Sunday Morning at 9:30
Tucked along Bouquet Canyon Road in the Saugus area of Santa Clarita, Santa Clarita United Methodist Church opens its doors each Sunday morning for worship at 9:30 a.m. Senior Pastor Rachel Tabutol and a blended team of musicians, including a chancel choir and a contemporary praise band, lead the congregation in a service that draws on both traditional hymns and newer songs. Visitors who cannot make it in person can worship from home through the church's YouTube channel, where the Sunday service is streamed live and archived for later viewing.
The sanctuary sits at the heart of the campus, flanked by a glassed-in "Lullaby Room" at the back for parents who want to keep little ones close, a nursery in Room 2 for children two and under, and a Fireside Room used throughout the week for Bible studies and fellowship. Church office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the staff is reachable by phone at 661-297-3783 or by email at santaclaritaumc@scumc.org.
Children at SCUMC: Nursery, JAM Club, and VBS
Children are a visible part of every Sunday morning at SCUMC. Families worship together at the start of the service, and after the children's moment with the pastor, kids are invited to either stay in the sanctuary or head to J.A.M. Club, the church's Sunday school program.
Nursery care is offered year-round in Room 2 for children ages two and under. The staff is trained and background checked, and the Lullaby Room at the back of the sanctuary gives parents who want to keep their babies with them a comfortable space complete with toys, rockers, a changing table, and room to move, while still allowing them to see, hear, and participate in the service.
J.A.M. Club meets at 9:30 a.m. and is divided into two age groups, preschool through kindergarten, and first through fifth grade. The same weekly theme is used across both groups, with age-appropriate activities for each. The highlight of the children's calendar is Vacation Bible School, a five-day program offered once a year in June or July that fills the church with interactive, Bible-based activities for kids in the community.
Youth Ministry: From Confirmation to Sierra Service Project
The youth ministry at Santa Clarita UMC is led by Jessica Welsh, Director of Youth Programs, and is built around four goals: learning God's Word and applying it to daily life, showing God's love through service, building friendships in a positive atmosphere, and offering praise and worship as part of a group or individually.
The anchor gathering is UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship), which meets almost every Sunday evening during the school year from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Jr. High room on the lower level of the sanctuary building. Evenings begin with a half hour of fellowship, after which the middle schoolers and high schoolers split into their own age-appropriate programs.
Confirmation is available for students in seventh grade and above, walking them through a series of study and reflection steps leading to a personal decision to confirm their baptism and join the congregation as full, participating members.
Summer brings Vacation Bible School, summer programming three times a week that includes beach trips, barbecues, pool parties, and outings to Knott's Berry Farm and Raging Waters, plus two major camps held at Lazy W Ranch, a United Methodist campground in Orange County. Junior High Camp serves sixth through ninth graders in mid-July, and Senior High Camp runs at the beginning of July for students entering ninth grade through just-graduated seniors.
Mission is woven into the year as well. In late July, the youth participate annually in the Sierra Service Project, a program that helps repair homes for Native Americans and urban communities across several states. Santa Clarita UMC youth also serve on many of the church's committees and commissions, including the Administrative Council and the Council on Youth Ministries (COYM).
Bible Studies, Prayer, and Fellowship Groups
The church's small-group life is organized into Bible study groups, fellowship groups, and service groups, with a Family Ministries Committee overseeing programming for adults and families.
Joyful Bible Study gathers every Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room for study, prayer, and fellowship, and is open to all women and their friends. The Wesleyan Study Group meets every Friday morning at 8:15 a.m. at Panera Bread Company on McBean Parkway and is also accessible via Zoom; Pastor Rachel facilitates this interactive study, open to adults of any age. Sunday Bible Study, known as the "Noon Somewhere" group, meets at 11:00 a.m. most Sundays in the Fireside Room, using Bible studies, devotionals, and books as starting points for spirited discussion.
For those seeking prayer, the Tuesday Evening Prayer Group meets at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom to lift up the prayer needs of the church, community, and world, and a brief devotional with prayer, scripture, and reflection is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom.
Fellowship and service opportunities include the Women's Book Club, which meets at 2:15 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Fireside Room, and COSROW, the Commission on the Status and Role of Women, an energetic group that hosts the annual Women's Retreat, runs craft days and fundraisers, and supports the local Domestic Violence Center. The Hospitality Team, made up of Sunday greeters, distributes welcome packets, reaches out to absent members, and serves luncheons for new-member functions.
Small World Preschool
Sharing the SCUMC campus is Small World Preschool, an outreach ministry of the church that has served generations of Santa Clarita Valley families. Directed by Michelle Moyer, the preschool provides play-based early childhood education for children ages two to five in a safe, comfortable, and challenging learning environment. The teacher-to-child ratio is 1:6, classroom settings are intentionally small, and the program is open to all children.
Programs run year round and include morning, half-day, and full-day options, with schedules ranging from two to five days a week. Mornings run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., half days are either 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and full days run 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Santa Clarita UMC members receive a 10 percent discount on tuition for the 2026-2027 school year, and families enrolling more than one child receive a 10 percent discount on the second child's tuition.
A weekly Parent and Tot class serves children who are walking and one year old up to three years old, with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver attending. Small World also partners with the Child Care Resource Center, and offers the Emblem Eagle Express, an after-school program that picks up TK and Kindergarten children from the neighboring campus and brings them back to Small World until 5:00 p.m.
Music Ministries for Every Age
Music is woven into Sunday mornings and special services throughout the year under the direction of Dr. Cassie Gonzalez, Director of Music, and Aaron Miller, Praise Band Coordinator. Adult singers can join the Chancel Voices, the church's adult choir, or the Silver Jubilee Ringers, the adult handbell choir directed by Keir Karzin.
Younger musicians have their own ensembles. Messengers is the youth ensemble for students in seventh through twelfth grade and early college, Good News Gang serves first through sixth graders, Littlest Disciples is for ages three through kindergarten, and Rainbow Ringers is the youth handbell choir for fourth through twelfth graders. Children also take part in an annual Children's Spring Musical, and the whole music ministry comes together for a Christmas Concert and a Spring Ring & Sing.
Recordings of anthems and special music from the Chancel Voices and other ensembles are shared on the church's YouTube channel.
Beliefs Rooted in the Wesleyan Tradition
SCUMC's mission statement reads, "We are a community who gathers together in worship, small groups, and fellowship to nurture and empower each other in our faith, so we can go into the world as the love of God." The church describes itself as part of the Methodist tradition within the Christian religion, with beliefs aligned with the historic Apostles' Creed: belief in the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; Christ's Holy Church; transforming and perfecting grace; faith and good works; and the coming of God's realm and reign to the world.
Methodist teaching holds that these statements must make a real difference in everyday life, and the church approaches theology through the four Wesleyan sources: Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason. Quoting John Wesley, the church affirms that "the test of the validity of a theology, in the light of Christ, is the test of love," and prays that its life reflects the love of God poured into human hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Giving, Facilities, and Getting Connected
The church offers several ways to give, including in-person donations at the church office, ACH electronic payments, PayPal, and online banking. ACH transactions carry a 26-cent processing fee that the church covers itself, so 100 percent of each donation goes to the ministry. Recurring gifts can be set up through PayPal or online banking, and donors can designate their giving to the General Fund, Missions, Debt Reduction, or another area. A Capital Campaign runs from February 2026 through December 2028 in addition to ongoing stewardship.
SCUMC's campus includes a Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Founders Hall, a patio, and additional rooms that can be rented for events. Members of the community can request space through the church office.
Visitors and newcomers are encouraged to fill out a Digital Connect Card. The Hospitality Team also greets worshippers each Sunday, distributes welcome packets, and reaches out to those who have been absent. Anyone interested in joining a Bible study, fellowship group, or the Family Ministries Committee can sign up online.