A Garden Rooted in Kernersville for Over 125 Years
Sedge Garden United Methodist Church stands along Sedge Garden Road in Kernersville, North Carolina, a congregation that has been rooted in this Forsyth County community for more than 125 years. Two worship services anchor the Sunday rhythm - a contemporary service at 8:30 AM and a traditional service at 10:55 AM, with Sunday School for all ages filling the 9:45 hour in between. The church's motto, Plant · Grow · Love, captures the spirit of a place that takes faith seriously while holding neighbors close.
Two Services, One Sunday, Two Distinct Sounds
Members and visitors can pick a worship style that fits the morning. The 8:30 AM contemporary service features live modern worship music in a casual atmosphere, streamed online for those joining from home. The 10:55 AM traditional service fills the sanctuary with the voices of the chancel choir, chamber choir, and men's choir, accompanied by the handbell ensemble, with Director of Traditional Music Cindy Darden leading from the piano and organ.
Both services last about an hour and share the same Biblical message, simply expressed through different musical traditions. Bulletins for each service can be downloaded in advance to follow along at home. The greeters, who staff side entrances off the main parking lot and the Fellowship Hall, are trained to welcome newcomers without making anyone feel put on the spot.
Garden Kids: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Garden Kids is the children's ministry at Sedge Garden, designed to be a safe and joyful place for children from birth through fifth grade to discover God through worship, friendship, and fun. On Sunday mornings, the schedule begins with a First Fruits worship service in the sanctuary at 8:30 AM for all ages, followed by Garden Kids Worship from 8:45 to 9:45 AM for preschoolers through fifth grade. Small Groups run from 9:45 to 10:45 AM.
Loving nursery care for infants through age two is available during both worship services and the Small Groups hour, led by Sonia Boles and Penny Bottoms. The ministry is Safe Sanctuary certified - every leader and volunteer is background-checked.
Beyond Sunday mornings, Garden Kids stays busy. Club 3-4-5 gathers monthly for older elementary students to dive deeper into God's call on their lives through fellowship, Bible study, and service. The annual Easter Egg Hunt invites the community for crafts, photos with the Easter Bunny, and a hunt across the church yard. Trunk-or-Treat in October offers a safe Halloween alternative with chicken stew dinner and treats. Each fall the Pumpkin Patch fundraiser sells pumpkins with proceeds supporting Garden Kids, the youth ministry, and the choir. Vacation Bible School fills a summer week with Bible stories, songs, games, crafts, and a service project. The Kids Nativity at Christmas, when children from birth through fifth grade dress in costume to tell the story of Jesus' birth, is one of the church's most beloved traditions.
Amanda Betters directs Garden Kids. Families can stay current through the Garden Kids newsletter and weekly email list.
G.Y.M.: Grounded Youth Ministry for Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
G.Y.M. (Grounded Youth Ministry) is the church's name for its 6th through 12th grade community, a place where middle and high school students get grounded in their faith and build friendships that outlast graduation. The weekly rhythm includes worship alongside the full congregation at 8:30 AM or 10:55 AM, a brief large group gathering from 9:45 to 10:00 AM where middle and high school students discuss the small group topic together, and age-specific small groups from 10:00 to 11:00 AM designed for real conversation and spiritual growth. Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 PM bring fellowship events built around fun and community.
G.Y.M. is co-directed by Amanda Betters and her husband Dr. Chad Betters, a Professor and Chair of a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Catawba College. Signature experiences include a one-year Confirmation journey for 6th through 8th graders who publicly affirm their faith and become professing members of the United Methodist Church, annual mission trips that build houses and serve meals in local and regional communities, a summer Wilderness Trail backpacking trip where students connect with God through creation, and four retreats for juniors and seniors covering independent living, purpose, relationships, and faith along with college visits.
Adult Groups and Sunday School
Five Sunday School classes meet between the two services, each with its own personality. The A.S.K. class (Ask · Seek · Knock) is taught by rotating members and emphasizes deep scriptural engagement. The Manuel Class, named in honor of Bill Manuel, lives by its motto: We work, play, pray, and stay together. The Fellowship Class uses 4- to 6-session DVD studies followed by group discussion, plus mission projects and social gatherings. C.A.Y.A. (Come As You Are) explores the historical and modern-day implications of scripture in a discussion-based format. B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers And Sisters In Christ) brings together adults in their 30s and 40s studying how Christ works in everyday life. SG Rooted, the College Class, is a Christ-centered young adult community.
Beyond Sunday mornings, Monday School gathers from 6:30 to 7:30 PM for book study with class-led discussion, a group that formed in 2004 for those who cannot attend on Sundays. The Senior Adult Fellowship takes monthly bus trips to restaurants (over 66 destinations in five years). United Methodist Men meet the first Sunday at 7:00 AM in Fellowship Hall for breakfast and mission support of Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, Wilderness Trail, Feed the Hunger, and Open Arms Ministry. Golden Agers (80 and older) gather the third Monday for themed events, games, and card-making. United Women of Faith includes three circles - Daisies, Tulips, and Roses - open to women of any age, member or not. A Widows and Widowers group meets on the fourth Wednesday.
A Preschool on the Same Campus
Sedge Garden UMC Preschool operates on the church campus under Director Judy Hoyle, a partner ministry that introduces young children to the church community from their earliest years.
Seventeen Active Ministries: Care, Food, and Seasonal Giving
Sedge Garden runs seventeen active ministries across care, food, and seasonal giving. The Manna Ministries cluster feeds neighbors through several channels. The Hall Woodward and Smith Farms Backpack Program packs weekend food bags for students facing food insecurity, providing 72 children with over 7,700 pounds of food. Monthly donations to Crisis Control Ministry support families in crisis across Forsyth and Stokes Counties, with 931 pounds donated in the most recent year. The Blessing Box is an on-campus food pantry open 24/7 to anyone in need, no questions asked. The Shalom Project assembles red bags with essential items and meals to challenge the cycle of poverty, logging more than 325 donations in a year. The on-campus Church Garden grows produce that goes directly to local food ministries and families in need, yielding more than 800 pounds last year.
The care ministries include Stephen Ministry, now in its thirteenth year, providing confidential one-on-one Christian care to people in crisis. The Homebound Ministry visits members in residential facilities year-round with flowers, communion, caroling, and care packages. Stitches of Love knits and sews lap quilts, prayer shawls, and fidget aprons for shut-ins, hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice, producing more than 700 items each year. Project HOPE hosts graduation parties for seniors served by the program, with meals, speakers, photos, and gift cards. A scholarship committee awards $5,000 annually to local students pursuing higher education. The annual blood drive has collected more than 52 pints in a recent year.
Seasonal giving includes Operation Christmas Child, with more than 57 shoeboxes packed annually for Samaritan's Purse, and Toys for Tots collections coordinated with the US Marine Corps Reserve. UMCOR and Global Missions support United Methodist Committee on Relief disaster response and global development initiatives.
Worship Leaders and Staff
Pastor Keith Edwards, an Elder in the United Methodist Church, graduated from Mars Hill College and Hood Theological Seminary. Amanda Betters serves as Director of Children's Ministries and Co-Director of Youth. Dr. Chad Betters co-directs the youth ministry alongside his work at Catawba College. Tommy Holder directs contemporary worship, while Cindy Darden directs traditional music and also serves on staff at Wake Forest University as a collaborative pianist. Anne White leads the Congregational Care Team. Judy Hoyle directs the preschool. Brandi Waggoner serves as Church Office Coordinator.
Plant, Grow, Love: A Place for Every Season
Sedge Garden offers a place to put down roots, deepen faith, and serve neighbors. Visitors can park in lots on both sides of the building, with reserved visitor parking near the main entrance. Come as you are - everything from jeans to Sunday best shows up on Sunday morning. The church is Safe Sanctuary certified, with all leaders and volunteers background-checked. Worship services are livestreamed online, giving is available through a secure online platform or by check, and prayer requests can be submitted to the pastoral care team. Connection cards are available for newcomers who would like a personal follow-up. For over 125 years, the people of Sedge Garden have been tending this particular corner of Kernersville, and there is always room for one more.