At Penn Valley Church, we call ourselves a family of families. We desire to see relationships grow within our church family so that we can build one another up in Christ, support each other through celebrations and difficulties, and multiply our love for one another and Jesus out into our communities. We accomplish this through many ongoing and special ministries throughout the year that give people an opportunity to serve, participate, and fellowship with one another. Every ministry is intended to glorify God, disciple one another in following Him, and to reach the lost with the good news of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.

We are a busy church, which can make it challenging to decide where you will spend your time and energy. We do not want anyone to be overwhelmed by the many different ministries, activities, and events that populate our calendar, but rather to find those that are in alignment with your interests and gifting, or those that will challenge you to explore your faith and pursue God’s calling on your life.

Sunday Worship
Our Sunday morning services are the primary ministry of Penn Valley Church. This is our opportunity to
gather collectively to sing, pray, and hear the Word preached. Before and after our services, we enjoy a wonderful time of social connection where relationships are developed that often extend for multiple generations.

Small Groups
Small groups are a vital component to a growing church. This is an opportunity for those who attend Penn Valley Church on Sundays to gather in smaller, more intimate settings to build deeper connections with their neighbors and church
family. Most small groups meet during the week, which bridges the time between Sundays for more worship, prayer, and fellowship.

Sunday services and small groups are the priority in our church family life. All other ministries are beneficial for edifying the body of Christ, applying our spiritual gifts, meeting the needs of the church, and pursuing outreach. But all of these can only be successful when we are unified in a commitment to living and being on mission as a body of believers under the headship of Christ.

Family Night
The first Wednesday of each month throughout the school year is our Family Night at church. We welcome individuals and families for a meal prepared by our kitchen team beginning at 6:00PM in our Gym. Following dinner, children will enjoy a time of games, Bible lessons, and small group discussion time. Adults will also gather for an interactive large group class. Visit our Family Night page for more details.

Children’s Ministry & Nursery
During our Sunday morning services, we offer Nursery and Children’s Church for infants up through 6th grade. Babies through age 2 can be checked into our nursery anytime after arrival. Children aged 3 through 6th grade will be dismissed from the sanctuary after our opening worship time and must be picked up from their classrooms following the service. Please print your child’s check-in sticker prior to the start of the service for both Nursery and Children’s Church. Our check-in attendant can answer any questions.

Our Children’s Church curriculum is The Gospel Project, which is a Christ-centered, chronological Bible study. All grades follow the same lesson plan at age-appropriate levels. This curriculum will work through the Bible in 3 years, so that
children who attend Penn Valley from age 3 through 6th grade will be taught the full Bible 3 times! Children will receive take home pages for continued family study throughout the week.

Youth Ministry
Our Youth Ministry is for pre-teens and teens from 7th grade through 12th grade. Youth-aged students are asked to
attend church on Sundays and remain in the service for the preaching of God’s Word. Our Youth Group meets on Wednesday evenings during the school year, and we also schedule multiple activities throughout the year. Members of Youth Group will have opportunities to participate in ministry, outreach, conferences, and retreats, but our priority is
discipling students in their relationship with Jesus Christ so that they will leave high school with an unshakeable
foundation of faith. Youth Group students lead our Family Night time on Family Nights, and they host periodic TACOS Tuesday prayer nights.

Prayer Ministry
Prayer is a core value of Penn Valley Church. We believe that we are made for relationship with our Father God, and that we can connect and engage with Him through prayer. When we pray, we are able to hear and respond to His will. Praying in faith can move mountains. We host group prayer on Sunday mornings at 9:00AM in the church Library, and online group prayer at 7:00PM on Thursday evenings over Zoom. Please submit a prayer request HERE, and contact us to be
notified of the Zoom link.

Baptism
Baptism is an opportunity to share publicly that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and have been adopted into the family of God. God commands those who have become Christ followers to identify with the Triune God’s past, present, and future saving work in their lives. Whether you accept Christ at age 6 or 96, baptism should be a step in your faith walk. We have periodic baptisms during the Sunday service throughout the year. Please contact us if you would like to be baptized.

Communion
Jesus commanded us to celebrate communion as a church body until His return. Communion is a time of church family fellowship in which we share a meal, offer time of worship and testimony, read the Word of God, discuss His intention for communion, wash one another’s feet, eat the bread, and drink the cup. We alternate simplified bread and cup services with full meal communion throughout the year.

Membership
There are no membership requirements to attend Penn Valley Church. We welcome you to be part of our church family as a regular attender. A person who desires to become a member of the Covenantal Community of Penn Valley Church must give a personal testimony to his/her salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, have experienced Believer’s Baptism as a testimony of his/her faith in Jesus Christ, and give affirmation to the Penn Valley Church Family Covenant, Charis Commitment to Common Identity, and Vision of Penn Valley Church. To become a member, individuals should request to be interviewed by representatives from the Elder Board, who will then recommend membership for approval to the Elder Board.