A Praying Congregation on Fairlane Drive
Northwoods United Methodist Church sits on Fairlane Drive in Doraville, Georgia, a few minutes from the DeKalb County line. The congregation describes itself with two sentences that hang together like a creed: "Becoming A Greater Caring Congregation for Christ" and "A Praying Congregation That Believes in the Power of Prayer." Members carry those words into a Sunday morning that blends a steady liturgical rhythm with the warmth of a small, intergenerational fellowship.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
The main worship service meets at 10:30 am each Sunday, in person and on Zoom. Online attendees join at us02web.zoom.us/j/359098217 with Passcode 347937. Those joining by phone dial 646-558-8656, enter Meeting ID 359-098-217, and add the passcode when prompted. The preaching is shaped by the Christian calendar, including Epiphany, Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, and Christ the King, with Communion observed and a Wesley Covenant Service held each year. Special Sundays such as Laity Sunday, All Saints Sunday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Breast Cancer Sunday are woven into the rotation, and a Christmas Eve service and a Good Friday service round out the year.
Sermons on the Site
Recordings of weekly sermons going back through 2025 and into 2026 are posted on the church's site, so anyone who misses a Sunday can catch the same Word later in the week. Past guest preachers and lay speakers named in the archive include Sandra Parks, Brenda Vanderpool, Karla Dawson, Rev. Virginia Cosgrove, and Rev. Laurie Moeller.
A Pastor with a Worldwide Evangelism Heart
Rev. Dr. Winston O. R. Worrell is the pastor, a clergy member of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. He holds a doctorate in evangelism from Emory University and a master's degree in media communications from Georgia State University. His ministry has carried him across national, international, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multilingual settings, and his work with the World Methodist Evangelism Institute at Emory and the World Methodist Council has shaped his approach to helping ordinary people share their faith. He also trains leaders in practical faith-sharing and helps congregations develop holistic outreach ministries, and he has served in pastoral positions in the USA and the Caribbean. Dr. Worrell invites anyone who would like to discuss trusting Jesus Christ as Savior, Baptism, or church membership to set up an appointment.
Prayer Concerns That Reach Around the World
Prayer is the daily thread of life at Northwoods. A Prayer Concerns list is shared each week as a PDF that includes Immediate Prayer Concerns, with names from the congregation and the community. A Continuing Prayer List carries longer-term needs, and a separate prayer page lifts up essential workers, the homeless, the hungry, the incarcerated, school and university administrators and students, and people in crisis around the world. Members also pray through a list that includes the United States and nations such as Indonesia and Libya, with reflections on natural disasters, bereavement, and the vulnerable. A Flower Calendar lets worshippers give flowers in honor or memory of loved ones, with the last three Sundays of each month available.
Classes, Community, and the Trinity Table
The church runs a weekly community English class (ESOL, English-as-a-Second-Language) and an introductory computer class in its Education Building, and welcomes volunteers and learners alike. A Community Celebration Dinner brings neighbors into the Fellowship Hall for a shared meal, with greeters, ushers, registration helpers, servers, and program leaders all pitching in. The Northwoods in Service page collects reflections of this work, including the Trinity Table group and a Community Enrichment gathering, both ways the congregation lives out its calling beyond the sanctuary walls.
Homecoming and a 70-Year Story
Northwoods marked its 70th Anniversary Homecoming in 2025 with a guest preacher, Rev. Dr. Michael McQueen, and returned the next year for a 71st Homecoming Sunday led by Rev. Laurie Moeller. The annual Homecoming is more than a milestone; it is a family reunion of founding members, longtime attendees, and friends who have walked with the church since its early years in the mid-1950s.
Children and Youth
Children and young people are part of the main Sunday rhythm rather than tucked off in a corner. Each year includes a Children and Youth Sunday, when young members help lead worship, and Prayer Walk Sunday gives the whole congregation a chance to walk the property and pray over its ministry spaces.
Giving, Contact, and Connection
Tithes, offerings, and special gifts can be mailed to the church, dropped off at the office, or sent through a bank's online bill-pay feature. Checks are made payable to Northwoods UMC at 2635 Fairlane Drive, Doraville, GA 30340. The church office can be contacted at 770-457-4576 or at Northwoods@bellsouth.net. Pastor Worrell can be reached directly at wworrel@emory.edu or 404-643-7854 for conversations about faith, baptism, or membership.