The Church on the Hill
Perched at the top of Sylvan Street in Marysville, Pennsylvania, Wesley United Methodist Church has long been known to neighbors simply as the Church on the Hill. From that vantage point the congregation has welcomed generations of families from Marysville and the surrounding river-valley towns, and today it continues to describe itself as a place where everyone is welcome. Sunday worship happens at 9:00 AM, in person and online, and the rest of the week fills with Sunday School, fellowship gatherings, a Wednesday-evening family program, a Vacation Bible School each summer, and the steady work of the Wesley Preschool housed right in the church building.
A Blended Sunday Morning
The Sunday morning service is the heart of life at Wesley. The service runs about an hour and is intentionally blended, mixing traditional hymns with contemporary Christian songs. An organist and a praise band share the music, so the same service can move from a stately hymn to a Gospel-tinged chorus within a few minutes. Some moments lean traditional, including the celebration of Holy Communion, while other parts of the service are relaxed and informal. Children are part of the service from the start: after the opening there is a brief children's message, and then kids who wish to are invited to step out to Children's Church for an age-appropriate lesson in a separate room. Children are equally welcome to remain with their families in the sanctuary throughout the morning. Teens and adults gather for Sunday School at 10:30 AM, right after worship wraps up.
For those who cannot make it in person, the service is livestreamed each week on Facebook and YouTube, making the Church on the Hill reachable from a living room, a hospital room, or a college dorm room.
A Music Ministry That Loves to Make a Noise
If worship is the heart of Wesley, music is one of its loudest arteries. The church fields an unusually wide range of musical groups. At Wesley UMC, they love to sing, and they love to create all sorts of music.
- Rejoice is the mixed men's and women's choir that anchors the more traditional side of worship.
- Or Adonai is the contemporary praise band. It plays Contemporary Christian and Gospel music for services, welcomes new musicians and vocalists at any skill level, and rehearses on a schedule posted to the church calendar.
- The Children's Choir sings a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs.
- Dulcimers add the soft, ringing sound of hammered and fretted mountain dulcimers.
- Several quartets (men's, ladies, and mixed) take turns offering special music.
- Hand bells are waiting in the wings; the group is not currently active but can be brought back with a few more ringers.
- A puppet team performs to music for the children, rounding out the lineup.
Whether someone wants to listen, sing, strum, ring, or lend their voice to a quartet, there is a place for them in Wesley's musical life.
Children and Youth at Every Turn
If a single thread runs through Wesley's vision statement, it is a commitment to children. The church repeats the same fourfold vision in its own words: inviting everyone to know and trust Jesus, beginning with children, by actively sharing God's love through fostering a community of prayer, maintaining Safe Sanctuaries, providing fun and encouraging Bible-based activities that grow faith and build deep, grace-filled friendships, and partnering with the community inside and outside the church's walls.
That vision shows up in concrete ways throughout the week. Children's Church runs every Sunday during the worship hour in a separate room, giving kids Bible lessons, crafts, music, and time with caring adults while parents worship in the sanctuary. Children's and Youth Fellowship meets on the second Sunday of every month from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, and the calendar rotates through community service projects, crafts, games, and occasional off-site outings. Vacation Bible School, a highlight of the summer, fills five evenings with singing, Bible stories, games, crafts, and lively stations. Messy Church events happen several times a year - past gatherings have included scavenger hunts, messy crafts with a message, and even an escape room - and they are designed to be fun for all ages with a focus on children. The Community Easter Egg Hunt draws families in for a story or puppet show, prizes, crafts, and food in addition to the egg hunt itself, and it runs rain, snow, or shine. In early December the children and youth present a Christmas play - recent rehearsals begin in September so that strong friendships can bloom alongside the performance.
Wesley Preschool
Sharing the church building is Wesley Preschool, a ministry of Wesley United Methodist Church that is open to the wider community. The preschool offers a play-based program for young children and weaves faith naturally into the day: age-appropriate Bible stories, prayer, music, and small daily moments that encourage gratitude, compassion, and forgiveness. Purposeful play builds early reading, math, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, while guided group activities teach sharing, kindness, and friendship. The preschool partners with families to support each child's growth academically, socially, and spiritually.
The program is currently hiring for the 2026-2027 school year for both a Lead Teacher and a Teacher's Aide, with nine to twelve hours per week in a casual, lively atmosphere. Families interested in the program can request tuition details and an application from the preschool and submit completed forms to wesleyum.preschool@gmail.com.
Mom2Mom, Kidz Zone, and the First-Wednesday Rhythm
Wednesday evenings bring another rhythm to Wesley. Mom2Mom and Kidz Zone meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. The evening opens with a shared meal, then either stays together for a large-group activity or splits into breakout groups tailored for kids, tweens, teens, and adults. The goal is simple: there is something for everyone of any age. The program takes a short break during the summer and resumes in October each year.
Outreach, United Women in Faith, and the Susquehanna Conference
Wesley describes itself as ready to roll up its sleeves and help its neighbors, and that posture takes several practical shapes. The church partners with the community wherever possible, both inside and outside its walls. United Women in Faith is an active circle within the congregation, connecting women for service, study, and fellowship. The Outreach Team can be reached through WesleyUM.Outreach@gmail.com.
The church belongs to the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, and it is from that conference that Bishop-appointed leadership has come. Giving supports all of this work; donations can be made online through Vanco or the newer Servant Keeper platform, dropped into a secure mailbox beside the front door at any time, mailed to the church office, or placed in the offering at any Sunday service.
Pastor Bob Ryder and a Renewed Journey
In July 2023, the bishops of the Susquehanna Conference appointed Rev. Bob Ryder to serve Wesley UMC. Pastor Bob holds a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Eastern University and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. Before entering pastoral ministry he spent twenty-three years in business and IT consulting to the Fortune 1000, and he has now pastored churches large and small for nineteen years.
He is quick to point to prayer as the center of any healthy ministry. As he puts it, John Wesley said it well: God does nothing except in response to believing prayer. He also loves ministry to every age group, calling each one fun, engaging, and a unique but essential part of the Body of Christ. In his first year at Wesley he walked the congregation through a season of listening and asking God for a fresh vision, and the renewed vision is to invite everyone to know and trust Jesus, beginning with children, and to share God's love through prayer, safe spaces, Bible-based activities, and community partnership.
Visiting the Church on the Hill
Wesley is located at 450 Sylvan Street in Marysville, Pennsylvania. The office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 12:30 to 4:30 PM, and the church can be reached by phone at 717-957-4481 or by email at wesleyum.office@gmail.com. The Sunday morning service is the simplest entry point - worship at 9:00 AM, Sunday School at 10:30, and an open invitation to come as you are and join the adventure on the hill.