Ninety Years on University Boulevard
West University United Methodist Church has stood on University Boulevard in the heart of Houston's West University neighborhood since 1936, and members will gather in the sanctuary in 2026 to mark ninety years of ministry. From its beginnings in the area between Mercer Street and Edloe Street, the congregation has grown into a multi-generational community that runs a weekday preschool, a School of Fine Arts, a sports ministry, and a long list of mission partnerships across Houston. The motto carried on the front of its materials is a simple one: live, love, and serve like Jesus.
The church's address is 3611 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005, and the main entrance sits on University Boulevard. A parking lot on the west side of the building stretches to the back of the property, with additional parking available along University Blvd. and Edloe St. Regular office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the phone number for the church office is (713) 664-8111.
Sunday Mornings in Three Layers
Worship at West U Methodist is built around three Sunday gatherings that fill the building from morning into early afternoon.
Adults and youth begin the day at 10:00 a.m. with Sunday School. Several adult options cover a range of life stages and interests. The Chapel Class welcomes adults of all ages and meets in the Chapel. Cornerstone is geared to adults in their forties and fifties and meets in Room 101. Vines and Branches (also called The Walk) gathers adults of all ages in Room 103. West U Parents, often shortened to WUP!, is designed for parents of children from birth through fifth grade and meets in Room 100. The Women at the Well gathers women of all ages in Room 105. Children's Sunday School for kids in preschool and elementary grades also takes place during this hour, with preschool classes in Room 119 and K-5th grade classes in the Choir Room from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Childcare for infants through pre-K opens at 9:45 a.m.
At 11:00 a.m. the English-language worship service begins in the Sanctuary. The service blends traditional and contemporary styles, with Holy Communion shared on the first Sunday of the month and on other special occasions. Children are welcomed to begin the service in the Sanctuary with their families. After a brief Children's Message near the start of worship, elementary children head to Room 233 and preschool children to Room 119 for age-appropriate lessons, returning to the Sanctuary for the Benediction (or right before Communion on Communion Sundays) so the family can end the service together.
Each Sunday at 12:30 p.m., a second worship gathering takes place in the Chapel: a Shona-language service led by Pastor Irene Kebete. The Shona service draws on the musical and liturgical traditions of Zimbabwe and has become a meaningful part of the congregation's life, reflecting the church's broader statement that its Christian community includes members baptized in fourteen denominations and from eleven different countries.
A Blended Service with a Pipe Organ and a Worship Band
The 11:00 a.m. worship draws on both ends of the Methodist musical spectrum. The Chancel Choir sings in worship from August through June and twice a year presents larger works with a professional orchestra. Underneath the choir sits a 35-rank pipe organ built by Dan Garland Organs of Fort Worth; it was the first organ Dan Garland built in Houston. A Worship Band joins the service each Sunday with a mix of volunteers and professional musicians on acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboard, strings, and percussion. Wesley Ringers, the church's handbell ensemble, rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Choir Room from September to April, playing level 2 and 3 music on four-plus octaves of handbells and three octaves of Choirchimes. A Youth Handbell Ensemble meets intermittently, and the Youth Ensemble sings for the congregation several times a year.
Holy Communion is open and frequent here. The first Sunday of every month is a Communion Sunday, and the sacrament is offered at other special occasions throughout the church year.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children are a visible presence throughout the building on Sundays and throughout the week. The Children's Ministry team, led by Director of Children's Ministries Teresa Jones, runs a layered program that begins in the nursery and continues through fifth grade.
On Sunday mornings, Childcare in Room 119 opens at 9:45 a.m. for infants through pre-K. Preschool Sunday School meets in Room 119 at 10:00 a.m., and K-5th grade Sunday School meets in the Choir Room from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. During the 11:00 worship hour, children sit with their families in the Sanctuary for the opening of worship, hear a Children's Message, and then move to age-appropriate Sunday School classes. Children in K-5th grade return to the Sanctuary for the closing of worship.
Two school-year programs extend that work. Kids on the Court, an afterschool program for kindergarten through fourth grade, runs each week during the school year with open gym time, a snack, and organized games. Crossover is designed for fifth graders and meets on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the High Court, with refreshments, games, devotionals, and activities built around growing faith.
Summers bring a six-week Summer Camp led by Mr. A with Ms. Jahaira, packed with group games, field trips, splash days, and pool visits. Vacation Bible School rounds out the year; the recent VBS was a winter-themed program called Snowball Mountain Challenge that drew more than sixty campers and produced 640 pairs of underwear for the Undies for Everyone charity.
Youth Ministry for Sixth Through Twelfth Graders
Director of Youth Ministries Hanna Bowker oversees a busy program for middle and high school students.
On Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., Youth Group gathers in the upstairs Youth Room for dinner, games, and a Bible lesson. Office hours with Hanna Bowker run on Mondays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., giving students a place to do homework, play games, and decompress after school. High School Bible Study meets on Monday nights at 6:00 p.m. and works through books and the Bible together; the church hosts the gathering and is looking for volunteer homes willing to host.
Sundays include a 10:00 a.m. Youth Sunday School followed by worship, where the students sit together. Once a month, Sunday Night Live (SNL) takes the youth out into the community for an evening activity like an escape room or laser tag. Confirmation is offered annually for seventh graders and older who have not yet been confirmed; the spring confirmation service welcomes them as full members of the church.
Adults in Class and Small Groups
Beyond the Sunday morning adult Sunday School classes, the church offers several other ways for adults to grow in faith together.
The Bridge is a small group for adults in their twenties through forties that meets on select Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. for a meal, scripture study, and community. The group also hosts a few gatherings in the wider community through the year. The Fellowship Forum is a Wednesday afternoon class that meets at 1:30 p.m. in Room 103 for retired seniors. Men's Breakfast gathers men of all ages at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesdays in the Drummet for a hearty breakfast, fellowship, and an engaging Bible study.
Sports Ministry: Pickleball, Basketball, and UCAL Leagues
The gym, officially known as the John and Polly Collier High Court, hosts a year-round sports ministry for all ages. Pickleball, hosted by Mr. A, runs on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and is open to the wider community.
West U YBL, the West U Youth Basketball League, is a boys' and girls' league for second through sixth graders that began in 2023. Players of every skill level are welcome, and teams are coached by parent volunteers. The church also runs a separate high school basketball league for teens and partners with UCAL, a Christian sports league made up of many area congregations, on programs such as UCAL volleyball for third through fifth graders.
Missions in Houston and Beyond
Missions is built into the rhythm of the church year. On every fifth Sunday, the congregation gathers at 9:00 a.m. for a hands-on mission project, such as packing beans and rice for the Christian Community Service Center or assembling hygiene bags for people experiencing homelessness. Breakfast tacos and refreshments are part of the morning.
The Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) is one of the church's main partners, and the congregation runs regular food drives that benefit families in southwest Houston. The church supports CCSC's Back to School Drive, helps recruit volunteers for CCSC programs, and connects members with services such as Martha's Way housecleaning referrals, the Professional Home Caregiver Training Program, and JobNET.
Each year the church partners with Shearn Elementary to meet student needs. The summer brings a school supplies drive, winter brings a coat drive, and members volunteer with the Shearn Reading Program to read to students on Fridays. The church also designates giving and assistance for disaster relief through the United Methodist connection.
West U Methodist School: A Preschool in the Same Building
Sharing the University Boulevard campus is West U Methodist School (WUMS), a preschool outreach program serving children ages 12 months through five years and part of the West University community for more than seventy-five years. The school is accredited by the National Accreditation Commission of the Association for Early Learning Leaders.
School hours run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with extended care in the morning from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. and in the afternoon from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Each day is built around purposeful play, learning centers, circle time, music, creative art, and a Christian foundation. Ancillaries included in the program are weekly chapel, music, motor skills, and STEAM. Healthy snacks are provided, and parents send a packed lunch. Summer camps are also offered for enrolled students.
Tours begin each October and new family registration opens in February. All teachers are certified in Infant/Child CPR and First Aid and complete at least twenty-five hours of professional development each year. Lauren Hablinski is the school director, with Caroline Lahart as assistant director and Megan Kilbride as administrative assistant.
The School of Fine Arts
For more than thirty years, the West U UMC School of Fine Arts has offered private music instruction to the community. The school operates on an academic calendar with a thirteen-lesson Fall Semester (September through December) and a seventeen-lesson Spring Semester (January through May). The summer semester is flexible to accommodate travel. Tuition is charged by semester, and students may enroll mid-year on a prorated basis.
Private instruction is offered in brass, cello, guitar, percussion, winds, piano, viola, violin, and voice. The instructor roster includes Dr. Hangfong Au and Dr. KingChi Au on piano, Dr. Kathryn Brown on violin, viola, and cello, Brian Davis on piano, Dr. Alicia Gianni on voice, Craig Green on percussion, winds, and brass, Erol Kuscu on guitar, Cindy Tan on piano, and Isaac Foreman on piano. The school's stated mission is to provide quality music instruction in a Christian atmosphere where children, youth, and adults can explore God-given artistic gifts.
Christmas Alive
Christmas Alive is the church's signature outreach event and has run for more than thirty-five years. Each December the block of University Boulevard in front of the church, from Edloe to Mercer, is closed to traffic and the front lawn becomes a live nativity scene, complete with costumed Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, angels, and live animals including a donkey, camel, sheep, goats, and an occasional llama. An Angel Choir of children in kindergarten through fifth grade sings from the scene, and the night closes with everyone, performers and audience alike, lifting their voices together for Silent Night.
After the performance, the whole community moves to the back of the church for a party with food, crafts, a petting zoo, camel photos, hot dogs, popcorn, and Christmas treats. About a hundred people, from young children to grandparents, are involved as cast, crew, and support team each year. The tradition began in December 1986 under founding director Laura Elwood.
What West United Methodist Church Believes
The congregation describes itself as a Christian congregation of The United Methodist Church. Its statement of belief centers on the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), on humanity being created in God's image for relationship with God, on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who died and rose again, on salvation through faith in Christ, on the work of the Holy Spirit, on the church as the body of Christ in the world today, on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, and on the Bible as God's inspired word. The church emphasizes God's grace, freely given rather than earned, and Christian living that puts faith and love into action. Members are intentional about how they welcome people across denominational and national backgrounds.
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining West University United Methodist Church can fill out a new member form, and the membership process is shaped to fit each person's background: transferring a membership from another church, making a profession of faith, being baptized and professing faith, going through the seventh-grade confirmation class, or presenting a child for baptism. Members share a sacred promise to faithfully participate in the ministries of the church by prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
Leadership
The pastoral staff is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Preston Morgan and Executive Pastor Rev. Joy Johnston. Hanna Bowker directs youth ministry, Teresa Jones directs children's ministries, Taylor Conley directs traditional music, Brian Davis directs contemporary worship, Aidan Smerud directs the School of Fine Arts, and Tristan Anderson serves as director of recreations and facilities. Lauren Hablinski directs West U Methodist School, with Caroline Lahart as assistant director. Fritz Eagleton serves as media coordinator and Danielle Kubala as sound technician. The Board of Stewards is chaired by Jeff Thomas, the Lay Leader is Sheryl Moore, and the Trustees are chaired by Rick Dudek.
Staying Connected
Services are livestreamed each Sunday morning, with the stream available afterward on the church's livestream page and a full archive of past services going back years. The West U Methodist Podcast carries sermons through Apple Podcasts. Giving is available online through Pushpay, by texting GIVE to 833-921-6729, or by placing cash or checks in the offering plate. The church's online engagement platform, Church Community Builder, hosts the church calendar, directory, and member directory. A weekly newsletter keeps members informed, and the 90 News series of newsletters tells the story of the church through its buildings, members, ministries, and traditions.
West University United Methodist Church invites anyone in the West University neighborhood and across Houston to come as you are, join a Sunday School class, hear the music of pipe organ and worship band woven together in the Sanctuary, share in Communion on the first Sunday of the month, and find a place to live, love, and serve like Jesus in the heart of one of Houston's oldest neighborhoods.