College Hill Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at College Hill Presbyterian Church, 3400 Fifth Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.7170, Rev. Dennis D. Burnett, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

With two Geneva alums among our children, I looked forward to visiting this church; consequently I was disappointed not to see a student presence. However we received a warm welcome from many people, including one gentleman who left his adult education class to greet us and invited us to join the class.

There has been an attempt at signage and I don’t doubt you could reach a restroom from any of the Sanctuary exits, but signage for restrooms, nursery, etc. would help.

There is a large cross over decorative wall treatment on the Chancel wall, interesting stained glass, and an unusual ceiling. The bulletin required a bit of shuffling, and I’m sure Jan will offer advice.

Some of the choir smiled while singing and most sang with their mouth open. It was nice to see some enthusiasm; it made their presence felt.

The church seems to be experiencing some turmoil, moving out of a season of doubt but not quite into secure faith. Like most churches, they have focused on numbers – attendance/members and money – and know they want to change. I believe God is calling this church in a new direction with a new life. With such a wealth of young students in the area, what might College Hill provide for them?

The sermon, “Praise and Proclaim,” was built that God’s people praise God no matter what happens. The early part referred to Luke 17:11-19 – Christ healing the 10 lepers – and it struck me as odd that this story was relayed by Luke the Physician. I recognize that in that time and culture it was the priest who decided a case of leprosy (or its healing), although nowadays we would assume the first person to be consulted would be a physician. Perhaps modern man with his worldly knowledge is not as smart as we like to think we are. God still heals miraculously every day.

The rest of the sermon came from Psalm 66. To me it was more like two separate sermons, but it was warm and close in the Sanctuary and I had been up since 2 a.m. and was having trouble focusing.

Jan’s thoughts:

It wasn’t till we were on our way that I realized we were headed very near Geneva College on Homecoming Weekend. However, since we arrived with more than an hour to spare (I’m math challenged but am usually much better than that with time…), we viewed this as an opportunity to tour the building more extensively and meet some people.

The signage was not bad, and some signs even stuck out from the wall so as to be visible down the hall. There are numerous exits from the Sanctuary, however, and no way for a visitor to guess which one leads where.

The folks were quite friendly, some greeting us before and during worship and even again afterward. We sat in the very back row, and during the Greeting Time many approached us, including several members of the choir. Very friendly indeed.

The main door leads immediately into the Sanctuary. All the colored glass windows are alike in colors and patterns, but non-traditional in design. An uneven ceiling, indirect lighting, and out of the ordinary pattern on the rear wall of the Chancel gave the Sanctuary an interesting feel.

The bulletin contained a “Welcome to Worship!” box that included a paragraph with directions for visitors about when to sit/stand, and nursery location. This is something that makes a visitor feel like they really are welcome at a church.

The bulletin was very well laid-out and looked great; however, it was awkward to use, so, as a former church secretary, I would humbly offer my 2 cents regarding user-friendly bulletin design. I suggest keeping the Order of Worship on the one folded outside page and including everything not worship-related (prayer lists, announcements, etc.) in the form of unfolded inserts. That way when the bulletin is folded for use during worship, the Order of Worship is visible and everything else can be inserted into the folded portion to be read later.

We were privileged to be present for the observance of Pastor Appreciation Month. It’s heartening when a congregation lets the pastor and his wife know how much their ministry means to them.

The choir had a much larger sound than I expected, given their number.

The sermon was centered on Jeremiah 29:1,4-7,10-14, Luke 17:11-19, and Psalm 66, and was called “Praise and Proclaim.” He began by referring to the 10 lepers who were healed as they obeyed Christ’s command to go and show themselves to the priest, with only one returning to Him to extend gratitude. We are to praise God and proclaim His activity in our lives, but we do a lot more lamenting than praising.

My guess is that if our faith moves God’s heart, it’s our gratitude that makes His heart smile.