At 7111 Mariposa Avenue in Citrus Heights, California, Mariposa Avenue Church of Christ is a Biblical New Testament congregation whose worship is distinguished by careful teaching, a cappella singing, weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper, and warm hospitality. The church’s ideal of unity is Biblical New Testament Christianity, bringing all Christians together as one body in Christ. Its life centers on Sunday and Wednesday Bible classes, two Sunday worship gatherings, classes for several stages of life, and mission partnerships that share the Good News.
Sunday and Wednesday Gatherings
The weekly pattern begins with Sunday Bible class at 9:45 AM, followed by Sunday morning worship at 10:45 AM and Sunday evening worship at 6:00 PM. A Wednesday Bible class also meets at 7:00 PM. All are held at the church’s address, 7111 Mariposa Avenue. The schedule gives visitors several natural opportunities to hear biblical teaching and join the congregation in worship.
- Sunday Bible class: 9:45 AM
- Sunday morning worship: 10:45 AM
- Sunday evening worship: 6:00 PM
- Wednesday Bible class: 7:00 PM
The two Sunday worship periods are complemented by teaching rooted in the Bible and the church’s weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper. A Tuesday morning Bible class and children’s classes add further points of connection. Anyone is welcome to visit, and the congregation is warm, friendly, and loving. Visitors are not expected to give; church members are taught to give as they have prospered.
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Mariposa Avenue’s worship is guided by John 4:23-24 and by the desire to worship “in spirit and in truth.” Three qualities shape the practice: worship directed to God, prompted by the right spirit, and done according to God’s Word. The pattern brings together teaching and preaching, prayer, singing, giving, and the Lord’s Supper.
- Teaching and preaching: These are central to the congregation’s worship.
- Prayer: Petitions, thanksgivings, and supplications are offered.
- Singing: Congregants sing without mechanical instruments.
- Giving: Giving is cheerful, but visitors are not expected to give.
- The Lord’s Supper: It is remembered in fellowship with Jesus Christ.
One of the practices people most frequently notice is congregational singing without mechanical instruments. The Lord’s Supper is not presented as a special holiday practice. It is observed every week on the first day of the week, as a memorial of Christ’s death and in fellowship with his blood and body, until he returns. Scripture reading and teaching are also central because the church seeks to strengthen believers spiritually and embolden them to teach the good news and make disciples.
Those who attend are also invited into the church’s financial ministry “as He has prospered us.” This response supports the work of God’s kingdom locally and throughout the world. In this way, the worship pattern joins devotion to God with practical service: reverence for the Word, prayer, unaccompanied song, remembering Christ’s sacrifice, generous participation, and active obedience.
A New Testament Faith Without an Earthly Headquarters
Mariposa Avenue’s doctrinal summary is simple: “As to doctrine, we have no creed but Christ.” The Bible is entirely inspired by God and provides everything needed to guide life. The church’s beliefs center on God, Jesus, salvation, worship, and the church. God is the great I AM, and those who diligently seek God are rewarded with joy that cannot be expressed and peace that passes understanding. The congregation seeks to love and serve God with heart, body, and soul, extending that love to the needs of other people.
Jesus Christ is affirmed as the Son of God who came to save humanity from sin and reconcile people to God the Father. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the Father’s right hand, and will return in power and glory. Salvation begins with hearing the word of Christ and coming to know and trust God’s grace. It also involves turning from sin, confessing Christ’s name, and submitting to baptism by immersion in water. After that new birth, believers seek to walk in light, look to God for guidance, and receive his forgiveness when they fail.
The church’s New Testament pattern shapes both belief and practice. Scripture is the authority, and the congregation strives to worship as the first-century church did. A group of men called elders pastors the church. Ministers do not take confession, and church members address one another as brother or sister. Although the fellowship includes brothers and sisters of faith around the world, it is not connected to any earthly religious body or headquarters and submits only to the rule of heaven.
Bible Classes for Children, Young Adults, and Ladies
The church’s classes are designed to make biblical study a regular part of community rather than a single weekly event for adults alone. The 9:45 AM Sunday Bible class opens the day’s gatherings. At 7:00 PM on Wednesdays, a young adult Bible class serves people in their twenties and thirties and is taught by elder Charles Gregory. Children’s classes are available on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, giving families another way for younger worshipers to learn and participate.
A Ladies Bible Class meets every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to noon and is taught by Katy Franson. These classes are regular gatherings for Scripture study. The church also offers a free personal Bible study. Each participant is matched with a personal study helper who can answer questions and become a friend in learning about Jesus. That offer reflects the church’s emphasis on growing in faith through the Word rather than treating Bible study as only a formal class.
Sharing the Good News Through Mission Partnerships
The mission work of Mariposa Avenue Church of Christ reaches from the congregation to partners serving people in other places. It includes 416 Ministries, which is partnered with MSOP. It also includes the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home in Gallup, New Mexico, and Satyavani Ministries: Voice of Truth in Kakanda, India.
These partnerships express the church’s “Sharing the Good News” emphasis and its aim to support the work of God’s kingdom locally and throughout the world. Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home is the children-focused partnership, while Satyavani’s full name, Voice of Truth, points to its particular emphasis. For Mariposa Avenue, mission partnership is a practical extension of its identity as a body of believers, carrying fellowship outward through the 416 Ministries, Manuelito, and Satyavani relationships.
Nathan Franson and the Leadership Team
Nathan Franson serves as pulpit minister and elder. A graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching, he has taught at gospel meetings and lectureships, appeared on television programs, released numerous videos, and written articles and a tract. Franson spent his first 20 years in the LDS Church before studying his way out of it. He has taught about errors in the Mormon faith, conducts a seminar titled What to Know When Talking to a Mormon, and authored Breaking the Chains, an autobiography explaining why he left the Mormon Church. He also manages Mormon Study Media.
Franson has served as an instructor for the Florida School of Preaching and Bear Valley Bible Institute of New Zealand. His mission work includes New Zealand, South Africa, and Russia. In Citrus Heights, his responsibilities center on the pulpit and elder work that support the church’s teaching and worship.
The elder team also includes Phil Murray and Charles Gregory, who teaches the Wednesday young adult class. Katy Franson leads the Tuesday Ladies Bible Class. Jimmy Little appears among the congregation’s sermon speakers, sharing messages alongside Franson. Together, the named leaders represent pulpit teaching, church oversight, and Bible classes for young adults and women within the church’s regular life.
Study Resources for Deeper Learning
Recommended study resources support the church’s emphasis on learning and teaching. Apologetics Press offers Christian evidences and apologetics through articles, videos, study materials, curricula, and vacation Bible school material. Gospel Broadcasting Network provides programs, videos, audio lessons, commentaries, Bible studies, and daily devotionals. Truth for the World contributes articles, printable tracts, Bible studies, and videos and audio on many topics, while Seek the Old Paths supplies articles from preachers and teachers.
Additional resources include Christian Courier material by Wayne Jackson, Jason Jackson, and Jared Jackson; articles, videos, and study courses from House to House, Heart to Heart; and the Mormon Study Media collection on questions and errors associated with the LDS Church, including articles, charts, photographs, and reference guides. In Search of the Lord’s Way features audio and video devotionals with Phil Sanders. Topical Bible Studies offers short videos and articles that treat the Bible as the authority, along with a YouTube channel.
The podcast and media recommendations continue that study emphasis. The Light Network provides audio and video programs on many subjects from preachers and teachers. Scattered Abroad offers audio and video lessons. The Gospel of Christ provides broadcasting and streaming along with study aids, curricula, guides, tools, and free media downloads. Kaio Publications produces books, videos, articles, and teaching material for young people, including The Hey Joe Show with Joe and Erin Wells. Digital Bible Study provides daily and archived streaming of videos and audio centered on the Bible.
The range reflects the church’s aim to study the whole Bible, let its teaching shape the congregation, and be prepared to explain and share its message. It also connects the local classes with a wider circle of teachers, preachers, and media resources.
Live Stream and an Organized Sermon Library
The church offers a live stream for joining worship online. Its sermon collection is organized by topic, biblical book, speaker, and date. Among the topics represented are discipleship, spiritual growth, and the church. Messages also draw from Joshua, 1 Samuel, and New Testament books including Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Hebrews, and James.
The collection includes messages by Nathan Franson and Jimmy Little. For those who want to continue learning, the free personal Bible study offers a personal study helper ready to answer questions and be a friend in learning about Jesus. Together, live worship, archived messages, and guided study give people several ways to hear the Bible taught and grow in understanding.
That is the identity of Mariposa Avenue Church of Christ in Citrus Heights: a congregation centered on the Bible, united in a cappella worship, attentive to people across generations, and engaged in sharing the Good News through mission partnerships. Its Sunday and Wednesday rhythm makes room for regular study, reverent worship, the weekly Lord’s Supper, and the practical work of love.