A Disciples of Christ Congregation Since 1856
First Christian Church has stood at 1079 SE Jefferson Street in Dallas, Oregon, since 1856, more than a decade before Oregon itself became a state. The congregation belongs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a fellowship rooted in the nineteenth-century Stone-Campbell Movement and known for its call to Christian unity. The church's own documents capture that calling in a single line: "We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible." Members are received by public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, expressed through baptism by immersion.
The congregation's life is shaped by a short mission statement: "We want to know God, love each other, and bless our community." A longer vision statement expands on that theme, describing the church as a community of believers that worships the living God, supports one another with love and grace, and reaches out to "the hurting, the displaced and anyone seeking God." For visitors, that vision translates into two very different Sunday morning services under one roof, a year-round calendar of study and prayer, and an annual block party that closes down the street for the neighborhood.
Two Sunday Services: Live Wire and Traditional
Sunday at First Christian Church offers a choice of worship styles. At 8:30 a.m., the Live Wire contemporary service leads with modern music and a more informal feel. At 9:35 a.m., Sunday school gathers for adults and children of all ages, with classes for every generation meeting at the same hour so that families can learn together. At 10:30 a.m., the traditional service brings the congregation back to the sanctuary for a fuller liturgy that includes both praise songs and hymns, prayer, preaching, and the celebration of communion. The 10:30 service is also carried on Facebook Live for members who are traveling, homebound, or otherwise unable to attend in person.
Child care is available for both services and during the Sunday school hour, with a long-serving nursery attendant who has welcomed the youngest members of the church for more than seven years. The church is also intentional about making room for children in worship: parents may pick up prepackaged communion elements for their little ones before the service begins, and seating in the sanctuary is arranged so that families with young children can worship together without feeling out of place.
What Visitors Can Expect
The building sits on SE Jefferson Street in the heart of Dallas, a short walk from the Polk County Courthouse. Visitors can find parking on the street and in the lot next to the church. The atmosphere on a Sunday morning is described as warm and neighborly, with greeters at the door and a mix of longtime members and newer faces. The church's leadership has been deliberate about lowering barriers for first-time guests: there is no dress code beyond what feels respectful, communion is open to all who wish to partake, and the offering is gathered without pressure, with a box in the back of the sanctuary for those who prefer to give in cash or by check.
"The Design": How the Church Governs Itself
Where most congregations keep a constitution and bylaws, First Christian Church keeps a document it calls "The Design." The name comes straight from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) general offices, which have used the same term for their own governing documents. The Design spells out the church's purpose, which includes proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, winning people to faith, helping them grow spiritually, serving the surrounding community, working for the unity of all Christians, and seeking to make known the love of God in word and deed. A copy of the document is available in PDF form for anyone who wants to read it.
Pastor Darren Anderson and the Church Staff
Pastor Darren Anderson joined First Christian Church in November 2013 and has shepherded the congregation ever since. He and his family came to Dallas from Hampton, Virginia, though his roots in the Pacific Northwest run deep: he was raised in Idaho, is a graduate of Northwest Christian College, and went on to attend Brite Divinity School in Texas. Pastor Darren is the church's preaching voice on Sunday mornings and the writer of much of its online content, including the "Unplugged" video worship series that the church produced during a stretch when in-person gatherings were not possible.
A small and long-serving staff keeps the church running. Marsha Heeter has been the office manager and secretary since 2009, bringing more than three decades of secretarial experience with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the State of Oregon, and the City of Dallas. Her own family ties to the church stretch back two generations, since her grandmother and mother both attended while living in Dallas. Amanda Read has helped in the office since 2010, and Susan Jones has served as custodian for many years, caring carefully for the appearance of the building. Mabel Fisher has been the nursery attendant for more than seven years and is known for greeting every family with a warm smile.
Prayer: The Heartbeat of the Church
Prayer is described as "an integral part" of the life of First Christian Church. Requests are published in the weekly bulletin and in the monthly Family Visitor newsletter, and an email prayer chain carries urgent needs quickly to the wider congregation. Anyone can submit a request through the church's online form, and the church has been careful to honor the privacy of those named in prayer, accepting details only as specific as the requester wants to share.
A weekly prayer group meets on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. in the church parlor. The hour-long gathering is open to anyone in the area who wants to join, and it functions as a smaller, quieter complement to the prayer ministry that runs through the rest of the week.
The Family Visitor Newsletter
The Family Visitor is the church's monthly newsletter, a tradition that has been going for years. Each issue carries church news, a calendar of upcoming events, prayer requests, birthday and anniversary milestones, and reports from committees and small groups. The church keeps a long archive of past issues in PDF format, stretching back to August 2014, so that members can look up announcements, study series, and photographs from earlier years. For newcomers, recent issues offer the easiest way to get a feel for what is happening in the life of the congregation.
Annual Block Party and Fundraising
Each August, First Christian Church hosts an annual block party that opens the doors and the parking lot to the wider Dallas community. Held on a Sunday afternoon, the block party features a bounce house, a dunk tank, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, hot dogs and chips, a candy walk, bingo, and other activities for children and adults. The event is a chance for the church to get to know its neighbors and for neighbors to get to know the church beyond Sunday morning.
Fundraising projects have helped the church serve beyond its walls. At one point, the congregation was raising money to finish outfitting a new wheelchair-accessible bus, with the next goal being to replace an aging van that had served the church faithfully for many years. The bus and van are used for ministry and outreach in and around Dallas.
Fill Our Cart and the Food Bank
One of the simplest and most consistent outreach efforts is "Fill Our Cart," a food bank collection that runs on Sunday mornings. A cart sits in the entry area of the church, and as members arrive they place non-perishable donations in it. The food is then delivered to the local food bank to help families in Polk County who are facing hunger. The collection has become a regular rhythm of the church year and a tangible way for visitors to join in serving the community during their first visit.
Lent and Advent Devotionals
The church produces a devotional book each year for the seasons of Lent and Advent. The Lenten book begins on Ash Wednesday and runs to Easter, while the Advent devotional begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continues through the Christmas season. Members pick up copies to use as a daily companion during those seasons, and past issues are available in PDF form for download.
Online Giving, the Church App, and Livestream
First Christian Church uses Pushpay to process online donations, and a "Give Online" link on the church's pages connects directly to the giving platform. The church also has its own app, called "Dallas First Christian Church," which members can install on a phone. The app links to the church's Facebook page, allows users to read the Bible, and makes it easy to submit prayer requests. Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. is livestreamed on Facebook, with the video remaining available afterward for anyone who wants to catch up on a missed service or share a particular sermon with a friend.
Office Hours and How to Get in Touch
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The main phone line is (503) 623-2569, with a fax line at (503) 623-0606 (the church asks visitors to call before sending a fax). General questions go to Dallas1stchristianchurch@yahoo.com, while personal correspondence with Pastor Darren goes to pastormdarren@yahoo.com. The mailing address and physical location are the same: 1079 SE Jefferson Street, Dallas, Oregon 97338.
For more than 170 years, First Christian Church of Dallas has been a steady presence in Polk County, gathering for worship, teaching children, praying for the sick, and looking out for the surrounding community. The two Sunday services, the family-friendly atmosphere, and the church's commitment to mission beyond its walls make it a good fit for anyone looking for a Disciples of Christ church in the Willamette Valley.