A Safe Harbor on Portland Avenue
Portland Avenue United Methodist Church sits at 8000 Portland Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota, just south of Richfield and within easy reach of the Twin Cities. Around the building and across its newsletter, members call it "The PORT" - a nickname that captures the church's long-running vision of being "a safe harbor along life's journey." Founded in the early 1950s as Bloomington was transforming from a quiet village into a growing suburb, the congregation has kept that harbor idea at the center of its identity for more than seven decades.
Roots in a Growing Bloomington
The PORT traces its beginnings to late 1952 and early 1953, when the Minneapolis District of the Methodist Church saw the need for a new church in the rapidly expanding eastern part of Bloomington. The village was booming: between 1950 and 1952, its population had nearly doubled from 9,800 to almost 20,000, and a quarter of residents were preschool-age children. By November 1953, the brand-new Portland Avenue Methodist Church had begun regular Church School and worship services, and on March 14, 1954, the congregation was officially organized under charter.
Those founding years shaped a community that has long defined itself by growth, family life, and a willingness to welcome newcomers. Today, the church still describes itself with the words "Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors," and its guiding principles spell out the same four letters as its nickname. The PORT stands for a Place of safety, belonging, and acceptance for all; Opportunities to love and serve neighbors and the world; Radiating God's love through worship, music, and prayer; and Together growing in faith.
Sunday Morning at The PORT
Worship happens on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary, blending the beauty of traditional liturgy with the energy of modern music. The service includes songs, prayers, scripture readings, and a message from Pastor Steve Nuessle. Every service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook, with recordings available to watch at any time afterwards.
After worship, the Wesley Room fills with conversation over coffee, juice, and treats at an 11:00 AM Coffee Fellowship hosted by a different individual or group each week. It is a relaxed moment for visitors and longtime members to meet, catch up, and connect over a cup of coffee.
SonRise Singers: A Lifelong Band of Voices
One of the most distinctive things about Sunday worship at The PORT is the music. The SonRise Singers lead the contemporary side of the music each Sunday, and they have been singing together for more than four decades. Many of them grew up in the church, and their long friendships show in a tight vocal blend and a relaxed stage presence. The group takes its name from the sunrise Easter service where members first began performing together as the contemporary worship team.
SonRise is always looking for new singers and instrumentalists. Worship Leader Judy Richardson-Mahre, a lifetime member of The PORT, oversees both the SonRise group and the wider Worship Committee, and the church regularly welcomes guest musicians as well as a volunteer PORT band that joins SonRise on select Sundays.
Compass Crew: Sunday School for K-8
Children are a visible part of worship at The PORT. Compass Crew is the church's Sunday school program for children from Kindergarten through 8th grade, meeting on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from September through May during the 10:00 AM service. Children begin in the sanctuary with their families and are dismissed after the Children's Sermon to a classroom downstairs for Bible stories, singing, crafts, and games. The fall season follows Cokesbury's Big Faith curriculum, and the program is led by a dedicated team of teachers - Becky, Beth, Janene, and Traci. A special Rally Sunday each September gives kids a chance to meet their classmates and teachers before the regular schedule begins.
Youth in 6th grade and older do not head to the children's classroom; instead, they gather in The Loft during worship for their own time together. Visitors with children of any age are welcome to bring them into the sanctuary, and the family-friendly tone of the 10:00 AM service means that wiggles and quiet whispers are part of the experience.
Coffee, Conversations, and the Great Day of Music
The PORT has built a handful of recurring traditions that knit the congregation together across the year. On the third Sunday of each month, the church hosts a Great Day of Music, an entire service built almost entirely of music, with very little spoken word - a tradition members look forward to as the program year winds down each spring.
Beyond Sunday morning, the church hosts a Tuesday night Bible study and a monthly SupPORT Dinner on the third Wednesday at 5:30 PM, a casual supper with easy conversation that gives neighbors and newcomers a relaxed way to get to know the congregation. The PORT also runs an annual Plant Sale Fundraiser each spring and gathers for PORT Family Game Nights and similar events throughout the year.
Mission Outreach and Community Dinners
Outreach is woven into the rhythm of the church year. Mission Co-Chairs Nancy Hagerty and Pam Rose lead The PORT's Mission Outreach work, coordinating monthly projects that respond to local needs. Recent efforts have included collecting cake mixes, frosting, candles, and other supplies to assemble Birthday Cake Kits for VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People), which distributes 100-150 of the kits each week to children 12 and under during their birthday month. Congregation members have also spent a morning packing meals at Feed My Starving Children and have created care packages for people experiencing homelessness.
The PORT's wider community partnerships reflect years of steady involvement in East Bloomington. The church supports Valley View Elementary School, Bloomington Kennedy High School, the Education Foundation of Bloomington, the Cornerstone Shelter, the VEAP Dignity Center, Feed My Starving Children, and ongoing efforts to create care packages for people who are unhoused. Each year, the congregation also takes part in the six Special Sunday offerings of the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: Human Relations Day, UMCOR Sunday, Native American Ministry Sunday, Peace with Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday, and United Methodist Student Day.
The Holiday Bazaar, 50 Years and Counting
Every November on the second weekend, the church's largest fundraiser takes over the building. The Holiday Bazaar is now in its fifth decade, and it has stayed true to its founding idea: every item sold is handmade by members of the congregation, either individually or as part of one of two weekly workshop groups. Outside vendors are not accepted, with the long-standing exceptions of Freddy's Lefse and Claxton's Fruitcakes, both of which have become part of the tradition. The event also includes a silent auction, a bake sale, and a holiday garage sale known as Attic Treasures. Proceeds fund needs outside the church budget, with a portion going to mission outreach. Longtime customers return year after year, telling the organizers that the bazaar kicks off their holiday season.
Hospitality: Safety, Belonging, Acceptance for All
The PORT takes its role as a welcoming community seriously, grounding its approach in Romans 15:7 - "Welcome one another, then, just as Christ welcomed you, in order to bring praise to God." The Hospitality team, anchored in the Congregational Care ministry, coordinates Coffee Fellowship on Sunday mornings, plans potlucks, outings, and seasonal events like Bingo, and works to make sure that newcomers do not feel like outsiders at someone else's family reunion. Visitors and members alike are invited to step into service through Congregational Care, and the church keeps its prayer chain open to anyone in the community who would like a community lifting them up.
What The PORT Believes
The church's faith life rests on two anchors that members often point newcomers toward. The first is the Social Creed, a United Methodist statement of beliefs that affirms God as Creator and Christ as Redeemer and calls the church to care for creation, the dignity of all people, the rights of workers, justice among nations, and the proclamation of the gospel in the world. A companion Litany to the Social Creed extends these commitments into prayer, with repeated lines of "Today is the day" and "And so shall we," calling the congregation to act in response to God's care for the earth and for the people who live on it.
The second anchor is the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the framework John Wesley gave to United Methodists for thinking about faith. Scripture is the first among equals - the place to start and finish any study. Tradition offers the witness of two thousand years of Christian interpretation. Personal and collective experience confirms and tests what is learned. And reason weaves the other three together. The church is quick to point out that the Quadrilateral is a tool, not an object of worship: it shapes how The PORT thinks and decides, while the focus of worship remains God alone. In the spirit of Wesley's own words - "In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; and in all things charity" - The PORT welcomes a range of perspectives within the larger United Methodist family.
Meet the Team
Pastor Steve Nuessle leads the congregation. He holds an MDiv from Bethel Seminary, came to The PORT from Main Street Church in North Branch, and has also served as Associate Pastor at Central Baptist Church in St. Paul and as a chaplain in the Minnesota Army National Guard. He and his wife Krista, a physician assistant at Regions Hospital, have two sons, Theo and Winston.
Judy Richardson-Mahre leads worship music, chairs the Worship Committee, and directs the SonRise Singers. Church Secretary Lori Livingston is a lifetime member of The PORT and helps keep the office running. Lay leadership is provided by Staff-Parish Relations Chair Barb Andrus, Missions Chairs Nancy Hagerty and Pam Rose, Finance Chair Pam Rose, and Church Council Chair Kathy Swenson.
Getting Connected
The church office is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at 8000 Portland Avenue South in Bloomington. Worship begins at 10:00 AM, with Coffee Fellowship following at 11:00 AM. Those who cannot attend in person can join the livestream on YouTube or Facebook, and recordings remain available afterwards. Monthly Portlight newsletters keep members informed, and a Bible Reading Plan and an active prayer chain are available to anyone who wants to go deeper. Online giving is available through the church's Vanco page, and the church can be reached at (952) 888-6070 or paumc@paumc.org.