We Make Good Neighbors on Market Street
On a tree-lined stretch of Market Street in New Albany, Ohio, a congregation calls itself "the oldest church in New Albany," and its members describe their work with a single phrase: We Make Good Neighbors. That motto is repeated at the top of the church's homepage, printed on the slides that close each Sunday service, and carried through everything from prison ministry to preschool pickup. New Albany United Methodist Church, often shortened to NAUMC, sits at 470 Market Street with a mailing address of PO Box 428, New Albany, OH 43054.
The church describes itself in plain and welcoming language: "Our DNA is and always has been about loving God and loving people." Members are encouraged to come exactly as they are, to ask hard questions, and to take their faith into the streets. Whether the task is making lunches for people who are food-insecure, packing brown bags for an emergency shelter, or simply showing up for a neighbor in grief, the church frames every act as part of one continuous effort to live out the love of God in a small Ohio town.
Sunday Mornings at 470 Market Street
Two worship services anchor the week at NAUMC. At 9:30 AM the Contemporary service opens with the praise band and a freer, modern flow. At 11:00 AM the Traditional service, also labeled Classic Worship on the calendar, follows a more historic Methodist rhythm with the chancel choir, organ, and liturgical elements. Both services are held in the sanctuary at the Market Street campus, and both are livestreamed on YouTube for those at home or traveling.
Children are woven into Sunday morning rather than sidelined. Kids in 5th grade and below are welcome to join KidMin Children's Worship, which runs during both the 9:30 and 11:00 services. The program follows Safe Sanctuaries guidelines and is staffed by trained volunteers. Ushers are ready with coloring clipboards for children who would rather stay with their parents, and both services are also telecast to the lobby, where parents with little ones can watch comfortably. A 9:30 AM Adult Sunday School class meets at the same hour as the children's program, giving adults an option for small-group study before or during the second service.
The hospitality that greets newcomers is built into the rhythm of the morning. The Visit form on the church's site allows guests to pre-register their children, request a host team member to meet them, and even ask for a ride to church or a handicap-accessible vehicle. There is no dress code; the church's own welcome page tells first-time guests, "Whatever makes you comfortable! Whether it's jeans, business casual, or your Sunday best - come as you are."
Music from Chancel Choir to Praise Band
Music sits at the heart of both worship services. The chancel choir, directed by Michael G. G. Martin, rehearses on Wednesday evenings and sings regularly at the 11:00 service. A bell choir rehearses alongside it and adds its own layer to special seasons. On the contemporary side, Milton Wilkes directs the Praise Band and serves as Modern Worship Leader, with Jenn Klima as the Modern Worship Host guiding the 9:30 service. A separate Children's Choir, led by Emily Martin, gives younger members their own place to sing and is open to kids who want to learn.
Sermons are preached by Lead Pastor Rachel Billups most weeks, with members of the pastoral team rotating in and occasional guest preachers such as Pastor Matt Rawle filling the pulpit. Messages are recorded each week and posted to the YouTube channel and the Sermons page, where recent services are archived back through early 2025. The Watch on Demand feature lets latecomers, traveling members, and the homebound catch up on the most recent teaching.
Kids, Youth, and Family Nights
Family ministry at NAUMC stretches from birth through college. Esther Manoharan, Director of Children's Ministries, leads the children's side of the church, supported by Children's Ministry Assistant Michele Kriss. Beyond the Sunday morning KidMin program, the children's team runs Vacation Bible School, weekly Bible lessons, age-appropriate fellowship events, and seasonal Family Nights designed to pull busy households together around shared time and a shared table.
Lisa Powell directs the Youth Ministry and oversees a calendar built for teenagers and young adults. Youth meet on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for their own time of worship and teaching, and the program also includes service projects, retreats, and road trips. A dedicated space is set aside where middle and high schoolers can worship and grow alongside their peers. For college students and young adults, the Eminence Small Group offers a community of its own.
The church's family philosophy is simple: "No matter what your family looks like - or doesn't look like - you are loved by us and loved by God." Family Life programming also exists to walk alongside parents, grandparents, and guardians, recognizing that none of those roles come with a manual.
Our Children's Place Preschool
For more than four decades, NAUMC has run Our Children's Place Preschool, known simply as OCP. The preschool began in 1979 as an outreach of the church and continues to operate out of the same campus. It is led by Co-Directors Lynn Reid and Kristen Pietro and staffed by teachers with education degrees and early-childhood experience, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1.
OCP offers classes September through May for children from age 2½ through PreK. Three-year-olds may attend two or three mornings a week; PreK students may attend three, four, or five days. Morning classes meet 9:00 to 11:30 and afternoon classes 12:30 to 3:00, with Tot Time classes offered one or two days a week for younger children. Extended Day and Lunch Bunch options give working families more flexibility, and the program weaves Bible stories and prayer into a curriculum designed to prepare children academically for kindergarten.
Special events at OCP include class field trips, holiday parties, a Thanksgiving feast, and Christmas programs. PreK students take part in Discovery Days and end the year with a celebration. Registration is open to the public, and tours are scheduled Monday through Friday from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. The preschool can be contacted directly at 614-855-4100 or ocpnapreschool@gmail.com, with a mailing address of OCP, P.O. Box 394, New Albany, Ohio 43054.
Groups for Every Season of Life
The Groups ministry at NAUMC is built around the simple idea that faith grows best in circles small enough to know each other well. Active groups include a Sunday Women's Book Club, a Men's Bible Study, the Eminence Small Group for College Students and Young Adults, the Aletheans Women's Small Group, a Sunday Morning Adult Sunday School class, the NAUMC Women's/Moms Group, an Empty Nesters Small Group, a Social Justice Group, an LGBTQ+ and Allies Group, a Women's Bible Study, and a Volleyball group that meets for casual recreation on Monday evenings.
New groups form as needs arise. Anyone struggling to find a fit can fill out a form on the Groups page to request help, and the church is "always forming new groups based on what people need." Options for online groups and groups with childcare are also available.
For those who want to serve rather than join, a Teams ministry offers ten named teams: Building Care and Maintenance, Calling and Caring, Communion, Kitchen Care, Lay Leadership, Liturgist, Memorial Garden and Landscaping, Media, Welcome, and Worship Host. The Calling and Caring Team, in particular, works closely with the pastors to support members in difficult seasons, including grief.
Hands and Feet in New Albany
Missions are central to NAUMC's identity. The Missions team partners with the Faith Mission Meal Ministry, where volunteers sign up to serve lunch or dinner to residents of an emergency shelter. On the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM, anyone can show up at the church kitchen to help pack brown bag lunches for the Open Shelter - no sign-up required. The church hosts a grocery cart in partnership with Healthy New Albany to collect food donations, and it works with the Red Cross to host community blood drives in its building.
The Little Bottoms Free Store ministry collects diapers, wipes, baby supplies, and clothing for children up to age four; donations can be dropped in the church lobby anytime. The Quilting and Knitting Ministry creates handmade items, and Aletheans, the Seekers of Truth sewing group, gathers on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM to craft children's clothes, quilts, and comfort items for those in need. Festival of Sharing, held each fall, gathers kits distributed across the United States and around the world.
Prison ministry has a strong presence through both Kindway and KAIROS, two of the oldest prison-outreach organizations in the United Methodist connection. The New Albany Food Pantry partnership, led by Pam Estelle, extends that same care to neighbors struggling with food insecurity. Mission opportunities are also available through student and adult trips, both local and international.
Grief Outreach and Pastoral Care
The Grief Outreach Ministry is one of NAUMC's quiet strengths. A team of pastors and lay volunteers walks with members, their families, and members of the wider community through the grief that comes with the loss of loved ones, health, or abilities. The Calling and Caring Team, led by Pastor Mike Pratt, supports members in need; the wider church can be reached through the prayer request form or by calling the main office at 614-855-1403.
The church's Memorial Garden, complete with a gazebo that can be reserved for small private gatherings, offers a place of beauty, prayer, and remembrance. Members can arrange memorial plantings or purchase engraved memorial bricks, and Memorial and Legacy Gifts can be directed to the church office with a note designating the person being honored. Funeral and memorial services can be held at the church, a funeral home, a family home, a cemetery chapel, or graveside, with the pastors coordinating directly with the family and funeral home. A special Service of Hope is held each Christmas for those grieving the loss of loved ones.
The Pastoral Prayer team welcomes prayer requests for difficult points in any season - grief, addiction, illness, or other life challenges - and treats each one as confidential and worth standing beside.
What NAUMC Believes
The church lays out its beliefs under nine short headings, each written in its own voice rather than formal creedal language.
God is God - the all-loving, terribly mysterious yet deeply personal architect of the universe, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wrapped into one. Jesus is Lord - above sports, above past, and above every other loyalty, the new lands of whose life, death, and resurrection shape how members live. Transformed by Grace - the church calls itself "a church of second chances," where grace is the starting point and recovery is at the heart of its mission.
People are Beloved - God's Kingdom is described as diverse and fully inclusive, and the church says it is "ever working to prepare our house for the presence of all God's people." God Moves People - the church teaches that members are the only hands and feet God has and that the church's resources are to be used for God's purpose. Empowered by the Holy Spirit - anyone who says yes to Jesus is given spiritual gifts to make the world a better place.
Resurrection - belief in the literal resurrection of Jesus and the promise that, in God's rhythm, the blind will see, the lame will walk, and the dead will rise. God's Kingdom - both now and later, present and coming, heard in cries for justice and tasted in meals shared with enemies. The Bible - the inspired Word of God, written words that point to the Living Word in Jesus Christ, designed for reflection, rumination, conversation, and questioning.
NAUMC is proud to be part of the United Methodist Church and links to umc.org as the denominational home.
The Team That Leads
Lead Pastor Rachel Billups provides the primary preaching and pastoral leadership. The pastoral team also includes Pastoral Emeriti Frank Luchsinger, Mike Pratt, Jean Schafer, and Dan Jackson, who continue in various ministry roles, with Mike Pratt leading the Calling and Caring Team.
The program staff shapes the church's day-to-day life. Lyndsey Casey serves as Secretary and Director of Communications; Esther Manoharan directs Children's Ministries; Lisa Powell directs Youth Ministries; Michael G. G. Martin directs the chancel choir; Milton Wilkes directs the praise band; Jenn Klima serves as Modern Worship Host; Emily Martin directs the Children's Choir; and Topher Billups serves as Media Intern. The financial side is covered by Treasurer Jennifer Perry and Financial Secretary Helen Pestel. The building is cared for by Building Manager David Stewart and Building Custodian Derek Long.
Lay leadership is shared across the congregation. Georgia Brown chairs the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Brad Curtis chairs the Trustees, Jennifer Hunter chairs the Church Council, Teresa Lampl and Greg Schafer serve as Lay Leaders, and Ed Reeg chairs the Finance Committee. To reach any staff member, the main office email is newalbanyumc@gmail.com.
Get Connected
Visitors are encouraged to begin with the Plan A Visit form, which lets newcomers pre-register their children, request a host team member, and ask for transportation help. The New Here? page introduces the church's three core ideas - A Place to Belong, Music and Sermons that meet people where they are, and a Family ministry that welcomes every shape of household. Answers to common questions on that page also explain that there is no dress code, that everyone is welcome regardless of background, and that kids and students are active in worship, lessons, and leadership.
Giving supports the church's worship, programming for children and youth, Bible studies and fellowship groups, community service, mission trips, pastoral care, and building operations. Gifts can be made online, by texting NAUMC1403 to 888-364-4483, by mail to the PO Box, or by setting up a recurring transfer directly from a bank account. A 2026 GPS Giving Guide and an Estimate of Giving Card are available for members who want to plan their annual support, alongside a Hope Capital Campaign brochure and estimate form.
The church also publishes a weekly bulletin, an iPhone and Android app, and a digital church platform that keeps members connected throughout the week. From its location on Market Street, New Albany United Methodist Church keeps turning its members outward - into the neighborhood, the schools, the shelters, the prisons, and the homes of New Albany - to make good neighbors, one block at a time.