In the autumn of 1807, a small group of Jesus followers formed a Methodist class and began meeting in the Piqua-area home of Casper Hendershott. More than two centuries later, that gathering has grown into Greene Street United Methodist Church, a United Methodist congregation at 415 West Greene Street in historic downtown Piqua, Ohio. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church through the West Ohio Conference and the Miami Valley District, the church keeps its purpose plain: to help people in Piqua and beyond love God and love their neighbors. From its corner at Greene and Caldwell Streets, twin canopied entrances, a bell tower, and a long-running weekday daycare and preschool share the same building. Sunday worship, a children's ministry, a community food pantry, and a multi-year building restoration campaign all flow from the same address.
Sunday Morning at 10
Worship happens every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. and is open to all without exception. The service blends traditional and modern elements, pairing hymns with newer music, responsive readings, and communal prayers. Communion is celebrated every Sunday, and everyone is invited to share the bread and cup as a sign of commitment to love and serve God. The order of worship is intentionally accessible, and the people of Greene Street want newcomers to feel at home whether they arrive in jeans or in Sunday best.
Each week, the service is livestreamed to the church's Facebook page and to the live stream. Recordings of past services are archived so anyone who misses a Sunday can return to a sermon later. During the offering, children pass buckets to collect loose change for various missions, and ushers follow with offering plates for connection cards and other donations. A weekly bulletin is available in print by request and through an email subscription list, so the same order of worship can be followed along at home.
Children, Students, and Family Ministry
Family Ministry takes seriously the words of Matthew 19:14, "let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them." A nursery for infants through age five is open in the ABC Room off the narthex during the 10:00 a.m. worship gathering. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade begin worship with their families, taking part in singing, bell ringing, a children's message, and the church's bucket ministry before being dismissed to Sunday School in Room 25, where Bible stories, crafts, and discussion build on the morning's message. Fifth through eighth graders head upstairs to Room 26 for Middle School Ministry, where they listen to the sermon, take guided notes, and have conversations about it.
On one Sunday each month, immediately after the service, the Family and Fellowship program gathers children from kindergarten through twelfth grade for a shared meal and a conversation about walking with God. The family ministry team also runs seasonal events through the year, including Vacation Bible School, Trunk or Treat, Santa's First Stop, a Birthday Party for Jesus, and an Easter Egg Hunt. A Safe Sanctuary policy, aligned with the West Ohio Conference's guidelines, is posted in every classroom and is in place to keep every classroom and program a safe place for children and youth.
Family Ministry is led by a small team that includes Amanda, who grew up at Greene Street and joined the staff in 2019 as Youth Ministries Coordinator before moving into the Family Ministry team; Stephanie, a pediatric emergency room nurse at Dayton Children's Hospital who joined the team in 2024; and Michelle, who leads Sunday School for grades K-4 and brings a background in education to the classroom.
Community Groups and Bible Study
Around the Sunday schedule, several small groups meet for study, accountability, and connection. A Sunday School group gathers at 8:00 a.m. in Room 201, another meets at 9:30 a.m. in Wilson Hall, and a third meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Parlor. On Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m., a Bible study meets in the church library. Each group is led by a lay leader, and visitors and newcomers are welcome to drop in and find a seat.
Greene Street Daycare and Preschool
On weekdays, the church building becomes Greene Street Daycare and Preschool, a year-round program open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The center serves children from six weeks old through sixth grade, with separate classrooms for infants, toddlers, three-year-olds, four- and five-year-olds, Pre-Kindergarten, and school-age students. The motto above the door, "establishing roots, inspiring wings," sets the tone for the work, and every classroom uses the Creative Curriculum and the Ohio Early Learning Development Standards to plan learning around the children's interests.
The school-age program offers before- and after-school care, including transportation to and from Piqua City Schools and Piqua Catholic School, as well as care on school delays, early dismissals, and breaks. Field trips during the summer send older children to local pools, the Columbus Zoo, the Magic Castle, and parks around the Miami Valley, and a before- and after-school program keeps them reading, doing homework, and playing together in a safe, familiar setting.
Preschool options include a Tuesday and Thursday Bible class for threes, a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Bible preschool for fours and fives, and morning and afternoon Pre-Kindergarten classes that meet five days a week. The center is led by Director Betsy Scroggins and Assistant Director Jasmine Collins, both reachable through the church office. All classrooms are currently at full capacity, so interested families are added to a waitlist for future openings.
A Building in the Middle of Restoration
A capital campaign, organized by the Building Improvement Team, is steadily restoring the church's exterior and refreshing its interior. Over the past several months, the team has repointed brick and mortar, repaired the water table stone, replaced roof flashing and windows, restored the Greene Street and Caldwell Street entrance doors, added canopies over both entrances, painted, and re-landscaped. The administration building, courtyard, and bell tower have also received attention. Roughly $300,000 has come in toward a $500,000 three-year goal, with gifts from the congregation, grants, and the Wall Fund all contributing.
When the remaining plaster and painting work is finished, the next major project will be a renovation of the narthex, including a relocated kitchen, two new bathrooms, updated lighting, and a new balcony handrail. Once complete, the restoration will refresh the look of the corner while keeping the building's historic character intact for another generation of worshipers.
Outward Focus: Food Pantry and Partners
Greene Street connects its life to Piqua and beyond through a food pantry and a network of ministry partners. The Greene Street Food Pantry, operating out of the church, is a recognized partner of the Piqua Compassion Network, a community-wide effort to coordinate care for neighbors in need. Other ministry partners include West Ohio Chrysalis, a spiritual-formation ministry for youth and adults, and the broader Miami Valley District of the United Methodist Church. The loose change collected in the children's buckets during Sunday worship, an offering the church has turned into a long-standing habit of generosity, helps fund these connections. Stewardship, the church teaches, is a way of life for followers of Jesus, and giving is offered online as well as in the offering plate.
The People Who Lead
The Rev. Will Leasure, a Dayton native with a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary and a B.S. in Biblical Studies from Cincinnati Christian University, is the church's pastor. He and his wife, Polly, have two daughters, and his enthusiasm for preaching and for the grace of God shapes much of the congregation's life. The leadership team includes long-tenured office staff who have served the church for decades and a family ministry team that works closely with the daycare and preschool. Visitors can reach the church office at 937-773-5313 or office@greenestreetumc.org.
Sunday parking is on the street and at the nearby Jamieson and Yannucci funeral home parking lot, and the building is handicap accessible through the awning on Caldwell Street. Those who want a printable copy of the weekly bulletin can contact the office, and anyone can sign up for the church's email list to receive weekly prayers, current events, and updates. The Chimes, the congregation's newsletter, comes out every other month and is named for the bell tower that rings over the corner of Greene and Caldwell.