Tucked into a wooded setting on Cutlers Farm Road in Monroe, Connecticut, the United Methodist Church of Monroe (UMCM) is a multi-generational congregation that traces its story back to two nineteenth-century Methodist societies and forward into Zoom-based Bible studies, a laity-run tech team, and a thriving roster of mission partnerships across Fairfield County and beyond. The congregation's motto, "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." appears on every page header, and the welcome Pastor Chuck Schif extends to first-time visitors carries that same easy, invitational tone.
A Church Born from Two Stepney Hill Congregations
UMC Monroe is younger than Methodism in Monroe, but the people who formed it had been gathering for generations. The present congregation came together on March 18, 1970, when the members of the Stepney Methodist Church and the East Village Methodist Church voted to merge and form the United Methodist Church of Monroe. The decision came after years of discussion, planning and prayer, and it was followed by a formal groundbreaking on Sunday, October 29, 1972.
Construction moved forward slowly. Materials arrived late, workmen were pulled to other jobs, and the most stubborn problem was water. Drillers found nothing in their first well attempt, so members of the church building committee resorted to lowering loaves of dynamite into the dry shafts to fracture the rock and coax a flow. The blasting worked. A Certificate of Occupancy was issued on October 5, 1973, and the new building was consecrated on September 30, 1973. A parsonage soon followed, financed with the help of a $35,000 advance from the conference, and a new Methodist congregation began its life in a single unified home.
During the construction years, while the merged fellowship was sharing facilities with the Stepney Baptist Church, the young people of the Methodist Youth Fellowship found their high spirits occasionally rattled the older Baptists. That kind of energy has been a feature of the place ever since. From its first days, UMC Monroe was driven by laity willing to give of their time: a Church Garden that provides fresh produce for the local food pantries, a tech team that keeps the livestream running, and volunteer crews who keep the grounds, the parsonage and the building in shape. The Rev. L. David York, who preached in both Stepney and East Village while the new building was rising, summed it up by saying that the goal was "a caring, supportive mission-oriented fellowship of believers and seekers."
Worship on Sundays at 10:00 am
Sunday morning at 10:00 am is the center of the church's life. Worship takes place both in the sanctuary and via Zoom, with the same bulletin followed in both places. Visitors can park in any of three parking lots; visitor and handicap spaces are in the middle lot behind the building. The main sanctuary entrance is at the double doors across from the bell, with a second entrance at the back of the building marked by a cross and flame. The church office sits on the same side of the building as the playground.
The 10:00 am service is a blended expression of the United Methodist tradition. Each week a liturgist or acolyte greets the pastor at the chancel with a lit candle lighter, asking, "Are you ready?" and receiving the answer, "We follow Jesus, so if He goes, we go." Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and worship includes a special Youth Message near the start of the service, when all the children are invited to the front of the sanctuary for an interactive time with the pastor before they head off to Sunday School. The dress is informal, and coffee, snacks and conversation follow each service in the fellowship area.
For those who cannot gather in person, the service is also livestreamed on Zoom. The link, meeting ID and passcode are listed with the weekly service information, and a dial-in number is available for those joining by phone. Past services are archived so members and friends can catch up at any hour. The music ministry, under Music Director RoseAnne Homola, weaves hymns and choral anthems into the flow of the morning, with the adult choir singing most weeks from September through mid-June.
Sunday School and the Education Wing
Children are part of the worship service from the start, not tucked away. They join the sanctuary for the first fifteen minutes or so, sit through the Youth Message, and then leave for Sunday School, which runs from 10:00 to 11:00 am every Sunday from September through June, including the first Sunday of the month, when they return to the sanctuary to receive communion. "Busy bags" are available for younger children who want a hands-on way to engage during worship before being dismissed to their classrooms.
The Sunday School program, directed by Susan Simmons, is designed for children from pre-school through fifth grade. Lessons use a hands-on, creative approach: Bible reading, games, word puzzles, brain teasers and snack are folded into each class so the hour feels inviting and age-appropriate. Susan is joined by co-coordinator Sheryl Rajpolt, and the program is built around a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate, biblically based, and focused on growing spiritually and developing a heart for service.
Middle school students who want to participate are welcomed as helpers and as peers in confirmation. High schoolers, most of whom have been confirmed, are encouraged to take on visible roles: liturgists, ushers, communion stewards on first Sundays, and musical contributors. Older students also serve as mentors for younger ones, set an example at trustee projects, help with the church garden and grounds, and pitch in at special events like Souper Bowl Sunday, Lent and Advent services, the annual shredding fundraiser, and pie-making afternoons.
A separate Youth Group for students in grades 6 through 12 meets throughout the year, planning activities at the church and in the community. The aim is to "reach students with the love of Jesus Christ, then encourage, equip and empower them to be Christ's ambassadors to the world." For college-aged members, the church keeps the connection alive with notes throughout the school year and welcomes students back when they are home for breaks.
Learning Together: Bible Studies, Coffee Hours, and a Book Group
UMC Monroe offers several weekly touchpoints beyond Sunday worship. On Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am, the Wednesday Wakeup gathers on Zoom for conversation, encouragement and the kind of easy fellowship that comes with a hot drink. An archive of past calls is kept for those who want to listen in later. The kicker line of the gathering is, "Never underestimate the power of coffee with a friend."
On Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm, the church hosts a longer-form book or Bible study. The Wednesday Wakeup leader Ed Hendricks also hosts a Friday morning Community Coffee Hour on Zoom at 7:30 am, offering "a place to laugh, share the special close moments with Christ each of us experience, and pray with like-minded people in a safe and confidential environment."
During Advent and Lent, the church joins the other congregations of the Eastern Fairfield Cooperative Parish for joint Bible studies, sharing the work of a season with neighboring United Methodist churches. The church also runs a four-week book discussion on Adam Hamilton's "Why? Making Sense of God's Will" and other adult studies that change with the seasons. The Education Committee welcomes new ideas and interests at any time.
Lay Servant Ministries and the Work of the Laity
The United Methodist tradition is a connectional one, and the people of UMC Monroe take seriously the promise members make to support the church through prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. The church's Lay Servant Ministries effort, in partnership with the Connecticut District and the New York Annual Conference, invites members to take formal training courses that range from the basic Lay Servant class to advanced courses in topics like biblical storytelling and ministry with the forgotten. Lay servants are not only pulpit supply; they are the people who serve on committees, teach Sunday School, lead Bible studies, repair homes, and visit those who cannot come to church.
Inside the church, that spirit shows up in the structure of Ministry Teams, each with a chair and open membership. The Worship Team, chaired by Patti Early, works with the pastor, choir director and organist to plan Sunday services and special seasonal services. The Missions and Social Concerns Committee, led by Lynn Abbott, coordinates the congregation's outreach to local and global partners. The Membership, Evangelism and Care Team, with Steve Arnold as chair and Gail Mas as Care Coordinator, makes visits to homebound members, sends homemade get-well and sympathy cards, organizes the Prayer Chain, and provides meals and transportation in times of need. Other teams handle Christian Education, the Church Council, Finance and Stewardship, Staff-Parish Relations, Trustees, Membership, and Visitation, and the Council, chaired by Sheryl Rajpolt, generally meets every other month on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings at 7:15 pm.
Mission Work in Monroe and the World
UMC Monroe's mission efforts are wide-ranging, anchored by partnerships that have grown over years. The congregation collects for the Monroe Food Pantry, a community food pantry at 980 Monroe Turnpike where volunteers are needed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. A red donation bin on the left side of the food pantry building accepts non-perishable items at any time. Members also support the food pantry at Summerfield United Methodist Church's "Light on the Hill" ministry and gather school supplies and Christmas gifts for children in need through Covenant to Care.
Through Church World Service, the church has long participated in the Blankets+ program, using Mother's Day as "Blanket Sunday" to collect ten-dollar donations in memory or honor of loved ones. Funds are pooled to buy blankets at a low rate and distribute them worldwide in the wake of disasters. Father's Day collections support the former Tool Kits program, which provides tools and seeds to replant fields and dig wells in communities hit by catastrophe.
On a more personal level, the church has partnered for more than five years with Pivot Ministries, a faith-based residential program in Bridgeport for men recovering from alcohol and substance addiction. UMCM has provided bedding, clothing, gardening supplies for Pivot's community garden, plus seasonal drives for pillows, pots, and sports equipment. The congregation also supports Thomas Merton House, which provides permanent supportive housing for homeless women with children, and joins the annual CROP Hunger Walk to fight hunger locally and globally. Each autumn the church donates to UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) for international disaster response, and each spring the youth lead the Souper Bowl of Caring collection. Around Christmas the congregation gathers bikes for Golden Hill United Methodist Church's Bike Give-a-way and fills Christmas baskets for families in need. The church is also an active member of Footsteps in the Sand, a community of Christians from area churches that fosters spiritual renewal, develops leaders for the local church, and encourages Christian action.
The Pastor, the Staff, and the Lay Leaders
Reverend Charles J. Schif, known to the congregation as Pastor Chuck, was appointed to UMC Monroe in July 2021. Before his appointment, he served as the Assistant Pastor and Director of Youth Ministry at Huntington United Methodist Church in Shelton. In his secular career he is a Business Systems Analyst for a technology company, a calling he describes as a way of honoring the larger call he feels to ministry. He lives in Shelton with his wife Patti and their dog, Tano, and their daughter Bailey is currently pursuing a master's degree in clinical and mental health. Pastor Chuck is also an active participant in Footsteps in the Sand.
Supporting him on the staff side are Denise Wiley, the church secretary since March 2016, and RoseAnne Homola, the music director. RoseAnne began her church musician career in 1975 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Greenwich and has served for nearly forty years in ecumenical settings across Fairfield and New Haven County. Her choral experience includes directing the American Union of Swedish Singers of Fairfield and singing with ensembles such as Dr. Joe Utterback's Palm Court Quartet.
The lay leadership of the church has deep roots in the community. Sheryl Rajpolt chairs the Church Council and co-coordinates children's education. Rose Aiello, a member since 1990, has been treasurer since 2020 and continues to serve as Lay Leader, a role she has held since 2008. Patti Early chairs the Worship Team. Bill Schmalkuche chairs the Finance and Stewardship Committee. Darlene Dobler-Palin, a member for more than ten years and a Monroe resident since 1987, chairs the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. Lynn Abbott chairs the Missions and Social Concerns Committee. Brian Sherwood chairs the Board of Trustees. Anita Stabler-Hussey serves as Financial Secretary. The full slate of committee chairs is published each year in the church directory.
Visiting, Accessibility, and Practical Details
UMC Monroe goes out of its way to make first-time visitors feel at home. Dress is informal. Children of all ages are welcome in worship, and Sunday School is available for ages three through high school during the school year. The building is handicap accessible, with three parking lots to choose from and reserved visitor and accessible spaces in the middle lot behind the building. The church office is open Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and by appointment. Pastor Chuck is generally in the office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings; for a visit or pastoral care emergency, he can be reached by phone or email.
For those who want to get more involved before stepping on campus, there are Zoom-based options every day of the work week except Monday and Tuesday: Wednesday Wakeup in the morning, the book study in the evening, the Friday Community Coffee Hour, and Sunday worship itself. Beyond the weekly schedule, the church hosts an American Red Cross blood drive each spring and fall, a fall Paper Shredding and Electronics Recycling Fundraiser at Stepney Crossing (435 Main Street) that benefits the missions budget, an ice cream social to mark Rally Day, a Harvest Cookout after worship in October, and a series of weekday studies, retreats and fellowship events running through the year. Members of the Footsteps in the Sand community gather on the third Saturday of each month, and Men's and Women's Weekends at the Holmes Camp and Retreat Center in Holmes, New York, offer a chance to unplug, study, and reconnect with other Christians from area churches.
A Connectional Church in the New York Conference
UMC Monroe sits in a network of United Methodist relationships that stretches from the town of Monroe to the wider connection. The congregation is a member of the Eastern Fairfield Cooperative Parish, joining with other area United Methodist churches for joint Lenten and Advent studies, fellowship, and shared ministry opportunities. It belongs to the Connecticut District of the New York Annual Conference, and is under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton. Through its connection to the larger United Methodist Church, the small congregation on Cutlers Farm Road is part of global mission efforts through the General Board of Global Ministries, disaster response through UMCOR, and cooperative ministries like Church World Service.
For more than fifty years, the people of UMCM have gathered on this wooded lot to worship, to learn, to serve, and to grow together. The earliest members worked with their own hands, held loaves of dynamite, and rolled up their sleeves to make sure the building had water and a future. The current generation keeps that spirit alive through a tech team, a garden, Zoom coffee hours, blood drives, shredding fundraisers, summer camps, a Wednesday morning call, and a choir that still gathers at 8:45 am to sing its first anthem of the season. Whoever shows up on a Sunday morning will find a building that is handicap accessible, a congregation that is happy to share its story, and a door marked by a cross and a flame.