There is no formal dress code of any of our services and events. Some people dress in suits and ties, others wear jeans and a casual shirt, and some even wear shorts and a t-shirt. Peace UCC is home to many different people and we are pleased that they have chosen to call this Church home! We welcome you as you are, and we invite you to dress however you feel most comfortable.

We invite you to come as you are!

No! We will not do anything that will draw any unwanted attention to you. You will not be called out in a Worship Service or singled out in any way. You will not be asked to stand up and introduce yourself. We would never want to make you feel uncomfortable. At Peace, we make it a priority to make you feel welcome and at ease.

You can expect some people to come up and introduce themselves to you. It is typical at Peace for our members and attendees to greet and talk with each other before and after our services, so naturally they will greet you as well. We welcome you to worship with us, no strings attached. Do not be surprised if some people come up and introduce themselves to you, they are only trying to be friendly and to include you  in the social nature of our community.

Of course it is! Your children are always welcome in our Worship Services! We encourage the curiosity and interest of everyone, especially children. We offer a children's message during the service, and other opportunities for your children to participate. 

If you would feel more comfortable, we do provide nursery service. Ask the greeters at the entrance to the Sanctuary for more information 

Do not worry if your child starts to cry or make noise. This is a part of life, and is just an example of the beauty of God's work. Don't worry; we won't judge you, no matter what happens.

We offer several options for children, as well as for youth:

For Children we offer:

• Sunday School classes tailored by age group. We encourage your children to participate with other kids in their age group.
• Nursery service during our Traditional Service, if you need it.
• Weekly Children's messages during both of our Services to give your children a way to interact with the message in a way that they understand.

For Youth we offer:

• We offer Youth Sunday School classes that are open to all teenagers.
  • We encourage all Youth to ask any and all of their questions they have about their faith and their life. We may not have all of the answers, but we are willing to joining them on their journey as they strive to figure it out.
• We have a Youth Group which currently offers many activities and fundraisers. More information can be found at: Youth Group
• We offer a Confirmation Class every year for Youth who want to further explore their faith and to learn more about the Church in order to decide if they wish to pursue membership.

All Sunday School classes and Youth events are led by qualified members of our congregation who have completed all necessary child protection training's, and who have completed current background checks. We take the protection of our children very seriously.

Peace UCC is a moderately sized community Church. We have an average weekly attendance of 90-100 at our Traditional Service and 20-30 at our Contemporary Styled Service. On holidays, attendance can be as high as 200-250. We are a Church that is small enough that you can get to know everyone, yet big enough to have a large impact on the local community. We are always open to new visitors. We extend to you an invitation to worship with us and to see if Peace UCC is a place that you might call home.

Peace UCC has existed in our current form and in our current building since 1970. Before that, we consisted of 2 separate congregations that have existed for centuries. One of our founding congregations, Muddy Creek Reformed Church, has been worshiping in the Adamstown area since 1770. 

More information about our history can be found here: History

We have a statement of beliefs at Peace (which can be found at the link below). We strongly encourage you to think for yourself, and to form a faith that is meaningful for you. We believe in a faith that is rooted in history, and a faith that is open and welcoming of all people. We encourage you to discover, for yourself, a faith that is rooted in the compassion, kindness, mercy, and love that we find in the teachings of Christ. We welcome you to seek a faith that is real and affirms what you know to be true.

If you disagree with what we believe, that is perfectly ok. We respect everyone's opinion and encourage you to bring your questions so that we can engage in productive conversation while respecting each others opinions. At Peace, we do not need you to fit into a mold. We will never tell you what you have to believe. Instead, we welcome you to join us in our journey together to discover meaning and positive lessons through the teachings of Jesus Christ. Come as you are, and we will welcome you as our brothers and sisters in Christ. All are welcome!

More information on our beliefs: What We Believe

For most of the year, our Contemporary Service is held at 8:30am, Sunday School at 9:30am, and our Traditional Service at 10:30am. All of these services happen every Sunday.

In the summer months, we have a slightly different schedule. Our Contemporary Service is at 9:00am and our Traditional Service is at 10:30am. We follow our summer schedule from the second Sunday after Memorial day through the Sunday after Labor Day.

We also offer several special services throughout the year. We have a Christmas Eve service at 7:30pm, with special music beginning at 7. We also offer an Ash Wednesday Service at 7pm, a Maundy Thursday Service at 7pm, and a Good Friday Service at 7pm. We also have an Easter Dawn service at 7am.

Any questions about our service times can be directed to [email protected] or by calling (717) 484-4400

What you can expect in a service depends on which service you choose. No matter which service you choose, we welcome visitors to come as they are, no strings attached. We do not ask visitors to make any commitment to the Church whatsoever.

We offer both a Traditional Worship Service and a Contemporary Styled Service:

Traditional: 

Our Traditional Service begins at 10:30am every Sunday and is steeped in the historic expression of the Reformed Church. The depth of our faith is experienced through a more formal liturgy using the hymns that have sustained the church over the years.

Contemporary:

Our Contemporary Styled Service begins at 8:30am (9am in the summer) and offers a more relaxed feeling through the use of contemporary praise songs and limited liturgy. This style of worships provides a refreshing atmosphere where we are able to experience and express our faith in new ways.

More information about either service can be found here: Worship Services

We are concerned with and for our neighbors who are facing issues of hunger, food insecurity and homelessness. To that end, we are actively involved in a variety of service/mission events and opportunities. Some of our Mission Partners include:

• Power Pack Ministries – provides food for children who receive free and reduced lunches and their families. Families receive the ingredients and the recipes needed to provide simple, nutritious homemade meals. 
• Ephrata Area Social Services – an organization that provides food, financial assistance, transportation and other needed services to the people of our community.
• Home of Hope – a transitional housing program that helps families who are at risk of becoming homeless.
• Community Meals – served on a monthly basis for people who need the meals or need the fellowship of sitting and eating a meal with other people.
• The Good Samaritan Shelter – a shelter for homeless women and women who need a place to get away from an abusive living situation.

We offer a nice homemade meal every month after our Traditional Service. In 2015 and 2016, these were run by our Youth. The dinners consist of a fun, family friendly atmosphere where people can socialize and experience fellowship. These meals are offered free of charge, although we do accept donations to the Youth Group. A different menu is offered every month, and these dinners are open to the public. Even if you do not know anyone there, come out and meet us!

Thank you for taking interest in getting involved at Peace!

There are several ways to get involved with our Church.  You can begin with something as simple as attending one of our worship services. From there, the opportunities are abundant – sing in the choir, participate in the serving of a meal or bringing needed items for one of our mission partners. Or, if you have an idea that can enhance or help us build upon an existing mission, or if you have an new idea altogether, let us know and we will work with you to find something that fits you.

For more information or to contact us, go here: Getting Involved

Becoming a member at Peace is a fairly simple process. You will work with the Pastor and other members of the Church so you can learn more about us and so you can decide if we are a good fit for you. We will then welcome you into membership at a worship service, and add you to our membership roles.

Please note: Membership is not required to participate in any activities at Peace or to attend regularly. It is an option available to you, but is in no ways required or expected.

To get more information about becoming a member at Peace, please email [email protected] or call (717) 484-4400

We used the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible and we have copies of the bible available in all of our pews. 

We welcome you to bring any translation of the Bible that is meaningful to you, and we invite you to use whatever translation you are most comfortable with.

We offer several ways to keep informed about Church events and activities. 

We have a monthly newsletter. This newsletter contains all of the events and Church news for the upcoming month. 

• To subscribe to the newsletter by email, send a message to [email protected] with the word "Newsletter" in the subject line.
• To view the newsletter on the website, visit this link: Peace Notes

We also have announcements and information about upcoming events in our weekly bulletins.

• To view our bulletins online, visit this link: Bulletins
• To receive our bulletins every week by email, send a message to [email protected] with the word "Bulletins" in the subject line.

We also post information about our events and things that happen in the community on our Facebook page, which can be accessed here: Peace UCC Facebook

Yes we do! We offer Baptism for infants, and we also offer Baptism for adults who have not been Baptized before. Our method of Baptism in by placing water on the forehead, and not by immersion.

If you would like information about getting you pr your child Baptized, contact us at [email protected] or by contacting the Church office at (717) 484-4400

Yes we do! Our Pastor is open to doing wedding services for couples who are not members of the Church. 

We do not "rent out" our Sanctuary for other Clergy to perform weddings.

If you would like more information about having your wedding at Peace UCC, contact us at [email protected] and we will get you the information you need.

Yes, we do allow the use of our building for outside events. There is an approval process that must be completed, but it is simple and we will help you along the way. 

If you are interested in using the Church for your event, contact us at [email protected] or (717) 484-4400 and we will be more then happy to help discuss your options.

We have a large parking lot at the Church, so there is plenty of parking available for all. There are numerous handicap spaces available for those who need them.

Take a look at the layout of our property and the location of the entrances of our building in relation to the parking areas: Interactive Property Map

Yes! Our building was build around 1969 and Handicap Accessibility was a major priority in the design of the building. Our building is all on one level, and most of the entrances do not have any steps. We also have accessible restrooms located within our building. 

Yes we do! Our floorplan is available below.