A Congregation That Says "God Is Still Speaking"
On the west side of Portage, Michigan, just off Milham Avenue, Portage United Church of Christ has spent more than six decades building a congregation that openly invites anyone who walks through the doors. Its tagline - God is still speaking - is taken seriously here. Since 2012 the church has been an Open and Affirming congregation, and its Welcome Statement makes the commitment plain: No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
The mission that guides the life of the church is to invite, inspire and equip people for a maturing relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and to make a positive difference in the world. That calling shows up in Sunday morning worship, in a far-reaching music ministry, in adult faith formation, and in an unusually broad portfolio of community outreach programs stretching from neighborhood schools in Portage to farming partners in the rural countryside.
From a 1963 Church Plant to a Community Anchor
Portage United Church of Christ was founded in 1963 by a small group of members from First Congregational Church in Kalamazoo who wanted to plant a new UCC church in the growing city of Portage. Construction of the church building began in October 1966, and the very first worship service was held on Easter Sunday in 1967. Since that first Easter gathering, the building has been expanded three times - in 1977, 1983, and 2001 - to keep up with the congregation and its ministry.
The congregation took its formal Open and Affirming stand in 2012, the same year the Welcome and Vision Statements were adopted by congregational vote. The latest By-Laws revision in 2023 added a Faith and Covenant affirming that the church celebrates all loving and committed relationships, embraces diversity, and welcomes all persons regardless of sexual orientation, gender, marital status, age, mental and physical ability, or racial, ethnic, or socio-economic background.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
Worship is held every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, and services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel so that members and friends who cannot be present can still take part.
First-time visitors are warmly greeted at the door. A worship guide is projected on screens so newcomers can follow the order of service, and a "Prayground" children's activity area sits within the sanctuary so young children can remain with their families during worship. Dress is casual or formal - whatever makes a visitor comfortable. Seating arrangements are designed to accommodate mobility needs, and coffee and cookies are served following worship for a time of fellowship.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is described as a vibrant part of every worship service, expressing the congregation's faith relationship with God. The music ministry is unusually wide for a mid-sized church and includes several ensembles that rehearse through the program year:
- Covenant Choir - open to all interested singers from high school through adult. No prior experience is required. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., September through May. The choir sings a couple of times each month and presents two larger works per year.
- Praise Ringers - a medium-level handbell choir for ringers in 8th grade and older who have some previous musical background. Practices are held Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
- Golden Ringers - the newest bell choir, designed for adults 55 and older. No previous music experience is needed; both practice and performances take place from a seated position on Sunday mornings before or after the church service.
- Instrumental Ensemble - open to players of any age, including young people who play in their school band or orchestra. The ensemble plays in worship about once a month and rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Youth Praise Band - gives younger musicians a place to lead contemporary music in worship.
Joey Gottschall serves as Choir Director, Monica Washington Padula as Organist, Karen Woodworth as Director of the Instrumental Ensemble, Linda Holzwarth as Director of the bell choirs, and Becky Winkle as Bell Choir Assistant.
Adult Faith Formation and Care
Faith formation for adults is built around several long-running ministries that meet people where they are:
- ChristCare Groups - small groups that meet regularly for Bible study, sharing, prayer and fellowship, applying Scripture to daily life together.
- Adult Christian Education (ACE) - book discussions, presentations of spiritual journeys, and informational programs about church activities and the wider community.
- Stephen Ministry - formally trained lay caregivers provide one-to-one, confidential, Christ-centered care to those experiencing grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, relocation, or military deployment.
- Congregational Care Team - sends cards, makes calls, and runs a Meal Train to support families during difficult times.
- Quilt Ministry - members of the congregation write encouraging notes on quilt squares that are stitched into prayer quilts for those who are ill or recovering from surgery, and into baptism quilts presented to families when an infant is baptized.
- Green Future Team - guides the congregation in caring for creation, partnering with Hope for Creation locally and Interfaith Power and Light nationally. Efforts include collecting hard-to-recycle items, securing grants to lower the church's carbon footprint, and replacing portions of the lawn with a pollinator garden.
- Open and Affirming work - PUCC partners with the Faith Alliance at the annual Kalamazoo Pride Festival and works with the Progressive Portage Clergy Collective toward LGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools, churches, and other civic organizations.
Reaching Out Across Portage and Kalamazoo County
Community outreach is treated as a core ministry rather than an add-on. The congregation supports an unusually wide circle of local partners:
- Neighborhood Youth and Schools - volunteers serve as Reading Buddies at a nearby elementary school, supply school supplies and personal items, and thank teachers with small gifts and notes of gratitude. The church also sponsors Cub Scout Pack 289, open to all youth from kindergarten through 5th grade.
- First Day Shoe Fund - sponsorship of students at an elementary school to receive a new pair of shoes, with congregation members volunteering to sort and fit them.
- Crop Walk - in cooperation with Church World Services; one-third of funds raised stay with three local Kalamazoo organizations and two-thirds support hunger programs overseas.
- Loaves and Fishes Weekend Food Packs - donations help provide weekend food packs for Kalamazoo County students who may otherwise go without meals when school is out.
- Mission Trips - youth and adults have traveled both domestically and abroad for construction and service work.
- Portage Community Center - item collections and an Adopt-a-Family initiative at Christmas provide gifts and food for neighbors in need.
- Ministry with Community - individual-size toiletries, an annual underwear drive, and a winter warm-clothing collection.
- Meals on Wheels - congregation members drive and deliver meals to those who are homebound.
- Kalamazoo Pride - the church sponsors a booth each year in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Growing Hope Globally
Since 2002 Portage UCC has been the city partner in the Portage UCC - Climax - Battle Creek Growing Project, an initiative of Growing Hope Globally (originally Foods Resource Bank). The program began when Ohio farmers realized shipping grain overseas cost nearly fifteen times the value of the grain itself. Their alternative was to grow and sell crops in the United States and use the proceeds to fund agricultural development programs in countries facing hunger.
Each fall the congregation runs a pledge drive to cover costs the farm partners cannot donate, while rural partners (Mennonite, three United Methodist, and a community church) pledge their time, land, and equipment. Since 2003 the project has helped sponsor more than thirty specific Growing Hope Globally programs in sixteen countries and has raised enough from crop sales to fund more than $2 million for overseas food security work, helping over 40,000 people. The current local project is funding programs in five countries.
Pastoral Leadership
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Dr. Mary Kay Schueneman, Senior Pastor and Head of Staff, and Rev. Mak Kneebone, Associate Pastor. Together they oversee the worship life, faith formation, and pastoral care of the congregation, working alongside the music staff and lay leadership that have shaped the life of Portage United Church of Christ for more than sixty years.