On the corner of Church Street in the borough of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Moscow United Methodist Church gathers its congregation each Sunday morning for worship at 10:00 AM. The service is open to all who wish to join, and the congregation makes a point of inviting visitors to come as they are, explore its beliefs together, and build friendships within the community. A weekly service video is shared on the church's YouTube channel so members who are traveling or unable to attend in person can still follow along.
The sanctuary is the heart of the Sunday morning rhythm. Children are welcome throughout the service and are encouraged to take part in Children's Chat, a brief interactive message designed just for them. Busy Bags are available in the coatroom for younger children who want something to keep their hands busy, and supervised child care is offered during worship for children up to age six. The nursery is down the hall, across the narthex from the sanctuary, making it easy for parents to step out and back in.
Two free parking lots serve the church, both accessible from Church Street. One sits behind the building and the other across the street, clearly marked with a sign. Visitors using the upper lot are asked to avoid blocking the driveway at the back of the lot and, if they must block someone in, to return to their car promptly after the service ends.
Sunday School and the MUMC Learning Tree Preschool
Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM, an hour before worship, and is open to children starting at age two. The morning begins with a short introduction in the sanctuary, after which classes break off by age. Every teacher has cleared a background check and completed Safe Sanctuary training, part of the church's broader Safe Sanctuary policy that covers all programs involving children.
Barbara Havenstrite directs the Sunday School program and serves as the congregation's Safe Sanctuary Coordinator. Heather Phillips serves as board director of the MUMC Learning Tree Preschool, the church's weekday early-childhood program.
The preschool serves students ages three to four and meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45 to 11:00 AM. The Pre-K program is for children ages four to five and meets three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Families can choose between a half-day morning class from 8:45 to 11:30 AM or a full-day class from 8:45 AM to 2:45 PM, both with the option of early drop-off between 8:15 and 8:45 AM.
A Pastor with a Background in Ethics and Stewardship
The Reverend Dr. Jeffrey L. Rarich is the pastor of Moscow United Methodist Church and a retired Elder in the Susquehanna Conference. He previously pastored other United Methodist congregations in Pennsylvania during the 1980s and 1990s, and for eight years he served as pastor of Salem Community Church, a United Methodist congregation in Hamlin, Pennsylvania.
Between pastorates, Dr. Rarich spent roughly fifteen years in charitable and planned-giving work. He served as Director of Planned Giving for the Salvation Army across the territory from Ohio to Maine, as Executive Director of a United Methodist Foundation serving New York and Western Connecticut, and as Director of Planned Giving for the Guideposts Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and has taught Philosophy and Applied Ethics as an adjunct professor at several local colleges. He also carries a certification in planned giving from the National Planned Giving Institute and has held the Certified Financial Planner practitioner designation. He and his wife, Suzanne, live in Tafton, Pennsylvania.
Pastor Rarich can be reached at (570) 507-4276 or jrarich@susumc.org. He holds a weekly meeting block that visitors can schedule through the church office.
Lay Leadership and Office Hours
Patrick Verrastro serves as the church's Lay Leader. Mark Chmielewski chairs the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, and Lance Stange chairs the Trustees. The Administrative Council chair position is currently listed as to be filled.
The church office is staffed on Wednesdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and Thursdays from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. The main phone line, (570) 842-7251, and the office email, office@moscowumc.com, route to the office during those hours.
Mission Work That Reaches Beyond Moscow
Moscow United Methodist Church supports several ongoing outreach efforts that tie the congregation to wider ministries and to neighbors in the surrounding region.
Monetary donations are channeled through UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, supporting US Disaster Response and Recovery work. The congregation also collects aluminum tabs from soda cans for the Ronald McDonald House in Scranton, an organization that keeps families close to children receiving hospital care. The tabs are recycled for cash that supports the house's work.
Members and friends knit and crochet hats for newborns in the labor and delivery units at Geisinger CMC. Soft yarn is requested for the babies' delicate heads, and worsted weight (size 4) or any yarn labeled for babies is welcome, as long as it is not bulky weight. The church keeps both crochet and knit patterns on hand for anyone who wants to contribute and also accepts donations of yarn for those who do not knit or crochet. Over the years the congregation also diverted more than 13,000 pounds of plastic from landfills through a TREX recycling program that has since been discontinued; members are encouraged to take recyclable plastic to their local grocery stores instead.
Giving, Newsletter, and Online Connections
Donations to support the church's ministries and outreach can be made online through a PayPal link on the giving page. A regular newsletter keeps the congregation informed about upcoming events. Moscow UMC maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram and posts the weekly service video on its YouTube channel.
Visiting Moscow United Methodist Church
The church is located at 126 Church Street, Moscow, PA 18444. Visitors are invited to come as they are, join the 10:00 AM Sunday worship, drop in for a 9:00 AM Sunday School class for any child age two and up, and introduce themselves to Pastor Rarich or to the office staff during Wednesday or Thursday office hours. Children's programming, including supervised child care during worship, makes the morning accessible for families, and the congregation's outreach to UMCOR, the Ronald McDonald House, and Geisinger CMC invites newcomers to join in ministries that reach beyond the borough.