Special Sabbath Services in Pennsylvania Draw Guests to 100 Churches

Story by Tamyra Horst

This past September, nearly 100 churches across Pennsylvania opened their doors in a special way—inviting friends, family, neighbors and those who hadn’t attended church in a while to join them for a Grand Reunion Sabbath. The results were powerful: sanctuaries filled with guests, meaningful worship, warm fellowship and decisions for Christ.

At the Pottsville church, 40 guests attended its Friends, Family and Faith Sabbath. The day featured inspiring music from Blue Mountain Academy students, a delicious lunch, gift bags with picture frames and even a photo booth where guests posed with family and friends. Members later hand-delivered the framed photos to their visitors. The highlight was when four people responded to an appeal for baptism. “We’re definitely going to do this again next year!” says Dee Casper, pastor of Pottsville.

The Bethel Haitian church welcomed 17 guests for their Grand Reunion Sabbath. “Several want to receive Bible studies,” shares Gaby Dorcil, pastor of Bethel Haitian. “Keep them in your prayers.” Similarly, the Shekinah Haitian church in Manheim celebrated 22 visitors at their special Sabbath service.

In Harrisburg, both the Eben Ezer Hispanic church and Harrisburg First church hosted special Sabbaths. Harrisburg First included seminars on family worship and grief recovery, followed by an Adventurer Club meeting.

More than 25 visitors attended the Homecoming Sabbath at the Grace Outlet church in Sinking Spring—including several young adults who joined their parents for the first time in years. Guests received a warm welcome, an umbrella with the church colors and logo, and an invitation to stay for lunch. After the service, Joshua Plohocky, pastor of Grace Outlet, offered to pray and anoint anyone with a need. He prayed with individuals throughout the afternoon, and by the end, there were six requests for baptism and one for a wedding.

Other reports of God’s blessing poured in from across the state:

• The Allentown church welcomed nearly 40 guests.
• A couple who joined the Bucks County church in Warminster asked if they could be married in the church and are considering making it their home.
• The Canton church had 25 in attendance—12 of them guests.
• More than half of the worshippers at the Mifflintown and Hope Fellowship churches were visitors.
• The Sayre church welcomed 35 people, with 19 guests.
• Of the 13 guests at the State College church in Pennsylvania Furnace, several were Penn State students who are expected to attend throughout the school year.
• The Wyoming Valley church in Hudson had 66 visitors and celebrated the ordination of their pastor, Fadi Haddad.
• The Frazer Hispanic church in Exton gave each visitor a gift basket and rejoiced as a young man joined their family through profession of faith.

When all was said and done, members were encouraged as their friends, family and neighbors walked through the doors. Many churches have decided to make this a yearly tradition, convinced that God is using these Sabbaths to grow His kingdom in Pennsylvania.