A Congregation Steeped in Franklin History
In the heart of Franklin, Tennessee, a few steps off the town's storied Main Street, stands a worship center that traces its roots to 1833, when a small group of Christians gathered under the preaching of Alexander Campbell. Today that same congregation meets at 117 4th Avenue North, holding Sunday worship at 9:30 a.m. and a full slate of classes and small groups through the week. Fourth Avenue Church of Christ carries nearly two centuries of history into a present-day ministry that welcomes children, adults, seniors, singles, and married couples into the life of a downtown congregation.
A motto printed across the church's pages - "Love God. Serve Others. Share Jesus." - captures the rhythm of the congregation. Members are encouraged to grow in the love of God, to pour themselves out in practical service to neighbors near and far, and to share the good news of Jesus with everyone they meet. The congregation describes its identity simply: it is "Fourth Avenue Church," rooted in the Restoration movement but living out a broad, open-armed, non-denominational expression of following Jesus.
Nearly Two Centuries on Fourth Avenue
The story begins in 1830, when Alexander Campbell traveled to Franklin on a bitterly cold winter day. In his journal he noted, "We were very courteously treated by several citizens of this place," as he preached in the Baptist church, the Presbyterian meetinghouse, and the Episcopal meetinghouse. That open-arms trip planted the seed for Christians to come together across their differences. Three years later, in 1833, a church of seventeen members was gathered in downtown Franklin. The location of the present building was acquired in 1836, and the property deed granted the land as a "place of worship of Almighty God" for Christians who leave behind divisive ideas of human origin and uphold the Word of God as the only authority of faith.
A pivotal moment came in 1851, when Campbell returned to Franklin and preached at a local church that had remained separate under its denominational background. All four hundred people present decided to link arms with the Restoration congregation - well, nearly all four hundred; reportedly four individuals chose to remain on their own. The new members and the growth that followed pushed the small congregation to build its first dedicated house of worship, completed in 1852. That first church building stood for more than sixty years and even served as a hospital for Federal troops during the Civil War.
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought additional layers to the story. A.N.C. Williams, known as "Uncle Allen," became Franklin's first Black merchant after being freed from slavery and used his success to found the Cummins Street Church of Christ on his own property. A widely respected leader in the Churches of Christ, he preached on several occasions at Fourth Avenue; his funeral services in 1930 were held at the Fourth Avenue building because the Cummins Street church could not hold the vast number of mourners who came.
In 1950, the elders expanded their outreach by planting a congregation on the west side of town. The Franklin church took on the new name of Fourth Avenue Church, anchored by the current building constructed in 1978. By the late twentieth century, Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings drew between five hundred and seven hundred members. The history of the church has tracked closely with the growth of Franklin itself.
Around the turn of the millennium, the leadership made an intentional move away from formal titles. Elders set aside the title of "elder" and became "shepherds," both in name and in actual service to the body. Prayer was solidified as the main pillar of their work, and the shepherds have since tracked over 230 occasions on which they have anointed and prayed over individuals in the model of James 5:14. The title of "deacon" was also laid aside in an effort to embrace and encourage more ministry leaders within the body based on service rather than holding an office.
What the Church Believes
Fourth Avenue articulates its beliefs with care and brevity. The church confesses one holy, eternal God who is love and who created everything. God exists in three equal and connected persons: the Father, the source of all things and present in and over everything; the Son, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, whose life, death, and resurrection saves us from sin and shows us the way to the Father; and the Holy Spirit, who comes from both the Father and the Son, lives within everyone who follows Jesus, and guides, comforts, empowers, and teaches.
The Bible is described as God's infallible Word, inspired and true, recorded by various people over hundreds of years but guided by God. It teaches who God is and how to live the abundant life in accordance with God's will. The church recognizes that the Bible requires thoughtful interpretation, and approaches that work with humility.
Salvation is understood as a free gift from God, offered by grace through faith. Every person is created in God's image to live in relationship with him and with one another, but all have sinned and fallen short. Out of love, God sent Jesus to take upon himself the sins of the world on the cross. His death and resurrection defeated sin, evil, and death. Through the Holy Spirit, God is at work in believers, helping them become more like Jesus. The church expects the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of the world by Jesus, and the new heaven and new earth where those in Christ will live in everlasting joy.
The church is understood as a global family of people who follow Jesus. Members gather to worship, encourage one another, and use their gifts to build each other up. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are physical expressions of a deeper spiritual reality. Baptism signifies faith in Jesus and commitment to being a lifelong disciple; communion is observed regularly as part of worship, a time to remember Jesus' sacrifice, celebrate his resurrection, and come together as one body in Christ. Prayer is essential, connecting the believer to God and strengthening faith, and the congregation tries to follow the example Jesus set.
Sundays at Fourth Avenue
The Sunday rhythm begins at 9:30 a.m. with a worship assembly in the auditorium. A typical service includes singing, prayer, teaching, communion, and a time for people of every age to participate. Visitors are welcomed to join in as they feel comfortable. About midway through the service, the congregation pauses for "Family Prayer Time" - a hallmark of Fourth Avenue's worship. Shepherds and their wives, staff members, and the prayer team fan out across the worship center to pray with anyone who has a request. The custom replaces a more traditional invitation song, giving the assembly an unhurried moment to bring burdens and blessings before the Lord.
After the assembly, Bible classes for all ages meet from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. Sunday morning classes feature deep dives on Scripture and strong topical series, with various teachers leading groups in rooms 305, 308, 309, and 312. The prayer ministry also opens the Lemmons' Prayer Garden during the Bible class hour, where a shepherd and his wife are available for confidential prayer and conversation.
Wednesdays: Prayer, Classes, and Community
The Wednesday gathering carries a good deal of the weekly weight. The midweek schedule begins at 5:30 p.m. with a prayer meeting, followed at 6:00 p.m. by a gathering to pray over the blue prayer cards in the Lemmons' Prayer Garden, and then corporate prayer at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 312. Children's classes, youth gatherings, and adult Bible discussion classes meet at 6:30 p.m., with most wrapping up by 7:30 p.m.
What to Expect and How to Visit
Visitors will find parking easy to come by. The church owns most of the lots surrounding the building, and parking is free on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Options include the 5th Avenue lot, the two side lots on either side of the building, and the lot between 4th and 3rd Avenues behind Triple Crown Bakery. Street parking and the parking garage on 4th Avenue across from Puckett's are also available.
A typical worship service includes singing, prayer, teaching, communion, and opportunities for people of all ages to participate. Children are always welcome to stay with their families during worship. A nursery is provided for younger children, and a special time for kids to learn more about Jesus follows communion each Sunday. Visitors find a range of styles from casual to business casual.
All children's volunteers go through background checks and training, and the church uses secure check-in procedures with appropriate adult-to-child ratios. Teaching and preaching come from the Bible, with messages ranging from in-depth series on specific books of the Bible to themes that help the congregation follow Jesus in everyday life.
A Front Porch of Prayer
Prayer is one of the defining marks of Fourth Avenue. The Intercessory Prayer Ministry is embedded in the fabric of the congregation and offers a remarkable spread of opportunities during the week. Each Sunday morning during worship, the Family Prayer Time invites anyone with a request to be prayed for by shepherds and their wives, staff members, and the prayer team. The Lemmons' Prayer Garden, named in honor of long-time prayer leader Albert Lemmons and his wife, serves as a quiet space for prayer, conversation, and an unhurried moment with a shepherd.
On Monday mornings at 6:00 a.m., the Sweet Hour of Prayer gathers men and women to spend an hour with Albert Lemmons in prayer and devotional. Blue prayer cards are available in the pew racks each Sunday for anyone who wants a need held in confidential prayer by the Blue Card Prayer Ministry, which meets Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Prayer Garden. Corporate Prayer meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 312 to cover the city, families, and the church. On the first Sunday of each month at 8:30 a.m., the "If My People" gathering prays for the nation in the Prayer Garden and includes a "Pray Nashville" component focused on the city.
Members are also encouraged to pick one day each month to pray and fast for Fourth Avenue. Beyond the weekly rhythm, the prayer ministry organizes seasonal and special events: 24/7 prayer prior to Easter, a Lenten devotional book written by church members, prayer on the Square in downtown Franklin every Friday at noon, community prayer walks, prayer at the local police station and sheriff's department, and prayer support for capital campaigns that have included worship events, prayer walks, and an all-night prayer tent.
Children: From the Nursery to Club 56
Children's ministry at Fourth Avenue begins with the nursery and stretches through fourth grade. The mission of the children's ministry is to show families how to love, connect, grow, and serve like Jesus, and the staff recognizes that spiritual formation happens best in the context of relationships. Parents are equipped to be the primary spiritual influence in their children's lives, and small group settings at church give children a chance to connect the truth of the Bible in practical ways through interaction with trusted adults.
Erin Owens serves as the Children's Minister, bringing experience as a five-year elementary school teacher and a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Auburn University. Devon Dixon oversees the nursery and preschool environments as Early Childhood Minister. The children's ministry maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram under the name Kids at Fourth, and baptism resources are available for families whose children are ready to take that step of faith.
For fifth and sixth graders, Club 56 bridges the gap between children's and youth ministry. The group meets Sunday mornings from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. in the Clubhouse and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with Kaya Coleman. The aim of Club 56 is to provide foundational opportunities to love the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Youth at Fourth
Youth at Fourth (YAF) gathers students from seventh through twelfth grade into a community that engages the love of God through their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. The ministry is structured around four pillars: Heart, forming a family atmosphere rooted in the Trinitarian community and the building up of relationships; Soul, establishing a foundation of spiritual formation and discipline to carry throughout life; Mind, creating teaching, guidance, and mentorship centered in biblical principles and stories; and Strength, organizing purposeful events and programming for connection with one another.
YAF meets on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for Sunday Class, and on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for "Refresh," a time of worship, teaching, and small group connection. The youth ministry maintains its own Instagram presence and is closely connected to the broader church family.
Adult Classes, Small Groups, and Fourmation
A core conviction at Fourth Avenue is that life is better in community. Beyond the Sunday and Wednesday Bible classes, the church encourages everyone to be connected to a group small enough to know and be known. Life Groups gather in homes around the area by location, life stage, or shared interests, creating a safe place to belong, grow spiritually, and make a difference using each person's unique gifts and passions.
Discipleship and Covenant Groups are smaller still - typically three to twelve people who intentionally help each other follow Jesus and grow to be the best version of themselves. The church offers resources for starting these groups, including a brief introduction to the Head, Heart, and Hands approach, the Discipling Handbook from North Boulevard Church, and the Discovery Bible Study approach with fifty-four different themes and guides for a wide variety of needs.
Fourmation Groups are the church's own discipleship pathway, focused on four rhythms: going, giving, gathering, and growing. Alpha is used as a tool to introduce friends and neighbors to the basics of the Christian faith.
Men, Women, and Marriage
The Men's Ministry is built around the conviction that every man matters. Its vision is to see God build lives that matter and leave legacies that endure. Discipleship groups of three to twelve men meet at various places and times to help each other practically follow Jesus in the midst of real life. Beyond the small groups, the men gather for barn gatherings, sports outings, men's retreats, fishing trips, and other events of fellowship.
The Women's Ministry centers on God's Word and offers several points of connection: Fridays at Fourth morning Bible studies in the fall and winter, fellowship gatherings throughout the year, quarterly service projects, and Women of Worth (WOW), a quarterly gathering for widows, divorced, and never-married women that finds its worth in being betrothed to Christ. The women's ministry also serves Meals on Wheels on the fourth Wednesday of each month, packing food alongside other volunteers, and partners with Leaving the Cocoon, a ministry that provides mentors, lay counseling, and Bible study for incarcerated women in Nashville and operates two transitional homes (Oak Cottage for Women) in Franklin for ex-offenders beginning life anew.
Grace Marriage is a ministry built around investing in the health of marriage through a foundation of grace. Each session includes workbook lessons, video lessons from founders Brad and Marilyn Rhoads, and substantial one-on-one time with one's spouse. The approach is intentional, strategic, and proactive - a wellness, protection, and growth model rather than marriage counseling.
Worship in Song
The Worship Ministry exists to facilitate and encourage intimate, life-changing encounters with God. Aaron Williams serves as Worship Minister and leads the church's team in heartfelt, creative worship. The ministry combines time, talent, and treasure to create settings where people from every tribe, nation, and generation can pour out hearts of thanksgiving to Jesus.
The church's musical tradition reflects both heritage and openness. Fourth Avenue holds a deep respect for the historical a cappella roots of the Restoration movement and for two thousand years of Christian singers who have gone before, while also incorporating instruments and a praise team with four-part harmony. Leadership decided in the interest of unity that the church would not hold alternate services to accommodate different worship style preferences. Singing, teaching, and prayer are intentionally woven together into a single cohesive message.
Leadership: Shepherds and Staff
The church is led by shepherds, who function as the highest authority concerning the decisions and direction of Fourth Avenue. Since the congregation is autonomous, decisions do not require approval from a higher denominational board. Shepherds hold regular "Shabbat" meetings to care for one another's lives, study Scripture together, and pray for the church family, and they meet monthly to address administrative and oversight responsibilities.
The preaching minister is Kyle Dingus, who joined the staff with a B.A. in Bible and Ministry from Harding University and an M.Div. from Harding School of Theology. He has served in ministry in various capacities, including preaching and young professionals ministry, teaching high school Bible classes, and serving on staff at a rehabilitation center. Aaron Williams serves as Worship Minister, with a deep love for God and people and a desire to help others encounter Jesus through song, Scripture, and authentic connection. Devon Dixon oversees the nursery and preschool ministries. Erin Owens serves as the Children's Minister. Katherine Morrow serves as Operations Minister, with focus on church management software, technology, and human resources. Laura DiPasquale serves as Building and Grounds Minister, with duties that include daily accounting procedures and the scheduling and care of the building. Libby Alvarez serves part time as the Reach Minister, amplifying the church's vision and creating an online presence that shares the message of Jesus; she and her husband have led the youth mission team to Guatemala for many years.
The Little School
For more than three decades, the Little School has offered a Bible-based preschool to the children of Franklin and the surrounding community. The school began in the early 1960s as a small group-activities program for mothers who wanted their young children involved in group settings, and in 1979 obtained a license with the State of Tennessee to operate a Mother's Day Out and Pre-Kindergarten class. Since then, the Little School has graduated approximately 8,200 children from its Pre-K classes. Today, the school serves children from fifteen months through Pre-K on Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The program follows the Williamson County Schools calendar, opening the day after Labor Day and closing the second week of May. The school teaches a full Bible curriculum alongside monthly themed units and basic preschool skills, and children attend a thirty-minute music and movement class each day, plus indoor and outdoor play and teacher-directed activities. A state-licensed Pre-K class meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the school also offers a two-day Pre-K class on Mondays and Wednesdays. Tuition for the 2026-2027 school year is $280 a month for the two-day-a-week classes and $380 a month for the three-day Pre-K. Registration and supply fees total $150. The current director is Terri Little.
Missions and Outreach
Fourth Avenue sees the Great Commission as the calling of the whole church, not just a few. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the church partners with trusted local nonprofits and ministries that are already doing faithful, effective work in the community, including Franktown Open Hearts, GraceWorks, One Generation Away, Meals on Wheels, and Leaving the Cocoon. Several church members serve on the boards or in other leadership roles for these organizations.
Beyond Franklin, the church supports global mission work in Nicaragua, South Africa, Brazil, Rwanda, Honduras, and Mexico. Short-term mission trip teams have also been sent to Jamaica and Guatemala. The youth ministry's longstanding partnership with Guatemala is one of the clearest examples of the congregation's missional heart. The church building itself is used throughout the week to provide a place for classes of all types, recovery groups, and other community services.
Sermons, Podcasts, and Online Connection
A robust media ministry keeps the congregation connected between Sundays. Sermons are livestreamed on YouTube and made available as a podcast through Apple Podcasts, Android, and an RSS feed. The teaching archive runs back years, with recent series including Final Words, Prayer: The Power of Drawing Near, Reconnect, Satisfied, The Light of Life, Psalms 23, Foundations, The Flow of Justice (the Book of Amos), After the Empty Tomb, Good News in a Good Way, Greater Than, Citizens of Heaven, Honest to God, Rule of Life, and Fourmation.
Teaching comes from a rotation of pastors and ministry leaders. Kyle Dingus preaches most weeks, joined regularly by Brant Bell, Jeff Crawford, Aaron Williams, Dan Dozier, Russ Corley, Nancy Baughman, Nikki Fox, Cameron Timmons, Rubel Shelly, Jake Maynard, J.P. Conway, and others. Giving is available online through a secure Fellowship One form, and a separate payments page handles tuition and fees for the Little School.
The Family of Fourth
The church's own self-description offers a fitting summary. A vibrant culture of prayer covers every inward and outward reach of the family. The church aims to be a safe place for anyone seeking the Lord, reminding itself to respond with "open arms and empty hands." Men and women both participate in the life and work of the congregation, with the church believing that God has blessed both with aspects of His character and wisdom that must be shared. Each week the congregation shares moments of celebration and reverence as it leans into being a "place of worship of Almighty God" - the same language found on the original land deed from 1836.