College Hill United Methodist Church sits between Erie and Chautauqua on 1st Street North in Wichita, a block or two from the city's College Hill neighborhood. The congregation, known to its members and neighbors simply as CHUM, has served the east side of Wichita for more than a century, distributing food to people in need since well before the term "food pantry" was common. Today CHUM is recognized for a progressive, justice-minded approach to faith: an open welcome that names every barrier to belonging, two very different Sunday morning services under one roof, and a hands-on network of programs for children, youth, adults, and the wider Wichita community.
The Art of Gathering: Two Sunday Services
On a typical Sunday morning, two services offer worshipers a choice of style without making them choose between buildings. At 9:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary, the Traditional Service features the Chancel Choir, liturgy, and hymns. At 10:15 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, the Contemporary Service leads with a worship band, the 4 Directions Blessing, and the singing bowl. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month. Both services are also livestreamed on Facebook, Roku, Apple TV, and YouTube, so members and friends who are traveling, homebound, or simply exploring from a distance can take part. Bulletins can be downloaded online and attendance can be registered through a short online form.
CHUM's own description of what to expect is plain: "friendly, inclusive, diverse and authentic people, engaging and relevant music and worship, compelling preaching and an opportunity to encounter God." The dress code is whatever the visitor is comfortable in; jeans and t-shirts sit alongside dresses and suits, and the congregation has made clear that they care more about who a person is than what they wear.
Faith Without Fear, Love Without Limits
The phrases Faith Without Fear and Love Without Limits show up repeatedly across CHUM's printed material, on the church's outreach arm, and in its civic engagement work. CHUM's full inclusion statement: CHUM welcomes into full membership and participation "persons of every race, language, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental ability, economic or marital status, and faith background," and affirms and celebrates all loving and committed relationships. Same-gender couples are welcome to be married at CHUM, and the congregation describes itself as "unabashedly inclusive, everyone (and we mean everyone) is welcome at our table."
The stated mission is to develop a Christian community "Wise in the ways of the Spirit, Bold in the ways of Justice and Graceful in Relationship with all Creation." CHUM frames its justice work as a continuation of John Wesley's call to combine personal and social piety, and the church takes public stances on issues from voting to affordable housing.
Children and Youth
Director of Children's Ministries Jodi Rice oversees a program built on the conviction that "children aren't simply the future of the church, they are an important part of the church right now." The CHUM Nursery is open on Sunday mornings from 8:50 to 11:15 a.m. for children from six weeks old through pre-kindergarten, located on the main floor across from the Fellowship Hall. Sunday School for kindergarten through fifth grade meets at 10:15 a.m. in the basement (currently room B10) and uses a weekly lesson, Bible story, and focus on the church calendar. The first Sunday of the month is a family worship Sunday, when children stay in the pews with their parents and Sunday School does not meet.
Year-round traditions give the children's ministry a recognizable rhythm: Vacation Bible School in the summer (planned for 2027 with partner churches), a December Christmas Pageant, the Palm Sunday palm parade, and an Easter Egg Hunt. Children also take part in summer camp and a fall retreat at Camp Horizon, an ecumenical site connected to several Wichita-area churches. Volunteers who work with children and youth must complete Safe Gatherings training, an online application with background checks, before serving.
Youth ministry, led by Associate Pastor Rev. Bev Baumgartner, serves students in sixth through twelfth grade. The motto comes from 1 Timothy 4:12: Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you are young. Sunday School meets at 10:15 a.m. in Room 208 on the second floor, with no class on family worship Sundays. The group gathers for YAC (Youth After Church) on the first Sunday of most months from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the church or in homes, and takes on a rotating mix of service projects, small groups, and social outings. Recent and ongoing themes include a focus on "Mutual Aid" in Wichita. A consent and waiver form is kept on file for each youth.
Music, Both in the Choir Loft and on the Stage
CHUM's music program runs on two parallel tracks. Matthew Nutter, who earned a bachelor's in music education from Wichita State and a master's degree in the same field, directs the traditional 9:00 a.m. music program. He previously sang as the Chancel Choir's tenor soloist before taking the director role, and he picks music that complements the morning's sermon. The Jubilation Ringers handbell choir, led by David Bartley, welcomes musicians with basic rhythmic reading skills. At 10:15, Rob Simon leads the contemporary worship band; outside of CHUM he is also a Wichita Griot Storyteller, a prevention and restorative practices specialist, and the founder of Positive Rhythm Productions, which produces original songs, characterizations, and keynote presentations for schools and agencies.
Singers and instrumentalists are invited to join either the 9:00 choir or the 10:15 worship team. A tech team supports both services, with volunteers trained to run cameras, presentation software, and sound.
The Food Pantry and a Century of Feeding Wichita
CHUM has distributed food to those in need throughout more than 100 years of the church's life. In 2009 the pantry partnered with the Kansas Food Bank, which made it possible to scale up both the volume of food and the number of households served. Food is now distributed on two regular schedules: the first Tuesday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., with the Saturday event accompanied by a free pancake and sausage breakfast that is open to all comers.
There are no eligibility requirements to receive food; first-time guests are asked to provide an ID, contact information, and basic household details. A typical grocery sack includes canned fruit, canned vegetables, peanut butter, canned meat, a boxed dinner, a macaroni-and-cheese dinner, and a four-pack of toilet paper, with fresh vegetables, breads, and pastries added when available. Funding comes entirely from designated donations within the CHUM community.
A smaller, more immediate resource is the Blessing Box near the children's playground, stocked with individually packaged crackers, protein bars, pop-top cans, water, and cereals for anyone who needs a quick meal. Volunteers also help fill food sacks on the Friday before each Saturday distribution. The Community Garden, planted each spring, lets neighbors pick what they need for their dinner tables.
Adults: Sunday School, Small Groups, and Connection Groups
CHUM treats adult formation as a long conversation rather than a single program. Five Sunday morning adult classes meet during the 10:15 hour, with subjects ranging from current events and contemporary religious issues to a study of the Bible with the Seekers, a group of adults with various mental and physical challenges. The Viceroy class, which was the first reconciling group in Kansas, grapples with the Methodist Quadrilateral, Creation Spirituality, and other texts.
Outside of Sunday morning, the Connection Groups program offers a different path: monthly small groups organized by life stage and identity. Groups are currently available for people 18-plus, 30-plus, 40-plus, and LGBTQ+ adults and friends, with the explicit note that the LGBTQ+ group is the only one open to that community. Childcare is provided for the 30-plus group.
Beyond those, the Activity and Study Groups roster is long and varied. The 13 Point Pitch and Scrabble groups meet on flexible schedules. The Faith Sisters' Book Club reads together; a Women's Small Group with Pastor Jill and Pastor Brenda works through a book on prayer postures. ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out) gather at Spears Restaurant on West Maple at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays. TGIF meets at a different restaurant at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays. Brewed Awakening hops to a different local coffee shop on the second Saturday of each month. Dinners for Eight arranges small home-based meals. Zoom Journaling and Doodle Group meets online on Wednesday mornings with Pastor Bev during the fall.
Wednesday Nights at the Hill
Wednesday evenings during the school year are a hub for intergenerational study. Wednesdays at the Hill runs short-term classes for six weeks in the fall and again in the spring, with the current session offering Kids Connection, Youth Connection, a Bible study on the Gospel of John, and a survey of the History of Methodism in Kansas. Adult courses meet from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the church.
Daytime study continues on Wednesdays with a Bible study on Images of God from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. during the academic year, led by Pastor Jill.
The Building and Its Rooms
CHUM's building is a working complex with spaces designed to host a crowd or a handful. The Sanctuary holds 300 people with fixed seating and a sound system, and is used for the 9:00 a.m. traditional service as well as weddings and funerals. The Fellowship Hall accommodates up to 200 in flexible seating and includes an attached commercial kitchen; this is the home of the 10:15 a.m. contemporary service and the site of the church's pancake breakfasts. The Chapel seats 50 to 60. The Parlor, with a living-room feel and an attached small kitchen, can host 50 to 60 for receptions and small services. Smaller classrooms include Room 105, which seats up to 15 around tables, and Room B3, set up for eight to ten.
Anyone in the church community can reserve a room through the EmberHope reservation form. Outside groups are also welcomed; the Wedding Policies and Fees booklet outlines arrangements for outside couples.
Weddings, Welcoming All Couples
Weddings are a regular part of life at CHUM. The church's policy is to treat all couples equally and to host and perform weddings for both opposite-gender and same-gender couples, with no membership requirement. Brian Sutton serves as the church's Wedding Coordinator and is present at both rehearsal and ceremony; a $100 non-refundable deposit holds a date. Pastor Jill performs most weddings, with other clergy affiliated with CHUM available when she is not, and outside clergy permitted by arrangement. The Sanctuary holds 300 guests; the Chapel holds 50.
Justice, Civic Engagement, and the Leadership Board
CHUM's justice commitments show up in several places. The Mission Justice Team reimburses up to $250 a month in expenses for a team that prepares and serves lunch for more than 100 unhoused neighbors at United Methodist Open Door on the third Friday of each month. The church provides civic engagement information during election seasons, walking through voter registration deadlines, early voting options in Sedgwick County, and the responsibilities of city councils and local school boards, framed as part of the United Methodist tradition of combining personal piety with social action.
The congregation is also in the middle of a significant structural change. The Church Council voted earlier in the year to explore a simplified accountable structure, sometimes called the One Board model, and the One Board Exploration Team is being coached by Rev. Bruce Emmert of the Great Plains Conference. The proposed version at CHUM is called the Leadership Board, a nine-member body that would take on the responsibilities of the former Church Council, Board of Trustees, Staff Parish Relations Committee, Finance Committee, Memorials Committee, and Permanent Endowment Committee. 174 of the Great Plains Conference's churches already use the structure, including 36 of the 76 in the South Central Kansas District. Congregational input has been gathered through town halls and a Church Conference is expected to be called to vote on adoption.
Getting Connected
CHUM makes a point of inviting first-time visitors in several ways. A "let us know you're here" form is available; a printed Get Connected booklet lists ways to plug in; and the church's CHUM 101 class is offered periodically for newcomers. A Blessing Box near the playground offers immediate food assistance, and the church takes part in Woofstock and a Blessing of the Animals service each year. Pastoral care is provided by Pastor Jill, Pastor Bev, and a team of Congregational Care Ministers who visit members in homes, nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living facilities. A Pastor on Call line, 316-776-5477, is available for emergencies.
Online giving is available through the church's Breeze platform, and donations support both internal ministries and outreach projects, including the food pantry, the Open Door lunch program, and a Miracle Sunday offering directed by the resident bishop. The church also livestreams on Facebook, Roku, Apple TV, and YouTube, and bulletins for each service are posted in advance.
College Hill United Methodist is, at heart, a neighborhood congregation that has chosen to stay open: open to questions, to a wider community, and to the kind of change that comes when a long-standing institution keeps asking how it can serve its city well.