In 1906, a year after the city of Bend was incorporated, the Methodist Church in Bend was chartered and has been growing ever since. Its first building, called The Little Brown Church, was built in 1912 at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Sisemore Street, where, with a few changes, it still stands. The First United Methodist Church of Bend is now known as Bend Church and they know that services bring different things to different people. That means they feature two services each Sunday morning in their beautiful dark wood and stained glass sanctuary each morning: a contemporary service at 9:00 a.m. featuring sing-along music with a children’s message and Sunday school, and a traditional service at 11:00 a.m. Casual dress is welcome at all services and child care provided in the nursery. The Bend Church says “there’s nothing extraordinary about us except that we have learned that God’s creative love is the connective thread that holds the universe together. We have learned that we need companions to walk the faith journey. We are trying to be a faith community who values diversity and accepts all people just as they are.”