McPherson Avenue Church of Christ sits on a quiet residential stretch of McPherson Avenue in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the Missouri River from Omaha. The congregation has gathered in this community for more than fifty years, and its simple identity (a cappella singing, weekly communion, and Bible-centered preaching) has stayed the same through the decades. The sign out front, the bulletin, and the Sunday morning coffee all point to the same hope: to see people come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their Christian faith.
A Cappella Worship and Weekly Communion
The most distinctive thing about a Sunday at McPherson Avenue Church of Christ is what you will hear, and what you will not. The congregation sings a cappella, using their own voices to lift up praise. There is no piano, no guitar, no drum set, just the gathered body singing together. Communion is taken every week for the reminder of the commitment and proclamation members made in baptism. Members move through the Lord's Supper as part of the regular rhythm of the service, not as an occasional observance.
The service itself is anchored in three elements: the songs the congregation sings, the prayers offered up together, and the sermon preached from Scripture. All parts of the service are grounded in the Bible, which the church is committed to upholding, with a goal of having God's word on hearts and in minds to help with daily decision making. Prayer is woven through the service, and visitors can add their own prayers to the prayer wall that the church maintains online.
Sundays and Wednesdays on McPherson Avenue
The week at McPherson Avenue centers on three set times. Sunday morning opens with Bible class at 9:00 a.m. for every age from newborn through high school. Bible class is also the slot that is livestreamed on the church's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person. At 10:00 a.m. the main worship service begins and runs about an hour. Each week the Sunday service bulletin, the most recent lesson, and a simple kids' lesson are shared.
Wednesday nights bring the congregation back together at 7:00 p.m. for another Bible class. The Wednesday gathering rounds out the week and is open to anyone who wants to dig into Scripture.
Between those three set times, the church has built a steady rhythm of small-group studies. On the second and fourth Mondays of the month, the ladies of the church meet at 7:00 p.m. for a Ladies Bible Study. The group rotates hosting, facilitation, and food duties, and works through a book, a study, or a video together. Each session includes discussion, prayer, and sharing, and newcomers can be added to the group chat by contacting the church or asking a member. Thursday mornings belong to the men. At 7:00 a.m. the Men Morning Bible Study meets at the Hy-Vee on Bennet Avenue for breakfast and a study, working through a book together (the most recent being Kyle Idleman's Not A Fan). The men usually wrap up by 8:30 a.m. so members can head to work.
A New Preacher at the Pulpit
An announcement marks a new chapter: Big news. The church has found a new preacher to join the family, after praying for someone who loves Jesus, loves people, and is excited to share God's Word.
The new preacher is Tony Hughes, who comes to Council Bluffs with more than twenty years of ministry experience spanning youth, family, men's, and preaching work. He holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and is passionate about helping people know Jesus, grow strong in their faith, and help others follow Him. He especially enjoys preaching God's Word, mentoring leaders, and strengthening marriages, with a particular burden for equipping men to be godly leaders for their families. He and his wife Beth have been married for eighteen years and have two children.
Two elders round out the pastoral leadership: Troy Kinney and Bill Leinen. Dylan Ford oversees the youth ministry. Past preaching minister Brian Deckman is still active as a speaker in the sermon archive, and other speakers who have preached in recent years include Jake Sola, Mark Philips, Skippy Norman, Thad Kinney, and Troy Kinney.
Children's Ministry from Cradle to High School
Children's ministry at McPherson Avenue is not a single program but a layered one that runs from Sunday morning through Wednesday night and from infancy through the senior year of high school. The goal is that by the time students get to high school they have been well prepared in their understanding of scripture and in how to apply it to their lives.
On Sunday mornings during Bible class, children are grouped by age. Preschool and kindergarten students are learning specific Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments. Early elementary students are studying the Old Testament and the life of Christ. Upper elementary students, a group that includes the 5th and 6th graders taught by a teacher named Lori, are working through the book of Acts and the story of the first church. Junior high students are studying the ministry, letters, and writings of the New Testament. The Wednesday night Bible class adds another hour of instruction during the week.
A nursery is provided during the main worship service, so parents of infants and toddlers can attend the sermon. Greeters are ready to point first-time families to the right rooms for their children's ages.
What to Wear, Where to Park, and What Happens First
First-time visitors are walked through what to expect, and the tone is deliberately low-key. Please don't worry about what you'll wear to church, for they truly believe people should come to God as they are. Dress is not required to get his approval; that comes through Jesus' sacrifice. The congregation includes both suits and ties and casual wear; while a few men wear ties, others remind them that Jesus never wore one.
The building sits back from McPherson Avenue behind a large parking lot with a drop-off drive at the entrance. Visitors and people with mobility restrictions or small children are invited to use the closest spots. Greeters meet people at the door with a smile and a bulletin, and they can point the way to restrooms, the fellowship area, the nursery, Sunday school rooms, and the coffee. The church encourages visitors to stay for a few minutes after the service to meet the minister and other members of the congregation.
All of the Sunday school rooms, the fellowship area, and the sanctuary are on one campus at 1525 McPherson Avenue, and the phone number for anyone who wants to call ahead is 712-322-8144.
Beliefs in Brief
The church's beliefs are summed up in one short statement: We Believe there is only one God who is the creator of all things, who sent his only son as a living sacrifice to die for our sins on the cross, and be resurrected, and that he will return. Baptism is understood as the moment of commitment and proclamation that the weekly communion looks back to. The church's teaching is grounded in the conviction that Scripture is the authority for Christian living, and the sermon archive and Bible class curriculum walk steadily through Old and New Testament books. Recent series have included studies in 1 Corinthians, Acts, Romans, Hebrews, Isaiah, the Parables of Jesus, the life of Moses, the names of Christ, and the Fruit of the Spirit.
Online Giving, Livestream, and the Church App
Members and visitors who want to give can do so online through online giving, which accepts one-time or recurring gifts from a bank account or debit card through PayPal. Gifts can be directed to the general fund, the building fund, or a youth mission trip. The church continues to take a physical offering during the service for those who prefer to give in person.
The Sunday morning Bible class is livestreamed on the church's Facebook page and Facebook group. A mobile app, Our Church by ChurchDev, is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play, and a YouTube channel hosts videos of recent sermons. The sermon archive is searchable by speaker, series, book of the Bible, and topic, with dozens of series ranging from Anchor of Hope and Broken, Blessed, and Given to Cross Training and The Life of Moses.
A Working Church on McPherson Avenue
McPherson Avenue Church of Christ has spent more than fifty years in Council Bluffs, teaching the Bible to every age, lifting voices without instruments, gathering around the Lord's table every Sunday, and welcoming the next person through the door. The leadership is small, the schedule is steady, and the building on McPherson Avenue is still the center of the church's life, with online tools that extend its reach and a new preacher at the pulpit ready to begin his work.