From the Yeager Dome to a Building of Their Own
Monrovia Church of Christ began on Sunday evening, October 3, 1993, when roughly 100 people from the Madison and Limestone County communities gathered in what members called "the Yeager Dome," a family gym built on Tim and Janet Yeager's property on Pettus Road. They had come to start a new work in the growing Monrovia area south of Huntsville, Alabama. Within weeks the group moved to a rented building on Slaughter Road nicknamed "the Warehouse," where twenty to thirty men took turns preaching at worship. By the spring of the next year, five shepherd elders had been appointed, and deacons were chosen in September 1994.
In April 1995 the congregation purchased ten acres at the corner of Nance and Capshaw Roads. After three years of design work with Huntsville Design and Consolidated Construction Company, ground was broken in October 1996 and the building was dedicated in February 1998. The worship space, originally planned around a single basketball court, grew to a double-court layout that seats about 700. In those early years the congregation adopted "A Common Love" as its theme, drawn from John 15:12: "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you."
Since then the church has added mission partnerships in Baja California, Mexico, and in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has walked through disaster relief after Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina, and has opened its parking lot as a community relief staging area in the wake of the April 2011 tornadoes. The youth ministry has grown into the Monrovia Youth Group, complete with its own bus and a long history of mission trips. Ray Palmer, who first joined the church as an associate minister in 1995, serves as pulpit minister. Jason Britton leads the youth ministry.
Sunday Mornings and What to Expect
Sunday mornings begin at 9:00 AM with Bible classes for all ages. Worship follows at 10:00 AM, and children's classes for toddlers through eighth grade run alongside the main service. A second class meets on Sunday evenings at 5:00 PM. On Wednesdays, adult classes gather at 10:00 AM and classes for all ages meet at 6:30 PM. Youth and children's programs run throughout the week.
A Sunday worship service lasts about an hour, and Bible classes run around 45 minutes. Members dress casually most of the time, with some choosing to dress up a bit; visitors are welcome to dress comfortably. Communion is observed every Sunday and is open to all who wish to participate. Music blends contemporary Christian songs and traditional hymns that span the generations, led by a worship leader and a praise team that has been part of the church since 2008.
After the 10:00 AM service the entire congregation gathers for a weekly Sunday lunch that has been part of the rhythm since January 2007. Visitors are invited to stay, since the meal is open to anyone attending. The congregation describes itself as "a family of imperfect people serving a perfect God" who recognize their shared need of the cleansing blood of Jesus.
Children and the Monrovia Youth Group
A staffed nursery is open during every assembly and class, and a toddler room is set aside for younger children who may grow restless during longer services. Children's classes run from preschool through fifth grade, and graded classes for older children meet through eighth grade.
The Monrovia Youth Group (MYG) is the church's ministry to seventh through twelfth graders. Under Youth Minister Jason Britton, the teens meet in the loft on Sunday mornings for Bible class and split into guys' and girls' groups on Wednesday evenings. A 37-passenger church bus, purchased in 2002, takes the youth group to retreats, service projects, and trips that have reached as far as disaster relief work along the Gulf Coast. The MYG keeps an active year-round calendar that includes summer service weeks, family nights, a Fourth of July party, Vacation Bible School, a canoe trip, and a parents-versus-kids kickball game. The youth group is also active on Instagram (@Monrovia_Youth) and Twitter (@MonroviaYouth), with events listed on a shared Google Calendar.
The Closet Ministry: Free Clothing for the Community
Twice a year the auditorium becomes a free clothing store for the surrounding community. The Closet Ministry collects clothing, shoes, accessories, baby items, and a limited supply of new socks and underwear throughout the year and gives everything away at a spring giveaway focused on warm-weather items and a fall giveaway focused on cold-weather gear.
No registration is required. Doors open at 10:00 AM on giveaway day, and because of large crowds and fire safety protocols, entries are sometimes staged. Inside, families receive bags and instructions; volunteers wearing name tags are stationed throughout the building to help shoppers. Each family receives one ticket that is exchanged at a special table for new socks and underwear based on family size. The ministry can be reached at closetministry@monrovia.org for questions about donating or volunteering.
Beliefs and Bible Classes
Monrovia teaches that there is one true God who designed and created everything and who reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is fully God and became fully human; his death on the cross was a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and his resurrection opened the way to life with God after death. The Holy Spirit dwells within Christians, transforming them into what God wants them to be.
The Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God and the only standard for faith and life. Salvation is by God's grace, received through faith, sealed in confession and baptism, and lived out in daily submission to God and service to others. Worship, the church teaches, is the giving of oneself - thoughts, emotions, and service - to God's use, and it is not centered on a time or a building. The Bible-study backbone of the church includes Sunday-morning classes for all ages, an adult class on Wednesday mornings, and a network of smaller classes and groups throughout the week.
Missions, Benevolence, and Acts of Kindness
The church's missions program has built partnerships in Baja California, Mexico, and Porto Alegre, Brazil, and has supported disaster relief work along the Gulf Coast and in north Alabama. Closer to home, the Benevolence team helps meet practical needs in the congregation and the community. Heartfelt Sisters is a women's ministry, and other programs include Bible classes for every age, men's and women's ministry gatherings, the World Bible School correspondence effort, and small groups for accountability and encouragement.
Acts of Kindness is a simple, hands-on outreach that encourages members to perform small, everyday gestures of love - paying for the next driver's coffee, slipping a bill to a struggling neighbor, bringing cookies to a local fire station - each one accompanied by a card reminding the recipient that God loves them.
Becoming a Christian or a Member
Those exploring faith are invited to learn about God's free gift of salvation through a clear path: realize God's love, admit personal sin, turn toward God, confess that Jesus is Lord, be baptized into Christ, and begin a life shaped by his Word. Anyone who would like to talk further is welcome to meet with the minister or one of the elders.
Becoming a member of Monrovia begins with becoming a Christian and being baptized. After spending time with the congregation, interested individuals can speak with one of the elders, fill out a request card on Sunday, or contact the church office. Members commit to serving the ministry of the church, sharing responsibility, and connecting to the Monrovia family.
Streaming, Giving, and Finding the Building
Sunday morning worship is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of recent sermons are archived for later listening. Online giving is available through the church's Breeze member portal. The building and pavilion can be reserved for community events by reviewing the Building Use Policy and contacting the office in advance.
The address is 595 Nance Road, Madison, Alabama 35757. From Athens, take Highway 72 east about one mile past Wall Triana, turn left onto Nance Road, and continue about one mile. From Huntsville, take Highway 72 west about one mile past Jeff/Slaughter Road, turn right onto Nance Road, and continue about one mile. The building is on the right at the intersection of Nance and Capshaw Roads. The church office can be reached at office@monrovia.org or (256) 837-5255.