Pine Knolls Alliance Church sits at 614 Gansevoort Road in South Glens Falls, just south of Glens Falls on the edge of New York's southern Adirondack region. The congregation belongs to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) and centers its life around a single sentence: "To experience and share the hope and healing of Jesus." From that vision flow three Sunday services, a Wednesday children's program, Tuesday-night recovery groups, a busy retreat calendar, and a network of small groups meeting in homes across the region.
Three Sunday Mornings, One Band
Sunday services run at 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:30 AM, with the 10:00 AM gathering streamed online for those who cannot attend in person. Each service lasts about an hour and follows the same shape: a modern worship set led by a full band, followed by roughly thirty minutes of preaching. The atmosphere is informal and contemporary, and Kids Ministry is offered at all three services.
Visitors arriving for the first time can expect parking lot attendants to help them find a space, greeters at the door to answer questions, and a member of the staff waiting in the foyer afterward. Children head downstairs from the foyer to Pine Knolls Kids, while adults enter the double doors into the sanctuary. For anyone who would prefer a guided tour before Sunday, the Connections Director can arrange to meet them that morning and walk them through the building.
Kids, Students, and Family Ministries
Pine Knolls places unusual weight on the faith of the next generation. Pine Knolls Kids serves infants through fifth grade on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30, walking children through what the church calls "the Big God Story" through songs, lessons, games, and activities. On Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, Kids Club invites children ages three through fifth grade back for a midweek mix of Bible study, Scripture memorization, games, crafts, and worship.
Safety and security are taken seriously: every Kids volunteer carries an application and a background check on file. At check-in, each child receives a name tag with a unique identification number, and the parent receives a matching Parent Receipt Label. Pickup happens in the child's individual classroom, and only an adult presenting the matching Parent Receipt Label can take a child home.
Student Ministry and the broader Family Ministries umbrella are led by Pastor of Family Ministries Justin Fischer. Four core beliefs shape this work: parents are best positioned to be the spiritual leaders of their children, every child needs other caring adults investing in their faith, the church is positioned to reach families in the community with the Gospel, and stronger marriages produce stronger families. Kids Ministry is led day-to-day by Executive Director Katie Holtz and Program Director Kayleigh Brooks.
Re:generation and Recovery
Recovery is described at Pine Knolls as "part of the fabric" of the church. The congregation runs Re:generation, a Christ-centered recovery and discipleship journey that meets Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM. The program moves participants through three stages: a six-week Groundwork phase of biblical foundations, Step Groups where small cohorts walk through the 12 Steps alongside trained mentors and peers over about nine months, and ongoing discipleship in authentic community.
A typical Re:generation night starts with Large Group at 6:00 PM and breaks into gender-specific Step Groups at 7:00 PM. Most participants spend fifteen to thirty minutes per day in Scripture, reflection, prayer, and written exercises. Workbooks cost around fifteen dollars, and financial assistance is available.
Re:generation is open to anyone who senses something in their life needs healing - addiction, habits, past hurts, anxiety, depression, anger, grief, relational conflict, or simply a hunger for deeper discipleship. Each participant is paired with a trained mentor who provides encouragement, accountability, prayer, and biblical guidance. Melinda Paradis serves as the Director of Recovery and Support Ministries. Pine Knolls also hosts GriefShare for those grieving a loss.
Small Groups and Getting Connected
Small groups are the main on-ramp into deeper community at Pine Knolls. Groups meet on different days and times in homes around the region and are designed for people at every stage of life - single, married, parents, empty-nesters, and beyond. New group sessions typically launch in the fall. Men and women who want a year-round option can join Man Up (Wednesdays at 6:15 PM in the foyer), Common to Man (Saturdays at 7:30 AM in the foyer), or Come & See (Wednesdays at 6:00 PM in the sanctuary). Alex McCane, the Connections Director, walks newcomers through the options and helps them find a fit. Serving is also built into the life of the church, with regular opportunities to welcome people, help with events, and serve the wider region.
Marriage Ministry and the Together Retreat
Marriage ministry at Pine Knolls is led by Pastor Justin Fischer and includes marriage mentoring, premarital conversations, weddings, and the Together Marriage Retreat. The Together retreat is an annual weekend held at Camp-of-the-Woods in the Adirondacks where couples take time to reconnect, reflect, and renew. Teaching, worship, conversation prompts, and intentional time together make up the program, with practical tools for communication and intimacy alongside biblical teaching on God's design for marriage. Couples can also give to a fund that helps other couples afford the weekend.
Men, Women, and the Retreat Calendar
Men's and women's ministries at Pine Knolls run weekly gatherings through the year and host an annual retreat each fall. The Rooted Women's Retreat is held at Peniel Bible Conference in Lake Luzerne, NY, exploring what it means to be rooted in Christ and live that out practically in the busyness of everyday life. The Men's Retreat gathers at Camp-of-the-Woods for a weekend of teaching, beachfront cabins, kayaking, hiking, sports in the gym, and evenings around the fire. Outside the retreats, women's ministry includes Come & See on Wednesday evenings and Giggles & Grace, a playgroup that connects moms of young children.
Missions: Local and Global
The missions ministry at Pine Knolls is summed up in the phrase "All of Jesus for all the world." The church supports local partners like Southern Adirondack Young Life and Open Door NY alongside global partners including a team in Senegal through Envision and a village ministry in Kenya. A monthly missions prayer email keeps the congregation connected to prayer needs across these partnerships, and a Missions Weekend each year highlights the work.
Prayer and Alpha
Prayer is built into the rhythm of the church, with a prayer request form and a library of downloadable resources for personal or group use. The collection includes guides for Prayer Rhythms, A.C.T.S. Prayer, Prayer Walking, Lectio Divina, and Prayer Journaling, drawn from both Christian literature and longstanding biblical practices.
Alpha meets on Sunday evenings at the church campus, with a new session launching each fall. The free, interactive series follows the same format worldwide: a shared meal, a short video or talk exploring a big question of life and faith, and an open group conversation in which no question is off limits. Alpha is designed as a safe place for anyone - long-time churchgoers, seekers, and skeptics alike - to explore the basics of the Christian faith together.
The C&MA Family
Pine Knolls belongs to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, a denomination that plants churches and sends missionaries around the world. The local church names six values that shape its life together: progression not perfection, a passionate commitment to God's Word, devotion to the faith of the next generation, a love for the local community, generosity rooted in God's character, and the conviction that life is better together. Membership is open to anyone who calls Pine Knolls their church home and has salvation through Jesus Christ; applications are reviewed by the Elders and followed by a one-on-one meeting with an Elder.
Child Dedication is offered for parents who want to commit to raising their child in a Christ-centered home, with the church family pledging to walk alongside them in prayer and support. Baptism is encouraged for every follower of Jesus, though it is not a requirement of membership. The church's preaching pastor, Scott Kelly, has walked the congregation through series in Ephesians, the Gospel of Mark, the Book of Jonah, Exodus, and John's Gospel, with teaching rhythms that include Advent, Missions Weekends, and an annual Lookback and Look Ahead. Giving is available online.