A Small Church Steps from the ASU Campus
First Christian Church of Tempe sits on South Dorsey Lane just south of the Arizona State University main campus, drawing students, longtime Tempe residents, and young families into a fellowship that has been meeting in this part of the Valley for decades. With a typical Sunday attendance of around 75 to 80 people, FCCT is intentionally small, and members describe the atmosphere as relaxed and personal. The congregation is non-denominational, evangelical in tone, and centered on preaching and teaching from the Bible. Its three-word rhythm - Believe, Belong, Become - captures the focus.
Steve Williamson has served as Senior Pastor since 2003. The son of a preacher, he grew up in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona, graduated from Dobson High School and Mesa Community College, and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Literature from Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. He first joined the FCCT staff as Youth Pastor in 1998 and transitioned into the senior role five years later. He and his wife Angela have been married since 1993 and have two sons and two grandchildren.
The church's reach extends well beyond its neighborhood. Through designated giving, FCCT supports the Korea Christian Gospel Mission in Seoul, South Korea, and an online archive of sermon series with free downloadable study guides makes the church's teaching accessible to anyone who wants to follow along.
Sunday Mornings: Sunday School and Contemporary Worship
The Sunday schedule is built around two main slots. At 9:30 a.m., adults gather for Sunday School while children and youth meet in a separate class across the building. At 10:30 a.m., the whole church comes together for the worship service, with a parallel class running for children and youth at the same time so parents can focus on the adult gathering. The service usually ends around 11:45 a.m.
The worship service is contemporary in style. The worship band typically includes two to three vocalists, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, electric piano, and drums, leading the congregation in modern Christian worship songs and modern arrangements of timeless hymns. Preaching is grounded in the Bible and aimed at everyday life. Pre-made and sealed communion is available in the foyer before the service, and a communion message and time of reflection are built into the order. An offering box sits at the main entrance of the sanctuary for checks or cash, and online giving is available through a giving portal and by Zelle through giving@fcct.org.
Recordings of the adult worship service are posted afterward on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel, so anyone who cannot be there in person can catch up during the week. The YouTube channel also organizes full sermon series into playlists, making it easy to follow an entire study from beginning to end.
What to Expect When You Visit
Dress at FCCT is casual, though some people wear a dress or a shirt and tie. Visitors should expect friendly faces in a low-key environment. The main entrance opens into a foyer where communion is picked up, and the sanctuary is a single worship space used by all ages during the 10:30 service.
The service runs roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. Worship songs are sung from projected lyrics, the sermon typically runs thirty to forty minutes, and a communion message and reflection close out the gathering. People stick around after the service to talk, so a first-time visit is a good chance to meet others in the lobby. Those with questions about Christianity or about how to get involved at FCCT can contact the office to set up a meeting with a pastor or elder.
Children's Ministry from Pre-K Through 8th Grade
The Children's Ministry provides age-appropriate Sunday school classes, activities, and events for children from Pre-K through 8th grade. Children join their own class during the 9:30 Sunday school hour and have a parallel program during the 10:30 worship service, so kids learn at their own level while the adults worship together. The ministry coordinates its schedule with the church calendar, and special events appear on the events page.
Student Ministry for Junior and Senior High
The Student Ministry brings together Junior and Senior High students for age-appropriate Bible study and group activities. Meetings happen during the Sunday school hour and the worship hour, mirroring the children's structure, and additional activities are scheduled throughout the year and listed on the events page. Older students who have graduated out of the youth program often transition into the College Group or adult small groups.
Adult Ministries: Small Groups, Men, College, and Softball
Adult life at FCCT is built around several overlapping groups. Small groups meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30 and also during the week in homes at a variety of times and locations, with the goal of discovering who God is as revealed in Scripture. The Men's Ministry organizes an annual Men's Advance, an annual church camp-out co-sponsored with the Family Ministry, a Super Bowl Party, a Spring Training outing, and other events for the men of the church. A College Group provides fellowship and Bible study for students, though it is currently on break between semesters. The Sports Ministry focuses on fellowship and outreach, and FCCT fields about 40 players in the local Christian Fellowship Softball League along with other church-wide sporting events a few times a year.
An Adult Mid-Week small group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. The evening begins with a potluck, followed by Bible study, and the group rotates between offsite locations. In addition, in-home small group studies are available during the week at a variety of times and homes, and anyone interested can email office@fcct.org to be placed in a group.
Worship Arts: Band and Tech Team
The Worship Arts ministry uses artistic means to help the congregation understand God's Word and respond in worship. It includes the Sunday morning worship team and a Technical Ministry that runs projection, lighting, sound, and stage setup.
The worship team includes singers and instrumentalists who lead the church in modern worship songs and modern arrangements of timeless hymns. The band typically has two to three vocalists, electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, electric piano, and drums. The Technical Ministry handles all the technology that enhances the proclamation of God's Word and supports the congregation's expression of worship, from running the sound board to managing the stage. Both teams are volunteer-led, and the church invites people with musical gifts or an interest in production to get involved.
Missions: Korea Christian Gospel Mission
FCCT supports the Korea Christian Gospel Mission in Seoul, South Korea, through designated giving. The mission is led by Dr. Yoon Kwon Chae and his son John Chae. The church frames this partnership around the Great Commission from Matthew 28: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you."
Designated gifts from FCCT members flow directly to support the work in Seoul, giving the church a presence across the Pacific despite its small Sunday attendance. Members interested in supporting missions at FCCT can contact the office to learn more.
Beliefs and Becoming a Christian
FCCT teaches that God is the creator of the universe, existing forever as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is the one and only living Son of God who died on the cross for sin and rose from the dead. The Holy Spirit is a person given to believers at salvation, who provides guidance and power for living and distributes spiritual gifts. The Bible is the inspired written Word of God and the authoritative rule of faith and practice.
The path to becoming a Christian is laid out in four steps, drawn straight from passages in Romans, Ephesians, Acts, and 1 Peter. First, a person must acknowledge being a sinner in need of a Savior, unable to correct their condition on their own. Second, they must believe that Jesus died on the cross as the Savior they just admitted to needing. Third, they must personally receive Jesus into their life by faith, believing that he takes away sin. Fourth, saving faith calls for repentance, a turning away from sin, followed by public confession of faith in Jesus Christ, and then baptism by immersion in water.
FCCT calls this a personal decision between an individual and God, but the pastors and elders are glad to walk anyone through the process. Those wanting to talk further can call the church office to set up an appointment.
Conversations with God and a Free Sermon Archive
One distinctive feature at FCCT is "Conversations with God," a daily devotional written as a companion to each sermon series. Each day typically opens with a short meditation, pairs with an outside devotional link (drawn from sources like Wisdom Hunters, Truth for Life, Back to the Bible, and Leader Treks), gives several verses to read, and lists prayer topics for the day.
The current series is called "Surrendered," and recent studies have walked through themes of being poor in spirit, building fortresses of faith, letting go, war and whisper, true cost, and fire and thunder. Past studies have included "Surrendered: Transfigured," which meditated on the mountain of transfiguration and the cross that awaits believers, drawing on verses from Galatians, John, and Romans.
The church has built a deep library of sermon series over the years, with downloadable PDF study guides available free of charge. Past series have covered the Beatitudes (Set Apart), the book of James (Faith That Works), the covenants of Scripture (The Whole Story), the spiritual disciplines (Godlike), Christian generosity (Live Generously), the early chapters of Exodus (Wilderness and Memorials), the Sermon on the Mount (Kingdom Logic), and many more. The full archive can be browsed online, making it easy to work through a series on your own or in a small group.