On the far west side of Evansville, just down the road from the University of Southern Indiana, St. Paul's United Church of Christ keeps a steady rhythm of worship, study, and neighbor-feeding that has become its calling card. The congregation gathers for Sunday worship at 10:00 AM at 7700 Middle Mount Vernon Road, but it is just as likely to be recognized around town for the two hot takeout meals its volunteers serve every week from a housing complex on Saint Joseph Avenue. That kitchen - St. Paul's Kitchen - delivered more than 28,000 meals in 2025, and it sits at the center of a ministry the church describes with a simple line: "We believe God's love is for ALL people. We live this by creating spaces of belonging, accepting differences, and reaching out by serving."
A Sunday Morning at St. Paul's
Worship begins at 10:00 AM and typically runs about an hour. On the first Sunday of the month, when communion is served, the service stretches to roughly 75 minutes. The order of worship leans on traditional liturgy and traditional hymns, but a digital piano and occasional vocalists or guest musicians bring a contemporary thread through the music. Song lyrics, liturgy, and prayers are projected on video monitors, and printed bulletins are handed out, so first-time visitors can simply follow along.
The service moves through congregational singing, the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, the collection of an offering, a sermon, and time for fellowship before and after. St. Paul's practices Open Communion, a long-standing United Church of Christ tradition that means the table is open to anyone who wishes to know the presence of Jesus Christ; those who prefer not to take communion are welcome to remain seated.
Families with children find several layers of care. A nursery on the lower level serves infants from six months old through Pre-K age during the 10:00 AM service. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade begin worship with their parents and are dismissed early in the service to Children's Church. For families with very young worshippers, a "cry area" sits just outside the sanctuary behind a glass wall.
Visitors are told to dress for comfort. On any given Sunday at St. Paul's you will see suits and polo shirts, jeans and T-shirts, shorts and dresses. "We will welcome you no matter how you are dressed," the church says plainly.
St. Paul's Kitchen: Two Days of Hot Meals
St. Paul's Kitchen is the most visible expression of the church's outreach in the Lamasco neighborhood on Evansville's west side. Volunteers prepare and hand out takeout hot meals twice a week from the White Oak Manor housing complex at 509 North Saint Joseph Avenue. Meals are distributed on Wednesdays from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
The kitchen is run entirely by unpaid volunteers and is funded by the people of St. Paul's, the St. Paul's United Church of Christ Foundation, and outside supporters. In 2025 the program served more than 28,000 meals. People who want to help can show up during distribution times to ask how to volunteer; the program also accepts financial support. Food donations, however, can only be accepted from institutional donors.
Food for Older Neighbors: CSFP and the West Side Food Pantry
St. Paul's operates the local distribution point for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a federal program designed to supplement the diets of adults age 60 and over who meet set income requirements. Participants receive a monthly food box on the third Thursday of every month from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at White Oak Manor. Registration for the program is handled in person at the church building on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, except holidays.
Members of the church also volunteer at the West Side Food Pantry on the third Monday of every month. The pantry itself is housed at Simpson United Methodist Church at 2201 West Illinois Street, and St. Paul's helps with staffing and donations.
Roots in the United Church of Christ
St. Paul's has been part of the United Church of Christ since 1957, the year the denomination was formed through the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church. The UCC's theological heritage affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. There is no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose doctrine or worship on a member church; Christ alone is Head of the church.
The denomination receives the historic creeds and confessions as testimonies, but not tests, of the faith, seeking a balance between freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith. Locally, St. Paul's belongs to the Indiana Kentucky Conference. The church highlights its connection to the United Church of Christ and the conference, as well as a working relationship with the Center for Congregations, an Indiana resource that supports churches of all denominations.
The congregation's own mission statement reads: "We believe God's love is for ALL people. We live this by creating spaces of belonging, accepting differences, and reaching out by serving."
Tuesday Bible Study and Women's Fellowship
On Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM, Senior Pastor Rev. J. D. Rose leads a Bible study that draws "a diverse cross-section of people" to the large classroom on the lower level. The study moves book by book; a recent season has been working through the Book of Job, meeting most Tuesdays between mid-August and late October. Sessions run until 11:30 AM.
Women's Fellowship gathers on the first Thursday of every month at 11:30 AM. Eleven months a year the group meets at Spankey's Una Pizza near the west-side Schnuck's, and in December the women move to the Canton Inn for their Christmas luncheon.
Building Partnerships Across the City
Beyond its own kitchen and food programs, St. Paul's lends time and money to several community partners. The church has long supported Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, and the United Church of Christ, together with the Disciples of Christ, regularly sponsors a new build.
St. Paul's also supports United Caring Services, an organization founded in 1991 that runs a day shelter, a night shelter, a women's shelter, and transitional housing, with a mission of breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
On the USI campus, the church has teamed up with Archibald Eagle's Food Closet, better known as Archie's Closet, which provides non-perishable food and personal hygiene products to students and employees of the University of Southern Indiana who are facing food insecurity.
A Building That Welcomes Everyone
The church building has a grade-level entrance at the front and a side entrance with a single step. The lower level, which houses the nursery, the fellowship/dining hall, and the large classroom used for Bible study, also has its own grade-level entrance, with a small parking area right outside. The main parking lot is highly visible and serves nearly all events.
To move between the two levels one must use stairs, but the church has worked to make the rest of the building accessible. Two rows of shortened pews in the sanctuary make space for people in wheelchairs, and the restrooms have been enlarged and fitted out so they are easier for wheelchair users. Visitors with mobility questions can call ahead; the office is open on Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 AM until noon, and the main phone number accepts texts.
Music, Fellowship, and the Wider Calendar
Music Sunday is a highlight of the year, with the congregation celebrating the work of its choir and musicians. Rick Hobbs serves as the church's organist and pianist. Recent Music Sunday services have featured guest vocalists singing pieces such as "Stand By Me" as part of a "Summer of Good News" sermon series, and other weeks bring special music woven into the regular liturgy.
Worship services are recorded and posted on YouTube for anyone who cannot attend in person, and recent sermon series have included a multi-week exploration of belonging. Sunday worship videos from the past several weeks are available on the church's YouTube channel.
Fellowship keeps filling out the calendar. St. Paul's hosts free BINGO afternoons with prizes and snacks. There are outdoor Movie Nights on the lawn. An annual All Church Hayride takes the congregation to a farm in Grandview, Indiana, for a hayride, potluck dinner, and bonfire. Trunk-or-Treat brings families to the parking lot, and the building's fellowship hall hosts regular meetings of Girl Scouts Troop 423.
The Team
Rev. J. D. Rose serves as Senior Pastor. A native connection to the congregation runs deep: he served as St. Paul's Youth Director from 1999 to 2001 before returning as pastor. Rev. Lynn Oliver Marino serves as Pastor of Visitation and frequently leads worship, including World Communion Sunday services. Rick Hobbs is the church's organist and pianist. Riley Dagley and Amaryllis Tucker serve as childcare attendants in the nursery. Office contacts include Katie Maurer.
Getting to St. Paul's
The church sits west of Evansville, near the University of Southern Indiana, at 7700 Middle Mount Vernon Road. The main parking lot is the easiest place to park; for events in the lower-level dining room or meeting rooms, there is a small lot right outside the lower-level entrance. Visitors and members can reach the church office at 812-598-4880 or office@stpaulsuccevansville.org. Pastor J. D. Rose can be reached directly at jdrose@stpaulsuccevansville.org. The church can be found on Facebook at stpaulsuccevv and on YouTube for worship recordings and livestreams. Donations can be made online through PayPal.