Maple Grove Mennonite Church sits on Smith Kramer Street NE in Hartville, Ohio, where it has long been part of the Lake Township landscape. The congregation describes itself as "Disciples of Jesus revealing His Kingdom through Love, Spiritual Growth, and Service Together," and service - both down the street and across the country - is what the church is best known for in the surrounding Stark County community. Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning will find a multi-generational Anabaptist body that has built its life around three rhythms: gathering around coffee, gathering around Scripture, and gathering around the work of rebuilding what storms and hard circumstances have broken.
Anabaptist Beliefs and Mennonite Roots
Maple Grove belongs to Mennonite Church USA and traces its faith to the 16th-century Anabaptist movement, the tradition sometimes described as "rebaptizers." The church's own statement of beliefs, posted on its About page, begins with the lordship and saving grace of Jesus Christ and the confession of the triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and notes that the congregation is "neither Catholic nor Protestant, but we share ties to those streams of Christianity." Members "yearn to grow more like Christ," and the church believes it is possible to follow Jesus as Lord above nationalism, racism, or materialism.
Three practices flow from those convictions. Maple Grove teaches that following Jesus in daily life is a central value, that it is possible to follow Jesus as a peacemaker and practice the way of his reconciling love in human conflicts "without having to strike out in fear," and that Christians can live simply and in service to others as a witness to God's love for the world. The congregation also affirms its kinship with over one million Anabaptist-related Christians in roughly sixty countries.
A Sunday Morning at Maple Grove
The Sunday rhythm begins earlier than the worship service. From 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. the fellowship hall fills with the aroma of freshly roasted and ground coffee, and members gather for light breakfast foods and conversation. It is a deliberately informal time meant for catching up with old friends and welcoming newcomers.
Sunday School runs from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. and offers classes for every age, from nursery through adult. Adult classes meet around a table in an interactive discussion format built around fellowship, learning, and discipleship. The congregation quotes Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" - to describe what those classes are meant to be.
Corporate worship begins at 10:30 a.m. in the main sanctuary just off the foyer. The service typically lasts just over an hour and includes prayer, songs of praise, sharing, and a sermon. Children are encouraged to remain in the service; an activity center is set up in the back corner of the sanctuary to help little ones stay content. Past sermons are archived for about three months online, and the Sunday service is livestreamed so that members who are traveling, sick, or otherwise away can still participate.
Nursery, Kids, and Bible Memory
Maple Grove takes a layered approach to children's ministry. The nursery is staffed by volunteers from the congregation and provides care for newborns through three-year-olds during both Sunday school and the main worship service. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon and is located just outside the sanctuary.
For children ages four through fourth grade, Sunday school classes are taught each week by volunteers who use a Mennonite curriculum and have a passion for helping kids learn the Bible through fun programs. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade can also join Kids Club, a monthly gathering that includes outings like mini golf, mystery dinners, and fall activities.
Older children in grades five through eight make up Jr. Youth, which meets each week for Sunday school. The class uses a Mennonite curriculum to explore biblical topics, reflect on how God has worked in history and in their own lives, and emphasize coping skills, laughter, and the gifts each participant brings. Outside of Sunday mornings, the group gathers for bonfires, movie nights, and small service projects.
Children also participate in a Bible Memory program run in partnership with Bible Memory Ministries, based in Goshen, Indiana. As children recite verses and complete lessons, they can earn a full or reduced registration rate to attend Bible Memory Camp, usually held in June. The program teaches children to navigate Scripture and "hide His word" in their hearts.
Youth Group on Wednesdays and Sundays
High school students in grades nine through twelve make up the youth group, which is currently led by youth sponsors - couples from the congregation who teach, plan, organize, and cultivate relationships with the students. On Sunday mornings the youth meet for Sunday school in the church's renovated basement beneath the fellowship hall. They are also heavily involved in the main worship service, reading Scripture, singing on the praise team, performing in dramas on stage, and serving on the audio/visual team.
Outside of Sunday mornings, the youth alternate between Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Wednesday Youth Group meets every other Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for activities and planning, while a Sunday afternoon meeting at 3:00 p.m. alternates weeks and includes event planning and fellowship. Fundraisers such as pancake breakfasts are held throughout the year to support an annual summer trip that the church describes as "designed to be both fun and educational."
Adults Around the Table and Around the Sewing Machine
Adult ministry at Maple Grove centers on the round-table Sunday school class, but it does not end there. A long-running sewing ministry brings members together for fellowship and craft projects; those interested are invited to contact Twila Miller or watch the events calendar for times. The church also runs a regular weekly bulletin, the Maple Grove News, which doubles as the Sunday worship folder.
Missions at Home in Hartville and Beyond
Missions is described as "a main focus" at Maple Grove, and the congregation works both locally and at a distance. Locally, Maple Grove supports several partner ministries through prayer, volunteer labor, and giving:
- Hartville Migrant Ministry, which serves migrant workers in the area.
- Hartville Thrift Shoppe, a thrift store ministry.
- Lake Township FISH, a community food and assistance ministry.
- Lighthouse Ministries, based in Canton.
- Love Our Community, a local service and outreach initiative.
- Refuge of Hope, also based in Canton.
- Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale, the annual regional Mennonite relief auction.
The congregation also frames missions as a personal call. "Following the example set by Jesus in the Bible, we seek to bring hope and support to communities facing difficulties in this harsh world."
Service Projects with Mennonite Disaster Service
Beyond its local partnerships, Maple Grove has a close relationship with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), a volunteer network of Anabaptist churches that responds to natural and man-made disasters in the United States and Canada. MDS sends men, women, youth, and adults into recovery work alongside faith-based organizations, local recovery committees, and government and non-governmental agencies, focusing on the most vulnerable community members who would not otherwise have the means to recover.
Maple Grove volunteers have traveled to Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to Alabama, and to Clendenin, West Virginia, for MDS-related work. "We've witnessed destruction and the path that it leaves," the church writes. "We've traveled across the country, as well as down the street. We've torn down, we've rebuilt, we've given hope, and we've received hope ourselves." Local projects round out the calendar, so service happens both near and far.
Leadership
Maple Grove is currently served by Interim Pastor Verle Brubaker. Brubaker describes hearing the call to pastoral ministry during his teen years, resisting it through what he calls "adolescent rebellion," then surrendering to it during his sophomore year at Messiah College when he switched his major from pre-med to Bible. He has served in interim pastorates, seminary settings, and Voluntary Service assignments, and writes that his passion is helping "the church become the vehicle of God's grace to the world, a sign of God's will for heaven being lived out here on earth."
In 2025, the congregation welcomed Myrrl Byler as a part-time associate pastor. Byler and his wife Ruthie grew up in the Hartville community before spending roughly forty years in international education and church outreach, with time living in Germany, China, Canada, and Thailand while keeping a home in Virginia. He holds degrees in English (Malone College) and graduate degrees in linguistics, religion, and missiology, and describes himself as semi-retired but grateful for the opportunity to serve Maple Grove.
Day-to-day ministry is organized through a structure of standing ministries, each led by a chairperson: Ministry of Administration (MOA), Ministry of Congregational Care (MOCC), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Worship (MOW), Ministry of Outreach (MOO), and Ministry of Gifts Discernment (MOGD), along with a Congregational Chair and an Office Secretary.
Staying Connected Through the Week
Members who cannot attend in person can watch the Sunday service live online, and recent sermons remain available in a sermon archive. The Maple Grove News, a weekly bulletin that doubles as the Sunday folder, is published as a downloadable PDF most weeks and is posted to the church's newsletter page. Online giving is available through PayPal, and the events calendar lists upcoming activities across all ages.
Visitors are encouraged to stop by the foyer table for a printed copy of the Sunday newsletter when they arrive, and to explore the Ministries and Missions pages to find a place to fit in. Greeters are happy to help connect newcomers to a Sunday school classroom. As the church puts it: "If you are visiting, make yourself at home."