Florence Christian Church sits at the corner of Main Street, Dixie Highway, and US 42 in Florence, Kentucky, a Northern Kentucky town just south of Cincinnati. The congregation has been rooted in that spot since 1831, and the people who walk through its doors today still describe themselves, in the words of their own mission statement, as celebrating "God's welcome table of abundant love, grace and acceptance." As a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Florence Christian is Open and Affirming through AllianceQ, the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance, and a recognized Green Chalice congregation for its care of creation.
Almost Two Centuries on Main Street
Florence Christian Church has been a presence in Northern Kentucky since 1831. Its long history is woven into the civic life of the area. During the Civil War the building was used as a hospital, and during the devastating 1937 Flood it served as a place to dry laundry from Booth Hospital. In 1978 the church established an early childcare center, after school programming, and a senior center in response to the needs around it. The same impulse shaped a long relationship with scouting: Boy Scout Troop 1 has been sponsored by Florence Christian since 1959 and has produced more than forty Eagle Scouts.
The congregation describes itself as a "Servant Church" that has earned a reputation in the region for extending care through service, from hosting a community Thanksgiving meal to taking Vacation Bible School into local apartment neighborhoods to serving as an emergency cold shelter in 2019. Pastor Susan Diamond and the leaders of the church often say that the building itself is a ministry, with rooms used each week by recovery groups, preschoolers, scouts, and a free shower program that welcomes people from across Northern Kentucky.
One Service at Ten, in the Sanctuary and Online
Worship at Florence Christian takes place on Sunday morning at 10 AM, both on campus and online. The church streams the service on its Facebook page and YouTube channel at 10 AM Eastern, and the recording remains available in the "Live Worship" playlist so anyone can experience the service at any time.
The service follows a convergence pattern built on the historic fourfold order of Gathering, Word, Table, and Sending. Pastor Susan and the worship planning team describe the approach as blending a broad range of musical content and styles, a celebrative tone rooted in the saving acts of God, and a recovery of the arts in worship. The order of worship usually includes prayer, scripture, praise music, a children's blessing, and preaching, followed by the celebration of communion at the Lord's Table. The church uses grape juice so that no one in recovery feels excluded, and gluten-free options are always available.
Offering is part of the service as well. Members and guests can give online through the church's giving portal, set up a recurring gift, or text a donation amount to (859) 755-4040. Visitors who wish to follow up after their first Sunday can fill out a short guest form, after which Pastor Susan sends a downloadable copy of her devotional book "The Daily Grind: GOD with Your Coffee."
Children at the Welcome Table
Florence Christian makes room for the whole family in the sanctuary. Children are encouraged to begin worship with their parents, and after the music and opening prayer one of the pastors invites them forward for a Children's Blessing that uses both spoken words and signs. After the blessing, children who wish to continue in an age-appropriate setting are escorted by an adult worship leader to one of the church's children's worship spaces.
- Children Worship and Wonder serves children ages four through six and uses a Montessori-influenced environment with ritual, sacred storytelling, and a space for theological wondering.
- Following Jesus is a similar worship experience for children ages six through eight, with sacred stories that follow the life of Jesus.
- Kid's Quest is for children ages eight through thirteen. Each week participants rotate through roles such as lighting the Christ candle, sharing joys and concerns, offering a morning prayer, reading scripture, and responding to the week's lesson.
- Nursery care is offered for children five and under in the Atrium. Parents sign children in and provide a cell phone number for contact; the same person who drops off must pick up.
The church has also set up a "Wonder in Worship" space in the back of the sanctuary with coloring pages, books, and worship aids for children who remain in the service. Tips offered for parents include sitting near the front, quietly explaining the parts of the service, and letting children mimic adult worship behavior. Children of any age, baptized or not, are welcome at the communion table.
Hands and Feet in Northern Kentucky
The congregation's outreach work has grown into a network of programs that meet neighbors in their most basic needs.
The Feeding the Multitudes ministry runs several food programs at once. A Free and Fresh Food Distribution takes place on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 2 PM, with volunteers loading produce and shelf-stable items directly into cars at the front doors. There are no income guidelines. The Care and Share Pantry is an outdoor, 24/7 supplemental food resource in the upper parking lot where guests take what they need and leave what they can. The Care and Share Pantry works with Arcadia Park Senior Center through a partnership with Action Ministries to deliver food once a month. Every November the church hosts a free Turkey Supper open to the whole community. Christians for Critters collects pet food and supplies for the Arcadia Park neighborhood and sponsors an annual Blessing of the Pets service in the meditation garden.
The Fresh Start Shower Ministry offers dignity to people who are housing-insecure through showers, restrooms, and laundry. After renovating a large storage room, the church opened two full shower and bath rooms with funding from the Boone County Fiscal Court and the R.C. Durr Foundation. The ministry operates Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM, with the last shower at 1:30 PM. Guests receive coffee, snacks, and hygiene items, and may arrive before a job interview, after a long shift, or in need of rest during rainy weather.
Recovery groups meet at the church several days a week. Fourth Dimension, an Alcoholics Anonymous group, gathers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon. Gamblers Anonymous meets on Tuesday evening at 7 PM, and Al Anon meets on Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 PM. The congregation also partners with the National Benevolent Association, the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, Brighton Center, Master Provisions, the FreeStore FoodBank, Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, and many other agencies.
Through its Global Outreach ministry, the church began a partnership in 2016 with Rayo de Sol, a Christian nonprofit serving children and families in Nicaragua. An Advent Conspiracy campaign funded a clean water project that helped more than thirty families install rain harvesting systems. A 2017 visit by Pastor Susan put faces to the relationship, and a future team trip is on the horizon.
Scouting, Preschool, and a Building that Hosts the Neighborhood
Florence Christian's building, conveniently located at the intersection of Main Street, Dixie Highway, and US 42, is in constant use. The Activity Center includes a full gym, kitchen, and two bath facilities. The Well is a reception area with seating around intimate round tables and a kitchenette. The Sanctuary seats 280 and the Chapel seats 50. Members and non-members alike may reserve rooms for weddings, funerals, meetings, and other life events, with rates set through the FCC Building Use Policy.
The Discover Zone Preschool and Childcare serves infants through pre-kindergarteners and a school-age program for children up to age twelve. Programming uses the Creative Curriculum for preschool and a theme-based Creative Curriculum approach for infants and toddlers, with regular Bible learning activities woven into the day. A Kantec Security System controls access, and every staff member passes a national fingerprint background check, a child abuse and neglect check, and a TB test. Teachers complete at least fifteen hours of early childhood training annually and are certified in Infant and Child First Aid, CPR, and pediatric head trauma.
Scouting is a long-standing part of the church's life. Boy Scout Troop 1, sponsored by Florence Christian since 1959, takes scouts ages eleven through seventeen on trips that have included caving, canoeing, horseback riding, Fort Knox, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Patriots Point Maritime Museum, and the Kentucky Horse Park. BSA Troop 1001, the girls' troop that launched in 2019, follows the same leadership and skill-building program. Cub Scout Pack 138 meets at the church on Tuesdays at 7 PM throughout the year for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The church also hosts a Bike Repair Station on its campus and supports a network of community service partners across Northern Kentucky, from St. Elizabeth Healthcare and UK HealthCare to Humana, Anthem, and Aetna, as well as a long list of food, shelter, and social service organizations.
Faith Formation for Every Age
Faith formation at Florence Christian is built around the conviction that everyone is somewhere on the journey, and that the church walks alongside. Children's ministry offerings begin at birth with nursery care, continue through three graded worship experiences, and include a monthly Date Night ministry that teaches caretakers about family faith practices while providing three hours of free childcare. Annual events include Trunk or Treat, a chili cook-off, summer pool parties, and family retreats, and a Passage into Discipleship mentoring program is offered for children eight and up who are exploring baptism or a first Christian commitment.
The Youth Ministry provides both small and large group settings for teenagers. The FCC Gals Group, for girls ages ten through thirteen, meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. A Boys Basketball Group, for boys ages ten through sixteen, gathers on the fourth Monday evening for games and devotions. High School Girls meet on Sunday evenings at 5:30 for conversation and faith sharing. The youth ministry partners with local agencies such as Isaiah House for service projects and has organized summer mission trips to Appalachia, Montgomery, Alabama, and camps in Canada.
Adult Faith Groups are small gatherings of six to twelve people who meet to discuss a Bible passage, a Christian book, a sermon series, or a topic of interest. The Adult Discussion Group meets on Sunday mornings, and additional groups are organized around geography, ministry focus, or shared identity, such as the Mary/Deborah women's group. The church has offered a Spiritual Gifts class, an Enneagram group, and a Leadership Academy as part of its formation pathway, and the All Called project and a Stories We Live resource help members discern and live out their sense of calling.
The Prayer Team meets regularly to pray for individuals, the church, the region, and the world, and a weekly prayer list is shared with elders, pastors, and the team. A prayer request form is available at the church.
Pastoral Care, Health, and Creation Care
Pastoral care at Florence Christian happens through visits, prayer, counseling, and an active elder ministry. Pastors are available for hospital visits, home visits, and guidance through life's difficult seasons. Funerals, child dedications, and milestone rituals such as Backpack Blessing, Bible presentation, baptism and baptismal renewal, and All Saints Day remembrance are part of the rhythm of the church's year.
Health Ministries promotes whole-person wellness by following the US Health and Human Services National Health Observances each month and has long traditions of monthly blood pressure screenings on Sundays and an annual flu shot Sunday.
Creation Care is led by a Green Team that has helped the congregation earn recognition as a Green Chalice Congregation. The team encourages members and the wider community to reduce, reuse, and recycle both at church and at home.
What Florence Christian Believes
Florence Christian Church identifies with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and centers its life on the three core values of welcoming radically, serving boldly, and forming faith every day. The congregation affirms that all people are created in the image of God and that all are recipients of God's unconditional love and grace. As an Open and Affirming congregation through AllianceQ, the church welcomes the full inclusion of all people in its life, leadership, and ministries.
The mission statement is short: "Florence Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) celebrates God's welcome table of abundant love, grace and acceptance." Communion is celebrated weekly, using grape juice, and the table is open to all who wish to participate.
Pastors and Staff
The Rev. Dr. Susan Ward Diamond, known as Pastor Susan, has served as Lead Minister since January 1, 2015. Before Florence she served First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Naples, Florida for thirteen years and First Christian Church in Montgomery, Alabama from 2003 to 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University, a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1990. She writes a daily meditation with nearly thirteen hundred subscribers and is the author of The Daily Grind: GOD with Your Coffee and the children's book Otter Joe Pete.
The Rev. Dr. Diana Hodges-Batzka, known as Pastor Diana, serves alongside Pastor Susan and frequently preaches and leads worship.
Getting Connected
Visitors are invited to worship in person or online at 10 AM on Sunday, with a 9 AM adult Faith Discussion Class, fellowship and coffee at 9:30, and an intergenerational Sunday Huddle from 11:15 AM to noon. The church office is reachable at (859) 647-5000 during the week, and general questions can be sent to fccinfo@florencechristian.org. Those interested in baptism, child dedication, marriage preparation, or funeral planning can begin the conversation by calling extension 1.