the Multi-Ministries Building.
The Adult Choir rehearses on Sundays during most of the school year and sings at the 10:45 service most weeks. Reading music is not required. The choir has presented larger works during Advent and Easter and often collaborates with soloists and instrumentalists. Jodi Blount directs and accompanies the choir.
Prayer Shawls, Centering Prayer, and the Tuesday Lectionary Study
CPFUMC has a long tradition of hand-crafted care through its Prayer Shawl Ministry. Six ladies currently make shawls and pray over them, meeting the first Tuesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. and the third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary Building. The ministry follows a model begun in 1997 by a group of women from Hartford Seminary. Shawls are given in times of sorrow and loss, to those facing health issues or surgeries, and in times of celebration - births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, ordinations, and graduations. The knitters and crocheters welcome new members of any age or skill level, even those who simply want to come and pray.
Two weekly prayer groups keep the Sanctuary Building humming during the week. Centering Prayer meets Monday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. for spiritual reading, twenty minutes of shared silence, and reflective discussion. Morning Prayer gathers Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. and follows the United Methodist Hymnal's Order for Morning Praise and Prayer, including singing, prayer, and scripture. When the weather is kind, the group moves to the Memorial Outdoor Sanctuary.
Immediately after, Pastor Peter Castles leads the Lectionary Bible Study from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. each Tuesday in the Sanctuary, walking through the scripture passages appointed for the coming Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary. No advance reading is required; Bibles are available for those who need one. A Zoom link is offered for both the Tuesday study and the Followers of the Word class.
The Prayer Garden, a small landscaped corner of the property, is always open for anyone who wants a quiet place to sit.
The Pumpkin Patch Every Fall Since 1995
Each October, the parking lot along Park Street transforms into the church's Pumpkin Patch - a community pumpkin sale that has been a hallmark of CPFUMC's ministry since 1995. Volunteers unload a truckload of pumpkins in late September, set up a tent, and sell pumpkins by the size through Halloween. The patch is open weekdays from 2:30 to 7:00 p.m. and weekends from noon to 7:00 p.m., and accepts cash, checks, debit and credit cards, and Apple Pay.
The Pumpkin Patch is the church's signature fundraiser and a beloved piece of Cedar Park's fall calendar. Every member of the congregation is invited to sign up to work a shift, with the proceeds underwriting the church's ministries and its youth mission trips.
Outreach and Recovery: HCCM, Drive a Senior, and AA
CPFUMC is one of fifty area churches behind Hill Country Community Ministries, a nonprofit founded in 1983 by a coalition of local congregations that includes CPFUMC. HCCM operates a Food Pantry, a Voucher Service, a Referral Service, and a new Thrift Store in Leander, distributing more than 235 tons of food a year and filling more than 4,200 family food orders. Members of CPFUMC support HCCM by donating non-perishable food at the church, contributing to the HCCM Fund, and volunteering at the pantry and thrift store.
Through Drive a Senior Northwest, CPFUMC members provide rides for seniors in Cedar Park, Leander, and northwest Austin. Volunteers can choose when, where, and whom to drive; children and grandchildren are welcome to come along.
The Sanctuary Building also hosts an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees; the meeting is self-supporting through contributions and is not affiliated with any denomination or organization.
The Buildings and Grounds: Sanctuary Renovation, Memorial Outdoor Sanctuary, and Park Street Landscape
The Sanctuary Building Renovation Project, completed in 2021, addressed both long-planned improvements and unexpected damage. The congregation had identified the restrooms as a priority in early 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic emptied the building in March 2020, the timing for renovation became favorable, and a fundraising drive brought in enough pledges by January 2021 to begin work. A severe February 2021 freeze burst a copper water pipe in the attic, sending an inch or two of water across every floor for two days. Remediation of floors and lower walls across the entire building was folded into the original scope, and the project ultimately delivered fully renovated restrooms and a refreshed sanctuary nave.
The Memorial Outdoor Sanctuary is a quieter piece of the property. A winding concrete sidewalk leads from the Sanctuary building to a crushed granite gathering area ringed with native Texas limestone curbs, planters, and stonework, entered through a custom wrought iron gate. Wooden benches - convertible to picnic tables - seat about 50. Power is available. The space is used as a venue for outdoor weddings, spiritual retreats, and small gatherings; reservations go through the church office.
The Park Street Frontage Landscape Project replaced a muddy strip of frontage along West Park Street with native plantings, drip irrigation, a Wi-Fi-connected smart controller, a rip-rap pathway, and a limestone bench. Pastor Peter Castles dedicated the project on Pentecost Sunday in 2019. The 283 plants installed include a 1,500-pound Monterey Oak, two clusters of Texas Mountain Laurels, Agarita, Big Muhly, Bamboo Muhly, Compact Texas Ranger, Fall Aster, Giant Turks Cap, Green Cloud Sage, Pink Skullcap, Rock Rose, Gregg's Mist, Texas Sotol, Twistleaf Texas Yucca, Webberville Sedge, and Wood Oats.
A Child's Haven Mother's Day Out
Housed in the Multi-Ministries Building, A Child's Haven is the church's Mother's Day Out program. Open from August through May on the Leander ISD calendar, the program runs Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and serves children ages 12 months through 6 years. Days are built around active play, group time, imaginative games, and outdoor discovery, with weekly chapel led by Pastor Peter, plus introductory Spanish and Music and Movement classes. Director Yaheli Benitez oversees the program.
Women and Seniors
The local chapter of United Women in Faith meets quarterly - the first Saturday in February, May, August, and November - at 9:30 a.m. at La Madeleine on Lakeline for fellowship, spiritual formation, and mission projects. The group has supported the Women's Storybook Project, Rio Texas Conference UMC disaster response, AGE of Central Texas, and Yesterday's Gone.
Senior adults at CPFUMC have several gathering places. The Eagles Coffee Club, an informal group of veterans, retired men, and working men between jobs, meets Fridays at 8:45 a.m. at the Cypress Creek Randall's supermarket for coffee, donuts, and wide-ranging conversation, with a second weekly gathering online on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. The Young at Heart fellowship, for adults 55 and older, gathers semi-monthly in the Sanctuary for lunch and an educational program.
A Traditional United Methodist Faith
Cedar Park First United Methodist Church is a fairly traditional congregation within the United Methodist Church. The denomination traces its American organization back more than two centuries, and its broader roots to 1736, when John and Charles Wesley began a religious movement in England. Wesley and the early Methodists emphasized inviting people into God's grace and growing in the knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living - what Wesley called practical divinity.
CPFUMC puts primary reliance on the Bible as the unique testimony to God's self-disclosure in the life of Israel, in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit's work in the early church. Three other sources inform the church's thinking: a living tradition that draws on creed, hymn, discourse, prayer, music, art, and the courageous deeds of Christians across many centuries and cultures; reason, understood as the gift of God-given minds used to interpret Scripture in light of the full range of human knowledge; and experience, especially the new life in Christ but also the broader joys, hurts, and yearnings of everyday life.
Pastor Peter, Pianist Jodi, and the Rest of the Team
Senior Pastor Peter Castles has served CPFUMC since June 2010, after pastoring three other Austin-area United Methodist churches. A former commercial architect in Houston, Peter came into ministry as a youth minister and brings an architectural eye to the church's ongoing building program. He is married to Pam, a Wesley Nurse in Austin, and they have two daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson. His life motto is Love is all you need.
Jodi Blount, the church's pianist and choir director since 2000, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. She was the founding director of A Child's Haven and continues to teach piano and music at St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin.
GiGi Heermans serves as Youth Director. A 25-year veteran of Leander High School, she brings teaching, coaching, and mentoring experience to the Be Light Youth program.
Yaheli Benitez directs A Child's Haven and can be reached through the church office.
The church is supported by an engaged lay leadership and welcomes new volunteers in every area of ministry. The Sanctuary Building worship services are led by Senior Pastor Peter Castles, and the doors stay open for visitors, members, and the wider Cedar Park community that has walked through them for more than four decades.