On the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Main Street in Telford, Pennsylvania, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church has gathered for worship, fellowship, and service since 1906. Over more than a century the congregation has grown, rebuilt, and adapted, but it has stayed rooted in the same neighborhood - serving Telford and the surrounding communities with a round sanctuary built in 1980, a thriving music program, a deep commitment to children and youth, a hands-on Social Ministry, and a Green Team that has championed environmental stewardship since 2004.
A History Spanning More Than a Century
St. Paul's was founded in 1906 and has had only six senior pastors in its lifetime. In 1908 the newly formed congregation built a church on Main Street at the site of the former Union Chapel, which had been purchased by members of the new church. In the wake of World War I, the congregation made the painful decision to end services in German - the ancestral language of most of its members - and shift entirely to English.
From the late 1930s onward, St. Paul's joined with Trinity UCC and Grace Methodist to cooperatively sponsor annual Community Thanksgiving Services and Community Vacation Bible Schools, joint ministries that continue today. Until 1956, the church's first two pastors, the Reverends Fetter and Brobst, also served the nearby Little Zion Lutheran Church. Pastor Brobst was instrumental in envisioning the Lutheran Community at Telford, a retirement community founded in 1960 that has been supported by St. Paul's and eleven other Lutheran congregations ever since.
The old church building on Main Street was demolished in 1978 and replaced in 1980 with a new sanctuary in the round. In the late 2000s air conditioning, an elevator, and additional renovations were added. The congregation has a long record of stepping into hard places: members helped with cleanup along the Susquehanna River after Hurricane Agnes in 1972, made multiple service trips to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and for fifteen years sent annual mission teams to the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in Montana. Financial and volunteer support has also been given to Keystone Opportunity Board, a local agency serving people in need.
Sunday Worship at 9:30 a.m.
Worship is held every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary and is also livestreamed on Facebook. Visitors are greeted at the door and given a bulletin with the full order of service; large print bulletins are available for anyone who needs one.
The liturgy follows a traditional Lutheran shape. The service begins with confession and forgiveness, followed by an entrance hymn and prayer. Next come the Bible readings of the day, the pastor's sermon, a hymn, and the Apostles' Creed. Communion is offered every Sunday. All who are baptized and believe that Christ is present in the sacrament are welcome to commune, and the pastor gives direction for receiving it at that point in the liturgy. A benediction and an organ postlude close the service.
Music has been an important part of St. Paul's ministry throughout its history. Multiple choirs contribute to worship, and the church is proud of the organ program. Kris Fosbenner has served as Director of Music and Organist since 2008, and Mike King leads the Feast and Celebration services.
A Place for Children and Youth
St. Paul's welcomes children of all ages - and the sounds that come with them. A "Pray-Ground" in the front left section of the sanctuary, near the piano, is set aside for young children to quietly engage with age-appropriate activities during worship.
On most Sundays, children begin the 9:30 a.m. service with their families. After the Children's Message, they are invited to leave for Children's Ministry, where they continue learning the day's Bible story in an age-appropriate setting. On the first Sunday of each month, Feast and Celebration Sundays, children and youth stay in worship and serve as acolytes, lectors, communion assistants, and ushers. Special seasonal gatherings include GR8 ADVENTure, Secret Pals, a Journey Through Holy Week and Easter, an Earth Day event, God's Work/Our Hands Day, filling Halloween bags for community outreach, and filling college care boxes for students away at school.
Milestone events mark key moments in a child's faith life. At the start of the school year, a Welcome to Children's Ministry open house welcomes the newest preschoolers and gives each one a Spark Story Bible. Third graders explore the Bible with the Director of Children and Youth before receiving their own Spark NRSV Bible in the fall. First Communion is offered during Lent for third graders or older children who have not yet taken the class, and walks them through the first Passover and the Last Supper.
The two-year confirmation program begins for most students in seventh grade. Classes are held during the school year alongside youth from several local Lutheran congregations, using a Lutheran confirmation curriculum. Students engage through discussion, activities, worship, and service, and are encouraged to serve in congregational life as lectors, greeters, acolytes, and helpers in children's ministry. The rite of confirmation takes place near the end of the second year and is understood as a young person's affirmation of the promises made in holy baptism.
Vacation Bible School fills a week of summer with upbeat songs, games, crafts, science, Bible storytelling skits, and snacks. A three-day Mini Summer Work Camp for fourth through twelfth graders sends young people out to volunteer with Emmanuel Lutheran's E-Meal program, Grace's Closet, Generations of Indian Valley, Zion Mennonite's Table of Plenty, Keystone Opportunity Center, and the Lutheran Community at Telford.
Once a month during the school year, middle and high school youth meet for Sunday Morning Youth Group during worship to explore God's Word and build friendships. Family Fun Nights are held on a few Saturday evenings during the school year and feature large group games, music, dinner and dessert, free time for kids and youth in the Youth Room, and faith conversations for parents with Pastor Bill.
Adult and Senior Ministry
Sunday mornings offer a rotating slate of adult education. Some weeks feature a Sunday Speaker Series with the pastor or invited guests on topics of faith and life; other weeks offer Sunday Morning Faith Conversations for open discussion and reflection. Dates and topics are listed in the bulletin and on the church calendar.
Wednesday Bible Study meets on select Wednesdays each month with lunch at 12:00 p.m. and study from 12:20 to 1:30 p.m. The group focuses on the Bible readings for the upcoming Sunday, exploring both the original meaning and the contemporary application. No advance preparation is required - bring a Bible and a bag lunch.
Women's Ministry offers fellowship, study, and service through gatherings, shared study, and outreach activities. A Women's Book Club meets periodically in the Parlor, a Women's Game Group gathers on occasional Sunday afternoons in the Fellowship Hall, and an annual Women's One Day Retreat is held at the Clubhouse at the Lutheran Community at Telford.
Monthly Senior Ministry events include field trips, visits from inspirational speakers, and musical programs. These social events are open to everyone, including friends and neighbors. Other caring ministries include sharing Holy Communion with homebound members, a Grief Support Team, and service as ushers, Sunday School teachers, office volunteers, choir members, Altar Guild, and Church Council. An Associate Pastor of Senior Ministry served on staff from 2005 until 2020.
Social Ministry: Feeding, Clothing, and Giving Blood
Social Ministry at St. Paul's is the hands-on expression of the church's faith. The Blessing Box, located outside the main church entrance, provides food and basic necessities to anyone in need at any time of day. St. Paul's also supports Keystone Opportunity Center and Souderton's Bean Bag program through donations of non-perishable food and household items, and supports Grace's Closet, a neighboring clothing ministry that provides clothing and essentials to the community.
Four times each year, St. Paul's partners with the American Red Cross to host community blood drives in the Fellowship Hall. The Social Ministry Team also participates in the Pennridge Crop Walk and supports The Welcome Church in Philadelphia, ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and other local and global efforts. Children's and youth service projects include providing Christmas presents for children at Silver Springs School, the annual Souper Bowl Day of Caring, nonperishable items for the Blessing Box, and goodies bags for a Halloween Night outreach event.
The Green Team: Caring for Creation Since 2004
St. Paul's Green Team has focused on caring for creation since its formation in 2004. The team's mission is to deepen the congregation's theological understanding of creation, to provide education about environmental issues, and to promote initiatives that lead to a sustainable future. The team meets on the first Sunday of each month at 9:30 a.m., and all meetings are open to visitors.
Annual events include an Earth Day Celebration in April with children's activities, a plant exchange, and nature education; a Free Market in the fall where donated items are resold on a free-will offering basis, with remaining goods donated to a local service organization; scrap metal recycling each spring; and electronics recycling each fall. A wireless device collection box sits beneath the Green Team bulletin board in the Narthex.
Inside the building, the Green Team has placed clearly marked bins for trash and recyclables in convenient locations. Outside, trash is taken to a waste-to-energy facility, and single-stream recycling accepts plastic, aluminum, tin, glass, paper, and cardboard. The Green Team provides community recycling resources and information about medication disposal at local police departments and townships, and appliance recycling through a local partner.
Getting Involved and Giving
There are many ways to participate in the life of St. Paul's. The church's motto is "Sharing the Love of Christ Jesus in Word and Action," and the congregation welcomes all into the family of faith. Volunteering opportunities range from Altar Guild, choirs, Sunday School teaching, and ushers to office support, Church Council, and Social Ministry and Green Team projects.
Giving is available through the offering plate at worship, by mail to the church address, through automatic withdrawals via the Simply Giving program, and through an online giving platform. Giving online is secure and allows one-time or recurring donations.
Together on Tuesdays, a free parent-and-child hour for children ages two to four with parents, grandparents, and caregivers, is held on scheduled Tuesday mornings during the school year. The hour includes a group story, hands-on centers and activities, play time, and opportunities for caregivers to connect with one another.
Leadership
St. Paul's is served by Rev. Bill Coleman, Pastor. Kris Fosbenner is the Director of Music and Organist, Amy Haines is the Director of Children and Youth Ministry, and Mike King serves as the Feast and Celebration Director. The Church Council is led by Jim McMichael, Council President, and includes officers and ministry chairs covering finance, evangelism, senior ministry, Christian education, property, worship and music, social ministry, fellowship, cemetery, and stewardship.
Office hours and inquiries can be directed to the church office. Pastoral leadership, program staff, and a deep bench of volunteers keep the wide range of ministries running week after week in this more-than-century-old congregation in the heart of Telford.