Planning a visit and have questions? Please feel free to contact us.

Time & Location

Map to church (1913 S Mattis Avenue, Champaign, IL)

Times

Sundays

9:30 AM – Sunday Study
10:30 AM – Worship Service

Wednesdays

6:45 PM – FMY/Youth Group
(6-12th grades)
6:45 PM – Christian Life Club
(thru 5th grade)
7:00 PM – Prayer group
(Adults of all ages!)

Through the week

A variety of small groups, Bible studies, English Conversation classes and volunteer opportunities. Check the calendar for details.

Online

You can join & follow our community on social media also!  We're on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Address

1913 S. Mattis Avenue / Champaign / 61821

Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church is located in southwest Champaign, IL, across the street from the Carle South Mattis Clinic.

By bus: The church is on the 10 Gold (weekday) and 180 Lime (weekend) bus lines.

From I-57: Take exit 237A toward University. Merge onto I-72. Turn right onto S. Mattis Avenue.

From I-74: Take exit 179A to merge onto I-57 S toward Memphis. Take exit 235A toward University. Merge onto I-72 E. Turn right onto S. Mattis Avenue.


What We Believe

At Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church we worship God, raise up disciples of Jesus Christ and serve our community and world.

 

The Free Methodist Church

The “free” in Free Methodist stands for freedom—freedom in worship style, freedom for the poor to worship with the wealthy, and freedom from slavery for all people. These are the reasons why, in 1860, a group of Methodist lay people and pastors joined together to form a new denomination and called it Free Methodist. We encourage you to learn more about the Free Methodist denomination, and read the Free Methodist Statement of Doctrine.

 

Here is how we see the "Free Methodist Way" happening in our local context:

1. Life-Giving Holiness  -  (1 Peter 1:15-16, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 7:1)

  • God’s call to holiness was never meant to be a burden, but instead a gift that liberates us for life that is truly life by delivering us from the destructive and isolating power of sin.
  • In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes, “May the God of peace sanctify you entirely.”  We know God calls us to live transformed lives that proclaim His love and lordship, “set apart” from the patterns of our world.  This is all His work entirely, but we’re invited to seek Him obediently together in relationships, proclaiming His work of reconciliation.  
  • We believe this work is most often experienced in small groups of accountability and Christ-centered love.   To know and be known in redemptive relationships echoes the intimate love revealed in Jesus and the inherent love of a Triune God.
  • Psalm 68:6 reminds us that “God sets the lonely in families…” We believe that safe & secure families and homes shaped across generations in the love of Jesus are one of the greatest foundations God has given us.  Our church family seeks to reflect this as well, as we want to be a place for all to discover the healing love of Jesus and the New Creation power of His Spirit.  No matter what our experiences in the past, God invites us to know and be known in His redemptive love, as part of His family and citizens of His Kingdom.
  • We encourage each other to offer God our best worship. This includes intentional preparation and clear purpose for our gatherings and ministries, but also laying our lives down daily as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), which is our spiritual worship. 

2. Love-Driven Justice  -  (Isaiah 1:17, Zechariah 7:9-10, James 1:27)

  • Love is the way we demonstrate God’s heart for justice by valuing the image of God in all men, women, and children, acting with compassion toward the oppressed, resisting oppression, and stewarding Creation.
  • We believe deeply in the power of prayer as one of our most powerful responses to any injustice.  Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 that His Kingdom and ways would come on earth as in heaven.  We are also to embody our prayers, living as people who are shaped and empowered by abiding in His Spirit, bearing fruit for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2)
  • Our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6), which leads us to care and advocate for the sanctity of all life.  We do this while actively standing against the systems and powers that would treat any human as less deserving of the loving grace we have each received freely.  We stand not as champions of causes themselves, but as champions of His relational love which permeates all of life and provides the foundation for all we are and do.

3. Christ-Compelled Multiplication  -  (Genesis 1:27-29, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:11-13) 

  • The gospel of Jesus Christ - the message He proclaimed, the life He lived, and the ministry He modeled - set into motion a redemptive movement destined to fill the whole earth.
  • We believe not only in the transmission of information about Jesus, but in an ever-expanding relational experience with Him and with those transformed by His love.
  • Peter declares as God’s people, we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).  We affirm this generally by encouraging each person and home to join His missional Spirit on the move to reach those unaware of His love and freedom from sin.  We also affirm this specifically by discovering how each person is gifted by the Holy Spirit for the building up of God’s Church toward full maturity in Christ, and offering every person opportunities and encouragement to serve.  By doing this we will “raise up” new disciples who then raise up disciples from every generation.

4. Cross-Cultural Collaboration  -  (Acts 1:8, John 17:11, Revelation 7:9-10)

  • From the beginning, God’s intent was to have a community made up of every people group.  Here at Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church, we hold fast to the promise that we have been made one in Christ even as we dedicate ourselves to becoming a more diverse church that reflects the global kingdom of God.
  • As Champaign County has become a nexus of many different cultures, languages, and perspectives, our local church has the opportunity to discover and celebrate how Jesus is received as “good news” to people with varied life experiences.  By giving these people a voice and a place among us, we amplify the gospel for all to hear and bring glory to our God together in a peace-filled, flourishing community referred to in the Old Testament as “shalom”. 
  • We are not called to passively wait for such a community, but to actively engage our world with the hope and love by which we have been transformed and united.  Paying special attention to God’s heart for the foreigner, the poor, and the suffering (Matthew 25:45), we seek to engage the culture with the power and the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
  • Cultivating such a community is not only for living missionally to our neighbors and surrounding areas, but also for joining in support of short and long term missions globally.

5. God-Given Revelation  -  (Deuteronomy 8:3, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:1-11)

  • We hold unwaveringly to our conviction that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.  Drawing on our Wesleyan heritage of engaging with Scripture through the lenses of tradition, reason, and experience, we keep Scripture primary.  
  • In a world of changing trends, shifting sources of influence and shallow attention, we center our lives and homes deeply in His Word, which speaks with greater authority than any other voice. It is our standard, providing clarity where there is a lack of solid foundation and loving truth in response to religious extremism.
  • In our worship gatherings, we aim to be centered not on a leader or a style, but on the living Word of God. It sustains us and speaks prophetically into our lives each week.
  • We do not rest on our own individual interpretation of Scripture, but instead join in a historically-rooted, ongoing global community of believers that also interprets our response to the world through His Word by the power of His Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:11)

 


What Are Services Like?

WHAT IS A WORSHIP SERVICE LIKE?

Fundamental to our worship at Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church is the concept that we want to promote, enable and give every opportunity for the congregation to worship God in meaningful and expressive ways. This affects everything that we do! You’ll find that our musicians strive to be facilitators—encouraging the congregation to worship, and more specifically to sing! We give priority to hearing the word of God, with various congregational members reading Scriptures from the Old and New Testament each week, and Biblical preaching each Sunday. We pray together, celebrate communion together monthly, and as often as we can, share our faith stories with one another.

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC CAN I EXPECT?

Expect a mix of musical styles. Expect to sing heartily. Expect songs and hymns chosen for the quality of text and music and meant to encourage the congregation to worship in ways consistent with the diverse traditions of music in the church.

Depending on the Sunday, you’ll hear drum and guitar, perhaps with some violin mixed in - or once a month, our orchestra! One Sunday we might sing some older hymns; another Sunday, something recent. We love to be a place where kids and parents and grandparents can sing formative words and worship alongside each other!

WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE LIKE AT MATTIS AVENUE FREE METHODIST?

Friendly! You'll meet people of different ages, life stages, and cultures.

WHAT ABOUT MY KIDS?

Children of all ages are welcome in our worship services. We also have some great children’s programming options for your kids.

WHAT ABOUT PARKING AND HANDICAP ACCESS?

Parking is plentiful, including reserved spaces for visitors near the front. The church is handicap accessible throughout. Hearing amplification devices and large print Bibles are available.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

Feel free to wear what’s comfortable for you. You’ll see everything from jeans and khakis to dresses and suits!

IS COFFEE AVAILABLE?

It sure is! Come early to services and enjoy complimentary, good quality coffee and tea in the foyer and visit with friends new and old.

I MISSED THE SERVICE. CAN I LISTEN TO IT ONLINE?

Recordings of the message are posted on our website right after the service. In addition, emails and bulletins are sent out to folks who were unable to attend with all the latest news and programming information.

Staff

"Our aim is to serve our God, our Church, and our Community around us."

Chadwick Anderson

Lead Pastor

Rev. Chadwick O. Anderson is a pastor with a shepherd's heart, and a desire for all to know the Love of God that invites them to join in the hopeful and redemptive healing moments of the Kingdom. Pastor Wick came originally to serve as Associate Pastor (2021-2023) of the Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church in June of 2021. Before that, he served as Missionary and Lead Pastor in Győr, Hungary (2019-2021), Associate in Decatur, Illinois (2006-2019), and Youth Pastor in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2003-2006). He received his BA in Youth Ministry from Olivet Nazarene University in 2003, and his Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Seminary in 2018.

Chadwick was ordained an elder in the Free Methodist Church in 2009. He and his wife, Sarah, were married in 2002. They have 4 daughters: Addison, Sophie, Ruby, and Phoebe. Pastor Wick loves Jesus, and joining the Kingdom of God revealed as healing good news. He enjoys writing, especially poetry/spoken word, reading, music, roasting coffee at home, being with family and spending time in nature. He and his family are excited to join what God is doing here in Champaign, and discover how the message of God's Love revealed in Jesus continues to be "good news" for our homes, our community and the world.

Shelly Stearns

Minister of Music and Worship

Shelly is a talented and experienced musician who uses her gifts to draw us closer to the Lord during worship.

Shelly is a gifted musician dedicated to facilitating Christ-exalting corporate worship through music and the arts. Scripture plays a foundational role in our worship at Mattis, and Shelly is one familiar with the living Word of God. Shelly has a BA of Music in Piano/Oboe Performance from the University of Illinois, and has served as accompanist, worship leader, and private music teacher/musician for many years. She has written several songs as part of the Getty Hymn-Writers Collective, and continues to work creatively in worship. Shelly and her husband, Clint have 4 adult children who God continues to use to shape their hearts in His Love.

Sarah Schuh

Director of Children's Ministries

Sarah was born in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, and grew up in Wooster, Ohio, as one of five kids in a lively Christian family. She accepted Jesus as her Savior at age six and has followed Him throughout her life. Sarah earned her B.A. in elementary education from Asbury College (Wilmore, KY) in 1989 and her M.S. in library services to children from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) in 1991. She is married to Andy (1989) and they have two daughters, Celina and Lauren, and two pug sons, Buttons and Widget. Sarah has always loved working with children. She was a classroom teacher and school librarian at Judah Christian School (Champaign) for 25 years. She is excited to join the MAFMC staff and gives God the glory for calling her to this important work. In addition to coordinating children’s ministries, Sarah also enjoys her roles as a children’s Sunday School teacher, a children’s church leader, and a CLC (Wednesday night kids club) team member.

Sarah Anderson

Director of Family Ministries

Sarah loves to help individuals and families discover how God invites them to pursue & join His Love throughout the week. Along with her husband (Pastor Wick), they have 4 daughters and she considers herself an "apprentice of Jesus" wherever life takes her. While serving as a missionary in Hungary, Sarah was motivated to develop her gifts for ministry by completing a Master's Certificate in Spiritual Formation through Richmont Graduate University. While her title includes "Family Ministries", Sarah believes every individual, relationship, and home to be desired by God as an offering for His Kingdom purposes.

Ron Kocher

Minister of Outreach and Small Groups

Pastor Ron is a retired Free Methodist pastor having served 32 years in Kansas, Missouri and Washington State. Ron is married to Brownie (Davis) Kocher, who came to Champaign for her graduate work and stayed in the community for 25 years until she married Ron and moved to Kansas City where he was pastoring. In retirement they moved back here in 2019 to specifically attend Mattis Ave Church and rekindle friendships. Ron serves as Minister of Outreach and Small Groups. Ron has three adult children and five grandchildren. He enjoys riding his motorcycle, making pottery, reading mysteries and listening to jazz.

Erin Paris

Office Manager

Erin loves serving Jesus, and is an encouraging presence in the office. She makes the church office a pleasant and efficient place. She brings a wealth of experience in running a business (Need a reptile? She can help you find the right one!) and managing children (Homeschool educators - you know what we're talking about!) - both of which are helpful in serving in an office! :) But more than these, she brings a relationship with Jesus that is the foundation for both life and work. We are blessed to have her!

Board of Administration


The Board of Administration is the main governing body of the church. Its membership, elected by the society, includes delegates, treasurer, ministry team leaders, members-at-large and corporate executives of the Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church, incorporated under the civil laws of the State of Illinois. The Board of Administration serves as the trustees of Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church.