Grandview United Methodist Church sits at the corner of 23rd and Phelps Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where for nearly eighty years it has served as an intergenerational and multicultural gathering place. The congregation describes itself with the phrase "Intergenerational & Multicultural," and today it welcomes both longtime American families and a Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community that has made Grandview its worship home. The church's three-word mission is Grace, Growth, Gratitude, the thread that ties its Sunday morning Legacy service, its 2:30 p.m. Nepali-language gathering, and its long-running children's, music, and outreach ministries together.
A History Written in Growth
The story of Grandview United Methodist Church is, in its own words, a story of growth. On July 25, 1948, the first worship service was held in a tent pitched on the front lawn of the present Phelps Avenue site. That fall the congregation moved into a renovated Army barracks, and on October 17, 1948, ground was broken for the building that still stands today. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on the first Sunday of October 1949, with the building formally dedicated on December 4 of that year.
Grandview grew out of a 1946 merger between the Evangelical Church and the United Brethren in Christ Church. After that merger, two Evangelical United Brethren congregations sat within a few blocks of each other on Akron's North Hill. Thirty-nine men, women, and children of the former United Brethren Church, then meeting at the corner of Dayton Street and Tallmadge Avenue, voted to come to this Phelps Avenue location and start a new mission in the heart of a large housing project known as the Buena Vista Allotment. As the surrounding community grew, so did Grandview. A new Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall were dedicated in September 1967, and when the E.U.B. Church merged with the Methodist Church in 1968, Grandview took its present name. The congregation has now been a steady presence at 23rd and Phelps for seventy years.
Grace at the Heart of Grandview
Grandview understands itself as a United Methodist congregation that emphasizes the grace of God. Its mission statement to support its worship, study, and service: the Blessings of Grandview are Grace, Growth, and Gratitude. Worship is described as vital to the Christian faith, and the congregation offers several worship experiences throughout the year in a hybrid format, with services available in person, virtually, and from the parking lot.
The cornerstone of the weekly schedule is the Legacy Service, held at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays from September through May in the Sanctuary. This one-hour service honors the church's worship traditions through hymns and liturgy and includes an Affirmation of Faith, scripture readings from both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, and the Psalter. Holy Communion and Baptism are celebrated, and a regular Children's Moment is offered for younger believers. Music is led from the organ or piano, with the Anthem Choir or Handbell Choir providing anthems. The service is in English. Doors open at 10:00 a.m., with a prelude and announcements beginning at 10:20 a.m. Services can be followed online through the church's YouTube channel.
During the summer, the worshipping community moves outdoors. Outdoor Worship is held on the first and third Sundays at 10:30 a.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Chairs are provided on the lawn, with the option to bring your own chair or blanket. The outdoor service blends elements of the Legacy format with guitar and keyboard accompaniment; in case of rain the service moves indoors.
Saransthan Mandali and a Second Language of Praise
One of the most distinctive features of Grandview is its Nepali-speaking congregation, called Saransthan Mandali and also known as Refugee International Fellowship. The Mandali meets for worship on Sundays from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, leading the service in Nepali with guitars, drums, a praise choir, and readings from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Holy Communion is part of the gathering.
Quarterly the two communities come together for United Fellowship, a combined worship experience held at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. United Fellowship blends the traditions of both congregations, with scripture readings in English and Nepali, Holy Communion, a Children's Moment, and choir anthems, accompanied by a mix of organ, piano, guitars, and drums.
A Music Ministry Spanning Generations
Music is woven through both services at Grandview. The Handbell Choir welcomes men and women of high school age and up, rehearsing on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. for one hour and performing once a month during the 10:30 a.m. service. The group is directed by Sue Koeberle-Smith. The Chancel Choir, led by director Josephine McGrath, is open to all singers high school age and up and sings four-part anthems in soprano, alto, tenor, and bass at the Sunday morning service. Rehearsals are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Both choirs break for the summer. A worship band also accompanies the Nepali service on Sunday afternoons.
Children, Seniors, and Young Writers
Children's ministry at Grandview centers on the Noisy Offering, a regular donation moment that supports faith formation for the church's youngest members. A regular Children's Moment during the Legacy service brings the message to children in the pews, and Kid's Sunday School and Junior Church offer age-appropriate teaching during the morning. Older students in grades one through eight have been invited to Voices Rising: Young Writers Club, a six-week creative writing program that blends guided instruction with open writing time across poetry, short stories, and personal narrative. Students pair their work with artwork and finish with a collection of original pieces.
Senior adults have their own Sunday in the rotation. Senior Sunday is observed on the third Sunday of each month from September through May, during the Legacy Service, and includes scripture readings from the King James Bible, a hymn sing, and sermons with illustrations relevant to older adults.
Classes and Small Groups
Adult Sunday School, a Fall and Spring Bible Study, a Prayer Group, a Grief Group, and the United Methodist Women round out the regular formation and fellowship offerings at Grandview, inviting members to find the experience of grace that fits them.
Collecting for the Community
Grandview keeps a steady eye on the wider Cuyahoga Falls area through ongoing collections. The church gathers snacks to support its own Children's Ministries events. Grocery receipts from ACME are turned in for a five-percent cash-back donation to the church. Pop tabs collected at Grandview are donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Akron to support its work with families of sick children. Donations can also be made online to support the regular operating budget and a Capital Improvements fund that keeps the building in good repair.
A Moment on Film
Grandview's front lawn and sanctuary gained a wider audience in 2010 when the church was chosen as a filming location for the movie 25 Hill, which starred Corbin Bernsen and Nathan Gamble and told the story of a boy's hope of keeping the Soap Box Derby race alive in Akron. The crew spent an April day on site, with community members and church members serving as extras.