University Presbyterian Church sits on Roberts Avenue in north Fresno, between Cedar and Bullard Avenues, and has become a hub for worship, music, and neighborhood service in the Central Valley. The church draws people for its Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m., its Lao-language service led by Pastor Tony, a busy calendar of chamber music and choral concerts, and a monthly food distribution that serves hundreds of families on the third Saturday of each month.
Sunday Mornings at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday morning is the heart of life at UPC. Worship begins at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary and is offered both in person and through livestream. The service is intentionally relaxed: there is no dress code, and visitors are invited to come as they are, follow along as they wish, or simply observe.
The musical palette is broad, with the chancel choir, a contemporary worship band, and the church's massive Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ all taking part in the same service. The congregation describes it as a service that swings easily between traditional hymns and contemporary praise, with weekly Communion as a regular part of the gathering.
A Lao-Language Service and a Cross-Cultural Partnership
Alongside the English-language service, a Lao-language service has been meeting at UPC for years. Lay Pastor Tony Bounthapanya leads the Lao Ministries group, which gathers at 10 a.m. on Sundays in the Lao Fellowship Room for worship, followed by Bible study at 11 a.m. On the first Sunday of each month, both congregations come together to worship in the Sanctuary as one body.
Pastor Tony was born in Luangprabang, Laos, came to the United States as a teenager, joined the UPC community in 2006, and was later commissioned as a Lay Preacher through Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The Lao Ministries partnership extends beyond Fresno through Lao Partners, a relationship with the Lao Evangelical Church in Laos that has brought pastoral leaders to Fresno and sent mission teams from UPC to help bring clean water to villages in need.
Music and Arts: Over 100 Concerts a Year
Under the leadership of Cactus Harris, Director of Worship and the Arts, the church has built one of the most active concert series in the Central Valley, hosting more than 100 musical events each year. The musical backbone of the Sanctuary is an Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ with more than 3,000 pipes. Originally installed at Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton, New Jersey, the instrument has been part of UPC since 1977. Harris, who also serves as Dean of the San Joaquin Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists and as house organist at the Warnors Theatre in downtown Fresno, curates the Sunday morning music and the concert calendar.
The UPC Chancel Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and sings at the 10 a.m. service from September through May. The Contemporary Worship Band leads modern praise music, while the Bell Choir, a mix of youth and adults using five octaves of Schulmerich handbells and three octaves of hand chimes, rehearses on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and plays monthly in worship. The Lao Praise Team and Lao Dancers round out the music ministry.
Outside groups frequently partner with the Sanctuary for performances. Recent and upcoming concerts have included the Moment Musical chamber ensemble, Musica Viva, Coro Solare of the Fresno Community Chorus, Soli Deo Gloria Women's Ensemble, the Tower Quartet, the Fresno Folklore Society, and visiting soloists such as guitarist Edith Pageaud and pianist Michael Delfin. Most concerts are free with donations, and the calendar also includes Taizé evenings of prayer and song, an annual sing-along hymn festival, and the church's Christmas and Advent offerings.
Children: Godly Play and the Family Room
UPC places real weight on its welcome for families with young children. A Montessori-based children's ministry called Godly Play serves children from age 4 through fourth grade during the school year. Children begin the service with their families in the Sanctuary and are escorted to the Godly Play Room after the announcements by trained volunteers, who use storytelling, play, and wonder to introduce the stories of faith. Parents are welcome to tour the Godly Play Room beforehand or sit in for the first visits if it helps a child settle in.
For children from birth through age 4, year-round professional nursery care is available on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Parents who prefer to keep their children close in worship can use the Sanctuary's play space and activity tables, or step into the Family Room off the Lobby, which has a changing table and toys and still allows a view and sound of the service. The church's commitment to making worship a place for wiggly, giggly, noisy kids is more than policy: the Sanctuary itself is set up for it.
Youth in Fifth Grade and Up
Youth from fifth grade through high school gather in the Youth Room during the 10 a.m. service each Sunday. The weekly time together includes snacks, prayer, and discussion using the Follow Me curriculum, a theologically rich resource that encourages teenagers to wrestle honestly with Scripture. On the first Sunday of each month, the youth join the rest of the congregation in the Sanctuary for worship.
Beyond Sunday mornings, monthly activities, led by parents in the congregation, give the youth extra chances to connect. The youth program is led by Stephen Guizar, and parents can register their teen online.
A Community Playgroup on the Playground
For younger children and their grown-ups, UPC hosts a free weekly Community Playgroup on Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church playground, with a 9 a.m. summer schedule that often includes water play. Crafts, games, snacks, music, story time, and seasonal activities fill the hour. A parent or guardian is required to stay, and the gathering is open to children of all ages. It is canceled in bad weather, and families are encouraged to bring chairs or a blanket.
Small Groups for Every Season
UPC's small-group life is varied and intentional. Sacred Space meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Room as a meditative gathering that blends prayer, Scripture, and spiritual practices drawn from Judeo-Christian and Indian traditions. The UPC Book Club gathers on the fourth Monday of each month at a rotating location, and UPC Game Night brings board games and snacks to the Youth Room on the first Sunday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m.
Two in-person Wednesday Bible studies meet at the church: the Women's Bible Study at 10 a.m. in the Fireside Room and the Men's Bible Study at 7 a.m. in the same room. Two parallel online groups meet on Wednesdays as well: a women's study at 10 a.m. and a men's study at 9 a.m., both via Zoom. A Thursday evening Bible study meets online at 7 p.m. Lunch with the Lord gathers on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. in a hybrid format from the Church Office and on Zoom, and Presbyterian Women meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Great Room for service projects, conversation, and food.
The church encourages visitors and members to drop in to any group without signing up. Online groups share a Zoom link through the church office.
Food Distribution and the Community Garden
One of the most visible ways UPC serves its neighborhood is through its monthly Food Distribution, held on the third Saturday of each month from 8 to 11:15 a.m. in the church parking lot. The program partners with the Central California Food Bank and the USDA, with funds donated by the congregation, to provide shelf-stable food and fresh produce to hundreds of households each month. The distribution moved recently to a choice-based shopping model, with scheduled appointment times so families can shop without long waits and pick items that fit their household's needs.
Volunteers are needed on the Thursday before each distribution from 12 to 2 p.m. to sort food and on the Friday before from 9 to 11 a.m. to bag it. The Community Garden, started by Beth Buchanan as her Girl Scout Gold Award project, grows vegetables and herbs that are added to the food distribution. Help is welcomed in the summer months to weed, harvest, and keep the garden going.
The church also points neighbors toward other Fresno resources for food and assistance, including the Central California Food Bank pantry locator, Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno, Poverello House, Fresno Rescue Mission, and Fresno EOC.
Local Partnerships: Wolters, FIRM, and Calvin Crest
UPC partners with Every Neighborhood Partnership to send Literacy Mentors into Wolters Elementary, the neighborhood school, helping students with sight words, letter sounds, and comprehension in the critical years before third grade. The church also supports Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM), a faith-based nonprofit that serves more than 6,500 refugees in the San Joaquin Valley through preschool, after-school programs, citizenship help, community gardens, and health navigation.
Each year the church helps connect members with Calvin Crest, the regional Presbyterian camp and retreat center, where Men's, Women's, Family, Children, and Youth Camps, along with an Advent Silent Retreat, are offered. The congregation also walks alongside Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the emergency and refugee ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), through designated giving and prayer.
On the church's own grounds, a Free Little Library next to the playground invites neighbors to take a book or leave one, part of a wider movement to address childhood illiteracy in the area.
Rooted in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
University Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and part of the San Joaquin Presbytery, which serves churches across the Central Valley. Its faith is rooted in the essential orthodox Christian beliefs expressed through the Book of Confessions. The congregation's vision is to share God's boundless love with all in the community without limitation, exception, or condition, and it is explicit that this welcome includes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Six core values shape the church's ministry: Rooted in Jesus, Excellence in Worship, Authentic Relationships, Service to Community, Unity over Uniformity, and Lifelong Learning. The leadership team includes Rev. Renn Serna as Senior Pastor and Rev. Kent Leydens as Transitional Pastor, alongside Pastor Tony for Lao Ministries, Cactus Harris as Director of Worship and the Arts, Joshua Lara as Contemporary Worship Leader, and Stephen Guizar as Youth Leader.
Giving and Stewardship
Gifts to UPC can be made online, by cash or check in worship, or by mail to 1776 E. Roberts Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710. Asset-based giving through stocks, mutual funds, or retirement accounts is also accepted. The church offers guidance on planned giving through a "Composing a Legacy" resource, and works with a Presbyterian Foundation representative for tax-advantaged gifts including IRA charitable rollovers, charitable gift annuities, life insurance policies, and real estate.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The church office is closed on Fridays and Saturdays and is open Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. For prayer requests or to connect with a pastor, visitors can write to prayer@upcfresno.org or call 559-439-8807.