Faith Community Church sits along Edgmont Avenue in Brookhaven, a small borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just southwest of Philadelphia. The congregation's stated motto is "Growing up in Christ, Growing out to the world," and that twofold rhythm shapes nearly everything they do: upward, into worship, prayer, and the study of Scripture; outward, into the neighborhoods of Brookhaven, the streets of Philadelphia, and points beyond.
The church describes itself as "a friendly, welcoming church for people in our community who want to know Jesus better." It is non-denominational, independent, Bible-believing, and Christ-centered, holding to traditional, conservative evangelical doctrine. Lead Pastor Richard Ferris preaches most Sundays, supported by a team of elders and ministry leaders. The main building at 3515 Edgmont Avenue includes a gym just behind the sanctuary that serves as overflow space for children's programs, youth gatherings, and seasonal outreach.
Sunday Morning Worship at 10:30
The Sunday worship service gathers at 10:30 AM in the main building. Four elements shape the gathering, and the church describes each one in detail on its own page.
Music blends modern songs and traditional hymns, giving the congregation a range of ways to express praise. Prayer runs through the service as a means of expressing gratitude, seeking forgiveness, and asking for guidance. Preaching is expository, meaning each message works carefully through a specific passage of Scripture, drawing out its meaning in context and applying it to everyday life. Communion is observed once a month, when the church gathers at the table to remember Christ's sacrifice and to receive grace, strength, and unity.
The service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person, and past sermon series are archived there as well. Visitors are greeted by the Welcome Team, and a coffee station in the lobby turns the time before and after the service into a place to meet people. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal, though checks and a Sunday plate offering are also accepted.
Encounters on Sunday Evenings
Beyond the Sunday morning service, Faith Community Church hosts Encounters, a monthly gathering that takes place on selected Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Lower Auditorium of the main building. Encounters is structured differently from the morning service. The evening includes songs, devotionals, testimonies, group games, and food, and is meant to give people a relaxed setting where they can connect with God and with each other. Newcomers are explicitly welcomed, and the church bills the gathering as a chance to "encounter" God and others in different ways.
Faith Kids and the Nursery
Faith Community Church runs a full children's ministry during the Sunday morning service, with two age-specific tracks.
Nursery Care is available for newborns through age two during the 10:30 AM worship. The nursery is located on the church's lower level. Room 4 is set aside for babies and Room 5 for toddlers. Between the two rooms sits a Check-in Room where parents register their child, receive name tags, and drop off and pick up. Staff members can be seen through windows in each door, and all nursery workers receive background checks and training.
FaithKids is the Sunday program for children three years old through fifth grade. It runs during the 10:30 AM adult service, with the gym lobby opening at 10:15 AM for drop-off, registration, and pick-up. The program uses The Gospel Project curriculum from Lifeway, a three-year chronological walk through the whole Bible that helps preschoolers and elementary-age children see the gospel in every story. FaithKids includes instruction, singing, small-group discussion, and hands-on activities.
Each summer, Kids Adventure Week (KAW) takes over the gym for a five-day program of games, snacks, crafts, Bible teaching, singing, and water activities for elementary-aged children.
Pioneer Girls on Wednesdays, Faith Youth on Fridays
Two distinct programs serve older children and teenagers.
Pioneer Girls meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:00 PM in the church gym, October through April. The program is designed for girls in grades one through six and is built around helping children follow Christ in every aspect of life. Each spring, Pioneer Girls partners with Blue Church in nearby Springfield to take the children on a fun-filled weekend at camp.
Faith Youth is the middle and high school ministry, meeting on Friday nights from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the gym. The program is built around three goals: helping teens know and follow Christ, interact with other believers, and make new friends. Beyond the regular Friday nights, the youth calendar adds occasional events, trips, and "Late Nights" where students stay later to hang out. Each summer the youth group travels together to SHACC, the Seneca High Adventure Christian Camp in West Virginia, for a week of outdoor adventure, friendship-building, and Bible teaching. Grant Lindemuth serves as both an elder and Youth Director, alongside his wife Michaela Lindemuth, who is also a Youth Director, and a volunteer leader named Sandy.
Faith Groups Around Brookhaven
The church considers small-group life essential to following Christ. Faith Groups are weekly gatherings of about eight to twelve people who meet in homes around Brookhaven and the surrounding area. The groups exist so that the "one another" commands of the New Testament, too large to fulfill during corporate services, can be lived out in circles where each person is known, cared for, and served.
Four groups are currently listed. The Ferris Group meets on Thursday mornings at 9:30 AM in Brookhaven and is geared toward seniors. The Conner Group meets on Mondays at 7:00 PM in the church lobby. The Grande Group meets on Thursdays at 7:00 PM in Brookhaven. The Skaer Group meets on Mondays at 6:30 PM in Parkside. Anyone interested in joining can call the church office at 610-874-1729, email office@faithcc.info, or fill out a Connections Card on a Sunday morning.
Women of Faith and Men of Faith
Women of Faith is the women's ministry, organized around Bible studies and a steady calendar of fellowship events. Three Bible studies run at any given time: a Wednesday-morning study on The 23rd Psalm, a Wednesday-morning study on 1 Peter by Jen Wilkin that meets twice a month, and a Wednesday-evening study called "A Praying Life." A WOF Book Club gathers on Tuesday evenings twice a year, and the ministry also hosts an international potluck dinner, a Christmas craft night, a bingo and popcorn bar, a movie night, and an annual trip to Sight & Sound in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Fredda Ferris, the pastor's wife, serves as the Women's Ministry Director.
Men of Faith provides the parallel ministry for men, focused on Bible study, fellowship, and friendship. The men gather for regular Bible studies and for a monthly Men's Breakfast on the fourth Saturday of each month, October through May, at 8:00 AM at Tom Jones Family Restaurant. The men also organize trips, regular get-togethers for fun and games, and an annual Men's BBQ.
Mats of Love, Shoeboxes, and the Br5Khaven
Service is built into the church's identity, framed by the motto "Growing out to the world." Three ongoing outreach efforts stand out.
Mats of Love turns recycled plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats for homeless neighbors, primarily in Philadelphia. Volunteers can help in three ways: by donating used bags to the collection box under the front awning of the gym behind the church, by cutting the bags into strips and rolling them into "plarn" (plastic yarn), or by crocheting the finished mats. The ministry partners with The Kensington Project, founded by Dawn McGinnis, and works alongside other DELCO-area churches that contribute supplies, labor, and distribution.
Operation Christmas Child turns the church gym into a collection hub for Samaritan's Purse each November. Empty shoeboxes are available at the church on Sundays and during office hours. Families pack them at home with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, and return them to the gym during a designated week of drop-off hours.
The Br5Khaven Fun Run is a 5K and one-mile walk held each fall, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Brookhaven Fire Company.
Inside the church, members serve on the Worship Team (open by audition to singers and instrumentalists), the Coffee Station (brewing, setting up, and cleaning up before Sunday services), and the Welcome Team (greeting visitors on Sundays the volunteer chooses). Anyone who wants to work with children or students must complete a four-step clearance process that includes a Safety Application, three Pennsylvania background checks, signed policy manuals for both the children's and students' ministries, and the church Code of Conduct. Volunteers must also have attended FCC for at least three months before serving.
What Faith Community Church Believes
Faith Community Church holds to a traditional, conservative, evangelical doctrinal statement. The Bible is described as verbally inspired by God and inerrant in its original writings, the supreme and final authority in faith and life. The church affirms one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory.
Jesus Christ is confessed as true God and true man, the only sufficient mediator between God and humanity. His death on the cross is understood as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin, and His bodily resurrection, ascension, and premillennial return are affirmed as central to Christian hope. Salvation comes by grace through faith: those who receive Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God.
The Holy Spirit is confessed as divine, with the ministry of revealing Jesus Christ, convicting of sin, regenerating, indwelling, and setting believers apart to a holy life. Human beings are described as created in God's image, fallen into sin, and unable to save themselves. The church believes in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, in conscious eternal blessedness for the saved in Heaven, and in conscious eternal punishment for the lost in Hell.
The church itself is understood as a living, spiritual body with Christ as its head, and the local congregation as a company of believers joined together for worship, edification, fellowship, and the spread of the gospel. Two ordinances are practiced: believer's baptism by immersion, and the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of Christ's death until He comes again.
For seekers and skeptics, the church maintains a "Curious?" page that walks through questions about whether Christianity is reasonable, why God is not more obvious, whether the Bible can be trusted, and what it means to place faith in Christ. It includes a simple prayer of commitment and an invitation to come visit on Sunday and talk with the pastor.
Pastors, Elders, and Ministry Leaders
Lead Pastor Richard Ferris heads the staff. His wife, Fredda Ferris, directs the Women's Ministry. Joe Grande serves as Elder and Treasurer. Grant Lindemuth serves as both an Elder and the Youth Director, joined by his wife Michaela Lindemuth as a second Youth Director and a volunteer leader named Sandy. Brant Vogel, Bob Connor, and Eric Madison round out the team of elders. Linda Skaer serves as both the Office Manager and the Children's Ministry Director. The Worship Leader position is currently open, and the church welcomes auditions from singers and instrumentalists interested in joining the worship team.
For newcomers to the borough, the church keeps a "New Neighbors" page that links to the Brookhaven New Resident Packet and points to local resources such as the Aston Library, Chester Creek Trail, Linvilla Orchards, a local LA Fitness, and the State House Representative and State Senator who serve the area, along with the Hallie Christine Jackson Butterfly Sanctuary in town. The page closes with the same invitation that runs throughout Faith Community Church: come as you are, and consider Christ with them.