Christ United Methodist Church has been a fixture on A Street in Lincoln since 1952, when two congregations - Emmanuel Methodist Church and Elm Park Methodist Church - merged into a single new body. More than seven decades later, the church at 4530 A Street is recognized throughout the city for its classical pipe-organ worship, its four-pillar framework of discipleship, and an open and affirming welcome that names every person by who they are. Christ United calls disciples to act inclusively, serve others, do justice, and seek God, and that vision is woven into everything from the Sunday bulletin to the volunteer teams that fan out across Lincoln each week.
Worship on Sunday Morning
The congregation gathers each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for a service the church calls "Classical." A pipe organ installed in 1974 anchors the music from the United Methodist Hymnal, and the Chancel Choir leads the singing from the front of the sanctuary. On many Sundays the Brass Ensemble joins in for special musical pieces, and the Glory Ringers handbell choir performs on its own or alongside the other ensembles. The service includes prayers, scripture readings, and a message from Senior Pastor Andy Frazier, and typically runs 45 to 65 minutes.
On the first Sunday of each month the sacrament of Holy Communion is celebrated. United Methodists practice an open table, meaning that anyone who seeks to follow Jesus is welcome to receive communion, whether or not they are members of Christ United or any church at all. Ushers greet worshipers at the sanctuary door and hand out a bulletin that includes all the prayers and songs for the day, and worship is also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube for those who cannot be present in person. Sermon videos are available 24/7 through the same channels.
First-time visitors are welcome to dress however they feel comfortable. Some members arrive in their Sunday best; many wear jeans or even shorts in the summer. Entering through the double doors on the north side of the building opens into the Great Hall, where visitors can relax before the service begins, glance into the library, or wait near the meeting rooms and Family Life Center.
The Four Pillars of Discipleship
At Christ United the congregation has named its identity around four pillars. Act Inclusively grows from the conviction that all people are created in the image of God; people of all abilities, genders, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, and religions are welcomed and affirmed. Serve Others follows Jesus' example of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and showing mercy. Do Justice names the biblical call to advocate for the marginalized and to push back against systemic injustice. Seek God recognizes that discipleship is lived every day of the week, not only on Sunday morning. Each pillar is paired with a recommended book, and the church also points members to the United Methodist Social Principles and to the Upper Room daily devotional.
Beside the pillars, the church has sketched out four stages of discipleship - Seeking, Committing, Integrating, and Leading - so that newcomers and longtime members alike can find their footing. The framework runs from a first curious visit through a lifetime of helping others grow in faith.
An Open and Affirming Congregation
Christ United describes itself plainly as an open and affirming congregation: "people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and religions are welcome in our community." The 1999 building addition included an elevator and accessible restrooms, and the parking lot offers accessible parking spaces as well as bike racks. Staffed office hours run Monday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the office is closed on Fridays.
The church's LGBTQIA+ outreach is coordinated by Kaitlyn Michaelson, who also serves as President of FaithAllyance, Lincoln's interfaith LGBTQIA+ advocacy group. Christ United is a member of Justice in Action, an interfaith grassroots coalition of Lancaster County congregations that organizes around big community problems.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is one of the things the congregation points to as setting it apart. Music Director Jaime O'Neill, who is completing a Master of Music in choral conducting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, oversees four ensembles open to musicians of all abilities and experience levels. The Chancel Choir leads congregational singing each Sunday from the chancel. The Glory Ringers handbell choir performs on its own and with the other groups. The Christ United Brass Ensemble, made up of tuba, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, and euphonium players, accompanies the congregation and presents special pieces. The Serenity Singers is a small women's vocal ensemble that performs modern pieces written for alto and soprano voices about once a month during worship.
Formation for Every Age
Education at Christ United extends from small children through longtime members. An Elementary Age Sunday School meets Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Room C and is described as an inclusive space where families of all kinds are welcomed. The Advent Adult Sunday School Class meets each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in Room C and includes many of the church's 50-year members; recent studies have featured DVD-based series by faith leaders such as Rev. Adam Hamilton and Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann.
The Youth Group is for students in grades 6 through 12 and combines fun outings - bowling, laser tag - with community service projects and faith formation. The Young(ish) Adult Group, for people ages 18 to 55 and beyond, meets once a month for alternating family and adult activities (zoos, pumpkin patches, axe throwing, miniature golf, escape rooms) and provides childcare. United Women in Faith, formerly United Methodist Women, gathers on the first Wednesday of each month for a lunch-and-learn in Rooms A and B, with smaller circles meeting throughout the month for Bible study, conversation, and service.
Reaching Beyond the Building
The Made for Missions group has turned its love of sewing and crafting into a year-round fundraiser, turning donated materials into scarves, hot pads, bags, and other handmade goods that are sold at the church and at local craft fairs. Multiple times a year Christ United sends volunteer teams to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Pawnee, Illinois, where they pack disaster relief supplies and assemble kits for communities near and far.
Two volunteer teams from the church serve lunch at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, which provides hot meals every day of the year to Lincoln's working poor and homeless - more than 73,000 meals annually. One team serves on the second Wednesday of each month, the other on the third Thursday. Through a partnership with Lutheran Family Services, Christ United has also sponsored refugee families since the 1970s, setting up apartments, practicing English, helping children enroll in school, and walking alongside adults as they find employment.
The Open Shelf Pantry at ConnectioN Point, the church's sister location, distributes food, clothing, and household items to anyone who needs them. Volunteers are welcome Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., with flexible shifts available for those who can only give part of the afternoon.
Christ Academy Childcare Center
The Christ United campus also houses Christ Academy Childcare Center, where Program Director Kim Garrison previously served as Assistant Director. The childcare is one of the long-running ministries of the building and shares staff history with the church's family programming.
The People Who Lead
Andy Frazier serves as Senior Pastor. Kim Garrison, who joined the staff in 2008 in children's ministry and accepted a full-time position as Program Director in 2016, oversees family programming. Jaime O'Neill directs music, Chris Ruiz directs the youth ministry, Michael Ruhtdanz runs audio and video, and Kaitlyn Michaelson coordinates LGBTQIA+ outreach. Cliff Thelen keeps the building in order as Building Superintendent, and Mabel Gomez cares for the facility.
A Brief History of the Building
Members broke ground for the new church in April 1953, and the sanctuary was completed and consecrated in June 1954. An educational unit was added in 1958, and the pipe organ was installed in 1974. A major addition in 1999 brought the Great Hall, Family Life Center (gym), kitchen, offices, library, media center, elevator, accessible restrooms, and a renovated parking lot. Since then, the building has grown into a community resource, hosting weddings, building rentals, scout meetings, and a steady flow of volunteer teams, and the congregation looks forward to continued growth as a center for ministry on A Street.