Smyrna First United Methodist Church sits on Concord Road in Smyrna, Georgia, near the Cobb County line, and has been gathering worshipers in this community for nearly two hundred years. The congregation is large enough to run three Sunday morning services, a separate mission campus called Tillman House, a weekday preschool program, and one of the most active music ministries in the area. Its stated mission is to make disciples who make disciples, and its motto, displayed across the top of its communications, is "Love God. Love People."
Two Campuses a Block Apart
The main campus is at 1315 Concord Road SE, and the church's mission campus, Tillman House Resource Center, is just behind it at 1314 Church Street SE. The two properties function as one congregation with a clear division of purpose. The Concord Road property houses the Sanctuary, where the Classic and Traditional services meet, the Fellowship Hall, where the Modern service and Wednesday night dinners take place, the children's and youth wings, the Weekday Education classrooms, and the church offices. The mailing address for giving and other correspondence is PO Box 2817, Smyrna, GA 30081, and the main office line is (770) 436-4108.
Three Sunday Morning Services
Sunday is the heart of the week at Smyrna First, and the church runs two services at 9:00 AM and one at 11:15 AM. The 9:00 AM Classic service and the 11:15 AM Traditional service both meet in the main Sanctuary and follow a more traditional pattern, with the organ, anthems sung by the Cornerstone Choir, liturgy, and the other hallmarks of United Methodist worship. The 9:00 AM Modern service, sometimes called the Common Foundation service, meets in the Fellowship Hall and is led by the praise band. Teaching at all three services is rooted in Scripture, and the pastors describe their preaching as aimed at challenging and encouraging listeners in their everyday lives. Each service runs about an hour. The 9:00 AM Modern service also lives online through the church's YouTube channel, so worshipers who are traveling or homebound can join in real time.
Sunday School classes for every age group run alongside the morning services. Classes are organized for children, youth, and adults, with separate rooms for middle school boys, middle school girls, and Confirmation students on the youth side, and a wide range of adult Sunday School classes on the adult side.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Greeters meet visitors at the door and help with directions, child check-in, and finding a seat. The church suggests arriving 15 to 20 minutes before the service to allow time for parking, registration of children, and a relaxed walk to the worship space. There is no dress code. The Modern service in the Fellowship Hall is the most casual, with jeans and t-shirts as common as business casual, and the Classic and Traditional services draw a slightly dressier crowd, though everything from sneakers to suits is welcome. Giving is collected as an offering during the services, but visitors are not expected to contribute, and the church explicitly describes generosity as a personal matter.
Children from birth through 5th grade are cared for through Smyrna First Children's Ministry, which offers a staffed nursery, Sunday School, and Children's Church organized by age. The check-in system is designed to keep children safe and to make drop-off and pick-up quick for parents. All volunteers who work with children and youth are background checked and trained under the church's Safe Sanctuary Policy.
Children from Birth Through 5th Grade
The Children's Ministry is led by Director Marie Smith, with Estee Lassiter serving as Associate Director. The ministry is built around the idea of partnering with parents to help kids become dedicated followers of Jesus Christ, and it offers something for every stage from birth to the end of elementary school. Birth through age 3 meet as nursery children with a "Jesus Loves Me" faith milestone. Three-year-olds through kindergarteners move into Sunday School and Children's Church. 1st through 3rd graders continue in Sunday School and Children's Church and are invited to serve as acolytes. 4th and 5th graders add Club 4/5 to their rotation, along with continued acolyte service.
Children's music is its own track, with the Sonshine Singers, HIS Kids, and Tomorrow's Promise choirs, led by Associate Director of Children's Music Ministries Courtnaye Wood. Vacation Bible School and a summer camp round out the year. The Weekday Education program, directed by Julia Shod, runs weekday preschool and early-childhood classes for church families and the wider community.
Youth in 6th Through 12th Grade
Smyrna First Youth is led by Rev. Jono Moehlig, Pastor of Youth Ministries, with Patrick Wood serving as Associate Director. The ministry is built around a verse from 3 John - sending students on their journey in a manner worthy of God - and serves students in middle school and high school, with a separate Confirmation track for 6th graders and any older youth who want to be confirmed.
Sunday morning begins with grade-specific Sunday School, followed by corporate worship. Middle schoolers meet in boys' and girls' groups in rooms C209 and C207, with Confirmation in C212. Sunday Night Youth gathers at 5:30 PM for a snack dinner and a rotating evening of worship, teaching, and fellowship. Wednesday nights begin with a family dinner in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 PM, where a youth table is set aside, and then move into a Bible study designed for the specific age group. Music is woven through the week in God's Light Youth Choir, the youth praise bands, and the Youth Orchestra. Once or twice a year, students gather for Elevate Weekend, retreats, and mission trips, including a summer youth mission trip that has gone to partners overseas.
Adult Discipleship, Small Groups, and Care
Adult Ministry is coordinated by Mayra Richards and runs along three tracks. The Studies track includes Sunday School classes and seasonal Bible and book studies, including short-term and long-term options for men, women, and mixed groups. The Focus Groups track is the fellowship layer, with small groups, the JOY Ministry (a fellowship group for older adults), United Women in Faith, recreation, and music ensembles. The Congregational Care track is the pastoral layer, with Stephen Ministry, a Prayer Team, a Caring and Sharing ministry, a Visiting Friends outreach to those who cannot attend, and Delmar Worship, a service held off campus for those who need it.
Sunday School is the front door for many adults, and the program is coordinated by Mason Westmoreland. Classes are organized by life stage, and the church invites newcomers to try several before settling in. Small groups, including weekday groups that meet in homes, are another common path into the congregation.
A Music Ministry the Whole City Can Hear
Smyrna First describes its Music and Arts Ministry as one of the largest in the area, and the structure supports that claim. Kim Duggins serves as Director of Worship and Fine Arts, with Amy Wallace leading the Modern service as Modern Worship Leader. The children's choirs are Sonshine Singers, HIS Kids, and Tomorrow's Promise. The youth choirs and ensembles include God's Light, the youth praise bands, and the Youth Orchestra. The adult choirs and ensembles include Cornerstone (the primary adult choir that sings at the Classic services), New Praise, the NoteAbles, the Praise Band, Instruments of Praise, and Sounding Joy. The Tech Team, coordinated by Elli Flowers, supports both in-person and online worship through sound, video, and livestream production. The church takes seriously the Psalm 100 call to make a joyful noise, and ensembles are open to singers and instrumentalists at many skill levels.
Missions: Tillman House, UMCOR, and the World
Missions are coordinated by Director of Missions Julia DeVane and organized in three concentric circles. At the center is the local community, served through Tillman House Resource Center, the church's own mission campus at 1314 Church Street SE. Tillman House exists to offer a loving and supportive central location for community members to access programming that assists those in need. The church works through UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, for disaster response and relief supply support. Beyond the region, Smyrna First maintains long-standing partnerships in West Africa and in Manchester and Tipitopa, Nicaragua, and sends adult and youth mission teams to those partners. The youth mission trip is a highlight of the summer calendar and is open to students who have completed the prerequisite studies.
Beliefs and the Two Sacraments
Smyrna First teaches classical United Methodist doctrine. There is one true and holy God, existing eternally in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God, fully God and fully human, born of the Virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, physically rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will return to reign in peace and justice. Human beings cannot earn salvation through self-improvement or good works; salvation is a gift from God, received by confessing that one is imperfect and in need of forgiveness and by believing that Jesus died and rose again as payment for sin. The Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is the unique and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. The Church is the Body of Christ present in the world, and every believer is equipped with at least one spiritual gift for service in God's mission.
The church observes two sacraments: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Baptism is celebrated once in a believer's life and is a sign of God's saving work, marking entry into the Church. Communion is celebrated in gathered worship and is open to anyone, regardless of church membership, who confesses personal sin in private prayer and desires to take one step closer to Jesus. The bread and grape juice are understood as symbols of the body and blood of Christ, broken and shed for sin, and the Holy Spirit meets the communicant in the sacrament with grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
Leadership and Shared Lay Governance
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Susan Allen Grady, with Rev. Kathryn Davis serving as Senior Associate Pastor and Rev. Jono Moehlig as Pastor of Youth Ministries. Membership inquiries are directed to Rev. Allen Grady. The Altar Guild, which prepares the Sanctuary and Worship Center for services and sacraments, is led through the staff team. The Tech Team is reached through the communications office.
As in every United Methodist church, lay leadership is shared. Members are elected to roles that guide the mission and ministry of the congregation, partnering with the clergy in decisions, support, and execution. The elected committees include the Church Council, Trustees, Finance, and Staff-Parish Relations (SPR), and the direction of the church is shaped by both ordained pastors and the active participation of its members.
Giving and Staying Connected
Generosity is a central practice at Smyrna First, and the church offers several ways to give. Online giving, including one-time and recurring gifts, is set up through the church's Realm account, and a 2026 commitment card is available for those who want to pledge. Gifts can be made in person through the offering plate or by leaving them at the church office, and by mail to PO Box 2817, Smyrna, GA 30081. Text giving is available by texting SFUMC1315 to 73256. The Finance Office also accepts planned gifts, including appreciated stocks, mutual funds, and other marketable securities; Qualified Charitable Distributions directly from an IRA; bequests through wills, retirement accounts, and insurance policies; and Donor Advised Funds. The church maintains a mailing list for weekly updates and a separate email list for youth families, and both can be joined online.
Visitors who want to know more before walking through the door are invited to read through the Plan a Visit page on the church's site, which lays out the three services, what each one is like, what to wear, and how the children's check-in works, and to follow the congregation on Facebook and YouTube to catch a recent service. Smyrna First UMC is a long-standing Smyrna congregation with a deep bench of staff and volunteers, a campus built for both worship and service, and a clear sense that the people in front of them, near and far, are the reason the church exists.