First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls sits at 245 Portage Trail in the heart of a town that grew up around the falls on the Cuyahoga River. The congregation was founded in 1830, when a small group of Christians on the Connecticut Western Reserve began meeting in each other's homes and in a schoolhouse on Front Street. They were served by a Methodist circuit rider, and within a decade they had built their first house of worship near the square where the present church still stands. Nearly two hundred years later, the same spirit of gathering, prayer, and service continues to shape life here.
Sunday Mornings: Two Services and Sunday School for All
From September through May, the church holds two Sunday worship services. The 8:30 a.m. service is the quieter of the two, with music led by the church's organist and accompanist and communion served every week. Sunday School for every age runs at 9:30 a.m., with classes for preschoolers through sixth grade and adult electives meeting between services. At 10:45 a.m. the larger service features music from the Chancel Choir, a Children's Sermon, and the chancel and chapel pipe organs fill the room. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade begin in the sanctuary and then move to Asbury Hall for a children's-led, experiential worship service following the Children's Message. Childcare for infants through preschoolers is offered from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at this service.
During the summer, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the schedule simplifies to a single worship service at 9:30 a.m. There is no Sunday School during these weeks, and music is provided by the Summer Choir and the organist. Communion is offered every Sunday of the summer season.
Special services mark the Christian year, including Christmas Eve (traditionally at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.), Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, World Communion Sunday, and the Church Fest. Several of these services are ecumenical, hosted or shared with other Christian traditions in Cuyahoga Falls.
A Music Program Built Over 160 Years
Music has been central to worship at First Church since 1864, when the congregation purchased its first small pipe organ. A "chorus choir" of thirty voices was organized during remodeling in 1885-87, and today more than 150 people participate in the church's music program. A four-manual pipe organ fills the sanctuary and a two-manual pipe organ serves the chapel. Recent stewardship of these instruments included overhauling the organ and replacing the pneumatic system with a modern electronic one, cleaning and repairing more than 2,200 pipes, and new flooring throughout the sanctuary, offices, classrooms, and hallways.
The Chancel Choir (adults) and the Epworth Choir (grades 7-12) serve as the choirs at the 10:45 a.m. service. Both choirs perform concerts throughout the year as part of the church's Art Series. The Epworth Choir has toured annually as ambassadors for Christ, traveling throughout the United States and Canada. Past tours have carried the Chancel Ringers to Germany and the Chancel Choir, with the Chancel Ringers, to England. In 2011 the Chancel Choir won First Place at Jubilation 2011, the Elizabeth Stuart Church Choir Competition sponsored by WCLV; that year both the Chancel and Epworth Choirs were selected as semi-finalists, the first time two choirs from the same church had earned that distinction, and Epworth was the first youth choir ever selected.
The children's choirs begin early. Bethlehem Choir, for ages four through third grade, rehearses on Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. Wesley Choir, for grades four through eight, rehearses Sundays from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. Epworth Choir, for grades seven through twelve, rehearses Sundays at 5:45 p.m. The Chancel Choir rehearses Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. The handbell program is unusually extensive: the church owns six octaves of Schulmerich handbells and seven octaves of Malmark Choirchimes, and ringing ensembles include Carillon Chimes (grades 1-3), Wesley Ringers (grades 4-6), Epworth Ringers (youth), and Chancel Ringers (adults). Anyone who likes to sing can join Summer Choir during the warmer months.
Growing Up at First Church
First Church has been the spiritual center for generations of families in the Cuyahoga Falls area. The children's ministries begin with paid nursery care for infants and toddlers during Sunday mornings and Sunday School classes for preschoolers through sixth grade at 9:30 a.m. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade can attend Children's Worship during the second service. R.O.C.K. (Reality of Christ for Kids) meets Sunday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for children ages four through fourth grade, combining Bible stories, crafts, mission projects, and robotics. Vacation Bible School takes place each summer.
For older students, Wesley Youth Fellowship gathers grades five through eight on Sunday evenings from 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. for fellowship, Bible study, and service projects. Wesley Outings add seasonal activities throughout the year, including a family camp and cookout, a pumpkin farm outing, a service project with Project Feed Kent UMC, Christmas caroling, a New Year's Eve Lock-In, and a winter Camp Asbury retreat for grades six through eight.
Epworth Youth Group meets Sunday evenings at 4:00 p.m., engaging students and families of the community, leading them to Christ, and working toward the vision of "Changing Lives, Transforming Communities, Engaging the World." Confirmation is a two-year process that takes place during the Sunday School hour, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., for seventh and eighth graders, equipping young people to take responsibility for their relationship with Christ. Pastor Howard Pippin oversees the Confirmation journey.
The church has been the home of active Scouting programs for more than 100 years.
Adult Discipleship: Classes, Circles, and Small Groups
Sunday School for adults meets at 9:30 a.m. from September through May, with a variety of class offerings. A Pastor's Bible Study runs through the program year. A "Disciple Like Jesus" class, exploring six aspects of following Jesus, is offered twice a year, and a new-member version of the same material runs for six weeks as part of the path to membership.
Women's Bible Study meets twice a week: Tuesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Past studies have included authors such as Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, James MacDonald, and Ann Voskamp. Men's ministry includes a Tuesday Men's Small Group that meets every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., a Wednesday group that meets every other Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., and Men's Time Out, a monthly gathering on the first Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in Asbury Hall for fellowship, discussion, and a light breakfast. A Prayer Group meets every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. to pray for those on the prayer list, for First Church, and for the wider community.
Three Circles of United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) provide fellowship and service. Esther Circle meets the third Friday of the month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Susannah Circle meets the second Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Acts of Grace Circle meets the fourth Monday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Several recovery and support groups make their home at First Church. Al-Anon meets every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., with newcomers invited at 12:30 p.m. CODA (Co-Dependents Anonymous) meets every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. The Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group meets the first Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
Missions that Reach Beyond the Building
Service to the wider community is woven into the congregation's identity. The Blessing Box on 3rd Street is open twenty-four hours a day for anyone in immediate need of food or toiletries; passersby can take what they need and leave what they can. First Church Feeds distributes bags of groceries once a month, on the third Saturday at 11:30 a.m., with a valid photo ID required. Soup's On serves a hot lunch once a month at Good Neighbors on 2nd Street. The church supports Family Promise, an ecumenical ministry that shelters homeless families and helps them get back on their feet, and Open M Ministries, which feeds the hungry, attends to the sick, and aids those in need. Henderson Settlement in Appalachia is the destination for a yearly mission trip, and Zoe Empowers is a partner ministry working with child-headed households affected by the global orphan crisis. Cup Bearers visits those in assisted living communities.
First Church's ministry and outreach reach local, national, and international needs, with support for Christian missions in sixty-one foreign countries and aid for people throughout the region. The congregation serves people in Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Tallmadge, Silver Lake, Munroe Falls, Hudson, Bath, Northfield, Norton, Kent, Akron, Fairlawn, Uniontown, and Streetsboro.
The Weekday Christian Preschool
The Weekday Christian Preschool is part of the church's ministry and serves ninety children each year from September through May. The preschool can be reached at 330-923-5243. Families interested in learning more are invited to contact the preschool directly.
Weddings, Funerals, and Joining the Church
First Church hosts weddings for both members and non-members. Because it is a place of worship and not a venue, one of the church's ministers must be involved in the ceremony; couples with their own pastor may have that pastor speak with the church's pastor to determine their role. Couples complete three counseling sessions with the minister performing the ceremony.
For funerals, the usual first step is contacting a funeral home, which will coordinate the service with the church. The church does not rent rooms for private functions, and scheduling of other church activities runs through the church office.
Those interested in joining First Church can begin with a New Members' class offered once or twice a year. The class meets on Sunday mornings between services for eight weeks, covering Methodist Christianity in general and First Church in particular. At the end of the class, new members are welcomed into the church at the service of their choice. Baptism is offered several times a year; the church office can help schedule.
Parking and Practical Details
Visitors will find several parking options. The visitor lot on 3rd Street across from the main entrance is reserved for those unable to walk long distances, and there is also temporary parking by the main entrance for quick drop-offs and deliveries. Lots 1 and 2 sit at the corner of Portage Trail and 3rd Street, with a crosswalk at the intersection for safe access. The municipal lot at the corner of 2nd Street and Stow Avenue is free on weekday evenings and weekends, and the city parking decks on Second Street are also free; the closest deck sits on Second Street between Stow Avenue and Portage Trail, with a paved Church Square Walkway cutting through the greenspace.
Members of the church vow to support it through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Sundays at First Church are full of music, teaching, children, and a community that has been gathering for nearly two centuries in the same square in Cuyahoga Falls.