By Davi Stuhlsatz

Divorce Care, Financial Peace University, children’s groups, adult Bible studies, counseling, music practices and a nursery – Wednesday at Woodlawn United Methodist Church has something for everyone.

“I love walking in the front door at Woodlawn on Wednesdays,” said Shelly Westfall, director of adult ministries. “It reminds me of Jiffy Pop. More and more people keep coming in, and it just keeps expanding until the place is bursting at the seams, ready to pop.”

Walking through the hallway and peering into rooms, there is a vibrancy at the church on Wednesdays.

“I’ve gotten so I almost like Wednesday evenings more than Sunday mornings,” said the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson, associate pastor. “It’s more relational. People are interacting with one another, and forming relationships.”

Barlow-Thompson leads an Alpha course on Wednesdays for about 40-50 adults.

“It’s for people who have questions to come here and find what we’re about, without worrying about being pushed out if they have a different view or disagree,” he said. “We like disagreement, we like questions. We’re more about building relationships than indoctrinating anyone.”

Barlow-Thompson said the Alpha group is about 50 percent church members and 50 percent guests.

Brandi and Andrew Miller are attending the Alpha course as guests.

“We really enjoy Alpha because of the chance to have open conversations with others about our faith,” said Andrew. “It offers a relaxed atmosphere, the opportunity to meet new people, to become more educated, and we enjoy Pastor Adam’s jokes that help lighten the mood and make the conversations fun.”

Wednesdays started out being centered on children’s ministry but has grown to include several adult offerings.

“We have scripture and spiritual studies, and then practical applications for life, too, such as our Divorce Care and Financial Peace courses,” said Barlow-Thompson. 

He said the church is blessed to be able to offer free therapy on Wednesday evenings, too, through a partnership with Friends University’s marriage and family counseling program.

“They get service hours they need for their degree program, and we have two counselors here to provide counseling, and two additional counselors teaching our Divorce Care class,” he said.

“I really enjoy the Alpha class,” said Nick Burrell, a Cowley Community College student. “It’s a really different way of looking at things.”