On the eastern edge of downtown Bloomington, just past Eastland Plaza and the IU Health Urgent Care, a low-slung Mid-Century Modern building has anchored a congregation at 2420 East Third Street for nearly seventy years. The sign out front reads First United Church, and on Sunday mornings the sanctuary fills with people whose dress ranges from jeans to jackets, with children weaving between the pews, and a steady procession of visitors, students, and longtime residents pulling into the shared parking lot. First United is a progressive Christian community that lives out of two denominational traditions at once. It is descended from one of the oldest Baptist congregations in Monroe County, joined in the 1970s with a campus-rooted United Church of Christ congregation, and refashioned in the early twenty-first century into a congregation that takes the Bible seriously but not literally, embraces its LGBTQ members without reservation, and pours a remarkable share of its energy into feeding, housing, and accompanying its wider Bloomington neighborhood.
An Unusual Union: Two Denominations, One Building
First United's roots reach back to 1825, when Monroe County pioneers founded what would become First Baptist Church of Bloomington, the largest Baptist congregation in the county for much of its history. By the 1930s, the church was led by the Rev. Douglas Rae, a minister steeped in the social gospel tradition who turned First Baptist into one of the most progressive forces in the community. The church was the first in Bloomington to desegregate, and Rae was instrumental in founding Monroe County United Ministries, an interfaith social-services agency that still partners with First United today. Through the 1940s and 1950s the congregation continued to grow, eventually outgrowing its downtown home at Fourth and Washington.
In the late 1950s the church moved east to its present location on Third Street, then on the edge of town but now once again a central address. The new sanctuary was designed by the Norwegian-American architect Edward Anders Sövik, a leading figure in twentieth-century church design whose work appeared in architectural journals across the country. Built in 1956, the building is considered an architectural landmark in Bloomington. Its floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the sanctuary were a deliberate choice, meant to symbolize transparency and to keep the worshipping community connected with the wider world rather than tucked behind stone. A later pamphlet, Sticks and Stones, walks readers through how the building expresses the congregation's values through wood, light, and stone.
While the Baptists were building their new home on Third Street, a smaller United Church of Christ congregation had begun meeting as a house church around the Indiana University campus. That congregation grew, started sharing First Baptist's chapel on Sundays and its Sunday School classes, and in 1973 the two congregations voted to merge under the unwieldy name First Baptist Church - United Church of Christ. Thirty years later, in 2003, the membership voted again, shortening the name to First United Church and completing a major renovation that restored the Sövik structure without compromising its architectural intent. Three years after that, in 2008, the congregation went on record as Open, Welcoming, and Affirming to LGBTQ people, codifying what had been true in practice for years.
The Sövik Sanctuary and a Solar Array on the Roof
The 1956 building remains one of the congregation's most distinctive features. Its Mid-Century Modern lines, wood-paneled interior, and walls of glass in the sanctuary are still intact, and a smaller chapel down the hall is used for weddings, weekday prayer services, and recovery meetings. The sanctuary seats up to 350 people, and the church notes that weddings held there can take advantage of a state-of-the-art sound system with the capability for excellent audio recordings.
Because the building is far larger than the current congregation needs on most days, First United has taken three practical steps to put it to work. In 2016 the church installed an 82.9-kilowatt photovoltaic system of 307 solar panels on the raised-seam metal roof over the classroom wing and Fellowship Hall. At the time of installation it was the largest solar array on a church in Indiana, and a monitor outside the entrance to Fellowship Hall still shows the electricity being generated in real time. Beyond going solar, the congregation shares its rooms with a long list of nonprofit groups whose missions align with its own, and it has invested in energy-conservation measures throughout the spaces it uses regularly.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
Worship is the heart of the week at First United. Services are held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, with a paper bulletin to help visitors follow the order of worship. The service is described as fairly traditional but with a lot of interaction and an informal feel, and the language about dress is intentionally simple: come as you are. Visitors will see everything from suits and dresses to jeans and t-shirts. An offering is received during the service, though no one is expected to give, and a financial donation is neither required nor singled out.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. All are welcome to participate, regardless of age, theology, or church membership, and the church emphasizes that the bread and cup are for everyone. Gluten-free bread is available alongside the regular loaf, and on World Communion Sunday the welcome to the table is proclaimed in as many languages as the congregation can muster. Baptisms are performed at any age, in keeping with the historic practices of both denominations, and may be done by sprinkling or by immersion.
Every service is offered in a hybrid format. Those who cannot come in person can join by Zoom webinar from a computer, smartphone, or tablet, or dial in by telephone to listen. A chat feature lets online worshipers submit prayer requests and questions. After each service the recording is posted to First United's Vimeo channel, where the full archive of recent worship is available, and shorter clips and sermon excerpts appear on the church's YouTube channel.
Special services mark the seasons of the Christian year. A Candlelight and Carols evening service gathers the congregation during Advent, a Christmas Eve service is held in the sanctuary, a Maundy Thursday service marks the start of Holy Week, and a daytime Good Friday vigil closes it. Fifth Sundays bring a congregation-wide potluck lunch after worship, and at least one summer Sunday each year the service is built around Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer, adapted for morning worship.
An Open, Welcoming, and Affirming Congregation
First United's welcome is written into its public identity. The church's homepage carries the simple heading All are welcome here, and the congregation holds the Open, Welcoming, and Affirming designation - the formal name for UCC congregations that publicly affirm the full inclusion of LGBTQ members. In 2008 the congregation voted overwhelmingly to go on record as OWA, declaring that it affirms the dignity and worth of every person without regard to race, nationality, or ethnicity; age; sex, gender, or sexual orientation; faith; economic, social, or marital status; or physical, mental, or emotional ability.
The same welcome shows up in everyday practices. The State of Indiana recognizes legally binding same-sex marriages, and First United's clergy are honored to officiate at ceremonies for same-sex couples. Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning will not be asked to stand up, fill out a card, or answer nosy questions; greeters hand out visitor cards with as much or as little information as a guest cares to share, and the bulletin directs the service without drawing attention to anyone in the pews. The church's stated theology is progressive and not very creedal. The Bible is taken seriously but not literally, advances in science are welcomed as tools for understanding the natural world, and the community describes itself as Christ-centered, following the still-speaking voice of the divine in the spirit of Jesus.
Accessible to All
Accessibility is treated as a core commitment, not an afterthought. Ample handicapped parking is located on the north side of the church, and two automatic doors accommodate wheelchairs. The east circle drive is the easiest route into Fellowship Hall, while the west circle drive leads most directly into the sanctuary. For worshipers who need to remain in a chair, an aisle runs mid-sanctuary on the courtyard side and an open space by the sound booth in the back of the room offers an unobstructed view. All seating in the sanctuary is on wooden pews, but two thicknesses of seat cushions are available from any usher or greeter.
The main hallway connecting the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall is extra-wide, with no stairs to navigate, and accessible bathrooms are located along it. A single ramp with rails connects the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall for anyone who needs it. Large-print bulletins are available at the door, and hearing-assistance devices can be borrowed from a station just outside the north entrance to the sanctuary. Service animals are always welcome, as are people who need to move around or make noise during the service because of mental illness, developmental disability, physical need, or age.
Children, Youth, and Families
Children are treated as full members of the congregation. They serve communion, read Scripture, usher, teach younger children, help with coffee hour, and join every part of church life that adults do. The nursery is staffed by two trained, background-checked childcare workers each Sunday, with cloth diapers welcomed and willing helpers for bottles and nursing.
Children's Learning Time, or CLT, takes place during worship every Sunday. After a brief Children's Time at the front of the sanctuary, children from kindergarten through fifth grade are dismissed to Room 2, where they follow a lectionary-based curriculum called Seasons of the Spirit. The lessons echo the themes adults are exploring in worship, allowing the whole household to dig into the same texts at their own level. Activity bags are available outside the sanctuary for children who would rather stay with their families, and the narthex is set up as a quieter space for parents who need to walk or nurse with little ones.
Youth ministry is built around young people in sixth through twelfth grade. They are invited to participate as ushers and scripture readers, to volunteer in the nursery, and to join a monthly Youth Connections gathering with Pastor Jessica for conversation about faith questions. The church also offers a confirmation and baptism experience for older youth who want to go deeper into what it means to follow the way of Christ. All adults who work with children and youth complete a screening process that includes a criminal background check and a review of the church's Youth Protection Policy, with renewals every three years.
Adult Learning on Weekday Mornings
Adult formation at First United is unhurried, conversational, and biblically serious. The week begins for many with the Off-Topic Scripture Circle, which meets by Zoom on Mondays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. year-round. The group checks in together, then digs into the upcoming Sunday's lectionary readings. No previous knowledge is assumed, and participants are explicitly told that they will never be asked to leave their brain or their heart at the door.
On Tuesdays from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m., the Tuesday Morning Café and Discussion meets in Roger Williams Hall and on Zoom. The morning opens with informal conversation over coffee, then moves into a video-based theological study. Recent series have included a 36-lecture survey called The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch, a study of the New Testament with Dr. Bart Ehrman, and an interfaith comparison titled Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. The current course is a 24-session investigation of religion and violence. Previous participation and perfect attendance are explicitly not required.
Sundays include their own adult learning. The Synoptic Gospels Bible Study meets from 9:15 to 10:00 a.m. in Roger Williams Hall, walking through the Synoptic Gospels - Mark, Matthew, and Luke - over the course of a year, with daily readings and a weekly sermon series to anchor the discussion. After worship on most Sundays from January through May and August through December, Sermon Talk Backs gather near the fireplace in Fellowship Hall for an informal conversation about that morning's sermon, often led by Pastor Jessica and open to anyone who grabs a snack and joins in. On the second Sunday of each month, the Feminist Women's Book Club meets at noon in Roger Williams Hall and on Zoom to discuss recent fiction by women, for women, or about women; the group is open to feminist women of all ages from both the congregation and the wider community.
Music as Ministry
Music is woven into nearly every part of First United's life. The Music Ministry is led by Ryan Block, a conductor, vocalist, and collaborative pianist whose career has included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a Professional Vocal Fellowship with the British ensemble Gallicantus, and the world premiere of a work with Cincinnati's Vocal Art Ensemble. Sion Park serves as the church's organist.
The Vocal Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Choir Room, and the Bell Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. in Room 4. Both groups are open to anyone who loves music - no prior choral experience or ability to read music is required. They lead worship most Sunday mornings and offer special music for feast days and seasonal services. Outside the church's own ensembles, the building regularly hosts the Quarryland Men's Chorus, a community singing group, and Sounds of Indiana, both of which rehearse in the Choir Room.
A Building Shared with the Wider Community
First United's Mid-Century Modern campus is rarely empty. Beyond its own choirs and classes, the church opens its rooms to a remarkable cross-section of Bloomington life. Several Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet in the Chapel and in Room One, including the On-Awakening AA Group, an open AA meeting, an AA New Harmony group, AA Women Taking Steps, and an Al-Anon group; a Narcotics Anonymous group meets on Sundays. The Bloomington Democratic Socialists of America gathers in Room One on Mondays, the Quarryland Men's Chorus rehearses in the Choir Room, and Sounds of Indiana uses the same space midweek. The building also hosts the Cub Scouts, NAMI support groups, and the People's Cooperative Market, a Saturday farmers' market with a strong anti-racism mission that operates the high tunnel greenhouse and community garden to the south of the playground.
The result is a building that functions almost as a community center. Recovery groups, mutual-aid societies, choirs, political organizations, and the church's own program share the same hallways, kitchens, and classrooms, a daily reminder that First United's understanding of church extends well beyond its own membership.
Feeding Bloomington
Hunger relief is the single largest piece of First United's community work, and the church supports it from several directions at once. The relationship with Monroe County United Ministries goes back to MCUM's founding in 1939. First United gives generously from its annual operating budget to MCUM, gathers food and household supplies every other month for MCUM's pantry, and provides many of the volunteers who run Opportunity House, the MCUM thrift store. A twice-yearly No-Contact Food Drive collects food and supplies for the pantry, and the congregation turns out in force for the MCUM Spring Into Action luncheon each spring.
Since the late 1990s First United has also championed My Sister's Closet, a local nonprofit whose founder and executive director is an active member of the church. My Sister's Closet runs a resale boutique and eBay store that fund free tools and training for women moving out of poverty. The congregation supports the work with annual budget gifts, periodic supply drives, and frequent special offerings.
Other food partnerships stretch across the food system. The Farm to Family Program buys produce and dairy at half price from local farmers at the close of the Bloomington Farmers' Market and donates it to pantries and shelters; First United members volunteer as drivers to move the food where it is needed. Community Kitchen of Monroe County, which provides free nutritious meals and nutrition education, counts First United among its most faithful volunteer and financial supporters; the church made a significant capital gift to Community Kitchen's 2011 building campaign. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a food pantry with an adjoining community garden, draws First United volunteers to its garden beds and pantry shelves. On the first Sunday of each month, the church collects non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products for Pathways (the agency formerly known as MCUM) and pet food for the Area 10 Agency on Aging.
The People's Cooperative Market takes that work into the church's own building. Housed in Fellowship Hall on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the market offers fresh, locally grown produce through CSAs and operates a community garden in the high tunnel greenhouse to the south of the playground, giving out food at no cost to community members seeking fresh, local produce. The church's Milk Money initiative, a multi-month commitment to Pathways' Nourish Together program, pledges to provide all the milk Pathways families need each week, with volunteers purchasing and delivering the supply to ensure safe handling.
Weddings, Funerals, and Renting the Building
The sanctuary and chapel are also available for weddings, both for members and for couples who are not part of the congregation. The sanctuary, with its floor-to-ceiling glass, wood-paneled interior, and capacity of up to 350, is the larger of the two spaces, and the basic fee for a wedding there starts at $725 with additional costs for rehearsal and reception. The chapel, which seats up to 50, is available for a starting fee around $260 for clergy service only. Couples meet with the minister one or two times for planning; premarital counseling is not required, though referrals to area counselors are available. First United's clergy are also available to perform wedding ceremonies at other venues in the area.
The church hosts a wide variety of other groups in its classrooms and halls. The Board of Building and Grounds oversees use of the property, and inquiries about renting space for meetings, rehearsals, and events can be directed to the church office. Memorial services and funerals for members and their families are held in the sanctuary, and the church's clergy are available to officiate at services elsewhere.
The People in the Pews
First United's ministry is led by Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai, an authorized minister with the United Church of Christ and a participant in the UCC's Next Generation Leadership Initiative. A graduate of the University of Iowa and Eden Theological Seminary, she is currently earning her MBA through Drake University and has previously served as pastor of Congregational United Church of Christ in Newton, Iowa, and as Minister for Children, Youth, and Families at Westmoreland Congregational UCC in Bethesda, Maryland. Rev. Shelli Yoder serves as Associate Minister; she holds a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University, and is also a Senior Lecturer at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an elected member of the Indiana State Senate.
The Office Manager is Lisa Stanger, a Bloomington native who has been with the church since 2005. Ryan Block directs the music program, Sion Park is the church's organist, and the Board of Worship, Art, and Music, the Board of Faith Formation, the Board of Community and Outreach, the Board of Building and Grounds, and the Finance Committee share the work of running the congregation's many programs. The Council is led by President Kim Yaussy-Albright, Vice President Michael Shell, Clerk Ben Ale-Ebrahim, Treasurer Kyle Hetrick, and Assistant Treasurer Patty Williams.
What ties it all together is the same phrase that runs through every page of the church's life: all are welcome here. From the glass-walled sanctuary on East Third Street to the community garden behind it, from the Zoom worshippers tuning in from across the country to the volunteers stocking shelves at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, First United Church continues the work its members began in 1825 and reimagined in 1973, 2003, and 2008 - the work of following the ways of Jesus, rooted in compassion, truth, and justice, in a community that refuses to choose between tradition and change.