Woodland Lakes Community Church sits on Greenwich Road in southeast Wichita, where it has been a steady Church of the Nazarene presence for nearly nine decades. What began in May 1937 as Beulah Church of the Nazarene, organized with 25 charter members after an 18-day tent meeting near downtown Wichita, has grown into a multi-generational congregation that still describes its work in the same language the founders used: loving God and loving people.

From a Tent on a Wichita Corner

The origin story of Woodland Lakes is the kind pastors like to retell. In May of 1937, a Nazarene minister put up a tent on a street corner near downtown Wichita and started holding meetings. After 18 days the work was organized as Beulah Church of the Nazarene with 25 charter members. Through the decades the church changed buildings and locations, but the through-line remained the same: a community drawn by what the church describes as its "welcoming hospitality and loving embrace of those who needed Jesus." Today, with nearly 89 years of ministry behind it, Woodland Lakes still traces its identity back to that tent meeting, and it is now looking ahead through a two-year stewardship initiative called NEXT, which is funding a new roof, sanctuary updates, kids ministry improvements, and a significant reduction of the church's mortgage debt.

Sunday Mornings at 10:30

The church gathers for worship at 10:30 AM each Sunday in the sanctuary. The service is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, with past services archived in a YouTube library for anyone who wants to catch up. The congregation describes its services as "welcoming, biblically-based, Christ-centered and Spirit-led," and the leadership has stated plainly that "worship is far more than music; it is the gathered church responding to God's grace." The church is currently searching for a new part-time Worship Leader after Pastor Nate Boone and his wife Jessica were sent off in late August 2026 to a new ministry assignment. In the meantime, the existing praise team and tech team continue to lead the music.

Children are part of the rhythm from the start. Each Sunday the service opens with a "Kids Moment" in the Worship Center, after which elementary students are dismissed with their leaders to Kids Church. Preschoolers and younger children have their own classrooms running at the same hour, and nursery care is offered for children from birth through age two. Each family receives a unique printed security code at check-in, which is required for pickup, and families are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Welcome Desk in the foyer.

Life Groups and Sunday School Before Worship

At 9 AM each Sunday morning the building fills with smaller groups. Four adult Life Groups meet concurrently in different classrooms:

• Felia, led by Everett H. in Room 2-205, working through Faith Connections curriculum written by Wesleyan scholars and currently studying "A Charge to Keep" from 1 Timothy.
• G.I.F.T. (Growing In Faith Together), led by Ken B., Wanda R., and Pam S. in Room 2-101, working through Chip Ingram's study series "Balancing Life's Demands."
• Results, led by Lisa W. in Room 2-102, focused on better health through biblical teaching and "Living the Lessons of Jesus."
• Sword of the Spirit, led by Cyndee P. in Room 2-206, investigating the Gospel of John verse by verse with materials she developed.

Children's Sunday School meets during this same hour. Elementary students slow down, go deeper, memorize Scripture, and discuss what they have learned, while preschool-age children enjoy Bible-based curriculum with stories, songs, crafts, play, and prayer.

Wednesday Nights: Kids, Youth, and Adults Together

Wednesday evenings are when the church really feels like three congregations running at once. Kids Club gathers elementary students from 6:30 to 8:15 PM, with "Hang Time" beginning at 6:30. Each lesson is designed to help children apply Scripture to everyday life and to ask thoughtful questions. In the Youth Center the youth group meets at 6:30 PM, playing games and then gathering for worship, prayer, a Bible-based message, and small groups; the gathering wraps up at 7:45 PM. For adults, two Wednesday options run at 6:30 PM: Joshua's Men and Proverbs 31 Women, led by Willard C. in the Café, where the group sings, studies, shares, and prays; and Wisdom Seekers, led by Janine D., Yolanda M., Cyndee P., and Lisa W. in Room 2-206, currently working through Season 5 of "The Chosen" series.

Clubhouse Kids and the Youth Center

Children's ministry at Woodland Lakes is organized under a banner called Clubhouse Kids, and Children's Ministry Director Tiffany Newell oversees it all, including volunteers, Sunday School, Kids Church, preschool and nursery classes, and the Wednesday Kids Club. The vision behind Clubhouse Kids is simple: create a safe and welcoming environment where every child can grow in a faith "established in God's love and firmly built on the truth of His Word." Crafts, games, worship, and Bible lessons all get used in service of that goal, and the team is intentionally weaving in the Nazarene Kids Quizzing curriculum on Sunday mornings as a way to help children hide Scripture in their hearts.

Teenagers have their own space in the Youth Center, with a Sunday School gathering at 9 AM, the mid-week program on Wednesdays, and a place in the sanctuary at 10:30 AM. The mid-week format is built around what the church calls "fun and crazy games" alongside worship, prayer, relevant Bible teaching, and small groups, which the church describes as a different kind of youth group that aims to be more like Jesus in everything they do.

Men, Women, and the Hands Team

The men's ministry at Woodland Lakes shows up in three distinct ways. Every other Monday night, guys gather at the church for Cornhole Night, a relaxed evening of games and Christian fellowship. On the third Saturday of each month, the men meet at 7:30 AM for Men's Breakfast, starting the day together around biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and words of encouragement. And through the Hands Team, men of the church volunteer to help neighbors with practical projects around the house. Those who need a hand can email WLCCHands@gmail.com and let them know what they need.

The women's ministry reaches across ages and life stages through three regular gatherings. Craft Connections meets the third Monday of each month from 6 to 8 PM at the church; women bring their current project (crocheting, knitting, cross stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, or whatever they have in hand) and spend the evening stitching and sharing. Healing Her Heart is a support and encouragement ministry for widows. And the women of the church also participate in district events together, including the Kansas District Women's Retreat each fall.

Prayer "Walkers" and the Cancer Support Group

Two long-running ministries at Woodland Lakes happen outside the sanctuary walls. The Prayer "Walkers" group gathers at the church every Saturday morning at 9 AM to pray for the community, the church, and one another. The name comes from the practice of intercessory prayer in or near a specific place, though the group notes that "not always able to walk, but we faithfully gather each week at the church to powerfully and earnestly pray." All are welcome.

Stronger Together, a cancer support group, meets monthly on Saturdays at 10 AM. The group welcomes people currently in treatment, cancer survivors, and caregivers, and the gatherings are built around meaningful conversation and shared snacks. The goal is to provide emotional and spiritual support for everyone whose life has been touched by cancer.

Worship, Tech, and the Search for a New Leader

Behind every Sunday morning is a Worship and Tech Team of volunteers who sing, play instruments, run sound, manage presentation software, and livestream the service. The church is actively recruiting a new part-time Worship Leader to plan and lead one Sunday morning service each week, rehearse the team, collaborate with the Lead Pastor, and oversee the technical side of worship. The job posting notes that the ideal candidate will have a growing relationship with Jesus, demonstrated experience leading congregational worship, strong vocal and instrumental skills, and a willingness to unite with the Church of the Nazarene in ministry and beliefs. Those interested can contact Lead Pastor Billy Byler at billy@woodlandlakescc.com.

The NEXT Initiative

The most visible project currently underway is the NEXT Initiative, a two-year stewardship and capital campaign launched after a season of sustained growth. In a letter to the church, Lead Pastor Billy Byler framed it this way: "For 89 years, Woodland Lakes Community Church has answered God's call. Recently we've enjoyed a season of growth, celebrating every new face, changed heart, baptism and addition to God's kingdom." The campaign is built around five projects: replacing the church's leaking metal roof; refreshing the sanctuary, which has chipping paint and the wear of a well-used facility; making improvements to the Kids Ministry area, including new sound absorbers in the Clubhouse, painting, new carpet in the nursery, a renovated preschool bathroom, and new preschool rugs; a partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to provide beds to local children in need; and a significant pay-down of the church's roughly $750,000 mortgage balance. As part of the campaign, the church has already funded and hosted a bed-building day in its own parking lot that turned raw materials into 30 beds delivered to children across Wichita.

Every household participating in NEXT is also asked to identify "one," a single person they will intentionally pray for and invest in as a way of reaching the community beyond the church's walls. The campaign literature is candid that "reaching our community won't happen just through weekend services and programming; it will happen through our personal, intentional relationships."

Beliefs and Affiliation

Woodland Lakes is part of the Church of the Nazarene and operates within the Kansas District of the denomination. Its shared beliefs consist of the sixteen Articles of Faith of the Church of the Nazarene, beginning with belief in one God (all-powerful, creative, and ever-present) revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church describes itself in Wesleyan-Holiness terms, and the Lead Pastor is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene; the Discipleship Pastor is a licensed Nazarene minister with a Master's degree in Biblical Studies from Colorado Christian University.

Community Outreach and Partners

Outreach at Woodland Lakes runs through the NEXT Initiative but also through partnerships. The church's stated partners include the Kansas District, MidAmerica Nazarene University, the global Church of the Nazarene, The Foundry (the denomination's publishing house), Angel Wings Learning Center, and the Okinawa Karate Dojo, which holds classes at the church facilities and hosts an annual karate tournament the church supports with a concessions stand. In recent summers the congregation has collected school supplies and filled 371 backpacks for students in need, partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace on bed-building days, collected Alabaster offerings twice a year for global mission buildings, and supported district mission initiatives through Nazarene Missions International.

Visiting Woodland Lakes

The church sits at 770 S Greenwich Road in southeast Wichita. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to noon, with the administrative assistant on hand to answer phones and help visitors. Sunday mornings begin with adult Life Groups and children's Sunday School at 9 AM, followed by worship at 10:30 AM in the sanctuary. The Welcome Desk in the foyer is the place to check in children, ask questions, or sign up for a next step. Prayer requests can be submitted online at any time, day or night, through a church form. Online giving is available through the church's Church Center giving portal, and services are livestreamed and archived on YouTube for those who want to join from home.