Christ United Methodist Church gathers on the south side of Lafayette, Indiana, in a building that has welcomed worshipers for generations. The congregation follows John Wesley's three simple rules - do no harm, do good, stay in love with God - and tries to embody them in worship, in small groups, and in dozens of partnerships that reach into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Two Sunday services, both built around the same scripture and message, give the congregation a choice of style. The 8:30 AM service is the Traditional service, led by the church organist and choir with liturgy and hymns. The 10:45 AM service is the Relaxed service, led by the worship band "So Far So Good." Each service opens with a few songs, includes a scripture passage and its interpretation, and closes with a message aimed at the week ahead. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and the congregation welcomes all to the table regardless of church membership or affiliation.
Senior Pastor Kurt Freeman leads the staff alongside Visitation Pastor Bruce Mowery, Children's Ministry Director Emily Mayer, Youth Minister and Worship Leader Jake Mayer, and Carol Yarian, who coordinates missions, outreach, and caring ministries. The congregation sees itself as a church for Lafayette, for the south side, for the online community, and for the wider world.
Kids, Youth, and a Full Day of Learning
Children and students are woven into the rhythm of the church from infancy through high school.
Children from infancy through Pre-K are cared for in the nursery, which opens at 8:15 AM and stays open until noon on Sunday mornings. Children's Sunday School for Pre-K through 5th grade meets from 9:45 to 10:30 in Room 5. Children's Church continues during the 10:45 service in the same space, with worship songs, prayer, age-appropriate lessons, and activities.
The youth ministry, known as The167, welcomes students in grades 6 through 12. The full group gathers once a month on the fourth Sunday at 4 PM for games, faith exploration, and community building. During the rest of the month, students meet in small groups of three to six, each one choosing a focus - technology, art, community service, or another shared interest - and the time that works best for their schedules. Once a month, Christ UMC joins with other United Methodist youth groups in the Lafayette area through the Lafayette Youth Collective. Together with St. Andrews UMC, Grace UMC, and the Wesley Foundation, the youth plan collaborative events, service projects, and discussions. The collective is led by Janee LaFuze of St. Andrews, Glen Robyne of Grace, and Jake Mayer of Christ UMC.
For younger children and working families, Christ UMC operates an Early Learning Center that has earned a Level 3 rating on Indiana's Paths to QUALITY scale. The All Day program is open Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM for children ages six weeks through Pre-K, and uses the Brightwheel platform for parent communication. The Half Day program offers preschool classes for the school year. Summer Camp runs for ten weeks each summer for boys and girls ages 5 through 12, with daily activities, field trips, and the City Bus providing transportation. Nikki Sliger and Kenzie Jennings serve as co-directors.
A Better Life - Brianna's Hope
Tucked inside Christ UMC is one of the most distinctive ministries on the south side: A Better Life - Brianna's Hope, also known as ABLBH. The program offers a participant-driven, faith-based, and compassion-filled path for people working to overcome addiction.
"We want to be the other choice. An opportunity for 'a better life'," the ministry's description reads. The approach is built on transparency, honesty, vulnerability, and boldness, and the door is open to anyone willing to walk through it. The foundational document of the ministry is a short prayer written by Brianna herself: "Please Lord, look after me and my family. Please help me to do the right thing... I want a better life, Lord, I do. Please help me. Do to me as what you feel is best. I surrender to you."
The congregation reports visible transformation in the lives of participants - families reuniting, parents regaining custody of their children, employment being found, and communities changing for the better. More information is available through the program at ablbh@christumchurch.org.
Outreach Across Lafayette
The church runs several ministries that touch families in the greater Lafayette area.
The Kids Kloset, started nearly twenty years ago as a ministry for foster parents, now provides free clothing for children from newborns through teenagers to anyone in the community. It is open every Tuesday from 12:30 to 3:00 PM, with visitors entering through Door 4 at the back of the church.
The Edgelea Backpack Ministry delivers weekend food totes to students at Edgelea Elementary, partnering with Food Finders Food Bank's Backpack Program. Twice a month, a team of volunteers delivers food items to Lafayette Transitional Housing Center (LTHC) that the organization uses to serve Saturday lunches to guests facing homelessness - around 150 lunches each month. The Food Pantry serves clients who need a bag of groceries to help see them through the month, with volunteers serving two to three hours, one or two days during the months of January, March, April, June, and October. In Jubilee Christmas, the church partners with Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) to host 20 families and 50 to 60 children each December with clothing, toys, food baskets, and a handmade quilt.
Small Groups for Every Season
Christ UMC's Small Group Ministry is built around groups of 12 to 15 people, with the goal of forming strong bonds that promote fellowship and trust among believers. Several groups meet regularly in the Pastor's Study or other rooms at the church.
Faith Builders gathers Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:30 AM in the Pastor's Study, working through different books and topics to deepen scriptural understanding. Wesley Fellowship also meets Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:30 AM in Room 3, focusing on the Adult Bible Studies series. Sisters in Christ, a women's group, meets Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:30 AM in Room 4.
The Women of Faith Bible Study meets Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11 AM, drawing on studies with titles such as Contagious Joy, Encouraging One Another, and Living Above Worry and Stress. HeBrews Men's Fellowship gathers at 8 AM every Friday morning to encourage, support, and "solve all the world's problems." Martha Circle, a women's group with a missional focus, meets the third Tuesday of every month at 2 PM. Sisters in Loss, a support group for women who have lost their husbands, meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11 AM.
Care Ministries extend the church's reach beyond its own members. Foster Friends sends cards to people connected to the church on the third Monday of each month. The Prayer Chain shares prayer requests by email. The Caregiver Support Group meets the first Thursday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Pastor's Study for those who are or have been caregivers.
The Bible Year
Christ UMC reads the Bible cover to cover in a year-long series called The Bible Year. Pastor Kurt Freeman and Jake Mayer discuss each upcoming passage on a podcast, and members of the Prayer Team write commentaries and prayers for each weekly section. The accompanying book used by the congregation is The Bible Year.
Those who want to dig deeper can join one of the classes studying the current section, gather some friends to go through it together, or join the Bible Year Facebook Connect Group. The series is divided into weekly reading plans that move sequentially through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings.
Joining the Conversation
The church sees membership as a critical part of what it calls the Path of Discipleship - the chance to make a deeper commitment through sacred vows to faithfully serve God through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. The "All In" Membership Class is the entry point, and Carol Yarian coordinates the conversation for those interested.
Volunteers are central to everything that happens at Christ UMC. Greeters welcome visitors at the door, communion stewards serve the monthly sacrament, nursery workers care for the youngest members, children's ministry leaders guide Sunday School classes, and Tech Ministry produces the livestream for the online community. No prior experience is required; the church trains and pairs new volunteers with experienced ones until they are ready.
Giving can be done in the offering plate on Sunday mornings, by mail to 3610 S. 18th St., Lafayette, IN 47909, through direct withdrawal, by text to 844-266-5452, through the Vanco Mobile app, or online. Services are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, with recordings available afterward.
Christ United Methodist Church sits at 3610 South 18th Street in Lafayette, where a congregation of imperfect, faithful people continues to try to live Wesley's three simple rules in one of the most diverse corners of Tippecanoe County.