Set along 4th Section Road in Brockport, New York, Brockport Free Methodist Church (BFMC) has been a steady presence in the village since 1861, when its first society was formed. The church is known today for its thoroughly modern Sunday morning worship, a family ministry that walks kids through the Bible from the nursery through high school, a Christ-centered recovery program on Thursday nights, and a long list of small groups for every stage of life.
A Sunday Morning at Brockport Free Methodist Church
The doors at 6787 4th Section Road open every Sunday morning for one worship service at 9:30 AM. The whole thing lasts almost exactly one hour. Dress is casual - the church's standing invitation to first-time visitors is to "come as you are and dress as you wish." Guests can sit wherever they like, and a "Donut Room" in the building offers free donuts and other refreshments for people who want to linger and connect before or after the service.
The worship style is modern and is led by a full band of drums, guitars, and keyboard. The sermons are 'loving, challenging, engaging, non-judgmental,' with the goal that everyone in the room finds a way to relate to what is taught. People who cannot be there in person can join the live stream at 9:30 on the church's website, Facebook page, or YouTube channel, and past services are also available online through the church's media library.
Family Ministries for Every Age
One of the most distinctive things about Brockport Free Methodist Church is how thoroughly it invests in children and teens. From newborn babies through twelfth grade, BFMC runs a full slate of age-appropriate ministries that meet during the Sunday service, with secure check-in and check-out and a team of trained, background-checked leaders. Family Ministry Director Pastor Dee Hansel, who is passionate about intergenerational ministry, oversees the whole program, which also includes Bible Quizzing and Vacation Bible School in the summer.
Nursery and Toddler Room
The Nursery Room cares for children from one day old to about 18 months. Snacks and bottles are provided by parents, and the room includes a private nursing space for mothers. Just next door is a separate sleep area with cribs and an audio baby monitor so caregivers can keep watch from the service. The Toddler Room, for children roughly 18 months to 3 years, mixes free play with the basics of the Bible. A team of teachers leads the children in a lesson through music, crafts, and activities, and the room has its own bathroom.
Discovery Zone and Adventure Zone
Discovery Zone, for 4's and 5's, gathers each Sunday around a Bible story paired with a song, memory verse, craft or activity, prayer, and a chance to give back. Adventure Zone, for first through fifth graders, treats the Bible itself as the curriculum and walks through it chronologically, one story at a time. The leaders try to engage all five senses - sights, sounds, smells, and sometimes tastes of Biblical times - because, as the church puts it, "the more we use our senses the better we remember and understand."
Both Discovery and Adventure Zone students began their journey through the Bible from the book of Genesis in May of 2014 and have been working through it ever since. Each week, kids can earn Zone Bucks for reciting memory verses, bringing a Bible, knowing the books of the Bible, bringing a friend, completing weekly take-home pages, and being caught being a good friend. The Zone Bucks can be spent in an in-house "Redemption Center" full of small prizes. Parents of Adventure Zone students also receive a take-home page called "This Week in Adventure Zone" along with a "Make It Stick" tool designed to keep the conversation going at home through the week.
Rise Youth Ministry
Sixth through twelfth graders at BFMC meet under the Rise Student Ministry banner. The mission, as the church writes it, is to be a place where students "belong, are heard, and are valued," and where they can safely explore a faith in Jesus Christ that is "true, matters, and leaves an impact."
Rise Junior High meets Sunday mornings at 9:30 in a space called The Summit. Rise Senior High runs two programs. Youth Group includes a large-group activity, small-group time, free time, and a Jesus-centered lesson that draws on topics like dating, stress, depression, partying, identity, worry, and friendships. Act 2 is a student-led worship service organized around the four practices of Acts 2:42 - the teaching of the apostles, fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of bread - and gathers on select evenings for difficult topics and extended times of worship. Throughout the year the youth ministry adds bigger events on top of the regular schedule.
Celebrate Recovery on Thursday Nights
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program hosted for anyone struggling with hurt, pain, or addiction of any kind. The list of issues the program addresses is broad: alcohol and drug addiction, anger, codependency, eating disorders, love and relationship addiction, physical, sexual or emotional abuse, sex addiction, and gambling. The program is open to the community and meets weekly on Thursdays at 7:00 PM at the church.
The program is built on eight principles drawn from Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes, the opening of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. The church describes Celebrate Recovery as "a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life." The ministry has drawn enough attention that K-LOVE featured Fred Kimmel from BFMC in a local segment about the program.
Helping Hands for Troubled Minds
On Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, the church hosts Helping Hands for Troubled Minds, a small-group support gathering for people dealing with mental illness, their caregivers, and anyone interested in learning how to better support loved ones. The group is open to the community and meets at the Brockport campus.
Discipleship, Small Groups, and Bible Quizzing
Small groups at BFMC are a mix of Bible studies, care groups, and topical studies, and they are the main pathway the church uses to help people go deeper in their faith. Pastor Penny Norton, the Associate Pastor of Discipleship, oversees the program and walks alongside anyone who is considering leading a group. The church emphasizes that groups are led by "everyday, authentic people" rather than professionals, and that the leadership team is there to support new leaders through the process.
Family Ministries also includes Genesis Conference Bible Quizzing, which gives kids and teens a chance to memorize and quiz on Scripture, and a Vacation Bible School each summer.
Next Steps: Salvation, Baptism, and Membership
BFMC lays out four common next steps for anyone who wants to grow in their faith. Salvation is described as inviting Jesus Christ into one's life and seeking his healing and forgiveness. Adult baptism is offered throughout the year during morning worship, with a baptism service at Lake Ontario's Hamlin Beach State Park each August. Infant dedication or baptism is also available, with the church's prayer that each child will eventually put their trust in Jesus.
Membership is taught in a two-hour class offered once or twice a year, led by Pastor Andy Sass. The class covers what the Free Methodist Church teaches and what membership means at BFMC, and attendees decide afterward whether to join.
For those who want to grow further, the church maintains a Discipleship Toolbox and a Prayer Toolbox of online resources covering topics like Bible study habits, small groups, and learning to pray.
A Preschool on the Same Campus
BFMC shares its Brockport campus with RSG Preschool, a private preschool program. Mary Wright serves as the chair of the preschool board. The preschool has its own site at rsgbrockport.com.
A Long History in Brockport
The first Society of the Brockport Free Methodist Church was formed in 1861. The church today sits on 4th Section Road in Brockport and remains affiliated with the Genesis Conference of the Free Methodist Church. The mission statement is three sentences long - "Love God. Love One Another. Love the Stranger" - and shows up throughout the church's materials, from the homepage to the staff's own hopes for the congregation.
The Pastoral Team
The pastoral team includes Associate Pastors Dee Hansel and Penny Norton. Dee Hansel oversees Family Life and the main office; she grew up in nearby Barre, met her husband Al at McDonald's, became a Christian in her twenties, and felt called into ministry in her late forties. Penny Norton came to western New York to attend Houghton College, met her husband Dan, and became a Free Methodist while living in Olean, NY. The Nortons have lived in Brockport and attended BFMC for over 25 years.
Nicole Utz serves as Interim Worship Leader and is a longtime elementary and special education teacher who grew up in Pembroke and attended SUNY Brockport. Nyan Kaminski is the church's Digital Media Director as well as its general Ministry Leader. Mike Proud directs Adventure Zone, and Mary Wright chairs the RSG Preschool board. Office hours run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, with extended Tuesday hours from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Giving and group sign-ups are handled online through the church's Planning Center portal.