First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor sits at 120 S. State St., a few steps from the heart of downtown and the University of Michigan campus. Across more than two centuries of changing downtown Ann Arbor, this congregation has built a reputation as a progressive, Christ-centered community that lives out its values in unusually concrete form. The congregation is focused on loving boldly and building hope through worship, education, service, and social justice. Its three-part values line - Love Boldly, Live Curiously, Serve Compassionately - hangs over everything from the Saturday evening contemporary service to the Habitat for Humanity builds south of town.
The welcoming statement makes the breadth of that welcome explicit. Wherever a person finds themselves on their faith journey, the congregation welcomes them. The church's own welcome names every race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and stage of life, ability or disability, and socioeconomic background. The church is an official United Methodist sanctuary solidarity congregation, supports full inclusion of LGBT members in the United Methodist Church and around the world, and publicly affirms that Black Lives Matter. Its staff and members describe the church as progressive, relevant, and committed to peace and hope - and the calendars, committees, and budget priorities reflect that self-understanding.
Two Worship Services, Two Sanctuaries
FUMC Ann Arbor worships in two sanctuaries under one roof, each with its own feel.
The Traditional Worship service meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. in the main sanctuary downtown. Clergy and choir wear robes. The chancel choir, under the direction of Ken Sieloff, leads the music alongside organist Paul Haebig, whose Doctor of Musical Arts and master's degree both come from the University of Michigan. Most attendees dress in business casual, though visitors are welcome to come as they are. A grace space in the center of the sanctuary is reserved for young children, and a family lounge in the narthex offers a quiet alternative with an adjustable speaker that carries the audio of the service. The service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, allowing members who are traveling, sick, or homebound to worship alongside those in the pews.
The Contemporary Worship service meets on Saturdays at 5 p.m. in the Green Wood Sanctuary. The atmosphere is casual, the music is contemporary, and the dress code is come-as-you-are. The service is led musically by Jenna Brevitz, a third-generation United Methodist and worship-arts graduate of Grace Christian University who is currently completing a Master of Arts in Higher Education at the University of Michigan. A special fall Saturday each year turns the Green Wood Sanctuary into a football-watching chapel: the congregation gathers to watch a University of Michigan game on big screens, pauses at halftime for an abbreviated service, and shares snacks and dinner around the action.
A third option, Rise & Shine Worship, meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. on Zoom. The half-hour format pairs scripture, song, prayer concerns, and gratitudes - a way to start the day grounded before heading to work or class.
Large-print bulletins and hymn sheets are available at the entrances to both sanctuaries. Gluten-free crackers are offered at communion, and the building is intentionally a peanut-free environment.
Music: Choirs, Bells, and a Coffee House
Music is woven into the life of the church in unusually rich ways. The Chancel Choir leads the music at the Downtown Sunday worship, performing anthems and special music that ranges from traditional choral works to gospel, contemporary, and international music. The choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. The Chancel Bell Choir, directed by Carole DeHart, performs monthly at Sunday worship and rehearses Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. The Asbury Ringers, a beginner and medium-experience bell group, rehearses Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and participates in worship about six times a year. Carole DeHart, who has been a member of the congregation since 1978 and was herself married in the FUMC sanctuary, directs both bell groups and welcomes newcomers who would like to try handbells.
Instrumentalists of all kinds are invited to participate in special events throughout the year. Outside of worship, the Green Wood Coffee House hosts exceptional music, coffee, and dessert in an intimate setting. Reservations are highly recommended.
Children: From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children from birth through fifth grade are a centerpiece of congregational life at FUMC. Rachel McCollum serves as Director of Kids Ministry, with a master's in education in children's literature and a background in children's ministry since 2007. Logan Huff serves as Children's and Youth Ministry Assistant; Logan grew up at FUMC, was baptized and confirmed there, and holds an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education.
On Sundays during the school year, families are invited to arrive about 15 minutes before the 10 a.m. service for check-in at the Kids Ministry table in the West entry. After worship begins in the sanctuary, children in kindergarten through fifth grade follow volunteers to Sunday school following the children's moment. Classes meet either in the preschool wing on the first floor or in the education wing on the third floor. Child care for infants through kindergarten is offered in the nursery on Sundays at 10 a.m. Younger children who stay with their families can use the family lounge in the narthex or the grace space in the center of the sanctuary.
The church has recently reorganized its physical space to bring all children from birth through grade 12 - and the volunteers who work with them - onto a single floor behind locked doors. The youngest children, birth through age five, have moved upstairs next to the K-5 classrooms. A new preschool space designed around a new curriculum creates room to explore faith, connect with God, and build relationships.
Three milestones mark children's faith growth: Baptism, Third Grade Bibles, and Fifth Grade Connect Up. Each spring, the church hosts Family Camp, a retreat geared toward building friendships and spiritual growth with archery, kayaking, zip lines, capture the flag, a gaga pit, climbing tower, fishing, swimming, crafts, and a high ropes course.
Youth in Grades Six Through Twelve
Youth ministry at FUMC is led by Rev. Greg Lawton, an ordained United Methodist deacon with a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and decades of experience in youth and young adult development in churches, schools, college campuses, nonprofits, and a camp and retreat center. The church's approach is to teach youth how to think, not what to think, using concepts like the Wesley Quadrilateral (Scripture, Reason, Experience, and Tradition) and the principles of Sticky Faith - the idea that faith should remain central long after graduation.
Youth Sunday School meets at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays (except the first Sunday of the month) during the 10 a.m. worship. Youth Group gathers on Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. The church also hosts an annual fall retreat, an annual spring SoulFull Retreat (held at the Lake Louise or Lake Huron Retreat Centers, with travel by charter bus), and an Academy Awards-style spring celebration that honors graduating seniors. Each spring the youth plan and lead an entire worship service for the congregation. Scholarships are available so that finances are never a barrier to retreat participation.
Service is a major thread. Active youth are eligible to apply for summer service trips. Recent destinations have included Cass Community Social Services in Detroit, where youth have prepared meals, sorted food in the pantry, cleaned the kitchen, made mudmats out of recycled tires, and sorted paper for recycling. The youth also participate in the annual CROP Hunger Walk.
The church has invested in its youth space as well: the loft in Calkins Hall now features bean bag chairs, oversized pillows, and a futon, and Room 204 across the hall has been transformed into a comfortable lounge for youth and adults to gather.
College: The Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan
Across the street and through the campus ministry that shares the building, the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan serves students from across the university. Rev. Tim Kobler serves as Chaplain. Tim has been in collegiate ministry for more than 20 years, including ten years as the director and chaplain of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a stint as chaplain at Emory & Henry College. He holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and an undergraduate degree in music education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a 20-plus-year beekeeper who also loves weightlifting, hiking, cooking, and travel.
The Wesley Foundation offers college-age students a worshipping community alongside their time at U of M, working in cooperation with the church's broader ministries.
Adult Faith Formation: Sundays, Weekdays, and Laptops
Adult Faith Formation at FUMC is built around the conviction that being a believer requires community and fellowship. Wendyever has been a member of FUMC since 1993 and on staff since 2000. She is a cradle United Methodist, a Michigan Technological University graduate, and has been on mission trips to Zeba, Kenya, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
Sunday morning offerings after the 10 a.m. service include Disability Awareness Talks, which meet in Calkins and over Zoom from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Each session begins with a presentation and continues with group discussion. The Global Issues group meets Sundays at 1 p.m. on Zoom to explore topics from the Great Decisions series by the Foreign Policy Association.
Weekday small groups fill out the rest of the week. Mindful Monday practices mindful techniques from 8 to 9 a.m. in a virtual setting. Open Table Tuesdays studies scripture at lunchtime from noon to 1 p.m. Rise and Shine Worship gathers on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8 a.m. on Zoom. Open Table Thursdays meets Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Men of Faith meets on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for study, sharing, and prayer.
Twice a year - typically in October-November and during Lent - the church offers Tuesdays Together, a six-week program with a community meal on Tuesday evenings followed by intentional explorations of mind, body, and soul.
The United Women in Faith circle at FUMC is a nationwide organization that meets in monthly subgroups focused on community, spiritual growth, social action, and fundraising. The local group is led by Linda LaBarre and ties into the Heritage District UWF, the Michigan Conference UWF, and International UWF.
Service: Standing in Solidarity
The social justice ministry at FUMC is broad, structured, and embedded in the church's identity. The church believes it is called not only to love and serve, but also to stand in solidarity with its neighbors in need. The list of partner organizations is long.
The Access Team, led by Karen Kurcz, works to create a culture of hospitality in which people with disabilities are welcomed into the church community. The team organizes the Disability Awareness Talks and advocates for the disability community.
Alpha House: FUMC is one of more than 30 congregations in the Interfaith Hospitality Network that rotate as hosts at the Alpha House family homeless shelter, providing hot meals and activity volunteers for a week at a time, three times a year.
Creation Care, an environmental group that meets the first Sunday of the month at 11:30 a.m., focuses on climate change, plastics, drinking water, and environmental justice. The group is led by James Pauer.
CROP Walk: FUMC hosts the annual Washtenaw/Ann Arbor CROP Hunger Walk, a community event where walkers of all ages take a 1- or 3-mile route. Twenty-five percent of funds raised support local hunger relief; seventy-five percent supports the worldwide hunger relief work of Church World Service.
Habitat for Humanity is supported through the Good News Group (GNG), a partnership of 16 congregations that has built or renovated housing in Washtenaw County since 1997, when FUMC member Bob Whitacre founded it. GNG recently reached its $10,000 pledge for 2026. The 2026 build schedule includes time on a Ypsilanti house at 1015 Gault Dr. and a new build at 1353 Rolling Court.
Hope Clinic: Volunteers from FUMC serve the fourth Thursday of each month at the Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, where hot to-go meals are served to 150-plus people each evening. Additional volunteers sort and distribute food in the pantry and farm stand and pack food for delivery to shut-ins.
House by the Side of the Road distributes free clothing, bedding, small household items, and toys to individuals and families in need, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Immigrant Support and Justice (ISJ) works with Washtenaw Congregational Sanctuary to support immigrant neighbors through advocacy, dignity work, and community education.
The Kenya Mission partners with a rural Kenyan community to provide education and a sustainable feeding program. The Bishop Lawi Imathiu Secondary School (BLISS) was built primarily with funds donated by FUMC Ann Arbor and serves more than 600 students. Recent mission teams have also assisted with the educational and feeding efforts at Gichunge Primary School.
Love Thy Neighbor (LTN), an outreach of FUMC, provides pop-top canned foods, snacks, and nutrition drinks every morning to guests of the St. Andrew's Breakfast Program.
The Advocates for Food Security lead FUMC's participation in Bread for the World's annual Offering of Letters campaign and hold quarterly educational sessions.
The Crisis Response Team coordinates volunteers and resources in partnership with United Methodist-affiliated and community partners to respond quickly to urgent needs affecting the congregation and wider community.
Each November, the Giving Tree collects names and gift wishes from children and adults served by Community Action Network and Alpha House, and members of the congregation select tags and provide wrapped gifts for the holidays.
Caring Ministries: Walking With One Another
The Caring Ministries umbrella gathers the church's work of accompanying one another through life's transitions.
Stephen Ministry offers active listening and support during life transitions and vulnerable times. The Stephen Ministers currently serving are Deb Brokaw, Jean Bush-Bacelis, Kathy Lawless, Susan Lott, Al Metz, Don Pell, and Julie Zawacki.
Prayer Shawls members create prayer shawls and quilts for those in need of comfort. Prayer Chain members receive concerns and celebrations by email and support them with individual prayers.
The Visitation Team connects monthly with FUMC's Just Older Youth (JOY) friends who cannot attend in person, with visits, phone calls, and cards. Current team members are Kristen Adkins, Susan Baily, Deb Brokaw, Bridget Held, Mara Palty, Cathy Pardon, Jan Radak, Helen Ryan, and Karen Samford.
Grief Support is available for those who have lost a loved one. Spiritual Companionship offers one-on-one conversation in a safe, unhurried space. The Access Helpers team helps attendees navigate the building and parking lot safely before services, during Connections, and at special events.
The church also coordinates hospitality before and after memorial services, and the Hospitality for Memorial Services team helps with receptions following funerals.
An Accessible Downtown Building
Accessibility is treated as a core commitment rather than a side note. Two handicap-accessible entrances serve the building. The west entrance off Washington Street is the main entrance during the week and opens onto a 40-car lot with four permanent handicap parking spaces, two of which are van-accessible. On weekends, the lot is reserved for first-time visitors, accessibility needs, and mobility challenges on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Promenade entrance off South State Street, accessed by a circular drive, is a drop-off and pick-up area; its ramp leads to either the main sanctuary entrance on the right or the Green Wood sanctuary and offices on the left.
The elevator inside the west entrance serves three levels: the ground floor (social hall and nursery), the first floor (main and Green Wood sanctuaries, church offices, and Wesley lounge), and the second floor (classrooms). Handicap-accessible restrooms are available on each floor. The main sanctuary has pew cuts in the front, middle, and rear sections for wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers, with companion seating nearby. Chairs with arms are available in the middle rows and can be moved as needed.
A courtesy wheelchair and a walker are available near the elevator and in the narthex. Large-print bulletins and hymn sheets are available at the entrances to both sanctuaries. Hearing accessibility is undergoing renovation. A monthly Disability Awareness Talks series meets in Calkins and over Zoom. Questions and concerns can be sent to access@fumc-a2.org.
FUMCN Preschool
The First United Methodist Cooperative Nursery (FUMCN) is a licensed, multi-age preschool for three-, four-, and five-year-olds that operates out of the church's downtown building. FUMCN offers play and STEAM-based multi-age learning environments with a Reggio-inspired design, place-based learning that ties the classroom to the rhythms of the Ann Arbor community, and scheduling flexibility with morning and/or afternoon enrichment classes and flexible drop-off and pick-up windows. The co-op model creates a community of support and connection among the families enrolled. FUMCN welcomes all families and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, ability, race, ethnicity, nationality, family orientation, sex, or sexual orientation.
The Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden offers a place for cremated remains to be interred on the church grounds, surrounded by the downtown congregation that has accompanied members in faith. The garden is part of the church's life and ministry, alongside weddings, funerals, and memorial services held in the sanctuary.
Church Governance and Leadership
FUMC is governed by a Leadership Council, which serves as the executive agency of the annual Church Conference and provides year-round oversight of ministry progress and administration. The Committee on Lay Leadership identifies and develops volunteer leadership. The Finance Committee administers fiscal and administrative policies. The Staff Parish Committee acts as a liaison between staff, clergy, and the congregation, reflecting on staffing needs and the role of the pastors. The Board of Trustees cares for the property, buildings, and equipment. Justice in Action provides coordination and general leadership to the mission, outreach, and advocacy efforts of the congregation, aligning them with FUMC's vision of growing in Christ while offering themselves in purposeful service to those in need.
The pastoral staff is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Nancy Lynn, who grew up in a family with deep United Methodist roots, taught high school English, English as a Second Language in Switzerland, and Composition at a local community college before following her call to ordained ministry. She first came to FUMC as associate pastor in 2010 and was appointed lead pastor in 2018. Rev. Sarah Alexander serves as Associate Pastor of Operations and Congregational Care, holding a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University, a Master of Arts in Practical Theology from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration, and a Master of Business Administration from Dakota Wesleyan University. Sarah also serves the Michigan Conference as Registrar for the Board of Ordained Ministry and is the Dean of Clergy Family Camp at Lake Louise Christian Community.
Communications are led by Jessica Allison, who has directed FUMC's communications since 2020 and previously worked in nonprofit communications for eight years. The livestream team is led by Lead Livestream Technician Richard Huang, with Ramone Williams serving as Livestream Technician and Adele Roy as Administrative Assistant for Online Worship and Video Artist, who has been with the staff since early 2002. Henry Brown has supervised the building since 2002, and Tina Alee has served as administrative secretary since May 2001. The Access Helpers team helps attendees navigate the building and parking lot safely and comfortably.
Giving
Members and friends can give online through the church's online giving portal, by check mailed to 120 S. State St., or by texting "Give" to 848-204-0207 for mobile giving. Annual giving commitments are gathered each year to support the ministries of the church and its outreach efforts in the community and the world. The Annual Impact Report tracks how financial gifts have supported the many ministries of the congregation, from staff salaries and building maintenance to the CROP Walk, Habitat for Humanity, the Love Thy Neighbor breakfast program, the Kenya mission, and the many small groups and caring ministries that knit the congregation together week by week.
For more information about any of these ministries or to get involved, the church can be reached at info@fumc-a2.org, by phone at 734-662-4536, or in person at 120 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.