new

ABOUT

New With Us?

STAFF

ThERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT CHURCHES, SO WHAT MAKES THE GROVE UNIQUE?

WHO WE ARE

We’re all new at this!

Cottage Grove is a rapidly growing city, and there is a tremendous opportunity to reach people. In 2019, Pastor Jeremy and his family moved to Cottage Grove with the vision for a vibrant intergenerational church for this community. Though the following two years included building relationships, gathering partners, and serving the community, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the launch of public worship to January 2022. And now here we are!

While you might be new to The Grove, we’re all new at it — so what a better time to jump in than now?!

We Grow Goodness.

The motivating vision of The Grove is to grow goodness. In practice, that means we prioritize:

Expanding our Circle of Inclusion.
We welcome and celebrate both more people and historically excluded people. (See our welcome statement.)

Nurturing Healing, Wholeness, and Beauty.
We want people to experience transformation through God’s grace which can’t be earned and can’t be lost.

Cultivating the Common Good.
Following Jesus means helping make our community a better place to live.

Deepening our Curiosity and Sense of Awe.
We see faith as a journey of constant discovery and question-asking, not a destination.

We’re serious about following the way of Jesus…

We’re convinced that the way of Jesus as shown in the Bible — a way of love, grace, inclusion, personal transformation, and justice — is the best way to live in the world. This is the reason we gather for worship and in small groups and in service to our community, in order that we might better grow in love of God and neighbor, reach new people, and help to heal a broken world.

… and less serious about ourselves.

The Grove – Cottage Grove is full of people who like to have fun and carry ourselves more casually than other churches. But don’t confuse that for a casual approach to faith — we simply enjoy one another and enjoy being the church too much to present ourselves as too buttoned up!

We’re a multi-site church.

The Grove United Methodist Church has locations in both Cottage Grove and Woodbury with a variety of worship styles, programs, groups, and community involvement activities for all. The variety of programs and the proximity of The Grove’s two locations supports an inclusive community where people can worship and connect in any way they choose.

You might think of our multiple locations like a variety pack of cheesecake. While each piece shares the ingredients and consistency you’d expect from cheesecake, they all have a little unique flavor that different people might enjoy to different degrees.

While sharing the same mission, vision, and values, the Cottage Grove and Woodbury locations have unique “flavors” that provide a variety of opportunities for different people to worship, connect, and serve.

We’re Methodist.

While we don’t lead with our denominational affiliation, it is something that makes us unique. The Grove is a part of The United Methodist Church, a global denomination and one of the largest groups of churches in the United States. While there is lots of diversity in what individual Methodist churches look like and do, some of our distinctives include:

The overwhelming presence of the grace of God.
Affirming the gifts and calling of everyone in the church, not just pastors.
The importance of living out our faith, not simply believing a list of things.
Making decisions by considering Scripture, tradition, reason, AND experience.

You can learn more about United Methodists unique HERE.

WHAT WE DO

Worship

Each Sunday at 10am, we gather at our Cottage Grove location for worship. Rolling out of bed in the morning and dragging your kids to church is a huge task. We honor that and work to make sure your experience each Sunday is worth it!
Our worship style is designed to build a strong connection between us and God, and connections between members of the community.

Click here to learn more about our worship gatherings.

Click here for directions.

WELCOMING PEOPLE

Sure we have “greeters,” but from the moment you walk through the door we work hard to create a culture of welcome where everyone is friendly. After all, we’re all new in this new church!

GOOD THINGS FOR KIDS

Kids are highly valued members of our church! We have nursery available for ages 6 weeks through 3 years, Grove Kids for ages 4 through 5th grade, and a small play area in the worship center.

Expansive MUSIC

Our worship music is modern with a nod to tradition. As an art that can usher us into the very presence of something greater than ourselves, you’ll find nothing less than excellence.

THINGS WORTH LEARNING

There ain’t nothing that will wreck your day like a long sermon on a pretty Sunday, amirite?! We talk about how to follow Jesus in a way that is passionate, practical, and (yes) to the point.

IMMERSIVE ELEMENTS

Worship isn’t a spectator sport but ought to involve everyone in some capacity. Communion, imaginative prayer, and an interactive worship wall invite you to become a participant in what God is doing.

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Options are available to participate in worship while protecting yourself and others from seasonal illnesses. Masks are available at the Hello & Welcome desk, and online worship is always an option.

Grove Groups

Most people probably think of worship services when they use the word “church,” but at The Grove the most important unit of the church is Grove Groups.

Grove Groups are small groups meant to build meaningful relationships. Grove Group are made up of 8-10 people who provide each other with care and encouragement.

There are three different types of Grove Groups: on-going groups, study groups, and interest groups

LEARN MORE ABOUT GROVE GROUPS

Jeremy Peters

Cottage Grove Pastor

Jeremy grew up in a Christian family with pastors throughout his family, but never imagined that vocational ministry was in his future. After feeling a draw to ministry and completely shifting his plans for life, he transferred to a college where he could study biblical and theological studies. Ironically, Bible school led him to a season of faith deconstruction and reconstruction — deepening his understanding of the radical way of Jesus and strengthening his desire to help others find a vibrant, resilient faith. Joining him in this journey is his wife (Chelsey) and three young daughters.

How you take your coffee: Tall, dark, and black nine months out of the year. During the summer, I take cold brew with a splash of coconut milk.

Favorite place you’ve ever been: Galveston island is pretty fantastic.

One thing people should know about you: I’m an avid runner and love to push myself to reach new distances many people consider crazy.

Katie Eckeberger

Worship Arts Director

Katie developed a love for music & worship at a young age and felt a call to ministry when she was in high school. She loves facilitating worship through music, prayer, visuals, interactive elements, and whatever else can be dreamed up. Katie’s hope for worship is that it helps build a strong connection between us and God, and connections between members of this community; that it challenges us and stretches us, and that it inspires us to expand in our faith and then to live it out. She and her husband Jacob often lead worship together, and they write and record original music under the name My Anchor Holds. They have two feisty, fantastic kids that keep them on their toes, and a cat that’s as old as their marriage (15 years!)

How you take your coffee: Most days with 1 stevia and a splash of non-dairy milk, but I love the occasional oat milk latte. The iced latte at Rustica Bakery in St. Louis Park is the best I’ve ever had.

Favorite place you’ve ever been: I don’t think I’ve discovered it yet… but I imagine it to be somewhere that has wide open green hills, big trees, bright blue skies, a sparkling lake, and I’ll be there with the people I love most.

One thing people should know about you: I love the Enneagram! (I’m a 4w3)

Chelsey Peters

Children’s Ministry Director

As a pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three young children, Chelsey loves working with kids. She completed her Masters of Arts in Occupational Therapy at St. Catherine’s University. She has a great deal of experience working with children of all ages in a variety of settings, including preschools, outpatient pediatric clinics, and child care centers.

In her work both as an OT and The Grove’s Children’s Ministry Director, Chelsey utilizes a child-led, play-based approach while working with children. She loves laughing and having fun with kids while they learn and grow. Chelsey also understands the importance of working collaboratively with parents and families in order to provide the best care for kids.

The Grove – Cottage Grove is a location of The Grove United Methodist Church. Click here to view the full staff of The Grove.