Three Sunday Morning Services
Middletown Christian Church sits at the corner of North Watterson Trail and Blankenbaker Parkway in the Middletown neighborhood of eastern Jefferson County, less than a mile from the original site where its founders gathered in 1836. Today it is a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), drawing more than nine hundred people to worship on an average Sunday across three morning services, plus a livestream that reaches viewers online. Recognized as an Open and Affirming church through AllianceQ, Middletown describes itself with a single phrase: "Living out God's inclusive love for all people."
Worship happens three ways on Sunday mornings, with a fourth option online. The traditional service begins at 8:30 AM. Two modern services follow at 9:50 AM and 11:10 AM, each shaped around contemporary music and a more relaxed atmosphere. Online worship is broadcast at 11 AM on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, including songs, communion, a sermon, and more.
The nursery is open at every service for children from birth through age two. Children's Sunday school and Kids Worship run at both 9:50 and 11:10 AM, organized by age from three year olds through fifth grade. The Gathering, the youth ministry's own thirty minute worship service, meets at 9:50 AM in the ARISE Youth Center for students in grades six through twelve, with small groups following. Mosaic Ministry, the church's special needs inclusion program, gathers at 11:10 AM in the children's wing.
First time visitors are encouraged to enter through the main doors on the left side of the building when facing it. Families with children can use the children's wing entrance on the right side, with extra parking on that side. Accessible parking is available on both sides. Members are told to come as they are: the dress ranges from jeans to suits, and the casual worship environment extends to the worship leaders, who sometimes wear flip flops. Communion is open to everyone and is observed at every service as the central experience of worship.
Children from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Middletown Kids welcomes children from birth through fifth grade with what the church describes as a comprehensive program full of interesting activities and lessons. The nursery for the youngest children is staffed by paid employees to give continuity and stability. Three and four year olds meet in a colorful Sunday school space with interactive lessons drawn from the Bible. Kindergarteners through fifth graders participate in Kids Worship and small groups using the 252 Basics curriculum, built on three truths from Luke 2:52: I need to make the wise choice, I can trust God no matter what, and I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Preschoolers use the related First Look curriculum, covering the same stories at an age appropriate level.
On Sunday evenings during the school year, Sunday Night Kids (SNK) meets from 6:00 to 7:30 PM for grades K through 5. The ninety minute program combines mission projects, games, and music, and includes the Rock Choir, which sings, dances, plays bells, and learns music basics. In the fall the children prepare for a Christmas concert and lead weekly mission projects; in the spring they rehearse a full musical performed for the congregation.
Children's Minister Amanda O'Mahoney oversees the ministry along with Children's Ministry Assistant Ashleigh Neal. Every volunteer and staff member working with children undergoes a background check. The check in system prints a two part sticker: the child wears one half and the parent presents the other half at pickup. Exploring Baptism for children in third grade and up is offered through a spring Making Disciples class that pairs each candidate with an adult mentor for eight weeks of one on one faith exploration.
Youth: The ARISE Ministry
MCC's youth ministry is called ARISE, and its goal is to unleash youth to experience God, love one another, and serve others. The ministry serves middle and high school students through The Gathering on Sunday mornings, Sunday Night Youth on Sunday evenings during the school year, weekly Life Groups, retreats, mission trips, and student leadership opportunities.
On Sunday evenings during the school year, students gather for dinner at 6 PM followed by Life Groups at 6:30 PM. In summer, the rhythm shifts: there are monthly Last Sunday gatherings, First Wednesday youth events, a promotion Sunday in August to launch the new school year, a splash bash pool party, and trips such as a Middle School Retreat at Country Lake. Recent offerings have included trips to Kings Island, Passport Camp, and an Urban Promise Honduras mission trip. A Camden, New Jersey service trip has also been part of recent summers.
Youth Minister Maddy McGilliard leads the program. She can be reached through the church office and through the @mccyouth1 Instagram account and the @MiddletownChristianStudents Facebook page.
Mosaic Ministry and Buddy Break for Special Needs
Mosaic Ministry is designed for anyone, of any age, who needs additional support to participate in worship. During the 11:10 AM modern service, trained volunteers provide one on one buddies, sensory friendly classrooms, adaptive curriculum, calming areas, and inclusion support in age appropriate classes. Parents may remain in the sanctuary or join a small group, knowing their loved one is cared for. Volunteers complete a background check, disability awareness training, inclusive communication training, and emergency protocol training. Parents or guardians are required to remain on church premises while their child is in care.
Buddy Break is a related free respite program that serves children with special needs (called VIP kids), giving caregivers a break while the children make friends and participate in activities. Middletown Christian Church is the first and only Buddy Break location in Kentucky, operating in partnership with Nathaniel's Hope. Buddies serve one on one with a child, with a few extra Buddies serving as floaters. Children's Minister Amanda O'Mahoney coordinates both Mosaic Ministry and Buddy Break.
Sunday Mornings and Weekday Small Groups
Small group life is a defining rhythm at Middletown. On Sunday mornings, five groups meet at 9:50 AM and three more meet at 11:10 AM. Challengers, Rooted and Real, New Covenant, Pathfinders, and Seekers gather at 9:50 AM. Good Vibes Only, for adults in their twenties and thirties, meets at 11:10 AM with Wes and Candace Becker and Talor and Faith Byrd. Feeding Our Faith and Rainbow Christians, a group for LGBTQ+ Christians and those questioning, led by David Riley and Billy Butler, also meet at 11:10 AM. The Family Table, for parents of elementary age and younger children, meets on Sunday evenings at 6 PM with Jennifer Wilham leading.
Weekday groups round out the week. Sharing in God's Love, a women's group aged seventy and older, meets the second Monday of each month at 11:30 AM in Room 225. The Women's Prayer Breakfast gathers on Tuesdays at 9 AM in the Fellowship Hall. In Action, a faith and social justice group, meets Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in Room 223 with Kim Kolb. The Men's Bible Study meets Saturdays at 9 AM in Room 111A with Patrick McKinney.
Connections Minister Becky Schroeder coordinates small group life. Groups are open to anyone willing to email the leader directly or contact Becky. A Recreation Ministry also gathers for fellowship and activities.
Pastoral Care, Prayer, and Stephen Ministry
Congregational care is led by Melvin LeCompte, the Congregational Care Minister, who can be reached through the church office for pastoral emergencies around the clock. The church offers hospital and nursing home visits, homebound communion, and a senior adult ministry that celebrates members aged seventy five and older each fall at the Diamond Disciples event. Golden Game Days bring board game players together on the third Tuesday of every month from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Periodic workshops are offered for caregivers of senior adults.
Stephen Ministry provides confidential, one on one Christian care to people experiencing difficulties, including loss, long term illness, hospitalization, divorce or separation, loneliness, unemployment, aging, miscarriage, relocation, or recovery after an accident or personal crisis. Stephen Ministers are trained lay members who walk with people through difficult seasons. Stephen Leaders Rob Peterson and Mary Lou Finewood Rees coordinate the program.
Marriage preparation is available for couples preparing for a wedding at the church. The Grief Support ministry gathers people navigating loss. Prayer requests can be sent through the Prayer and Card Ministry, coordinated by Melvin LeCompte with a team that sends cards to those on the prayer list and lifts them up in prayer.
Recovery and Support Groups
Several recovery groups meet on the church's campus throughout the week, with anonymity guaranteed and no advance registration required. Alcoholics Anonymous meets Wednesdays at 5:30 PM in the ARISE Youth Worship Space. A women's AA group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 PM in Room 111A. Gamblers Anonymous meets Mondays at 7:00 PM in Room 225. All three follow the twelve step program and are open to adult men and women of all ages.
Outreach Across Louisville and Beyond
Middletown Christian Church maintains an active outreach presence in the Louisville community and beyond. The congregation's outreach ministry is led by Corey Miller, the Outreach Minister, and is organized by volunteer leadership teams covering food insecurity, housing insecurity, refugee resettlement, LGBTQ+ partnerships, and local school partnerships.
The church partners with several long standing non profit organizations. Eastern Area Community Ministries provides food, shelter, utility assistance, eviction prevention, diapers, clothing, financial coaching, and English classes. Hand in Hand Ministries runs immersion programs locally and in Belize, Nicaragua, and Appalachia, with the church helping on work days. The Hope Buss provides a mobile food pantry and connects local organizations to crisis needs. Louisville Build A Bed builds beds for JCPS students experiencing housing insecurity; the church hosted a November 2023 build that produced 25 beds in a single day, as featured in a Spectrum News 1 story. Waterstep focuses on safe water in developing countries. Wayside Christian Mission shelters and feeds the homeless.
The church also partners with Hope Rescued for houseless outreach, with Love the Hungry for meal packing events (over 30,000 meals supplied in a recent year), with Catholic Charities of Louisville for refugee resettlement, and with the Hope Village for breakfasts and cookouts. A refugee ministry team is moving through training to welcome a refugee family to Louisville and walk with them through their first ninety days. In 2023, the church invested more than $101,000 and over 3,900 volunteer hours in community outreach, with more than 525 congregation members participating at least once.
The MCC Food Pantry stocks canned fruit, cereal, spaghetti sauce, mac and cheese, broth, potatoes, pancake mix and syrup, jelly, and laundry detergent. Donations can be dropped off in the outreach closet at the church. The church also hosts booths at community events such as the Middletown Family Fun Festival and the Louisville Pride Festival.
Weekday Preschool and Kindergarten
Middletown Christian Preschool and Kindergarten (MCPK) offers weekday programs for two year olds through kindergarten, with morning hours from 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM. Extended Day options run until 2:30 PM Monday through Thursday for three year olds, four year olds, and kindergartners. Class options range from two day programs for two year olds to a five day kindergarten.
The program uses hands on activities and learning centers that capitalize on children's natural curiosity. Teachers within each age group plan together. The school is open to all children regardless of religious background. Age placements are based on a child's age by August 1. Four year olds and kindergartners must be potty trained.
Preschool Director Jackie Wilham and Preschool Office Manager Tracey Burden Hardin lead the program. Tuition information and registration packets for the 2026 to 2027 school year are available through the church office.
Music, Choirs, and Worship Arts
Music ministry is led by Worship Arts Minister Charles Allen, who joined the staff in 2025 and previously served as The Gathering Worship Leader. Scott Burress serves as Director of Choral Music, a role he grew into from serving as accompanist. He previously taught middle school choir for thirteen years and has performed for two US Presidents and the Pope. Andy Burns serves as Piano Accompanist, working alongside the School of Rock as assistant music director and as an all request dueling pianist on the side.
Children's music is led by Children's Minister Amanda O'Mahoney, who originally founded the children's worship service in her earlier role as Director of Children's and Youth Music and continues to direct the children's choir. Audio visual technicians are recruited from the volunteer team to maintain quality worship experiences each Sunday.
Beliefs, Sacraments, and the Disciples Identity
Middletown Christian Church is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a movement of about 700,000 members in 3,700 congregations across the United States and Canada, whose stated purpose is to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.
The congregation holds that God is the creator and sustainer of all life and that every human being is created in God's image. Jesus Christ is confessed as savior of the world and son of the living God, and a personal relationship with Christ is understood to transform lives. The Holy Spirit is available to all people and provides inspiration and energy within the church. The Bible continues to speak, and the congregation is devoted to study of the scriptures for discerning God's will.
Baptism is practiced by immersion when a person is old enough to make that decision on their own, although other baptismal traditions are honored. The Lord's Supper is described as the central experience of worship and is open to all. The church values freedom and diversity in Christian thought and interpretation, guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit, study, and prayer.
Five values shape the congregation: Radical Love, sharing the unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness that God offers to all people; Freedom of Belief, encouraging questions and faith exploration; Sacrificial Service, reflecting the life of Christ in how members live, where they go, and the choices they make; Real Conversations, growing together with openness, honesty, and transparency; and Infectious Community, sharing life together in grace filled relationships.
Middletown has been recognized as an Open and Affirming church through AllianceQ. Its inclusion statement affirms that all people are made in the image of God and that people of every race, gender identity, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, faith background, and political affiliation are welcome to participate fully in the life of the church. The sacraments of baptism, communion, marriage, ordination, and parent and child dedications are open to everyone.
From 1836 to Watterson Trail
The congregation's roots go back to 1836, when the church was founded on Old Main Street at what is now the site of Summit Academy, less than a mile from the current Watterson Trail location. In 1862, the church opened its doors to surgeons treating wounded soldiers after a nearby Civil War skirmish, with pews and the communion table pressed into service as operating furniture. Between 1875 and 1946 the original building was expanded many times, often with members doing the construction themselves. A new church building was completed by Derby weekend 1969 after members contributed more than 10,000 volunteer hours.
By 1990 the congregation had outgrown its second building on the three acre Main Street site. A 67 acre tract of land less than a mile away was purchased; part was sold to a commercial developer and 9.2 acres were set aside for Middletown Christian Village, a senior living community now known as Village East. The current sanctuary and education building at Watterson Trail and Blankenbaker Parkway was completed in November 1999. A 28,000 square foot addition followed in 2006, and the ARISE Youth Center was dedicated in 2013. A History Room is open on Sunday mornings for those interested in the congregation's past.
Giving, Facilities, and Joining
Giving is supported in several ways. Online giving is available through the church's online platform. Members can also text a donation amount to 877-335-3247, drop gifts in the offering plates at services, or bring them to the front office. Stock donations, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and planned giving through the Legacy Endowment Fund are also accepted. Ten percent of all general fund giving supports ministries and partnerships outside the church. Interim giving statements are emailed at the end of each quarter, with an annual statement in January. The 2027 Estimate of Giving card invites members to plan their support for the year ahead.
Weddings are hosted at the church, with couples encouraged to participate in marriage preparation. The Wedding Coordinator assists with arrangements once a date is booked. The facility is also available for community use through a facility request form, with bookings limited to six months in advance. The multi purpose gym hosts recreation, fellowship, and an alternative worship area.
Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 4:30 PM and Fridays from 9 AM to 1 PM. The main phone number is (502) 245-9793. Visitors are invited to fill out a connection card or stop by the Connection Point on the right side of the foyer on Sunday mornings.