A community where all belong.
Sharing Jesus’ love is a core part of what it means to be a disciple. We believe that Jesus wants to share his love in many ways, through many different people, in many different places. The more we as followers are experiencing that love ourselves—in deepening relationship with God, by participating in community life together, through acts of worship and service, by practicing spiritual rhythms—the more love will flow from us into areas of everyday life. At UCC, we commit to walking with one another on this journey to become more like Christ in every way.
Mission:
To nurture and develop lifelong disciples, equipped to share the love of Christ in our university neighborhood—and beyond.
Leadership
PASTORAL STAFF TEAM
Church leaders—elders and pastors—are equippers who serve their congregations by helping all to fulfill their God-given role in God’s Kingdom. They see the local church as a hub for shepherding, equipping, and sending, prioritizing the church’s spiritual growth and development (discipleship) over Sunday attendance. Leaders in the church serve as God-honoring models of what life in Christ looks like, teaching others to dwell with and attend to the presence of the Spirit. In other words, leadership in the church is not merely oversight of an institution or a weekly event; it is a pursuit of the heart of God for the sake of God’s people and advancement of the Kingdom.
Cara Barth
Cara serves as UCC’s Financial Administration Minister where she oversees the stewardship of finances for UCC, while offering a pastoral and shepherding presence for the broader UCC community.
Megan Trischler
Megan serves as UCC’s Directional Pastor where she stewards the development and expansion of UCC’s mission by keeping the community connected, focused, and moving as a unified local body with branches that extend citywide. Megan cultivates cohesion on the staff and Lead Team, and provides pastoral care and spiritual direction to adults within—and beyond—the church.
Shannon Sanker
Shannon serves as UCC’s Pastor of Parents, Children, and Teens where she supports the faith formation of our youngest community members, while cultivating creative ways to connect and develop parents.
Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah serves as UCC’s Community Pastor where he leads the direction and development of UCC’s teaching. Jeremiah works with the team to cultivate Sunday morning worship experiences, and provides pastoral care and companionship to individuals across the UCC body. Focused primarily on discipleship, Jeremiah cultivates ways for the church to be “good news” amongst our neighbors.
Jeffrey Wyckoff
Jeffrey serves as UCC’s Worship Coordinator where he leads a team of volunteers to shape a worshipful Sunday morning atmosphere, one in which all can encounter God and grow in their relationship with Jesus and others.
2023–23 Lead Team
At UCC, our senior leaders function as a collaborative team of co-equals. This way of leading places a diverse team of mature disciples together who work cooperatively to equip the entire body for the work of ministry. Our Lead Team models mutual submission as they learn to listen for the Spirit together, as part of the congregation, for the sake of UCC. A robust overview of UCC’s leadership philosophy and structure is available for view/download here. *Note: UCC’s two full-time co-pastors, Megan and Jeremiah, also serve as members of the Lead Team.
Sarah Bowman
Began term of service: May, 2019
Scott Ellis
Began term of service: May, 2021
Chris Human
Began term of service: May, 2021
Deryck Mullady
Began term of service: May, 2018
Chris Wood
Began term of service: May, 2022
Isaac Stambaugh
Began term of service: May, 2023
Jen Underhill
Began term of service: May, 2023
2023-24 Commissions Teams
A-Team
Cara Barth
Drew Ellis
Beth Judd
Kristin Suess
Jen Underhill
B-Team
James Bacon
John Edwards
Chris Human
Deryck Mullady
Matt VanDoren
Chris Wood
C-Team
Lowellette Kolloff
Tyler Tatum
Megan Trischler
Casey Wadsack
Prayer Team
Sarah Bowman
Jeremiah Johnson
Jane Sheldon
Nohemi Stambaugh
Core Tenets
UCC seeks to be a place where everyone is welcome at the table, free to explore who God is and what it means to follow Jesus. While we do not have a formal statement of faith or an exhaustive list of theological positions, there are some basic Christian tenets we maintain.
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By embracing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Gospel, we begin the lifelong journey towards becoming more like Jesus in every way. From this posture of deepening surrender to Jesus, we begin to trust in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and in the lives of our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Good news!
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Scripture is the story we’re living. We can look across the entire biblical narrative to discover God’s engagement with his people over time, understand God’s reconciling, redemptive mission in the world, understand who Jesus is, and learn how to know and love him better. Good news!
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As we look upon the world we inhabit, we see people—including ourselves—living under the oppression of unjust systems, worldly powers, and cultural idols. We long to advance the Kingdom by proclaiming Jesus’ lordship across all domains; that in fact Jesus is alive today, sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father, and has the power to overcome all forces of evil that seek to squander life. Good news!
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Sin is estrangement from God out of which harmful action may arise. This separation, if left unattended, can lead to further damage, causing harm to ourselves and fractures in our relationship with/among God’s good creation. Recognizing our sinful nature before God—who loves us and wants to reconcile us back to himself—is what leads us to repentance, is what leads us to new and restored life. Good news!
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Acknowledging sin leads to repentance, a deliberate “turning” that redirects our wills, hearts, and minds towards a gracious God. Repentance is not a one time action, but rather an ongoing lifestyle that strips us of our false natures and orients us towards just and righteous living. Opening to repentance means opening to the Spirit’s work in us, which we trust will lead us into all truth and freedom. Good news!
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Baptism is an outward declaration of a lifelong commitment to live for God. The act of immersion symbolizes dying to our life outside of Christ and being raised, like Jesus, to live under the lordship of our One True King. Good news!
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In scripture, justice and righteousness are the foundations of God’s throne. We look to Christ to see how God’s justice and righteousness are held together. In Jesus, we see the ongoing pursuit of “lost sheep,” those who have gone astray from God, controlled by unrighteous living. In Jesus, we see the ongoing pursuit of restoration, mending what’s broken in gentle and redeeming ways. As followers of Jesus, we are called to this same pursuit of righteous justice—the pursuit of shalom. As UCC, we trust that the same Spirit that lived and breathed in Jesus dwells inside of us, molding and transforming us into people who reflect restored life with our merciful Creator. Good news!
Practices
01
We practice local life together.
Apart from commitment to a specific group of people, we will never reach maturity in Christ. At UCC, we practice local life together by:
Regular fellowship within the church body and among regulars at Rohs Street Cafe
Reaching those on the edges by extending hospitality and generosity to everyone we encounter
Rooting deeply in place, enjoying nature, and seeking God’s goodness in all creation
02
We practice reconciliation.
The reconciling love of God shown in Jesus is an important biblical theme and a central element in the life and ministry of the Church. We practice reconciliation by:
Pursuing unity within the body, recognizing that conflict is a natural part of growth
Honoring all people as God’s image bearers despite differences or disagreements
Standing with the lonely, weak, marginalized, and oppressed
03
We practice remembering.
When we honor the past, we see that we’re part of a vast communion of saints connected across time, tradition, and nation. Remembering where we’ve been helps us find belonging in the long witness of faithful followers—and helps us discover what God might be up to in the present time in our local context. We practice remembering by:
Spending regular time in the sacred texts of the bible
Telling stories, both personally and communally, of God’s goodness and love
Following historical liturgical rhythms and traditions in contemporary ways
04
We practice patient rhythms.
When we set out to do God’s work, it’s tempting to establish grand goals and expect easy success. Choosing the slower, more relational, abiding way of Jesus is humbling, and reminds us that God is the one doing the shaping and growing. We practice patient rhythms by:
Setting aside regular times for prayer—fasting, silence, solitude, meditation, etc.
Walking with others in their spiritual, relational, and personal growth according to God’s timeline for them
Practicing sabbath and other intentional times of rest, play, and creativity to delight in God’s goodness
Partners & Networks
University Christian Church is a member of the Ecclesia Network, a cross-denominational network of missional churches rooted in the scriptures, who embrace the ancient roots of the Christian faith while engaging with the evolving realities of a post-Christian future in our contexts.
Locally, UCC is part of the Greater Cincinnati Prayer Canopy, an ecumenical, city-wide movement that seeks to unite the church in worship and prayer for Kingdom revival.
UCC is one of several local congregations involved in the Sanctuary/Solidarity Movement led by the Cincinnati Sanctuary Congregation Coalition. Although we lack the facilities to provide living space for immigrants in danger of deportation, we are committed to offering our love, spiritual support, and material support (monetary aid, food, clothing, health/medical, etc.) to affected individuals and families in their time of need.
UCC partners with the following ministries to share Jesus’ love across our university neighborhood and beyond:
