Culpeper United Methodist Church sits on Oaklawn Drive in the town of Culpeper, Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge foothills. From that one address, the congregation runs a traditional Sunday worship schedule with two services, a licensed preschool for three and four year olds, a children's ministry called Sparks Kids, an Ignite youth ministry for middle and high schoolers, a weekly slate of small groups, and an unusually far-reaching network of local and international missions that has built homes in Honduras, distributed USDA food to hundreds of Culpeper households each month, and run a backpack program for elementary children across five local schools.
Worship with Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors
Sunday mornings at Culpeper UMC revolve around two services in the sanctuary. The 9:00 AM gathering is rooted in the historic traditions of the Church, with classic hymns, liturgy, and a thoughtful message in a more casual setting. The 11:00 AM service continues those Methodist rhythms through song, word, and community. Both services stream live on YouTube and Facebook, and an online attendance form lets those watching from a distance check in so the pastors can follow up on prayer requests and other needs.
Children are part of both services from the start. At a designated moment during worship, kids are released to Kids Connect, a children's program that runs during both hours. The nursery is available for the youngest children throughout the morning. Worship bulletins, prayer request cards, and a printable order of service are made available online, and members can read past sermons through a library of archived series on the church's site.
Core Values That Shape the Congregation
The church describes its ministry through five core values that are taught to new members and woven into everything from sermon series to service projects. Loving God is the first, expressed through worship, music, prayer, preaching, and stewardship. Loving Neighbor follows: every person matters to God, and the church aims to share that love through kindness, compassion, care, service, and witness - both locally and abroad.
Growing in Faith is the third pillar, and it is summed up by a four-word vision: Seek, Know, Grow, Go. Each member is invited to take responsibility for personal spiritual practices and become a good steward of what God has entrusted. Authentic Community - the fourth value - calls the church to be open, honest, humble, accepting, welcoming, and non-judgmental. The fifth, A Caring Fellowship, frames the church as a place where the lonely find friends, the sinful find forgiveness and understanding, and believers find mutual support.
Children's Ministry: Sparks Kids and Kids Connect
The children's ministry at Culpeper UMC operates under the name Sparks Kids, with its own Facebook page and a dedicated email. The team describes itself as mission-based, working to give children space to be the hands and feet of Jesus through service projects tailored to their age.
Sunday School classes meet between the two worship services, from 10:15 to 10:50 AM. Pre-K students gather in Room 210, kindergarten through second grade in Room 212, and third through fifth grade in Room 216. During both worship services, Kids Connect releases children from the sanctuary into a separate program that connects them with Jesus, their church, and each other. The children's ministry contact email goes to the Director of Next Generation Ministry, who oversees both children and youth.
Ignite Youth for Middle and High School
Ignite Youth Ministry exists so that middle and high school students know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference. The program welcomes all students in grades 6 through 12 and runs on several tracks.
Youth Sunday School meets every Sunday from 10:15 to 10:50 AM, digging into the Bible and applying it to daily life. Youth Group gathers for lessons, missions, food, and fun, and is described as low-pressure and come-as-you-are. A Youth Chimes Choir, led by Shelia Monahan, practices hand chimes and shares music periodically during Sunday worship, with no prior experience required.
Several times a year, students participate in TOP trips - Teens Opposing Poverty - traveling to Washington, D.C., or Richmond, Virginia, to visit with, feed, and provide clothes to people experiencing homelessness. Adult chaperones are always needed, and donations of new socks, underwear, winter coats, work boots, and toiletries are collected year-round for these trips.
Small Groups That Run Through the Week
Small group life at CUMC is built around two main meeting days. On Sundays, the Wesleyan Fellowship class uses a seasonal adult Bible study guide, and a Bible Basics class runs in parallel. Kids Connect for elementary-aged children also meets during the Sunday school hour. The Children's Ministry leader can be reached through the children's email.
On Thursdays, two adult groups gather. LIFT - Living in Faith Together - meets in the Ladies Parlor from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The Chosen Small Group meets at 6:30 PM in the Community Room. Other short-term groups form around sermon series and seasonal studies, with information passed along through the weekly bulletin and the church's online calendar.
The CUMC Preschool: A Christ-Centered Start
The Culpeper United Methodist Church Preschool has been part of the church's ministry for decades, sharing the Oaklawn Drive campus and operating as a non-profit. It serves children ages three and four in a half-day program that runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to noon.
The three-year-old class offers two-, three-, and five-day options. Children are introduced to letters, letter sounds, pre-literacy skills, colors, shapes, name recognition, and numbers one through ten, with a strong emphasis on social development through play. The four-year-old Pre-K class meets three or five days a week and focuses on alphabet recognition, letter sounds, name writing, patterns, numbers one through twenty, and the social-emotional skills needed for kindergarten. All children must be potty trained before their first day.
The preschool follows the My Father's World Christian Preschool curriculum, supplementing it with chapel time, fine motor practice, art, language-based activities, field trips, music, active play, a parents' tea party in the spring, Bible stories, sensory experiences, an end-of-year program, memory verses, dramatic play, and a graduation ceremony for four year olds. Maximum enrollment is capped at 44 students so that each child can receive individualized attention.
As a religiously exempt program monitored by the Virginia Department of Social Services, the preschool meets state health, safety, and staffing requirements. The full staff is CPR, First Aid, and AED certified. Tuition runs nine equal payments from September to May, with a non-refundable enrollment fee and a separate curriculum fee due before the start of the school year. Families manage payments, paperwork, and teacher communication through the Brightwheel app.
Caroline Headley directs the program. A former high school English teacher and reading specialist with a master's degree from the University of Virginia, she has served as both a parent and a teacher at the preschool before stepping into the director role. Preschool lead teachers include Sarah French and Iyoko Blundon for Pre-K and Megan Williams for the three-year-old class, supported by assistant teacher Tiffany Nicewonger.
Missions at Home: From Handy Hearts to Power Pack
Culpeper UMC's local mission footprint is unusually broad for a single congregation. The Missions Committee meets the first Monday of each month, and volunteers serve through several named ministries.
Handy Hearts meets the needs of Culpeper County individuals and families whose challenges exceed their means. Volunteers build free handicapped ramps, make home repairs, and provide firewood to families identified by Culpeper Human Services. The ministry also supports the Manna Ministry lunch program, the Warming Shelter that offers overnight shelter during cold months, and Kelsey's Big Give, a one-day repair project named for Kelsey Jean-Marie Orndorff, the daughter of a former pastor who was killed in a car accident in 2008. An annual golf tournament at the Culpeper Country Club, run with the Culpeper United Methodist Men, raises funds for ramps, repairs, and Kelsey's Big Give.
Wood Ministry cuts, splits, and delivers firewood to neighbors who need help heating their homes in the winter. Manna Ministry serves lunch on the fourth Wednesday of each month on a curbside pickup basis at Culpeper Presbyterian Church, sharing nourishment, compassion, and hope in Christ's name. The St. Stephen's Food Closet is hosted by St. Stephen's Church for the wider Culpeper community, with vouchers available through the Department of Social Services and a donation center located in the CUMC Fellowship Hall.
USDA Food Distribution has been a CUMC ministry since 2009. Volunteers unload trucks the Friday before the third Saturday of each month and assist clients on Saturday morning. The program now feeds close to 700 people each month with surplus food.
Power Pack, started in the fall of 2012, provides weekend meals to Culpeper elementary students who would otherwise go without. Initially serving twelve students from Emerald Hill Elementary, the program has grown to serve five of the six local elementary schools - Emerald Hill, Farmington, Pearl Sample, Sycamore Park, and A.G. Richardson - providing packs to more than 300 students. Quarterly packing parties run throughout the school year, with setup the evening before.
The Health Ministry team sponsors American Red Cross blood drives, blood pressure checks, and a health fair. Stephen Ministry trains lay caregivers who meet weekly with people navigating grief, divorce, job loss, terminal illness, hospitalization, single parenting, a new baby, or a recent move. Teens Opposing Poverty (TOP) sends youth and adults into Washington, D.C., and Richmond twice a year to serve alongside the homeless. The Flame Café, held in the Fellowship Hall after each Sunday service, provides free food and coffee to anyone who walks in and is sustained by member donations.
Missions Abroad: Houses in Honduras
Culpeper UMC's Honduras Mission Team partners with a local pastor and church to build simple 12-by-16-foot wooden starter homes for families in need. Each $1,000 house uses four-by-four corner posts, two-by-four wall supports, one-inch-thick wall boards, a metal roof, and a cement floor, with one door and no interior walls. Once the basic house is complete, additional projects can add solar power (about $150 for a system that powers three lights and charges phones) or running water through a larger water project partnership.
A typical mission week includes teaching Bible school for local children and building two to three houses with a team of thirteen to fifteen people. Older students and Sunday school teachers from CUMC have joined adult team members on these trips. Trip planning focuses on the cooler, drier months before hurricane season, with work scheduled to coordinate with local partners.
Central Virginia Mission HUB and Disaster Response
Culpeper UMC serves as a hub for disaster response through the Central Virginia Mission HUB, coordinated locally by Darryl Lam. The congregation assembles and ships Cleaning Buckets and Health Buckets to flood victims and others affected by natural disasters. Each Cleaning Bucket follows a precise specification list - one five-gallon bucket with a resealable lid, liquid laundry detergent, household cleaner, dish soap, scrub brush, hand wipes, scouring pads, clothespins, N95 masks, clothesline, contractor-grade trash bags, kitchen gloves, and leather work gloves - so that supplies will fit and survive shipping. Health Kits include a hand towel, washcloth, comb, nail file, bath soap, toothbrush, ten Band-Aids, and a gallon resealable bag, all rolled burrito-style.
Buckets can be dropped off at the church office during the week - Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM - by parking in the upper lot behind the church and entering through the main doors. Large after-hours deliveries are coordinated with Darryl Lam.
Prayer Ministry and Pastoral Care
Prayer is described as the heartbeat of CUMC. Prayer Team members are available at the end of each service to pray with anyone who comes forward, the altar rail is open for personal prayer, and pastors will pray with families before surgery or during hospitalization. Hospitals do not notify the church automatically, so members are asked to contact the church office with dates and details.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets shawls, quilts, and blankets while praying over each piece. When a prayer blanket is assigned to a recipient, the congregation gathers at the altar on Sunday morning to pray for that person. Pastor Lauren Wright oversees this ministry.
Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one, confidential Christian care to people facing major difficulties. Each Stephen Leader completes fifty hours of classroom instruction in listening, assertiveness, boundaries, and grief, with five hours of monthly continuing education and supervision afterward.
Giving: First Mile and Second Mile
Online giving is organized around two streams. First Mile Giving supports the day-to-day ministry of the church: the building, salaries, utilities, bibles, paper, and the running costs of operating the congregation. Second Mile Giving goes to special projects, missions, and community outreach, including capital improvements, the Bucket Sisters discretionary fund, and other mission initiatives. Both are available through online donation links, and donors may also give through bank bill pay, offering plate envelopes, or loose change.
The Bucket Sisters program, run on the third Sunday of each month, collects loose change in a bucket passed through the pews. The proceeds go to the pastor's discretionary fund, which helps people in immediate need within the church, the community, and beyond.
Leadership and Pastoral Team
Culpeper UMC is led by Pastor Josh Munnikhuysen, who was appointed by the Virginia Conference after serving churches in Smith Mountain Lake, Southside, and Central Virginia. He and his wife Jessica, a registered nurse at UVA, are longtime Northern Virginia natives and share a love of live music and hiking. Pastor Josh co-hosts a podcast called Crackers and Grape Juice with colleagues in ministry.
Pastor Craig Muffley, a retired Virginia Conference elder with a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, serves as Associate Pastor of Congregational Care. Before pastoral ministry, Craig spent twenty-five years as a Metro Transit Police officer with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and previously served Springfield UMC, St. Paul UMC in Woodbridge, and Eastland UMC in Spotsylvania County.
Jean Krueger serves as Administrator of Congregational Life and Event Planner, coordinating building use, weddings, and event logistics. Susan McGavran joined the staff in 2023 as Business Administrator, bringing a background in accounting and small business management from her previous work and a degree from Mary Washington College. Colin Lam, who grew up at Culpeper UMC, is the pianist; he started playing piano at age nine and was a full-time church pianist in Spotsylvania by age fifteen. He holds a degree in Music Education from Carson-Newman University. Jessica Munnikhuysen leads the audio-visual team, and Cheyenne Garvey directs the Next Generation Ministry that encompasses children and youth.
The Leadership Team, made up of nine rotating lay members plus the Lead Pastor, the Associate Pastor, and the Executive Director, sets the church's vision and oversees operations, finances, and staff evaluations. Darryl Lam serves as Chair, with other members including Josh Headley, Tracy Chapman, Jack Dalaba, Bernie Posey, Bonnie Sisk, Bob Tuttle, Barbara Kile, and Diana Ayscue. Members serve three-year staggered terms.
Weddings, Funerals, and Facility Use
Weddings at Culpeper UMC are framed as Christian services of worship with the marriage ritual at the center. The Lead Pastor oversees all services in the sanctuary, with a guest pastor permitted only after consultation and a formal letter of request. The Music Director must approve any organist, soloist, and music used, and a wedding director from the church assists with rehearsal logistics and decorations. No flash photography is allowed during the ceremony, no rice, confetti, or bird seed may be thrown on church grounds, and no alcohol or smoking is permitted anywhere on the property. The sanctuary, including the balcony, can accommodate 400 guests; the Fellowship Hall seats 162 at tables, and the Community Room seats 66 at tables.
Funeral and memorial services can be held at the church or at a funeral home. The Pastor helps the family with scripture, music, special readings, and other details, while the church prints a service bulletin. A sound technician handles microphones, and arrangements for the nursery can be made in advance. Memorial gifts may be directed to CUMC or to the CUMC Endowment Committee, both of which allow funds to be designated to specific ministry areas.
Outside groups may request use of the facilities by submitting a Building Use Form, with permission handled by the Administrator of Congregational Life and Event Planning. Worship and the ministries of the church take priority in scheduling, and the church reserves the right to pre-empt any non-church event with reasonable notice.
Scholarships for Higher Education
Culpeper UMC awards scholarships each year to members pursuing post-secondary education, with funds drawn from individual contributions, church organizations, and memorials. The Culpeper UMC General Scholarship Award supports members attending their first year of advanced studies beyond high school. The Printz Family Scholarship provides assistance for qualified applicants who could not otherwise pursue higher education. The Winfred and Pamela H. Eddins Scholarship supports members beginning their first year of advanced studies at a public or private university in Virginia, with an additional residency requirement that applicants have lived in the town of Culpeper or Culpeper County and attended Culpeper County or Eastern View High School for their four years of high school. Applications are submitted to the church office.
Getting Connected
Visitors can check in online, watch a service live on YouTube or Facebook, or browse weekly bulletins and an archive of past sermons. Online giving, building and event information, the church calendar, and contact forms are all available on the church's site. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and the phone number is answered during those hours.
From the two Sunday services to the preschool, the Sparks Kids classrooms, the Ignite youth nights, the small group studies, and the dozens of mission projects that send volunteers into homes, kitchens, schools, and neighborhoods around Culpeper County and beyond, Culpeper United Methodist Church has built a ministry that reaches both inside and well past its own sanctuary walls.