Two Sunday Mornings, One Church Family in Kempsville
Community United Methodist Church sits on Old Kempsville Road in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, a few blocks from the main commercial corridor and the same neighborhood where the congregation was first organized in 1952. Seven decades later, Sunday still centers on two services: a 9:00 AM traditional worship and an 11:00 AM modern worship, with Adult Sunday School meeting between them at 10:00 AM. Both services are also livestreamed on YouTube, and the church's livestream page links visitors to a YouTube channel that carries both broadcasts at the same hours as the in-person services.
Community UMC describes itself as a community of ordinary people seeking to love God and serve its neighbors. The pastor's welcome says the church is dedicated to helping everyday people grow in Christ by increasing their joy, and the congregation stretches from longtime members to first-time visitors who have never set foot in a church before.
A Kempsville Church That Grew With the Neighborhood
Community United Methodist Church was organized on September 7, 1952, with 87 charter members who first met at the Kempsville Community House. The Rev. Douglas Newman, then pastor of Oak Grove Methodist, served as founding pastor. By October 1952 the new congregation had moved into Kempsville High School, and on October 10, 1954 the first worship service was held in a brand-new sanctuary on Old Kempsville Road. Membership had reached 333 by then.
Growth came steadily. By 1955, with more than 400 members, the first addition, an office and scout room, was built. A second addition followed during the pastorate of Rev. Roach (1955-1960), bringing the church its first acolytes and the founding of its Men's Fellowship. The third pastor, Rev. Moseley (1960-1962), guided the purchase of property along Alton Road. Under Rev. Kibler, the church expanded to two Sunday morning services, and membership rose to 1,148.
After a turbulent stretch with four different pastors in eighteen months, Rev. Abe Moyer was appointed and the current parsonage was built. Rev. Rose arrived in 1974 and brought stability, retired the church's debt, and restarted the United Methodist Men. The present sanctuary was completed in 1984 under the pastorate of Rev. Logan, returning the church to two Sunday morning services. The two-story educational wing went up in 1989, and membership grew to 1,600. In 2001 the church launched its first contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings, and a new office wing and social hall were dedicated in 2002.
Across recent years the church has continued to grow. Worship attendance and ministry engagement are rising again, and the congregation has returned to two Sunday morning services, a 9:00 AM traditional and an 11:00 AM modern, both broadcast online as well as from the sanctuary.
Children, Students, and Family Life
The Kids Ministry at Community UMC is built around a simple promise: that growing closer to God should be the highlight of a child's week. Every Sunday, classrooms provide a high-energy, fun, and safe environment with age-appropriate Bible stories, lively worship, creative crafts, and games designed to help kids build a strong foundation of faith that lasts a lifetime.
First-time families are met at the door by a VIP host who walks them to the Kids Check-In, registers the children, and answers questions. Every volunteer is screened with a background check, the kids' hallway is monitored by security personnel and security cameras, and the church's child protection policy and nursery policies are available as PDF downloads from the resources section.
Megan Dunn serves as Director of Youth Ministry, working with middle and high school students. Family Ministries more broadly seeks to meet the spiritual, social, and emotional needs of the family unit, and baptism, baby dedications, parent gatherings, and Vacation Bible School appear in the church's event calendar. The church maintains an online pre-registration for kids so that first-time families can be ready before they arrive.
Music Across Two Styles
Music is the through-line that ties the two Sunday services together. Donna Writesel directs the traditional music program, with Tyler Writesel serving as Assistant Director of Music. The Chancel Choir leads the 9:00 AM service alongside the Dan Lovelace Memorial Handbell Choir, a Men's Choir, and the sanctuary's Worship Arts team, which handles communion elements, seasonal sanctuary decoration, and congregational materials.
The 11:00 AM modern service is led by Samuel Corey, the Modern Worship Leader, working with the Modern Worship Team of musicians and vocalists. The Music and Worship page describes the philosophy plainly: through a blend of modern worship songs and timeless hymns, the team seeks to create an environment where worshippers can freely encounter the presence of God, set aside the distractions of the week, and focus on Jesus.
A volunteer Tech Team keeps both services running. The team runs on-screen lyrics, liturgy, and sermon notes; manages the audio for choir, special music, and the modern worship band; operates the cameras and audio for the multi-platform livestream; troubleshoots in real time for in-person and online worshippers; handles photography and videography; and designs weekly sermon graphics. New volunteers are welcome, and the team describes its Sunday morning in the media loft as all coffee and laughs.
Small Groups, Sunday School, and Mid-Week Discipleship
Small groups are the church's main pathway into deeper community. The Adult Sunday School hour at 10:00 AM offers six classes that meet in different rooms of the educational wing:
- Charles Wesley (Room 210): a multi-generational, mixed-gender group that explores video-based series with discussion facilitated by various class members.
- Fellowship (Chapel): a large group of 45 to 50 singles and married adults that uses the International Sunday School series with several rotating teachers.
- Open Door (Room 209): a multi-generational adult class for marrieds and singles focused on Bible study and growing together in faith.
- John Wesley (Room 207): adults of varied careers and backgrounds exploring biblical and social issues with shared teaching.
- Seekers (Room 205): a group that pursues God's will through Bible study, topical writings, lively discussion, and occasional mission projects.
- Susanna Wesley (Room 206): a class of 15 to 20 mostly over-50 singles with some younger and married members, using discussion-based Bible study with some video lessons.
Mid-Week Discipleship adds two more regular touchpoints. Women's Faith Focus meets Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:15 AM in Room 207 or by Zoom, a vibrant group of women who study scripture together and take on quarterly mission projects. Men's Bible Study meets on Zoom every Monday night at 7:00 PM, except on the fourth Monday when the men gather instead for the United Methodist Men dinner meeting. Seasonal Bible studies with Pastor Scott are also part of the calendar, with announcements posted as they are scheduled.
United Women in Faith and United Methodist Men
The United Women in Faith circles at Community UMC meet monthly for fellowship, mission, and Bible study. Five circles are currently active:
- Faith meets at 1:00 PM on the third Thursday in members' homes and maintains the food pantry ministry that supplies Church of the Ascension and other local missions.
- Grace meets at 12:00 PM on the second Tuesday in the church parlor and partners with the Winter Shelter, Samaritan House, Wesley Community Center, Operation Smile, Kits for Conference, and the Ascension Food Pantry, plus public school supply and reading support.
- Hannah-Wesley Circle meets at 10:00 AM on the third Tuesday and supports the SPCA with old towels, blankets, and cardboard tubes, and serves the clients of F.O.R. Kids and their mothers.
- Hope meets at 7:00 PM on the second Tuesday in members' homes and packs monthly Beach Bags of weekend food for a local elementary school, supports the Winter Shelter, makes blankets and bag meals for the homeless, and stays in touch with college students.
- Martha meets at 9:30 AM on the second Thursday in members' homes, visits McLeigh House and Post Oak to sing to residents, and supports Operation Smile, the Food Pantry, and college student outreach.
The United Methodist Men support the spiritual growth of men in the church through weekly Bible study, the monthly fourth-Monday dinner meeting in the social hall at 6:00 PM (fellowship at 6:00, dinner at 6:30), and service across the life of the church. All men of the church are welcome.
Hospitality, Congregational Care, and a Church Without Walls
Hospitality is treated as a calling at Community UMC. The Hospitality Team of volunteers, including parking attendants, greeters, ushers, and offering collectors, serves one month at a time on a rotating basis. Each Sunday, the Hospitality Center in the social hall offers coffee and a place to visit. On special occasions food is served there, including the annual Cookie Extravaganza, when each family brings a dozen of their favorite homemade cookies to share.
Congregational Care is led by Kristin Rickard, the Minister of Congregational Care, who walks alongside members in health crises, after the death of a loved one, and in other moments when a visit, a call, or a prayer makes the difference. The Missions and Service ministry focuses on giving time and energy to those in need, with projects that flow from the United Women in Faith circles and the broader congregation. The Evangelism ministry encourages members to invite others to worship and grow in faith, an outgrowth of the church's stated identity as a church without walls that goes outside its own buildings to reach the lost and the broken.
Faith in Our Future
The current season at Community UMC includes a 36-month capital campaign called Faith in Our Future. The campaign is raising $500,000 to replace the heating and air conditioning systems in both the sanctuary and the classroom buildings, including the planning and construction documents that go with the work. The project is described as a long-awaited step that will create a more inviting and comfortable worship and learning experience and position the church to expand ministry and mission opportunities in the community in the years ahead. Members and friends can give online, mail a check to the church office, or complete a printed or online commitment form.
Pastors and Staff
Rev. Scott Rimer serves as Senior Pastor, with Rev. Teresa Woodworth as Associate Pastor. Kristin Rickard is the Minister of Congregational Care. Donna Writesel directs traditional music and the Chancel Choir, Tyler Writesel is Assistant Director of Music, Samuel Corey leads the Modern Worship Team, and Megan Dunn directs the youth ministry. The Office Manager is Annamarie Haskell, with Michelle Sturges serving as Treasurer, Larry Sarosdy as Facilities Manager, and Otis Cuffee on the custodial team. The Leadership Team is chaired by Jim McPherson, the church's delegate to Annual Conference, and includes Tom Freeman, Betsy Turner, Beth Grabowski, Mike O'Connor, Lynda Locklear, Tina Arterburn, Dallas Heilman, and Terry Buzzard. Ministry coordinators include David Collins (Hospitality), Susan Roenker (Sweepers/Security), Debi Lupton (Evangelism), Sandy Knizner (Missions), and Mike O'Connor (Facilities).
Planning a First Visit
Community UMC is built to welcome newcomers. The New Here page lays out the basics: come as you are, with no dress code, and people wear both Sunday best and more casual clothes. The sanctuary is handicap accessible, and there is designated parking for guests, handicapped visitors, and elderly members along the side of the sanctuary on Alton Road. Additional lots are on Burlington Road and Old Kempsville Road, with overflow parking in the field along Old Kempsville Road.
Worship services are open to everyone, and no membership is required. Visitors who have not been to church in a long time, or who have never been to church, are warmly invited to join in whatever parts of the service feel comfortable, or simply to sit, watch, and listen. Children's programming is available during both services. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to noon, and can be reached at (757) 495-1021 or cumc@cumcvb.org.
Mid-week connection happens through the Wednesday devotional, a 15-to-20-minute reflection, scripture reading, and prayer led by the pastoral team and broadcast live at noon on the church's Facebook page. The sermon archive is available on YouTube, and a livestream of both Sunday services is available at the church's YouTube channel. Giving is available online, by text, or by mailing a check to the office, and the church's plan-a-visit page walks new families through their first Sunday.