A Family-Rooted Church on Main Street
Olmsted Community Church sits on Main Street in the small city of Olmsted Falls, a Cleveland suburb where storefronts, a waterfall, and the railroad all meet within a few blocks. The church's mission is 'a family, centered on Christ, committed to nurturing loving relationships, faithful stewards, and dynamic faiths showing God's love for all,' with a vision summed up as 'Christ Centered, Disciple Driven, Outreach Oriented.' Beyond Sunday worship, the church runs Olmsted Community Preschool, a music ministry anchored by a four-figure pipe organ, a brand-new community theatre, and a Vacation Bible School every summer.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are shaped for worshippers of all ages. The sanctuary is the home of a Casavant Frères Opus 2763 pipe organ, installed in 1962. It is the 2,763rd instrument built by the Casavant Frères firm, a three-manual and pedal instrument with 34 stops controlling 2,251 pipes, and the music ministry rotates around it as well as the Chancel Choir, Bell Choir, Praise Band, vocal and instrumental soloists, and the Choir Scholars program. Services are also livestreamed on YouTube so that members at home can follow along.
Music Ministry Rooted in the 1962 Organ
The Chancel Choir offers four-part choral music from September through May and rehearses on Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. No prior musical experience or sight-reading skill is required. Each year two college student musicians, one treble voice and one tenor-bass voice, receive scholarships to sing with and support the chancel choir; scholars must be music majors at an accredited college or university, hold at least a 2.55 GPA, and lead sectionals.
The Bell Choir rehearses before Sunday services and performs once a month between September and May. All ages are welcome. The Praise Band carries contemporary music through the whole year with vocals, guitar, piano, bass, and drums. Queries about any of these groups go through the worship leader at worship.leader@olmstedchurch.org; the bell choir director can be reached at bellchoir@olmstedchurch.org.
Tuesday Bible Study Online
Weekly Bible study happens on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. The current gathering meets only by Zoom, with the link distributed through The Bridge, the church's email newsletter. Anyone who asks to be added to the newsletter list receives the link.
Olmsted Community Preschool: A Half-Century of Children
Tucked inside the church building, Olmsted Community Preschool has been serving the area's families for more than fifty years. It is a ministry of the church and a non-profit, self-supporting facility licensed by the State of Ohio. The preschool is open to all children in the area regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
The program runs nine months, from September through May, and follows the Olmsted Falls School District calendar for holidays, snow days, and the like. Three classes are available:
- Threes. Children who are three by August 25 of the program year and able to handle their own bathroom needs meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., a six-hour week with two teachers and up to sixteen students. Tuition is $215 per month.
- Pre-K. Children who are four by August 25 meet Mondays through Thursdays from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m., a ten-hour week with one teacher to ten students. Tuition is $255 per month.
- Pre-K Plus. A longer-day option for four-year-olds with previous preschool experience, meeting Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., totaling eighteen hours per week, with two teachers and up to eighteen students. Tuition is $460 per month.
All three classes run at a lower student-to-teacher ratio than the state minimum, and families with more than one enrolled child receive a 15% discount on the lesser tuition. A limited amount of scholarship funding is available for families with documented need; the preschool keeps applications confidential. Annual registration for the next school year typically opens in January, with church members, returning students, and their siblings getting first access. Daily activities include free play, story time, art, science, math, language arts, music, circle time, and themed work, alongside water and sand tables, painting, puzzles, easels, play-dough, blocks, and construction toys.
The director, Melanie Reynolds, leads a staff that includes Paula in the Pre-K classroom, Donna and Sarah in the Pre-K Plus room, and Dawn and Chessy with the three-year-olds. The preschool classrooms are equipped with Vibe Smartboards and an audio/video security system, and the building carries an all-hazards radio emergency alert system for weather, Amber Alerts, and other public safety warnings. A large motor room and a playground round out the facility. For information, call the preschool at (440) 235-3869 or email preschool@olmstedchurch.org.
OCC Theatre: A Community-First Stage
OCC Theatre is a startup community theatre built out of the church, proclaiming that 'God's Love is for ALL!' Productions happen in downtown Olmsted Falls, and it is a 'community first' theatrical home where everyone, whether they prefer to be on stage or behind the scenes, has a place. Each production runs a series of non-traditional auditions that mix group acting exercises, theatre games, and the usual script reading. The program runs entirely on donations: checks can be made payable to Olmsted Community Church with 'LWW' in the memo line, and online donors can leave the same note in the comment field. Questions go to theatreinfo@olmstedchurch.org.
Vacation Bible School in the Summer
Every summer the church runs Vacation Bible School across five weekday evenings followed by a celebration at Sunday worship, complete with a different color to wear each day. The week explores Bible stories about people who trusted God through their fears and went on to do great things in God's name, anchored by songs the children learn together. Parents bring a water bottle, sneakers, play clothes, a small bag, sunscreen, and a fun attitude. Donations collected during VBS have supported local programs such as Achievement Centers for Children - Camp Cheerful in Strongsville, with the giving group earning a special prize for the most items brought in.
Stewardship: Giving and Legacy Gifts
The church offers several ways to give. Online giving is available through Breeze for one-time gifts or recurring monthly contributions, an offering is collected during services, and donations can be mailed to the office or texted to (440) 581-8646. Memorial gifts can be designated in honor or memory of a loved one, and donors aged 70½ or older can direct up to $100,000 per year from an IRA to the church tax-free as a Qualified Charitable Distribution.
A separate Legacy Giving program encourages members to place the church in their wills and estate plans. These planned gifts are expressions of a family's values that take effect after the donor's lifetime and 'do not require great wealth.' Pastor Steven is available to meet with anyone considering a planned gift.
Weddings, Rentals, and an Open Building
Occasion by occasion, the building opens up to the wider community. Members can celebrate their marriage in the sanctuary, with or without the church's officiant, by working through the process laid out in the Wedding Information packet. Anyone, member or not, can rent rooms, the large hall with a kitchen, or the sanctuary itself for a family gathering, community event, recital, or recording session, with rates starting at $300 for the hall and $600 for the sanctuary, plus a $300 cleaning deposit. The sanctuary can be set up with video streaming and audio recording options. All rentals are coordinated through the church office.
The People Who Lead and Serve
Pastor Steven leads the congregation, with Nicole serving as Church Administrator and Audrey as Interim Worship Leader. The music team includes organist Josh and Bell Choir Director Kim. Annette oversees the nursery and Mary is the church's custodian. Congregational leadership rests with a Guiding Board supported by boards and committees, currently chaired by Mary as President, Michelle as Vice-President, Judy as Treasurer, Bonnie as Secretary, and Nicole as Financial Recorder. The preschool is its own team under Director Melanie.
Visiting Olmsted Community Church
The church sits at 7853 Main Street in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, between the Columbia Road and Bagley Road intersections of Route 8, an easy drive from Berea and the southern Cleveland suburbs. Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and streams live on YouTube for those who would rather join from home. Tuesday Bible study is held at 1:00 p.m. by Zoom, with the link going out through The Bridge newsletter. Questions about the preschool, theatre, building rentals, weddings, legacy giving, or anything else go through the office at (440) 235-3326 or office@olmstedchurch.org.