Bethel Presbyterian Church stands on Park Avenue in the small community of Prosperity, Pennsylvania, where it has long served the families of South Franklin Township and the surrounding Washington County countryside. A congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and a member of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies, Bethel describes itself as a church family that tries hard not to take itself too seriously while taking God seriously. That posture shows up across everything the congregation does, from its Sunday morning worship to its preschool classrooms, its youth retreats, and its partnerships with mission organizations in Haiti and Sierra Leone.
Sunday Mornings at Bethel
Worship services are held each Sunday morning at 10:30, with Sunday School classes for all ages meeting beforehand at 9:30. Adult Sunday School gathers in Fellowship Hall and works through a rotating menu of book studies, video studies, discipleship training, and cultural discernment throughout the school year. Sunday School classes for children and youth use The Gospel Project curriculum, walking through the Bible once every four years. Classes take a break during the summer months and resume the Sunday after Labor Day.
The atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly. Most people dress casually, though some prefer to dress more formally, so newcomers can wear whatever makes them comfortable. The congregation welcomes children in the service so they can learn the rhythm of worship by watching parents and other adults pray, sing, and listen.
What the Worship Service Looks Like
Worship at Bethel follows a traditional flow that includes a Call to Worship, a Prayer of Confession, and Scripture readings. The musical selection emphasizes traditional and contemporary hymns while occasionally incorporating modern praise songs. The Lord's Supper is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. Each service also includes a time for sharing prayer concerns and a children's message, when children are invited forward for a brief, age-appropriate teaching. There is no children's message on the first Sunday of the month so that the whole congregation can participate in the Lord's Supper together.
Pastor Eric Toohey
Eric Toohey has served as pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church since September 2015. A native of Western Pennsylvania with roots in eastern Ohio, he graduated from Grove City College in 2007 and went on to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, where he earned his Master of Divinity. Eric and his wife, Abbey, are high school sweethearts, and together they are raising four boys. Pastor Eric preaches most Sundays and guides the congregation through extended series that work their way through books of the Bible, including recent series through 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, the Attributes of God, and the book of Judges.
Children's Ministry at Bethel
Children are treated as important members of the family at Bethel. The church seeks to come alongside parents as they raise their children in the Lord, helping teach the Bible, giving children opportunities to serve others, and equipping parents as they nurture their children's faith. Anchoring its ministry in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, the congregation treats the passing on of faith to the next generation as a shared daily practice.
After the children's message during Sunday worship, children through kindergarten are welcome to go to the nursery. Children are also welcome to remain in the worship service with their parents if their families prefer. Beyond Sunday mornings, Bethel runs a week-long Vacation Bible School every summer that includes Bible teaching, songs, games, and crafts. In the fall and spring, preschool and elementary children meet for three consecutive Sunday evenings for Youth & Family Nights, where they hear a Bible story, do a craft, play games, share a snack, and prepare a song or play to share with the congregation at Christmas and Easter. The middle school and high school youth group meets during these same evenings to discuss the same Bible story in greater depth. Parents can reach the children's ministry at bethelepckids@gmail.com.
Youth Group and the EPIC Retreat
The youth group at Bethel exists to equip young people to grow into godly young men and women ready to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The group seeks to do that through teaching the Word, dependent prayer, providing godly examples, and creating opportunities to serve others. Every winter, Bethel youth join other churches from the Presbytery for the EPIC Youth Retreat, often held at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center, for a weekend of worship, games, study, and fun. Students in grades 6 through 12 are invited to attend.
Every summer, the youth group also spends three days on a local mission trip. The group stays at Ryerson Station campground so they can swim and camp around the fire, and serves through manual labor, Vacation Bible School preparations, serving the homeless, visiting shut-ins, and helping at City Mission. The trip usually runs Sunday through Tuesday in the second week of June and is open to students finishing grades 6 through 12.
Bethel Church Preschool
Bethel Church Preschool is a private, Christian preschool in South Franklin Township that has been in existence since 2008. The preschool is an outreach of Bethel Presbyterian Church to the families of the community, recognizing each child as a unique person created by God. The program cultivates Christian values exemplified in Jesus Christ and fosters a positive attitude toward learning through observation, creativity, and hands-on experiences. Children are guided toward self-awareness through teacher-facilitated activities and peer experiences that strengthen communication skills and build self-confidence. Growth is nurtured across cognitive, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.
The preschool offers three classes for children ages 2 through 5. The Pre-Kindergarten class meets Monday through Thursday from 12:00 to 3:00 PM and is designed for children going into kindergarten the following fall. The Preschool class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 to 11:00 AM and is for children with two years until kindergarten; children must be potty-trained to enter this class. The Toddlers class meets Tuesday and Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and is for children ages 2 and 3 who are learning to socialize with others.
The preschool director and lead teacher is Kelly Ziegler, a veteran kindergarten teacher with more than ten years of experience, a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Slippery Rock University, and a master's degree in Early Childhood from Towson University. Teacher's aides include Jamie Selvaggi, Rosemary Fincham, Autumn Lucas, Heather Ramsey, Julie Hoge, and Jodi Drilak. Parents can reach the preschool at bethelchurchpreschool@gmail.com.
Bible Studies for Every Stage of Life
Bible study groups form a steady rhythm of fellowship and learning around the life of the church. The Adult Sunday School Class meets in Fellowship Hall at 9:30 AM and cycles through several studies during the school year, including book studies, video studies, discipleship training, and cultural discernment. Two Men's Bible Studies meet at different times to give men at varying life stages a way to participate: one meets Monday evenings at 7:00 PM and another meets Tuesday mornings at 8:00 AM. Three Women's Bible Studies meet at various times during the day and evening.
Reaching Out Locally and Globally
Bethel directs its mission support toward both international and local work. Globally, the church partners with the La Croix Haiti New Testament Mission in La Croix, Haiti, and with EduNations in Sierra Leone, both of which provide education and Bible instruction to children. Locally, the congregation gives back to the community in practical ways: during the holiday season, Bethel provides food, winter clothing, and Christmas gifts to families in need, and regularly serves with the We Care Mission in Washington, which feeds the homeless. The church also responds to other local needs as they arise. Bethel has also partnered with Rise Against Hunger, gathering at Morris Township Park to pack meals for hungry people around the world in a service opportunity open to all ages and skill levels.
What Bethel Believes
Bethel Presbyterian Church understands Christianity as centered entirely on Jesus Christ. The church summarizes the Bible's story in four movements. In Creation, God made the world good and perfect, creating men and women in his image to live in fellowship with him. In the Fall, the first humans disobeyed God, breaking that fellowship; because God is holy, just, and good, sin brought separation and death. In Redemption, God showed undeserved kindness (grace) by letting the first humans live and continuing to extend grace through the Old Testament, all of it pointing toward Jesus Christ, who saves people from their sin, takes the punishment they deserve, and gives his perfect righteousness as a gift received by faith. In Restoration, Jesus began to break the curse of sin during his earthly ministry and will return to make all things new, perfectly judging the world in righteousness. The church lives in the hope of that day while sharing the good news of Jesus in the present. As a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Bethel affirms the EPC's confessional Reformed commitments.
Teaching Through the Bible, Week by Week
Sermons are a regular part of life at Bethel. Pastor Eric Toohey preaches most weeks, with guest preachers filling in from time to time. Recent teaching has walked through extended series on 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, the Attributes of God, and the book of Judges, alongside Advent and Easter series, studies in Daniel, Ephesians, Philippians, Romans, and topical series on Images of the Church. Each sermon is available to download as audio, and the archive runs back many years, allowing members and visitors to follow along with a study or catch up on a missed week. The sermon list is organized by series and by speaker, making it easy to trace a particular book study or to hear a guest preacher's message.
Getting in Touch
Bethel Presbyterian Church is located at 3905 Park Avenue, Prosperity, PA 15329. The church office can be reached at 724-225-3612 or by email at bethelup@yahoo.com. Families interested in Bethel Church Preschool can email bethelchurchpreschool@gmail.com, and parents can email bethelepckids@gmail.com.