On Lebanon Avenue in Belleville, Illinois, the First Church of the Nazarene has shaped its identity around three simple verbs: Grow, Connect and Serve. Pastored by Nicole and Beau Cotton, the congregation gathers in a single location with a contemporary worship service, mid-week Life Groups spread across the city, a children's wing called KidCity, a Sunday night youth ministry and a neighborhood community garden that has become one of the church's most visible outreach projects.
Grow, Connect and Serve
The pastoral team describes the church's mission in three movements. Growth happens through prayer, worship and the study of Scripture, not only on Sundays but through daily spiritual disciplines. Connection happens best in mid-week Life Groups and small group studies, where adults share meals, study together and carry one another's burdens. Service is presented as something Jesus modeled, and the church points to a long list of local partnerships and mission opportunities as the place where that calling is lived out.
Sunday Mornings on Lebanon Avenue
The weekly rhythm at Belleville First begins at 9:30 am with Sunday School for all ages, followed by the 10:30 am Worship Service. The service features a praise team led by Denise and Erik Hand, with Nicole Cotton preaching. The church describes the gathering as a meaningful time of worship, prayer and the preaching of the Word, paired with personal connection through serving and fellowship. Communion is observed together on the first Sunday of each month.
The service is livestreamed three ways: through the church's online platform, on Facebook LIVE and on YouTube. Past sermons are also available as a video archive on YouTube, an audio archive and an Apple podcast.
KidCity: Children from Newborns Through Sixth Grade
KidCity is the church's children's ministry, caring for children from newborns through sixth grade during the 10:30 am worship hour. Children's Church runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am and includes fun, games and interactive Bible stories designed for kids. On the first Sunday of the month, older children stay in the main service to worship with their families while the nursery and toddler rooms continue downstairs. Communion is celebrated with the children that same day.
The nursery and toddler spaces are set up for early childhood care, and a private space is available for nursing mothers where the worship service can still be heard. All KidCity volunteers are screened and trained in child-safe practices. KidCity also includes Sunday School classes and a children's quizzing program, and children are invited to serve through public Scripture reading, ushering and seasonal productions.
Youth Ministry on Sunday Nights
Middle school and high school students meet Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the Teen Room downstairs. Pastors Nicole and Beau lead a relaxed evening of snacks, real conversation and a weekly lesson. Stu Leach serves as the church's Nazarene Youth International (NYI) representative on the board. Special events are scheduled throughout the year, and the students also take part in serving the church and the wider community.
Life Groups Across the City
The church is serious about mid-week community. Several Life Groups meet on Sunday and Wednesday evenings in homes and at the church:
- Sunday Night Group - meets in Belleville near the church at 5:30 pm with snacks and discussion.
- Wednesday Night I - meets at 6:30 pm near Mascoutah or East Belleville, mostly made up of people in their 30s and 40s and their kids; includes a shared meal, study and occasional kid-led "performances."
- Wednesday Night II - meets in O'Fallon at 6:00 pm around a home-cooked meal, with discussion and prayer.
- Wednesday Night III - meets in the church basement at 6:30 pm for a shared meal, with study beginning at 7:00 pm.
The church encourages anyone who doesn't see a fit to start a new group, and offers training and resources to help launch one.
The Community Garden on Church Property
When the leadership asked their literal neighbors how the church could serve them, the answer was a community garden. Many nearby residents lack yards or have very small ones, and the church's large property turned out to be the perfect place. 4x4 and 4x8 raised beds are made available to neighbors who want to garden, and a certified master gardener is accessible to help beginners. A prayer garden is part of the longer-term vision. The newest rows are dedicated to growing produce for the Whiteside Summer Lunch Program, which feeds children over the summer break.
Local Partnerships and Global Missions
The church works with several local non-profits. Restore Network ministers to the foster community; Good Samaritan serves the underprivileged in East St. Louis. The coffee served on Sunday mornings is roasted by I Have a Bean, a Wheaton-based company that provides second-chance employment to people with criminal records; donations to that cause can be marked "coffee" when giving. The Whiteside Partnership invites volunteers to supervise students who pack weekend lunches for kids. Two homeschool co-ops also use the church's facilities free of charge for weekly classes.
Globally, the church supports Nazarene Missions International and twice a year takes up the Alabaster Offering, which funds the building of churches, homes and schools around the world. The local NMI board president is Phil Christensen, and the church's Dan Reinhart serves as NMI president for the Illinois District.
What the Church Believes
Belleville First holds to the historic Nazarene Articles of Faith. Members affirm belief in one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and in the Old and New Testament Scriptures as the full truth necessary to faith and Christian living. The church teaches that human beings are born with a fallen nature inclined to evil, that the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost, and that Jesus Christ's atonement is for the whole human race: whoever repents and believes is justified, regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin. Believers are also taught that entire sanctification, subsequent to regeneration, is wrought through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, witnessed by the Holy Spirit. The church looks for the return of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment.
Leadership
Nicole Cotton, the lead pastor, was ordained in 2018 and stepped into her first lead-pastor role in Sherwood, Arkansas before coming to Belleville First. Her husband Beau Cotton serves as associate pastor with a focus on community and discipleship, and also plays drums for the praise team. Denise and Erik Hand lead worship together, drawing on a lifelong musical background that includes piano, oboe, guitar and vocals; their son Tarik occasionally joins the praise team on stage as well.
First-Time Visitors
The church's front door is at 1901 Lebanon Avenue in Belleville. Sunday School begins at 9:30 am and worship follows at 10:30 am. Nursery and Children's Church are provided for newborns through sixth grade during the service. Visitors who would rather watch from home can join the livestream on the church's online platform, Facebook LIVE or YouTube. Coffee is on the house, and small groups across the metro area offer an easy next step into community.