On a low-rise campus at the corner of Culver Drive and University Drive in Irvine, University United Methodist Church has spent nearly six decades gathering a notably diverse congregation. What sets the church apart, beyond its 1966 founding that anticipated the growth of both the city and the nearby University of California campus, is the way three language communities share one address: a traditional English service led by the chancel choir, the Irvine Korean United Methodist Church congregation, and Nozomi, a Japanese ministry whose name means hope. Add in children's programming, a recovery community that fills the education building most evenings, a free monthly community dinner, and a long list of mission partnerships, and the campus reads less like a single congregation and more like a small village in covenant with its neighborhood.
Three Sunday Services on One Campus
The Sunday schedule at UUMCI is built around three distinct worship services, one in each language the church embraces. The English-language service begins at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary and runs about an hour. It is the most traditional of the three, drawing on Methodist liturgy, congregational singing of hymns accompanied by piano, scripture readings from Old and New Testaments, pastoral prayer, preaching, and an offering. Communion, also called the Lord's Supper or Eucharist, is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. Grape juice is used so that anyone may participate, and the welcome is intentionally wide: age, membership, or background are not barriers to the table.
The Korean-language service, organized as Irvine Korean UMC, meets at 11:00 a.m. It is led by Associate Pastor Yeon Joon Moon and incorporates cultural elements along with the preaching of the Word, including traditional greetings and customs. The congregation typically gathers for a shared meal after the service, which has become its own ministry of hospitality.
The Japanese-language service is called Nozomi, the Japanese word for hope. It gathers at 1:00 p.m. in the Education Building on the fourth Sunday of every month, with virtual services on the other Sundays of the month so that members and friends near and far can stay connected. The mission pastor is Rev. Richard Kuyama. Nozomi also hosts its own Bible study in the Student Center, generally on Wednesday afternoons, led by lay leader Junko Takagi, and partners with the Korean congregation in occasional cross-cultural outreach such as the Hopi Native American Mission.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is one of the calling cards of the English service. The Chancel Choir, directed by Music Director Jakob Swetland with accompanist Dr. Wan-Chin Chang, sings every week at the 9:30 a.m. service and draws a wide span of ages from high school students to singers well into their eighties. Repertoire runs from hymn arrangements and classical anthems to spirituals and gospel pieces. Rehearsals are held in the sanctuary on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., and the rehearsals are open; there are no auditions, and anyone who loves to sing is welcome.
A second ensemble, ReJoySing, grew out of the chancel choir in 2002. Originally a four-part harmony group, it now numbers six singers and performs a mix of Christian and secular music in styles ranging from jazz and traditional hymnody to gospel and spirituals. The group sings in services and presents two concerts each year.
For children, Noiseful Joy is the children's choir under Children's Music Director Tiffany Vantine. Open to children aged three and up, it rehearses on Sunday mornings from 10:40 to 11:25 a.m. between the worship services and is built around laughter, harmonies, and the conviction that joyful noise is its own kind of music.
Founded in 1966 to Serve a Growing City
UUMCI was founded in 1966 to serve the growing city of Irvine and the new University of California campus. Rev. Jim Stewart was appointed as the first minister, and about sixty families initially met at St. Mark Presbyterian in Corona del Mar while plans moved forward. The groundbreaking on the Culver Drive site took place in September 1968, and the first service in the new building was held in June 1969. Stewart Hall, named for the founding pastor, was added for Sunday school and meetings. The congregation shared facilities in those early years with an Assembly of God church, an Israeli academy, and Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, which is how the surrounding campus gradually filled in.
From those beginnings, the church grew rapidly and helped other new Methodist congregations get started. Over time its ministry expanded to include today's Korean and Japanese communities, along with the children's preschool, the Scout troop, and the long-running 12-step program. The current lead pastor is Rev. Cathie Capp, appointed in July 2018. She is a lifelong United Methodist who earned her Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary after a previous career in social work serving youth in the Los Angeles County foster care and probation systems. She serves on the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council board, acts as a chaplain with the Canterbury Irvine Community Table at UCI, and preaches at Regents Point and other community organizations.
KidJam, the Nursery, and CONNECT Youth
Sunday mornings at 9:30 are designed so families do not have to choose between worship and age-appropriate ministry. Children begin the service with their parents in the sanctuary. After the pastor's greeting and a brief Children's Time story, the children step out to their own programs in the Education Building, where parents pick them up afterward.
- Nursery (ages 0 to 2) opens at 9:15 a.m. and is staffed by licensed childcare providers.
- KidJam, which stands for Jesus and Me, welcomes children from preschool through fifth grade. Each session includes an age-appropriate Bible story, a craft, a game, snacks, and time on the play yard, with values like patience, kindness, and compassion woven throughout. Children's Ministry Coordinator Amber Cancino oversees the program, and KidJam teachers Jamie Ryder, Dalya Dogru, and Luna Sepulveda round out the team.
- CONNECT for grades 6 to 12 gathers at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Center every week for a lesson and an activity. Every other week the students head out for something bigger: beach trips, escape rooms, arcades, movie nights, or a monthly evening called WAVES, a sunset bonfire service held at Balboa Pier in Newport Beach on the third Saturday of each month.
Children's Ministries Director Mai Meserlian oversees the next-door Child's World Preschool, a Reggio-inspired program serving infants through pre-kindergartners on the UUMCI campus. The preschool is described by the church as a place where wonder and safety meet, with a research-based approach to play, a certified outdoor classroom, and an emphasis on emotional intelligence alongside early academics.
Bible Studies, Lunch Bunch, and Faith and Film
Beyond Sunday morning, the church's spiritual formation offerings are organized under the heading Journeys in Faith. Bible studies of four to six weeks run several times a year. The most recent was a five-week walk through the Book of James led by Pastor Cathie, examining how the letter calls readers to live out the Word through compassion, integrity, humility, and service. These studies are open to those new to the Bible as well as longtime readers.
The Lunch Bunch book club meets weekly for conversation over a meal around books chosen by its leader. Titles range from memoirs and theology to guides for practical spirituality. A separate Sisters' Book Group gathers on the fourth Tuesday of each month over Zoom for readers who want a deeper-dive conversation.
Faith and Film, now in its second year, is a monthly Zoom gathering hosted by the pastor. The group watches a thought-provoking feature together and then talks about how faith intersects with the characters' struggles and the spiritual themes at work. Topical studies round out the menu, focusing on subjects like discipleship, biblical prophecy, and the history of the Christian faith.
Small Groups that Build Real Community
Small groups are treated as the heart of discipleship at UUMCI. Six groups are listed as standing ministries.
- Small Dinner Group gathers in members' homes on a rotating schedule for a meal, prayer, and conversation. Hosts and menus change regularly, but the spirit is steady: cozy gatherings, heartfelt conversation, and a place where new faces are welcome.
- Men's Breakfast meets at a local restaurant for what the church describes as hearty food and warmer fellowship. Stories, laughter, and the occasional debate over the last piece of French toast are all part of the rhythm.
- Men's Bridge Group meets Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Players of all skill levels are welcome; experienced players will even attend the first games of a brand-new group to help get things started.
- Knit Wits has been running for more than fifteen years. Both beginners and longtime knitters are welcome under the patient guidance of a long-serving leader.
- Quilters meet on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Their finished quilts are given away, to comfort the unwell, to wrap new beginnings, and to mark All Saints Sunday.
- Sisters' Book Group (described above) meets on Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
A Recovery Community Filling the Education Building
Twelve-step work has been part of UUMCI for many years and currently runs across five regularly scheduled meetings each week, with additional Big Book study sessions on Wednesdays. These groups are open to anyone seeking support, and the church welcomes them as a vital ministry rather than an outside tenant.
- Mondays, 7:00 p.m. - Back to Basics AA in Education Building A.
- Mondays, 7:30 p.m. - Wild Bunch AA in Education Building D.
- Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. - Good Guys AA in Education Building A.
- Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. - On The Way Home AA in Education Building A, followed by a Big Book Study at 6:00 p.m. in Ed-D.
- Fridays, 8:00 p.m. - Little Group AA in Education Building A.
The church's 12-step ministry page frames these meetings as Christian 12-step programs when appropriate, integrating the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions with spiritual formation. All meetings are open to newcomers, and online meeting access is available for some groups.
SHINE: A Free Community Dinner on the Patio
SHINE is UUMCI's outreach hospitality initiative and the most visible way the church walks into the wider Irvine neighborhood. The acronym stands for Share, Hope, Inspire, Nurture, and Everyone. SHINE events take the form of a free community dinner usually held on the first Wednesday of each month, with the next gathering announced on the church's event calendar. Past themes have included Hope and Healing Night in conjunction with suicide-prevention month, and the activities usually include a meal, crafts and games for kids, a service project, and resources from community partners. The goals are simple: provide a free meal, introduce neighbors to the church, and give people a place to connect without an agenda.
The SHINE initiative also anchors the church's Health Ministries (Congregational Care), a partnership with Hoag Hospital that offers educational programs, health screenings, flu shots, blood drives, and CPR/AED classes held in Fellowship Hall. The next scheduled CPR and AED certification class is offered free of charge through the Hoag Faith Community Nursing Program.
Mission Partners Near and Far
Missions at UUMCI combine local partnerships with a wider global reach. Locally, the church supports Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization that works to prevent and end family homelessness through housing access, food, and case management. Members donate food, funds, and Christmas presents, and volunteer at the food pantry.
The Toiletry Kit Ministry partners UUMCI with the California Pacific Disaster Task Force and other United Methodist churches to assemble survival kits for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees arriving in Southern California. The kits include clothing, diapers, feminine products, and other essentials.
On the global side, UUMCI is a long-time supporter of Heifer International, with members purchasing symbolic Christmas gifts of animals, bees, seeds, and trees that go to families working toward food security and income. The biennial Outreach Auction, hosted by the Outreach Ministries team, has raised funds for Concern America (which provides health care, clean water, education, and income opportunities worldwide), Families Forward, the Hopi Native American Mission (a particular focus of the Korean congregation), Minami Sanriku Tsunami Rescue Support, and the Toiletry Kit Ministry itself. UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, is another standing partner, providing disaster response and recovery aid worldwide.
On its missions calendar, the church lists both short-term and long-term mission trips that members may join, with local, national, and international options.
Scouts and Other Ways to Plug In
Beyond the ministries already named, UUMCI hosts Scout Troop 606 on campus, a Scout troop made up of youth aged 14 and older who are passionate about high adventure. The troop meets at least once a month on the UUMCI campus to plan outings, which include backpacking, camping, and leadership development events.
There are also several behind-the-scenes opportunities for involvement. Ushers, greeters, curbside greeters, and the Welcome Table team give visitors their first impression of the church. The Altar and Ambiance Committee prepares the sanctuary for liturgical seasons and special services. Gathering Grounds, the Sunday morning coffee-and-pastries hospitality team, runs on a rotating schedule that asks volunteers to serve about once a month or every other month. Hospitality roles are intentionally low-commitment but high-visibility.
Beliefs, Belonging, and Pastoral Care
UUMCI summarizes its identity with three words: Belong, Believe, and BeLove. Belong comes first: the congregation is open to everyone, without regard to race, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, gender identity, or belief system. Believe is held lightly: not everyone in the community is of one mind, but the church is unified in heart as it follows Jesus, and questions are welcome. BeLove is put into practice through outreach to the hungry, the sick, and the most vulnerable, both locally and around the world.
The mission statement is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, with discipleship understood as something that happens when the community gathers to grow in love for God and for neighbor through worship, service, and fellowship.
Pastoral care runs through the office, not only the sanctuary. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Prayer requests can be sent to admin@uumcirvine.org; staff and pastors follow up with personal outreach when appropriate. Visitors who simply want information about the church or who want help planning a first visit can reach the same address or call (949) 786-8354.
Giving, the Building, and Practicalities
The UUMCI campus sits on the corner of Culver Drive and University Drive, with parking lot entrances from either street. The sanctuary hosts the English and Korean services as well as most special events; the Education Building houses the children's wing, the Student Center used by Nozomi and CONNECT youth, and the rooms where the 12-step meetings take place. Fellowship Hall is the gathering place for coffee hour, dinners, the quilters, and large events. Child's World Preschool occupies its own dedicated space on the property.
Online giving is available through the church's secure giving portal, and donors may also give by text to (844) 755-8152, mail a check to the church office, or contribute during any of the Sunday services. Recent sermons are archived on the church's YouTube channel, and the English-language 9:30 a.m. service is livestreamed there every Sunday, allowing members who are traveling, sick, or otherwise unable to attend in person to keep up with the lectionary and the chancel choir. Bulletins for recent services are linked alongside the videos so anyone following along at home can read along with the same prayers and readings as the in-person congregation.
The church is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 95-2634429), and the copyright licenses that cover the streamed music are CCLI #2053530 and One License #A-731051. Across the three services, the children's ministries, the recovery meetings, the Scout troop, the preschool, and the many outreach partnerships, University United Methodist Church presents itself less as a single program than as a small network of ministries sharing one sanctuary, one campus, and one set of doors off Culver Drive.