East Heights United Methodist Church sits at 4407 East Douglas Avenue in Wichita, just east of Naftzger Park, and lives out a tagline that is short enough to fit on every bulletin: "Loving God. Loving Neighbor. Serving the world." On any given Sunday, the building hosts three distinct worship services, an entire Sunday school wing for children and youth, a thriving preschool and Children's Day Out, a bell and chancel choir program anchored by a Casavant pipe organ, and a steady stream of food drives, mission projects, and prayer gatherings that stretch across the week.
Three Sunday Worship Services
Worship at East Heights is intentionally varied so that anyone walking through the doors on a Sunday morning can find a setting that fits. The earliest gathering, Chapel Worship at 8:30 a.m., takes place in the intimate 150-seat chapel and is a traditional hymn-based service designed for worshippers of all ages. Because the room is small, congregants often find themselves closer to one another and to the leaders of the service.
At 9:45 a.m., Spirit Alive fills Hedrick Hall with a high-energy, multimedia contemporary service. Praise music and singing give way to scripture reading and a relevant message. Clergy, soloists, and musicians lead the gathering, and there is room for prayer, joys and concerns, and a response to God's message. Sunday school for children, youth, and adults begins at the same time across the building.
The Sanctuary Worship at 11:00 a.m. is a family-friendly, full liturgical celebration. The Chancel Choir sings each week, and congregational hymns, scripture readings, and a sermon carry the morning. Children ages 4 through 3rd grade are invited to Godly Play, leaving after the Time For Young Christians to head upstairs to Room 225 with their teachers. Parents pick up from the Cherry Room after worship. The 11:00 service is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
A Preschool and Children's Day Out with Deep Roots
The church is a daily hub for some of Wichita's youngest learners. East Heights Preschool has operated as a ministry of the church since 1976, growing from two teachers meeting two days a week into a full daily program for children ages 2½ through Pre-K. Morning classes drop off at 9:00 a.m. and pick up at 11:45 a.m.; afternoon classes run from 1:00 to 3:45 p.m. Tuition options are tiered by age and number of days, with a $68 early-bird registration fee. In 2015, the preschool's outdoor classroom was certified as a Nature Explore Classroom, one of only six in Kansas and one of two in Wichita. Director Gina Buster can be reached through the Preschool Office at 682-0375. A separate Preschool Scholarship fund helps families in need afford tuition, supported by an annual special offering.
Children's Day Out (CDO) meets on Thursdays during the school year for children 3 months through 5 years, with morning care from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and an optional Lunch Bunch extension that runs until 1:30 p.m. for preschoolers. A summer CDO program offers themed weeks that include visits from Tanganyika or the Sedgwick County Zoo, art classes, splash-park days, and an end-of-summer party with a bounce house; summer sessions are extended to a five-hour day from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDO Director and Preschool Coordinator Stacie Savaiano oversees both programs.
Children and Youth: Sundays and Wednesdays
Sunday school at East Heights meets at 9:45 a.m. for ages 3 through 5th grade in the upstairs Tree House, while 6th through 12th graders meet downstairs in the Youth Center before breaking into grade-level rooms. EH Kids at 11 gives children ages 4 through 5th grade a Bible story time during the 11:00 sanctuary service.
Wednesday nights during the school year are busy. Children who are potty trained through 5th grade gather in the Tree House for EH Kids Choir at 6:15 p.m., EH Kids Wednesday from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., and Kidzone and Arcade time from 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. Youth 6th through 12th grade flow through the Youth Center starting with Youth Praise Band rehearsal at 5:30 p.m., Young Spirit Choir at 6:15 p.m., fellowship at 7:00 p.m., youth worship at 7:10 p.m., and small groups at 7:30 p.m. The youth ministry, directed by Paige Nelson, sends middle schoolers on a week of mission each summer to Kansas City or Oklahoma City and a high school team to the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee every July. Other offerings include retreats, lock-ins, a float trip, the second-Thursday "Reel to Real" movie night at the Nelson home, and a recent suicide-prevention seminar led by Bradley Burnett.
Music Rooted in a Casavant Pipe Organ
The music ministry is anchored by a sanctuary instrument built by Casavant Frères of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. The chancel organ, Opus 2617, was installed in 1960 and was designed and voiced by Lawrence Phelps, then tonal director of the company. In 1981, the Pickrell family gifted a balcony (antiphonal) organ, Opus 3549, and at that time the chancel organ was enlarged, re-voiced, and fitted with a new four-manual console. The chancel console was upgraded again in 1994 with an SSL control system. After seven years of service, organist Rob McGregor stepped away from the role, and Amanda Pfenninger has stepped in to play during the transition.
The Chancel Choir sings each Sunday at the 11:00 service, rehearsing on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in the Undercroft Room and taking July off. The Chancel Ringers Bell Choir, an intermediate and advanced mixed adult ensemble, rehearses on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Children's music is led weekly by directors Michael Fibelkorn and Abbi Faflick, who post simple songs children can sing along with at home.
Adults Growing Together
Adult discipleship at East Heights is designed to meet people wherever they are on the journey - exploring, beginning, growing, or maturing. Three ongoing studies anchor the week. Men's Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. with Pastor Steve, currently working through "The New Testament You Never Knew." Women's Bible Study also meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the Dining Room and recently launched "The Way of Wisdom," a study of Proverbs; new members are always welcome, and Janet Jacobsen coordinates the group. Monday Night Bible Study gathers at 6:30 p.m. in the East Transept for a new look at "The Bible With and Without Jesus," and Paige Nelson fields questions.
Two cross-generational groups add texture. Not Too Old for Fun is a monthly Tuesday gathering from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Dining Room that draws a senior crowd for lunch, fellowship, and guest speakers; past topics have included drones and a tour of a local gallery. United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) organizes three circles - Charity Circle, Dorcas Circle, and Hope Circle - each with its own monthly rhythm of service, sewing, and study, plus a Reading Program that draws from categories like education for mission and spiritual growth. A United Women in Faith Cookbook of family-favorite recipes is available from the church office for $10. United Methodist Men gather for a Friday lunch at noon, and Men in Mission meet quarterly for breakfast, devotion, and a service project.
A House of Prayer
Prayer is woven through the life of the church. A prayer room on the west side of the Sanctuary offers a quiet space away from daily life, with prayer requests placed on the desk and resources for personal prayer available nearby. The Monday Morning Zoom Prayer Group meets online at 11 a.m. and is facilitated by Beth Strickler, the Director of Community Life. Each Thursday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room #150, the Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers to knit and crochet shawls, baby blankets for GraceMed's Newborn Clinic and Wichita Children's Home, and cancer caps for Victory in the Valley. Shawls are blessed by the pastors and the congregation and given to those in the hospital, grieving, or facing extended illness. The Knit & Crochet Ministry welcomes beginners. No-sew fleece prayer blankets and monogrammed baby blankets round out the prayer textile work.
Outside the chapel, a unique prayer area called Phone Calls to Heaven invites visitors to pick up a phone, speak to a loved one who has died, or simply talk with God. The idea took shape after members Paul and Carolyn Harrison watched a video about a phone in a forest and decided to create their own version at East Heights.
Outreach and Mission Across Wichita and Beyond
Outreach is a major expression of the church's identity. CarePortal connects the congregation with children and families at a point of crisis, with five response roles - Shop, Drive, Deliver, Pray, and Encourage - that allow members to meet specific needs vetted by child-serving professionals. A long-running partnership with Jefferson Elementary School provides backpacks, school supplies, weekend food backpacks, lunch buddies, and classroom reading support to a nearby school where many students face the effects of poverty.
Each second Wednesday at 5 p.m., volunteers assemble 100 sack lunches that go to the homeless served by United Methodist Open Door, and a monthly food drive collects nonperishables for the same ministry. Men on a Mission spend Saturdays painting homes and tackling small landscaping projects for neighbors in need, and Family Promise host weeks provide housing, hospitality, and meals for families experiencing homelessness. During the fall, the church's Simply Hygiene Dignity Drive funnels hygiene products to local domestic violence shelters, transitional housing, schools, and food and hygiene pantries - the drive collects in virtual form, in Coffee House barrels, and through direct online donations. A Justice Together coalition with other Wichita United Methodist churches focuses on homelessness and mental health.
Globally, the church supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and UMC Global Ministries, partnering with the wider denomination to make disciples, strengthen congregations, alleviate human suffering, and seek justice, freedom, and peace.
Sunday Funday, Newcomers, and a Year of Gatherings
Each fall, the churchyard spills out to Naftzger Park for Sunday Funday, a free community evening of music, food, games, and prizes. The local band Lucky People performs, and the event raises support for Simply Hygiene. Other regular events include a Newcomers Dinner with the pastors and staff, a Wednesday Night Kick Off each August to launch the fall ministries, and Living the Vision gatherings where members pray, listen, and shape the next three to five years of church life. A monthly Ladies Yoga and Fellowship on the first Saturday welcomes women of any age and ability. Volunteers are always needed in the Coffee House, as ushers and greeters at the 9:45 service, and to prepare Wednesday fellowship meals.
Weddings and the Building Itself
Weddings are celebrated in the Sanctuary, with couples invited to contact the church office to schedule a date. The building also houses a Coffee House, a Dining Room, an East Transept, an Undercroft kitchen currently being brought back to life by volunteer workdays, and a Prayer Wall used during Sunday Funday. The address is 4407 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67218, the church office phone is (316) 682-6518, and giving is available through online giving, text-to-give, direct deposit, and the Vanco Mobile app.