At 2910 Central Avenue in Middletown, Ohio, First Presbyterian Church is known for mostly traditional worship at 10:00 a.m. Sunday, for welcoming people to take part in person or online, and for mission work with direct local consequences. Free kindergarten readiness and emergency medical, utility and agency assistance through the FISH Fund sit alongside worship, a clearly stated Christian identity and service to members and community.
Sunday Worship at 10:00 A.M.
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. at the church's Central Avenue sanctuary. The congregation gathers as a community both in person and online. Most services use a traditional format and include a wide variety of music and an inspiring sermon. Worship is intended to be recognizable without becoming predictable: familiar sights and sounds are welcomed, while there is also room to be surprised by God's Spirit.
The same Sunday worship is available through virtual worship. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, and all are welcome at the table. The in-person and online formats are both part of the congregation's Sunday rhythm rather than one being an occasional substitute.
Mostly Traditional, but Not Stuffy
The phrase "mostly traditional, but not stuffy" captures a deliberate balance. Traditional worship gives the congregation a shared structure, while musical variety and openness to the unexpected leave room for engagement. The church names three aims for worship:
- Honesty: acknowledging a full range of experiences in the walk with God.
- Openness to surprise: leaving room for what the Spirit of God may do when familiar patterns are not the only plan.
- Heart and mind: engaging both, because the church believes one without the other leaves people spiritually hungry.
Together, these aims present worship as honest, open to the Spirit and engaged at the level of both feeling and understanding. That is how a mostly traditional format can coexist with a wide variety of music and a sermon that engages the congregation.
Children Welcome Throughout Worship
The church's practical guidance for adults is simply to wear what feels comfortable. Attire ranges from suits and dresses to casual sweaters and jeans, so visitors can join Sunday morning without choosing one prescribed style.
Children are always welcome to remain throughout worship. A greeter can provide a Wiggle Bag for a child, and Children's Church is offered every week during the service. Families may keep children with them for the entire service while the church also provides a weekly children's activity during that same time.
Accessible Doors Beside the West Parking Lot
The Gathering Area and Sanctuary entrances both have accessible doors and sit adjacent to the West Parking Lot. That lot contains the majority of the church's accessible parking spaces. For visitors who use a wheelchair or accessible parking, both entrances and most designated spaces are grouped together beside the lot.
Presence, Participation and Membership
The church considers presence, participation and membership significant to the life of the congregation. Attendance and belonging are therefore connected parts of its community life. Its invitation to worship is broad, with Sunday gathering available in person and online, children welcome throughout the service and communion open to all.
A Congregation That Belongs to God
First and foremost, the congregation identifies itself as followers of Jesus Christ. It recognizes that nothing can separate people from the love of God in Jesus Christ and that they belong to God in life and in death. The church's phrases "You are welcome here" and "We belong to God" express an identity of welcome and belonging rather than something added to church life.
As a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the church is part of a connectional Christian body that is Reformed and always reforming. It is one of the congregations served by the Miami Valley Presbytery. Its identity is both local and connected through a national Presbyterian body and a regional presbytery.
Share the Good News, Nurture the Spirit, Serve the Community
God has called the congregation to SHARE the good news, to NURTURE the spirit and to SERVE members and community. Those three verbs give the church a concise identity joining the announcement of good news, care of the spirit and service. The Kindergarten Readiness Program and FISH Fund give the call to serve a direct expression through education and emergency assistance.
Three Mornings of Free Kindergarten Readiness
The Kindergarten Readiness Program is designed for families who cannot qualify for Head Start but still cannot afford pre-kindergarten programs. The program is free to participating families, funded from the church's mission budget and meets three mornings a week during the school year in the church.
Retired school teacher Paula Elliott has directed the program since 2010. Lindsey Jenkins joined as a second teacher in 2020. Their work gives the congregation a direct way to serve families with young children through education held in the church itself. The three-morning rhythm continues throughout the school year, making readiness part of the church's regular ministry rather than a one-time activity.
The FISH Fund for Medical, Utility and Agency Emergencies
The FISH Fund provides emergency medical, utility and agency assistance to members of the community. Assistance is available by calling the church office on the first business day of each month at (513) 422-6365.
The fund covers help with a medical expense, a utility or another agency. It is a direct expression of the church's mission to serve people facing immediate hardship in Middletown and the surrounding community.
Mission Support Across Community and Global Needs
Beyond the programs it operates, the church has supported a broad set of community and global connections. Those include the following organizations and relationships:
- Hope House
- Mt. Pleasant Life Care Fund
- Families at Rosa Park Elementary School
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters
- Abilities First Foundation
- Safe Haven Farms
- One Way Farm
- Kirkmont
- Young Life
- Ronald McDonald House
The church has also supported Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Heifer Foundation and PCUSA Special Offerings. Its global support has included the Outreach Foundation, Heifer Foundation, Tandana Foundation and Bob and Kristi Rice. Together, these commitments place the mission beyond the church's own programs and give practical meaning to serving members and community while reflecting its Presbyterian connections.
Justin Miller's Pastoral and Ministry Background
Justin Miller serves as the church's Designated Pastor and Head of Staff. His ministry experience includes music, youth and children, pastoral care, chaplaincy and a brief stint as a camp director in Washington, D.C.
He holds a Master of Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary with a concentration in Christian Care and Counseling. He also earned a BA double major in Preaching and Youth Ministry and Bible and Theology from Johnson University. Miller describes his heart for ministry as expressed through pastoral care and serving others.
Long-Term Continuity in Daily Ministry
Long-serving staff members support the church's daily life. Church Secretary Sandy Fisher has served the staff and members for nearly 20 years and helps manage the many details of operations. Custodian Cheryl Jarbo has served for over 19 years. Their work alongside Paula Elliott's leadership in kindergarten readiness provides continuity in office coordination, building care and early education.
A Recorded History of Worship
The church's worship archive includes services from 2017, 2018 and 2019. Services since March 2020 are available in virtual form, with audio files from January through March 2020 and an audio player for sermons. Older services can be requested from the office, and CDs are available.
The 2019 portion includes messages centered on Psalms, teachings and stories from Jesus, the Lord's Supper and observances of the church year. The 2017 and 2018 portion includes Baptism, healings, Genesis and Psalms. Across the older collection, sermon recordings sit alongside cantatas, choir appearances and services for major church seasons.
The church also maintains a YouTube channel, while recordings are available through iTunes and Podomatic. The archive joins older recorded services with the virtual worship collection, creating a long record of the congregation's sung and spoken worship.
Giving Through the Presbyterian Foundation
The church's ministry is funded through contributions and the generosity of its membership and friends. Online giving is available through the Presbyterian Foundation without requiring an account, and a phone app option is also offered. Contributions can be mailed to First Presbyterian Church, 2910 Central Avenue, Middletown, Ohio 45044 through online giving.
The church frames giving as an invitation into the discipline of giving and says it seeks to be a good steward of God's gifts. It is grateful for the many ways people give and connects those contributions to the mission budget that supports free kindergarten readiness.
At 2910 Central Avenue, First Presbyterian Church's Middletown ministry is grounded in a clear combination: mostly traditional worship shared in person and online, open participation for children, accessible entrances and parking, free school readiness, emergency aid and mission support reaching beyond the sanctuary. First Presbyterian Church's welcome is grounded in belonging to God and in a call to share the good news, nurture the spirit and serve.