Welcoming All To The Table.
At 5th Ave Uniting Church, we mean that literally. You don't have to have it together. You don't have to have it figured out.
You just have to show up and there's a seat at the table for you.
We believe every person who walks through our doors is a gift.
Not a project. Not a work in progress. A gift.
Come as you are. You belong here.
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' — Mark 12:31
A Community of Radical Welcome and Hospitality
A Place Where You Actually Belong
We started as two — a Disciples of Christ congregation and a Presbyterian one —
but we've grown into something harder to put in a box. And we're okay with that.
Today, 5th Avenue is home to people from all kinds of faith backgrounds, people still finding their footing spiritually,
and people who've been wounded by religion and aren't sure they're ready to try again.
You're all welcome here. Especially you.
We gather to celebrate, to hope, to wrestle with the big questions, and to simply be together.
Because belonging isn't something you have to earn.
A few things we want you to know:
+ We have a Calming Corner — a dedicated sensory-friendly space for anyone who needs it
+ Our building is fully accessible, with ramps and wheelchair assistance available
+ 5th Ave Kids, Teens & Families connect regularly. Your whole family has a place here
+ We gather outside the church walls too, where we meet for faith conversations at a local brewery, coffee meetups, and more
+ Sunday Morning Study at 9:30 for those who want to go deeper
+ Men+ Fellowship is an inclusive space for gathering, service, game nights and the occasional Saturday coffee
+ Golden Dreamers is our group for seniors and friends with flexible daytime schedules. Community the way it's supposed to feel.
+ We show up locally with serve nights at My Father's House, Thanksgiving meal deliveries for families in need,
and ongoing food collection for United Ministries and Master's Table
+ We are proud participants in Pride, Juneteenth, and the Middle TN Día de los Muertos Festival, which was actually started by
some of our very own 5th Ave family.
+ We believe in being genuinely rooted here by collaborating with local businesses, nonprofits and neighbors,
sharing space, resources and our own hands and feet.
There's something here for every person to belong, serve and grow. Come as you are. There's a seat at the table.
Events
Here’s what’s coming up at 5th Avenue Uniting Church.
Coming up next:
Thurs 5/21 5:30pm
Teens & Tweens
(and interested adults)
pride prep & pizza night!
sun 5/24 11AM
special sunday worship
pentecost Sunday
& Teachers' recognition
sun 5/24 5:30pm
5th ave social
@B.S. Brew works in Springfield
thurs 5/28 11AM
The golden dreamers
meet @5 chefs in portland Tn for lunch & fellowship
The Team
Meet the folks helping lead and love this community.
Pastor
Dakota Norris
pastor & community minister
Pastor Dakota brings vibrant energy, deep compassion, and a genuine heart for people to 5th Ave. Since joining 5th, he's helped nurture a culture of radical welcome where everyone is continually reminded they have a seat at the Table.
His passion for connection extends well beyond Sunday mornings. Through his Open Table Podcast, Dakota creates space for honest conversation about faith, life, doubt, hope, and belonging. On any given day you might find him preparing a sermon with a guitar close by, sharing coffee and conversation at a local spot, or standing at the front of a community town hall because for Dakota, ministry
happens everywhere.
His love for people is woven into
everything he does.
Dakota and his wife Amanda, an oncology RN, are raising their young son Ollie. When he's not out in the community, there's a good chance he's at home fully costumed as a superhero, deep in whatever imaginative world Ollie has dreamed up that day.
Raymond "Stan" Stanley
Director of Music & Worship arts
Music has a way of opening the heart, and few people embody that gift quite like Stan. As our Worship Arts Director, choir leader, vocalist, and music curator, Stan helps shape the spirit and emotional rhythm of worship at 5th Ave through both creativity
and deep care.
A gifted musician and performer since childhood, Stan brings warmth, artistry, and thoughtful intention to everything he does. His carefully chosen music helps create worship experiences that feel meaningful, moving, and deeply connected to the seasons
of church life.
Beyond 5th, Stan serves as a Fine Arts teacher at Innovation Academy, where he also directs plays and musicals that inspire the next generation of artists and performers. He proudly carries forward a family legacy of arts education and investment in this community, following in the footsteps of his parents, the late Judy Stanley and educator Raymond Stanley Jr.
Muzetta Swann Miller
Worship arts Accompanist
If you know Springfield, chances are you already know and love Muzetta. A gifted pianist, organist, artist, educator, and creative spirit, she brings warmth, beauty, and joy into every space she enters, including the worship life
of 5th Ave.
As our Liturgical Musician, Muzetta helps shape worship experiences that are both grounded and deeply moving through her love for music and thoughtful presence. Whether accompanying a beloved hymn, sharing a special piece during service, or greeting someone with a smile afterward, she carries a grace and authenticity people are naturally drawn to.
Muzetta is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Willow Oak Art & Learning Center, where her lifelong passion for creativity, learning, and community continues to leave a lasting mark on Robertson County and beyond. She and her husband Coy recently celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary, and she joyfully describes finding the love of her life later in life as “a God thing.”
Jana Alley-Rohkar
church operations coordinator
Jana serves as our Administrative & Communications Coordinator as well as part of our 5th Ave Kids team. With a heart for people creativity, and radical hospitality, she helps shape the warmth, connection, and community spirit that make 5th Ave feel like home.
From coordinating the moving pieces behind the scenes to managing communications, design, and community life, Jana brings both vision and vibrant energy to everything she touches. Her passion for storytelling and authentic connection is woven throughout the life of the church.
Jana is also the co-founder of Mind and Body Symmetry, a holistic wellness and guidance practice, and co-author of When It’s Bigger Than the Moment, a guide for parents navigating big emotions, sensitivity, and healing journeys. She and her wife, Cyn, recently celebrated 20 years together and are raising their son through the “unschooling” approach to homeschooling where curiosity and creativity lead.
Youth Community
Every kid is welcome here.
Every single one — exactly as they are.
With 5th Ave Kids & Teens, we're not trying to shape your children into a mold. We're trying to walk alongside them, celebrate who they already are, and help them find their place in something bigger.
From service projects to special summer days, from our Oaks & Acorns mentorship program to Youth Sundays where young people lead, our kids and teens aren't the future of this church. They're the church right now.
Every December our youth take the stage for our Christmas Story nativity alongside the choir's Lessons & Carols. And this spring, our graduating senior didn't just get celebrated — she preached. Pastor for the day. Full sermon. The whole thing.
That's our kids at the Día de los Muertos parade carrying decorations they made themselves. They didn't just watch the celebration. They were part of it. Because learning to honor other cultures, other stories, and other ways of loving is something we foster here from a young age.
Your kid belongs here. Come find out why.
Service & Mission
For us, service isn't a program.
It's just how we live.
We show up in ways big and small —
collecting food for United Ministries, supporting C.O.P.E. (two of Robertson County's most vital lifelines for food, housing, and utility assistance),
and hosting an old-fashioned church picnic - free and open to the public - that just happens to also be a Pride celebration.
Because everyone deserves a good picnic.
We recently hosted an Immigration Forum.
Not to debate headlines or take political sides, but to sit with real stories and real people behind the headlines.
That's the kind of education we believe in.
Our call is simple, even when the work isn't:
Do justice. Love kindness.
Walk humbly with our God.
We don't do this perfectly. But we do it together, and we do it for everyone because that's what Jesus did.