Growing in Faith, Persevering in Love on Asbury Drive
St. Timothy on the Northshore sits on Asbury Drive in Mandeville, Louisiana, in a growing parish on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain. Chartered on September 21, 1975 with 101 founding members, the fellowship now gathers close to 6,000 people on a campus that includes a sanctuary, a family life center, a youth building, a preschool, and a memorial garden. The church's stated motto, "Growing in Faith, Persevering in Love," captures a community that has spent half a century expanding its reach while holding fast to its Methodist roots.
St. Timothy describes itself as "a fellowship committed to the worship of God, and the love and care of others through service." Members and visitors are invited into "a new life in Christ" and to "grow in His likeness." In practice that means a full week of worship, study, music, missions, care, and programming for every stage of life, from twelve-month-old toddlers in the preschool to adults sitting through Grief Share, from kindergarteners learning three basic truths to youth spending Monday evenings walking through the Old Testament.
Five Sunday Services Across Two Buildings
Sunday mornings at St. Timothy look different depending on which door you walk through. The church offers six distinct services across two buildings, and worshipers can choose between a blended traditional liturgy, an upbeat contemporary band, or a youth-focused gathering of their own.
The 8:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. traditional services take place in the Main Sanctuary and follow the standard Methodist liturgy while speaking to contemporary culture. Music runs the gamut from traditional hymns of the church to contemporary praise choruses, presented by choirs, ensembles, instrumental groups, and special guests. The pastor brings life-applicable preaching that addresses daily issues.
The 9:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. contemporary services also meet in the Main Sanctuary, with an additional 11:15 a.m. contemporary service held in the Youth Building. These feature modern worship songs led by the St. Timothy Worship Band, monthly communion, special presentations by the Contemporary Choir, and multi-media preaching. The atmosphere is casual, with dress ranging from everyday casual to Sunday best.
Middle and high school students have their own gathering at 9:45 a.m. in the Youth Building. St. Timothy Youth is a multi-media service with live contemporary music, videos, and messages aimed at the questions teenagers actually carry. The room is comfortable, the dress is casual to somewhat dressy, and the teaching is rooted in helping students move "deeper into an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ."
Children are not left to figure out the adult services on their own. St. Timothy Kids serves K through 6th graders at 9:45 a.m. in the Family Life Center Gym with energetic music, skits, and age-appropriate teaching. Children are also dismissed from the 8:15 a.m. and both 11:15 a.m. services (one in the Sanctuary, one in the Youth Building) to their own classrooms. St. Timothy Kids Jr. cares for infants through Pre-K 5 at every Sunday morning hour, with drop-off and pick-up at the Children's Ministry Office. A Mother's Room at the back of the Sanctuary gives nursing mothers a quiet place to care for babies during worship.
A Methodist Heritage and a Half-Century Story
St. Timothy grew out of 101 charter members who met for the first time in September 1975. For nearly four years the fellowship worshipped in a warehouse on Industry Lane. On Easter Sunday, April 15, 1979, the congregation moved into its present Asbury Drive campus, which at the time consisted of what is now the choir room and the staff offices.
As the church grew, so did the buildings. The Education Building came first, followed by the current Sanctuary, the Family Life Center with its large multi-purpose gymnasium, commercial kitchen, and additional classrooms, and a Memorial Garden. In 2008 the campus added a new youth worship center along with extra classroom space.
On May 24, 2006, the Charge Conferences of St. Timothy and the Church of the Servant approved a plan of merger. The combined congregation took the name St. Timothy on the Northshore and has continued to expand to serve a growing St. Tammany Parish community.
The church places itself squarely within the Methodist tradition founded by John Wesley. Its statement of belief names the historic sources of Christian theology: Scripture as the primary source for doctrine, Tradition as the accumulated wisdom of Christian thinkers and preachers through the centuries, Experience as the personal appropriation of God's grace, and Reason as the disciplined tool by which faith is examined. The doctrinal articles lean heavily on Wesleyan categories: prevenient grace that precedes salvation, justifying grace that pardons, and sanctifying grace that brings the believer toward maturity. Two sacraments are observed, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, with all persons, regardless of age or church affiliation, welcomed to the table.
Baptism at St. Timothy is offered in three forms, sprinkling, pouring, and immersion, and is performed at any age. Baptisms performed in other Christian traditions are accepted without repetition. After a funeral in the church, the Bereavement Food Ministry prepares a buffet for the family in the Family Life Center.
Children and Youth: Programs That Meet Students Where They Are
Children's ministry at St. Timothy is structured around three basic truths, taught differently depending on age. The youngest children in St. Timothy Kids Jr. (infants through Pre-K 5) hear that "God Loves Me," "Jesus wants to be my friend forever," and "God made me." Older children in St. Timothy Kids (K through 6th grade) work from a curriculum built on "I need to make the wise choice," "I can trust God no matter what," and "I should treat others the way I want to be treated." Each month the program also highlights a single Christian virtue.
Special programs give children extra ways to serve. Children in grades K through 6 are encouraged to join the Praise Team, rehearsing at 9:00 a.m. in rooms 103-104 before leading worship at 9:45 a.m. Acolyte training is available for grades 3 through 6, with students serving on a rotating schedule at the 8:15 and 11:15 services.
Youth ministry covers grades 7 through 12. In addition to the Sunday morning contemporary service, students gather on Sunday afternoons for Pit Stop from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Youth Building, a time of large-group games, a recap of the morning message, and small-group breakout time. On Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., the youth group runs a Bible Project deep dive through the Old Testament, beginning with a game, watching a Bible Project video, reading Scripture, and discussing questions students bring. Wednesday nights bring the youth Praise Band and Tech team together at 5:30 p.m. for rehearsal and community.
Safe Sanctuaries policies govern every interaction with children and youth. Volunteers and staff undergo background checks, interviews, and reference checks, plus annual Safe Sanctuary training. The Rule of Groups ensures that no adult is ever alone with a student, and electronic communications follow the same rule. The full policy is available for any parent or volunteer who wants to read the details.
A Music Ministry with a National and International Reach
Music at St. Timothy is a family affair. The largest ensemble, the Adult Choir, leads congregational singing at the 8:15 and 11:15 services and presents major choral and orchestral works for the wider community. The choir's annual "Christmas on the Northshore" concert was voted the 2004 Best Choral Arts Performance in the New Orleans Arts Awards and led to an annual Palm Sunday Gospel concert.
The Adult Choir has also toured widely. In 2007 members traveled to the Holy Land on the "Prepare the Way" tour, performing in Jordan and Israel and closing with a Christmas Eve concert in Manger Square, Bethlehem. In spring 2009 the "Prepare the Way Goodwill Tour" took the ensemble to Greece for performances of the oratorio "Elijah." The choir has also sung at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Children's music begins with weekly classes on Wednesday evenings. Children's Choir meets from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. for PreK (Room 115), K through second grade (Room 105), and third through sixth grade (Rooms 100-101). Activities include singing, games, stories, and skill-building. A youth choir and chorale for grades 7 through 12 learn traditional and contemporary sacred music and participate in the annual summer choir tour.
St. Timothy Preschool
Adjacent to the church campus, St. Timothy Preschool is a Christian preschool serving children from 12 months old through age five. The school year runs from August 19, 2026 through May 21, 2027, with daily hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Classrooms are organized by age: Toddlers (12 months by September 30), Twos (two years by September 30), Threes (three years by September 30), Fours (four years by September 30), and Fives (five years by September 30). Children in the three-year-old classes and older must be potty trained to start school. Class sizes are kept small, typically with two or three teachers per group of twelve to fourteen students.
Enrichment is built into the week. All ages attend music class once a week; threes, fours, and fives also attend P.E. and art every week; threes, fours, and fives attend chapel once a month; and every class has daily outdoor recess when weather allows. An optional Stay and Play program on Mondays and Wednesdays lets Fours and Fives stay until 3:00 p.m. for rest, snack, and play at $60 per month for one day or $120 for both. Tuition rates vary by class, with a one-time $225 nonrefundable registration fee. The preschool can be reached directly at 985-626-5580 or preschool@sttimothyns.org.
Congregational Care for the Hard Seasons
St. Timothy's Congregational Care ministry exists to make sure no one walks through difficult seasons alone. The church partners with Stephen Ministry, a lay caring ministry in which Stephen Ministers receive 50 hours of training in dealing with feelings, crisis intervention, self-assertion, and related topics. Stephen Ministers walk alongside people facing hospitalization, retirement, financial setbacks, the loss of a loved one, or other life crises.
Grief Share, a 13-week support course using group discussion and a workbook, runs periodically at the church. Ronnie's Life Ministry grew out of a member's experience with her brother's cancer journey and offers prayer and encouragement letters for anyone in need. Prayer requests can be submitted online or in person for those who want the church to lift them up.
A Wide Net of Missions and Outreach
Missions and Outreach at St. Timothy is structured around Matthew 25: "I was hungry and you fed me... I was in prison and you came to see me." The Missions & Outreach Planning Team meets the first Thursday of each month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in rooms 103/104 of the Family Life Center and welcomes new members.
The church supports a long list of local, regional, and international partners. Locally, the Samaritan Center receives regular donations of non-perishable food (especially mashed potatoes, canned pasta, and spaghetti sauce) and hygiene items, with collection bins around the campus. St. Mark's in New Orleans receives emergency food and manna bags assembled by St. Timothy volunteers, plus gently used Bibles and recycled prescription and reading glasses. The Northlake Crisis Pregnancy Center, the Methodist Children's Home, and West 30's Redemption Company (a faith-based nonprofit working on home ownership in Covington) round out the local partnerships.
Behind the walls, the Jail Ministry offers weekly Bible studies at the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington. Kairos Prison Ministry extends the same work to the wider incarcerated community. The Care Cards team writes monthly notes of encouragement to local nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Just A Little Knitty for Jesus meets Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in Room 101 to make knitted and crocheted items for cancer patients at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. The Grace Garden grows fresh organic produce for clients of the Samaritan Center.
Internationally, St. Timothy partners with the Methodist Church of Cuba through construction teams and financial support, with a sister church relationship with Catedral Metodista en Holguin. The Cuba Sanara ministry, launched in 2023, ships medicines twice a month via courier to Havana, where the Medical Director in the bishop's office distributes them free of charge to Methodist congregations across the island.
Women have their own service outlet through Mom's in Service, which meets every other month in the Highway classroom with childcare provided. Recent projects have included hygiene kits for St. Mark's and bags for the Methodist Children's Home. The church also fields life coaches who mentor boys at the Methodist Children's Home, which is currently at capacity with 32 residents.
Bible Studies, Groups, and Wednesday Night Dinners
For adults who want to go deeper, St. Timothy offers Disciple Bible Studies that meet weekly for two to two and a half hours. The studies are open to everyone from new believers to lifelong Christians, and free childcare is available for all classes with registration.
A Wednesday night dinner anchors the week's programming and runs from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center. No reservations are required, and the cost is $5 for children and $6 for adults. The dinner menu rotates through favorites like pulled pork sandwiches, chicken enchiladas, jambalaya, hamburgers, spaghetti, and more, with a kid option at every meal. The dinner pairs naturally with the evening's children's choir, youth rehearsal, and adult programs.
Becoming Part of St. Timothy
Membership at St. Timothy begins with baptism. Those who have made a personal commitment to Christ and have been baptized are invited to take membership vows, promising to support the church with prayers, presence, financial gifts, and service. Visitors who want to explore membership can fill out a Response Card during worship, contact the church office at 985-626-3307, or use the St. Timothy app.
Staying Connected Through the Week
St. Timothy uses the Subsplash platform for its mobile app, online directory, event registration, and giving. The app is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Giving is offered online with options for one-time gifts or recurring donations by debit card, credit card, ACH bank transfer, or digital wallet. A weekly bulletin is posted online for anyone who wants to follow along with announcements, and services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Senior Pastor Josh Elder and his team welcome every visitor who walks onto the Asbury Drive campus.