A Community Church That Grew with Its Neighborhood
Middleton Community Church sits at the corner of Old Sauk Road and Schewe Road on the west side of Middleton, Wisconsin. From that address the congregation reaches into a neighborhood that has grown up around it since the building was dedicated in 2005. A new elementary school, a food pantry farm, and several housing developments now surround the property, and the church treats that geography as part of its calling: a place of love and belonging for neighbors both across the street and across the county. Worship is held every Sunday at 9:30 AM, and the building is fully accessible with two sets of gender-inclusive restrooms.
From Sunday School to a United Church of Christ
Middleton Community Church traces its beginnings to 1935, when a group of Middleton-area Christians organized a community Sunday School for residents who were neither Catholic nor Lutheran. The school met in the Village Hall and soon hired a pastor, with worship services held at the "Little White Church on the Hillside" on Aurora Street. In 1936 the church officially organized as "Community Church," and a plaque bearing the names of the thirty-four charter members still hangs in the Heritage Room of the current building.
By the 1950s the Little White Church was overflowing. In 1956 the congregation built a new building on Elmwood Avenue, east of downtown Middleton. That same year the Chase family, members of the church, donated an eight-acre lake resort property that became Camp Balsams, a four-cottage campground on Bass Lake east of Eagle River, Wisconsin, that the church still operates today. Stained glass windows installed in the sanctuary in 1962 were carefully removed when the church later moved and now adorn the current education and office wing.
In 1968 the congregation voted to end its non-denominational status and join the United Church of Christ, a denomination whose inclusive and pioneering spirit had long matched the congregation's own. The 1990s brought a Growth Committee and a vision for a new building on Old Sauk and Schewe Roads. The Elmwood Avenue property was sold in 2003, and the congregation worshipped temporarily at Middleton Alternative High School. Groundbreaking for the current building came on May 16, 2004; the first service was held on May 15, 2005; and the building was formally dedicated on September 11, 2005. The stained glass windows made the move with the church, a visible bridge between the two sacred spaces.
Open and Affirming Since 2008
On January 27, 2008, Middleton Community Church voted unanimously to become an Open and Affirming congregation, publicly declaring that members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcome in its full life and ministry, including membership, leadership, and employment. The vote followed a season of discussion, study, and discernment. Women and LGBTQ+ members serve at every level of church leadership, a practice that predates and aligns with the United Church of Christ tradition of ordaining women since the 1850s and openly gay clergy since the 1970s.
What Sunday at 9:30 Looks Like
Worship at Middleton Community Church is blended in style and runs about an hour. The hour includes silent meditation, prayers, responsive readings, scripture, and a wide mix of music: traditional hymns, contemporary anthems, and global songs. Two screens in the sanctuary carry the prayers, lyrics, and announcements so visitors can follow along without a bulletin in hand. The pastor preaches a 10- to 15-minute message that connects the scripture to modern life and challenges listeners to grow in faith and service.
Music is a hallmark of the congregation. A talented choir sings multiple times a month through the fall, winter, and spring. When the choir is not singing, members provide special music on instruments, in solo voice, or in small ensembles. Holy Communion is observed regularly, most often on the first Sunday of the month, and the table is open to anyone who wishes to partake, regardless of age, creed, or membership. The bread is always gluten free and the cups contain grape juice.
Every service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. The stream is also shown on a TV inside the nursery so parents with infants do not miss the service.
Arriving for the First Time
The parking lot is large and easy to navigate. Spaces directly in front of the door are blocked off for drop-off for anyone with mobility needs. Greeters meet visitors at the door and point them to coat closets, restrooms, and the welcome table, where name tags are available. Ushers hand out bulletins and help find a seat. The atmosphere before worship is lively, with people catching up and greeting newcomers, and those arriving early may catch the choir or other musicians rehearsing.
After the service, fellowship is a defining rhythm of congregational life. Coffee is always on hand, snacks are common, and members and visitors linger in conversation. Children are welcomed and valued in worship, with a "Prayer Ground" set up in one corner of the sanctuary, complete with small tables and chairs, coloring supplies, and quiet toys. About 15 minutes into the service, the Moment With Children offers an age-appropriate message, most often led by the Faith Formation Director, after which any children with Sunday School that day are released to their classrooms.
Nursery and Sunday School
A staffed nursery is available every Sunday from 9:15 to 10:45 AM for children aged three and under. The nursery has rocking chairs, a children's restroom, and a changing station. Parents may drop off their child or stay for the duration of the service, with the livestream playing on a TV inside.
Sunday School meets from 9:45 to 10:30 AM throughout the school year, with classes for preschool, elementary, and middle school children. Sunday School does not meet on Communion Sundays, typically the first Sunday of the month, or on other special occasions. Registration is requested each year for regularly attending families, with separate forms for children from infancy through fourth grade and for fifth through twelfth graders. The Interim Sunday School Coordinator organizes volunteers and supports families in faith formation.
Middle School and High School Youth
The church offers both a Middle School Youth Group for fifth through eighth graders and a High School Youth Group for ninth through twelfth graders. The Middle School friends typically meet on the third Sunday of each month during the school year, and the High School friends on the fourth Sunday, with both groups gathering from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Friends are always welcome to join.
Each winter, the youth have the opportunity to attend a Winter Retreat at Camp Balsams, the church's camp near Eagle River. The retreat weekend blends a social justice theme with indoor games, outdoor hiking, and play on the frozen lake.
A Church for the Neighborhood and the World
The congregation describes itself as "a church home for those who have no home," drawing people from multiple Christian denominations and those with no prior church experience. Members hold a wide variety of religious beliefs and experiences but remain united in their pursuit of Jesus' way toward a more just, generous, and compassionate world. Weekly study groups, mindfulness gatherings, and the MCC Green Team all provide ways to connect, while a network of mission partnerships channels care outward to the broader community.
Middleton Community Church is a United Church of Christ "5 for 5" congregation, giving generously to Our Church's Wider Mission and the four special mission offerings of the UCC.
Mission Partners
The church's Board of Mission and Stewardship nurtures relationships with a wide range of partners, supporting them through financial gifts, volunteer hours, and supply drives.
- WayForward Resources (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministry) provides access to nutritious food for people across Dane County and support that helps people stay in their homes in Middleton, Cross Plains, and west Madison.
- Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens supplies local food pantries with fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant produce. Its largest garden, Forward Garden, sits about half a mile from the church.
- The Road Home Dane County provides opportunities for homeless children and their families to achieve self-determined goals and stable housing.
- Healing House is an eight-bed facility in Madison offering 24/7 recuperative care for up to 28 days. The church provides regular meals for Healing House patients and their families.
- Weekend Food Programs through the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Education Foundation and the Middleton Youth Center, a joint venture between MCPASD and the City of Middleton.
- Heart Room, the recipient of the church's annual Thanksgiving Offering and Fair Trade Sale, provides three years of rental assistance and individualized support so a family can stay in their home.
Additional partners include CROP Walk, The Crossing, Horizon High School, Orion Family Services, Recycle the Warmth, and Worker Justice Wisconsin.
Loving Our Planet
The MCC Green Team leads the congregation in fighting climate change through activism, education, and practice. The church installed a 20 kW (AC) solar panel array of sixty-two panels on the south-facing roof of the education wing in partnership with Alliant Energy, generating about 60% of the building's annual electricity use. The system is monitored in real time on a public dashboard and is under warranty for 25 years, with the panels expected to last 35 to 50 years.
Each spring the church hosts a free Electric Vehicle and Sustainability Show. The family-friendly event fills the grounds with electric cars available to test drive, environmental exhibitors, an electric school bus, live music, face painting, pony rides, the Henry Vilas Zoo, and a Middleton Library bookmobile. Children can build and take home their own solar-powered race car, and gently used athletic shoes are collected for a program that funds reforestation in Ghana.
Camp Balsams, the Jewel of the Northwoods
Camp Balsams, the six-acre property donated to the church in 1956 by the Chase family, sits at the northeast end of Bass Lake, a 266-acre spring-fed lake five miles east of Eagle River, Wisconsin. Originally operated as a resort beginning in the 1920s, the camp now offers four cottages available for summer and off-season rental to members and friends of the congregation, as well as to outside groups.
Northern pike, bass, and panfish populate the lake, and the surrounding woods regularly host loons, ducks, eagles, deer, and the occasional bear. Canoes, paddle boats, kayaks, paddle boards, and rowboats are available for use, and a swimming area with a swimming raft welcomes summer visitors. The camp functions as a place of rest, renewal, fellowship, and spiritual retreat and hosts the winter youth retreat each year.
What We Believe
The church sums up its theology in the words of Saint Augustine: "In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things love." The congregation holds that its faith is 2,000 years old but its thinking is not, and it embraces the UCC motto "God is still speaking." Religion and science are seen as compatible, and both head and heart are welcomed into the place of worship. The church insists on extravagant welcome, an open communion table, and a commitment to justice that changes lives individually, systemically, and globally.
Staff and Pastoral Leadership
The Rev. Zayna Thomley was called as the church's settled pastor in early 2022. Ordained in October 2013, she holds a BA in Religion and Service from Elmhurst University and an MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and brings more than a decade of pastoral and leadership experience in the wider UCC. She lives in Madison with her spouse, their toddler, and a dog, cats, and chickens.
The Rev. Rachel Kirk joined as Associate Pastor for Community and Faith Formation in the summer of 2024. A lifelong UCC member, she grew up in Gainesville, Florida, holds a BA in Religious Studies from Grinnell College and an MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and completed a Clinical Pastoral Education Residency at the University of Colorado Hospital before serving as Pastor for Community and Mission at St. John UCC in Freeport, Illinois.
Deb Neuman serves as Music Director, working with soloists and ensembles of all sizes and organizing new music experiences. Barbara Brown is the church's pianist. Julie Kramer is the Office Manager, bringing decades of experience in faith formation, spiritual practices, and a long career in the Madison biotech industry. Anne Tennies serves as Communications and AVL Specialist. Chloe Tennies is the Interim Sunday School Coordinator. Sophie Audhya and Isaac Hindman make up the Sunday Nursery Team. Gary Eckstein serves as Building and Grounds Manager.
Serving at MCC
Strong lay leadership has been a hallmark of the congregation since its earliest days, and a clear structure invites newcomers to step in. Serving Teams are pools of volunteers trained to fill specific roles, from greeting to grounds work, with no regular meetings required. Ministry Teams collaborate to plan events and oversee particular ministries, including a Middleton Pride Ministry Team and a Generosity Ministry Team. Ministry Coordinators take ownership of a particular area of ministry such as the food pantry, the kitchen, welcome, generosity, or building and grounds. Board Committees, including Finance, Nominations, Governance, Personnel, and Building and Grounds, provide governance expertise. Forms to express interest in any of these roles are available.
Giving and Generosity
Middleton Community Church funds its ministry through online giving, mailed donations, pledges, gifts of appreciated stock, IRA charitable rollovers, and grants from donor-advised funds. The annual Generosity Campaign invites every member to prayerfully consider their giving for the year ahead. Online giving is processed through Realm, the church's management software, and members can also give by mailing a check to the church office. A separate Hunger Action Month appeal each September supports the WayForward Food Pantry, with a goal measured in pounds of food collected.
Office and Communications
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to noon. The monthly newsletter, The Communicator, is available in PDF form, as is a public events calendar, an annual report, the Open and Affirming statement, and a collection of leadership resources for those stepping into governance roles. The church's solar generation can be watched in real time through a public dashboard.
A Neighborhood Tradition Continued
From its roots as a community Sunday School in the Village Hall to its present-day role at the heart of a rapidly growing neighborhood, Middleton Community Church has built a reputation for warm welcome, deep mission, and intergenerational care. Whether members find their way in through the choir, the nursery, a Sunday School classroom, a Green Team project, a mission partner, or a weekend at Camp Balsams, the congregation continues to be a place where everyone is welcome to belong.