Where Love Wins on 12th Avenue Road
On the east side of Nampa, just south of Interstate 84, Nampa First United Methodist Church sits at 2717 12nd Avenue Road. Above its front door, the church's tagline reads, simply, "All are welcome!" Inside, the community takes that line to its next soul. The church describes itself as a place that loves people "just like you are," that does not expect perfection, and that opens its arms to anyone who has been hurt by a previous church experience. The phrase that keeps showing up across its announcements and bulletin covers is "Love Wins," and the staff mean it as more than a slogan: it is the lens through which every decision, from communion to staffing, is made.
Nampa First is a mainstream United Methodist congregation in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. It is also a working preschool, a livestreaming worship community, a small-group network, and a mission outpost that supports a children's home outside Kampala, Uganda. On any given Sunday morning you will find worshipers in shorts and jeans, a kid cutting across the sanctuary in a soccer jersey, an organist playing alongside a rhythm section, and a couple of greeters wearing green "Host" nametags who can adjust the pews for a wheelchair or walker.
Rev. Dr. Rob Walters and a Welcoming Vision
The pastor of Nampa First United Methodist Church is the Reverend Dr. Rob Walters, who was appointed to the church in August 2021, shortly after the congregation had reopened following the pandemic of 2020-2021. His vision for ministry is that the church should exemplify the love of Christ in the world with passion and energy, and that it should seek to see the image of God in every person who walks through the door. He has stated plainly that Nampa First is open to all persons of every ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or faith background, and that it has a special welcome for those who carry doubt, uncertainty, or pain from previous church experiences.
Dr. Walters came to ministry as a second career. Before that, he served as a public school band director and later as a police officer, and he has refereed soccer at the youth, high school, college, and professional levels for more than thirty years. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Education from the University of Kansas, a law enforcement certificate from the Johnson County Community College Police Academy, a Master of Divinity with a specialization in prison ministry and restorative justice from the Saint Paul School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary completed in 2022. His doctoral dissertation was titled "Creating Multicultural Awareness through Adult Education in a Predominantly White Homogeneous Church in Idaho." He has previously served on the music staff of Grace United Methodist Church in Olathe, Kansas, as music staff and associate pastor at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in the greater Kansas City area, as lead pastor of Monticello United Methodist Church in Shawnee, Kansas, and as lead pastor of Louisburg United Methodist Church in Louisburg, Kansas, before joining the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise, Idaho as an associate pastor.
Walters and his family helped start Tusonge Children's Ministries, a non-profit just outside Kampala, Uganda, that provides housing, education, clothing, food, medical support, and love for around forty children who are working to graduate and become leaders in their country. Many of those children were orphaned after a US organization that had been touring them on their musical gifts left them without resources, and the Walters family and Nampa First parishioners continue to walk with them. Dr. Walters lives with his wife Renee, a nurse practitioner, his adult daughter Michelle, who serves on staff for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Canyon County, and his teen son Jacob.
A Mainstream United Methodist Identity
United Methodism grew out of the Methodist movement in eighteenth-century England, when John Wesley and his followers broke from the Church of England to develop a new "method" of connecting with God through the "means of grace," including prayer, communion, and baptism. Nampa First UMC describes itself as a mainstream United Methodist church, part of a worldwide denomination whose beliefs and structure are outlined in a document called the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The congregation understands its teachings to be grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened by personal experience, and tested by reason, and it acknowledges that local United Methodist churches sometimes differ in their practices and belief structures.
The congregation has named publicly where it stands. On its own pages and in its hiring materials it affirms the full inclusion of LGBTQIA persons, supports the rights of women to choose, supports persons of color, and defends the rights of immigrants. It understands those commitments as flowing from the denomination's Social Principles and from the call of Jesus to love neighbors. Visitors who have been told elsewhere that they are not welcome, or who are carrying doubt, or who are sorting out what faith looks like for them, are told to bring those questions through the door on Sunday morning.
Holy Communion with Grape Juice
Communion is central to worship at Nampa First United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church encourages all persons to receive Holy Communion, sometimes called Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, and at Nampa First everyone is invited to the table. If a visitor prefers not to receive, that is welcome too. The church usually receives communion by intinction: each worshiper takes a piece of bread and dips the bottom of it into a cup, receiving both together. Grape juice is used in place of wine, because the congregation wants to support anyone fighting addiction, and because it understands alcohol to be a barrier some of its brothers and sisters face. During the COVID season, communion was modified to use individually sealed containers to keep everyone safe, and that option remains available.
Baptism at Every Age
Nampa First teaches that baptism is one of the means of grace, a way in which God is present and active. It uses water that can be sprinkled, poured, or fully immersed, and considers every method valid. If a person has been baptized in another tradition, that baptism is honored; it does not need to be repeated to join the church. The congregation baptizes both teens and adults who make their own choice, and infants whose parents bring them. For children, parents make the promises, the congregation promises to walk alongside the family, and God claims the child. When those children are older they may choose to participate in Confirmation, an opportunity to confirm the vows their parents made at their baptism.
Sunday Morning at Ten
The single weekly worship service begins at 10:00 a.m. and runs in a blended style that draws on a variety of music. Doris Raines plays the piano, Nancy Parks plays the organ, and the band includes guitar, bass, trombone, and vocalists drawn from the congregation and led in part by the co-directors of worship, Adriana Caloca-Sene and Jared Sene. One Sunday each month is set aside as Family Worship, when elementary-aged children are invited to remain in the sanctuary with their parents for the full service. On alternating months following Family Worship, the congregation shares a community meal or gathers for a mission project in the building.
Programming for children runs through the early part of the service. Kids from six months old through ninth grade start in the sanctuary with their families, then are dismissed partway through to their own age-appropriate spaces, where they meet teachers including Mariah Dominguez, Karen Mejia, Nessa Chavez-Buzo, Hannah Gray, and Lauralei Ross under the direction of Lysa Fellows, the Director of Student Ministries. On Family Worship Sundays the children stay in the sanctuary with their parents. Check-in happens at the Connection Point desk, where families can note allergies and any special concerns so the team can give each child the best day possible.
Coming for the First Time
Nampa First makes it easy to walk in for the first time. The parking lot is paved and includes reserved spaces for those with mobility needs, and the main worship space is flat with no stairs. The seating in the sanctuary uses moveable, comfortable chairs, and the team can rearrange them quickly for anyone who uses a wheelchair or walker. Just look for someone with a green "Host" nametag as you come in.
What to wear is whatever a person already has on. The church has welcomed people in shorts and T-shirts after a morning at the lake, families in baseball gear after a game, and people dressed up in suits and dresses, all in the same room. A hearing-impaired system is available from the Connection Point, where visitors can borrow a headset or use their own; ear plugs are also on hand for those who find the music a little too loud. A large front screen with big fonts helps anyone who has trouble seeing the words.
Visitors who feel nervous about being noticed are reassured that no one will be asked to stand up and introduce themselves. The congregation has welcomed many new people in recent years, and a visitor is expected to blend in without being put on the spot.
Kid's Stuff Preschool and Childcare
The preschool ministry at Nampa First United Methodist Church, called Kid's Stuff, is one of the largest programs on the campus. It is a state-licensed facility through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, accepts ICCP (Idaho Child Care Program) funding, and accepts children from six months old all the way through Pre-K. The school also runs a before- and after-school program that includes busing to Lakeridge Elementary and Idaho Arts Charter School, as well as a summer program for elementary-aged children. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
The curriculum blends Frogstreet, a research-driven school-readiness program used for all learners ages one through five, with Think Orange, a faith-formation curriculum that helps children learn the values Jesus modeled and taught, how to love well, and how to be inclusive of all persons. The school year includes a covered drive-up area for rainy or snowy drop-offs, secured doors, cameras throughout, and lunches prepared in the church kitchen, along with a safe and fun commercial playground, arts and crafts, games, and special events like Breakfast with Santa and a Safe Halloween. Each summer there is a Vacation Bible School, and at Christmas the preschool puts on a music program.
Tuition runs in monthly bands. As one cross-section, five days a week in the Rainbow room (ten months to two years) is $850 per month, five days in the Star room (two- to three-year-olds) is $845, five days in the Pink room (three-year-olds) is $825, and five days in the Blue room (four-year-olds) is $775. There is a non-refundable $75 enrollment fee due at registration, a $40 supply fee due in October and March, optional school-provided lunch, late-pickup charges of $2 per minute after closing, a late-payment fee of $25 if an invoice is not paid by the first of the month, and monthly reservation fees that range from $300 to $450 depending on the room. Discounts include a 10% second-child discount, a 10% active-church-member discount, and a one-time discount for the referral of a student or teacher.
Director Lysa Fellows began her journey at Kid's Stuff as a teacher before becoming director, and brings a deep love for the children, families, and staff. To book a tour, families are invited to call or text 208-467-2178 or use the online tour request form.
Getting Connected
Beyond Sunday morning, the church offers a weekly e-news, a church-wide calendar, and a range of small groups that meet through the week. Small-group ministries include a Raising Parents group led by Katie Dayley, a Caring Ministry group led by Janet Walter, a Women's Bible Study led by Kathy Huff, a Simply Worship group led by Rochelle Killett, a Curious Learners group also facilitated by Rochelle Killett, and a Reconciling Ministries group led by Jenn Johnson. Rochelle Killett also leads the United Women in Faith circle at Nampa First. The youth ministry is co-facilitated by Beck Marks and Peter Trachsel, with Leah Buchanan serving as co-coordinator, and Joanne Blanton serving as a children's ministry volunteer.
Church governance is shared between an elected Church Council, led by Lay Member of Annual Conference Janie Glover and including Council Admin Team members Katie Dayley and Rochelle Killett, and the pastor. The Council Admin Team handles staffing and financial matters, and every member except the pastor is a named trustee under the United Methodist Discipline. Lay persons lead the church in technology, worship, hosting, refreshments, mowing and landscaping, and small-group life.
Mental Health and Pastoral Care
Mental health is treated as part of the church's pastoral calling. The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention page names 24/7 resources, including 911, the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255 (or text 208-398-4357), and the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255. It points to the Idaho Crisis Center, the National Alliance on Mental Health, and the Idaho Health and Welfare suicide-prevention program for further information. For regular-hours support, it lists Rev. Dr. Rob Walters for pastoral care, prayer, and encouragement at 208-467-1151 or rob@nampaumc.org, Bonnie Benson, M.A., LPC, NCC at Nampa Counseling Solutions LLC for licensed counseling, Dr. Misty Wall and Associates for specialized support for the LGBTQIA++ community, and the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 (open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern). The page also includes four short scripture passages and a four-line reminder: that the reader is loved by God and matters to God, that no crisis will last forever, that there is always hope even when it is hard to see, and that others can help if asked.
Tusonge Children's Ministries in Kampala
Beyond Nampa, the church's mission footprint stretches to Uganda. Tusonge Children's Ministries, started with help from the Walters family and now supported by Nampa First parishioners, provides housing, education, clothing, food, medical support, and love for around forty children outside Kampala. Many of the children are orphans who had been touring the United States on their musical gifts before the organization that had been moving them left them without resources. The Tusonge partnership is a standing mission of the congregation and is the reason church giving lists "Vacation Bible School and Early Childhood Education" alongside Powerful Worship, Community Events, and Teen Ministry as supported ministries.
Joining from Anywhere
Worship at Nampa First is not limited to people in the sanctuary. The 10:00 a.m. service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, with the stream running 24/7, and is available on Facebook. A custom embed appears on the church's Online Worship page, and the Boxcast app carries the stream on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire devices. The free Church Center app, available for iPhone and Android, also streams the service once a worshipper searches for "Nampa UMC." Worshipers with hearing concerns who join online can still follow along on the screen, and the church maintains a print archive of weekly e-news and a four-week devotional series called "The Power of Words."
Giving and Practical Details
One-time and recurring gifts can be set up online, and a Commitment Card helps the congregation plan its ministry each year. The church operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and is licensed by the State of Idaho as a preschool facility. For questions about the church, the office can be reached at 208-467-1151; for Kid's Stuff preschool questions, families are invited to call or text 208-467-2178 or to book a tour online. The building is located at 2717 12th Avenue Rd, Nampa, Idaho 83686, just off the Franklin Boulevard exit of Interstate 84.