FAQs

Yes, you can still come if you are not a Lutheran already.  In fact, we will be really happy to see you whether your church background is Lutheran or Baptist or Presbyterian or Roman Catholic or none at all.  You are welcome.  There is more information on being a Lutheran here (LINK), but basically, we Lutherans are Christians who know we cannot free ourselves from sin, but “receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith….”  (Augsburg Confession, Article 4).  Regardless of our various backgrounds, we are all forgiven sinners here, working with one another and with the Holy Spirit to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in lives of faith and service.

Sunday Mornings at St. Jacobs Lutheran
If you arrive early, have a cup of coffee and a doughnut with us in Fellowship Hall
Worship is a blend of the old and the new, Both services are multi-media

8:00 am
A largely spoken service with hymns

10:30 am
A traditional service with a sung liturgy and hymns
Click here for more information about our worship.

Christian Education

10:30 am
A traditional service with a sung liturgy and hymns
Click here for more information about our worship.

Christian Education

9:15 to 10:15
We provide offerings for all ages, from the preschool years up.

Mid-Week
Healing Service
1:00 pm the first Tuesday of every month
Morning Prayer (Matins)  9:00 am on Wednesdays
Evening Prayer (Compline) at 8:30 pm on Tuesdays

Parking is easy.  Once you wind your way up our drive the parking lot is immediately in front of you.  There is handicapped parking at the front of the church, and when it is raining feel free to let your family and friends out under the portico over the front of the church before you park.

Our address is 3444 Sticks Road, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.
 
We are located approximately 3 miles outside of Glen Rock, on Route 216 West, immediately across the street from Friendship Elementary School.
 
From Glen Rock:  West on Sticks Road about 3 miles outside of Glen Rock.  Turn right into our drive, right across the street from the entrance to Friendship Elementary School.
 
From Hanover:  Take 216 East towards Codorus State Park.  Stay on Route 216 for about 16 miles.  We will be on your left, across from the large school on your right.
 
From York:  Take 83 South to the Glen Rock Exit, # 8.  Bear right at the bottom of the exit.  Approximately a mile up the road you will come to a T-intersection.  Turn left onto the Susquehanna Trail and then take an immediate right onto Church Road.  You can see Church Road from the stop sign.  Continue on Church Road for approximately 3 miles.  The road climbs down into Glen Rock, and you again come to a T-intersection.  Turn left onto Main Street, Glen Rock.  Go over the tracks and at the light continue straight onto 216 West.  St. Jacobs Lutheran Church is 3 miles up the road and on your right, across from Friendship Elementary School.

Our entrance is obvious and well-marked and there is no chance you will get lost.  Our building is designed to minimize barriers so it is fully handicapped accessible.  As you enter our church, the Sanctuary where we worship is on your left.  A short hallway to your right will lead you to our beautiful nursery and to our restrooms, both on your left.  Offices are in the same hallway, on your right.  The fellowship area and classrooms are at the end of the hall.

An usher or greeter will meet you at the door and answer any question you have so long as it does not involve quarks or imaginary numbers.  The Sanctuary is to your immediate left and easily accessible.  You may take a printed bulletin of the order of worship or use the screens at the front of the worship space if you prefer. The order of worship, whether in print or on the screens, will tell you everything you want to know about what we do for worship and when. If you want to know why we worship as we do, you can go to this link, or pick up a liturgy guide in the pocket of the chair in front of you.  Do take a bulletin insert, as our announcements of what is coming up the following week are printed on them.  Sit anywhere you want to sit in the Sanctuary; we may all like one seat over any other seat in the Sanctuary but we don’t own them….Jesus does!

Our mission statement is “Sharing Jesus’ Love.”  We take our mission seriously. We want to love as Christ loves us.  So, we
are a loving community of faith, and we share that love not only with one another but with our neighbor. We gather
to hear God’s Word and to receive his Supper, that we might be transformed by the love of God and then share that love.  The word “love” might make it sound easy, but it isn’t at all easy to love as God loves us.  It is work, holy and happy work, but still work.

Because our worship is Christ centered, we don’t focus on what people wear, what color their hair is, or the number of rings on their faces or fingers. Our dress code is simple: wear clothes. You will see everything from shorts and t-shirts to suits and ties. But be as ready as you can be to hear of Jesus’ love and to receive that love in his Supper. 

We can answer yes to both options.  We are a traditional Lutheran church in belief and practice, but our worship is a blend of old and new. We are a liturgical church, meaning there is an order to worship that is reflective of Christ’s own practice in the synagogue and at the Last Supper.  Preaching is centered on God’s Word, describing his gifts and promises to us
(Gospel), and our response to those gifts (Law).  We use an order of worship that is projected on screens and printed in a paper bulletin. We use those screens as an aid to preaching and teaching as well as a way to lead God’s people through worship.  Holy Communion is offered at every service to all baptized Christians who believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament.  If you have any questions about participating in Holy Communion, ask our Pastor. Pastor Murray will be happy to meet you and answer your questions. Our music is also a blend of old and new; we sing many a traditional
hymn but we also sing solid contemporary pieces. 

A large print version of the bulletin is available, as are really fine hearing assistance devices.  Both are available at the door to the Sanctuary.  You can pick them up on your own or ask an usher for help.  There are no impediments to the use of a cane, walker, or wheelchair any place in the building.

Children are not only welcome in church, they are considered a blessing.  The Church’s worship of her Lord Jesus Christ forms us as believers and disciples of Jesus Christ.  Children can follow the liturgy and sing the songs and even act as worship leaders early in their lives, and we encourage all of that.  

We also know that sometimes parents can use a break and the opportunity to sit in peace and listen to a sermon and pray on it.  So, children are welcome to remain In the Sanctuary during worship, especially after third grade.  But a beautiful nursery staffed by parent volunteers and our Nursery Coordinator is also an option for you if you wish to make use of it. All our nursery staff are trained and asked to complete training and have passed a security screening.

Children may also accompany our Family Ministry Director and a teacher to Children Church if they wish, where God’s Word is preached in a way more understandable to children who are preschool through third grade.   Children’s Church begins after the Children’s Sermon, and the children return to the Sanctuary after the sermon but before 
Holy Communion.

Yes, we have a Sunday School program. We use a dynamic and Child-loving program called Faith Weaver to instruct our children in their faith. Our Sunday classes begin at 9:15  and are over at 10:15.  Our teachers love the Lord, love his children of all ages, and are committed to sharing our faith.  
We do believe that faith begins at the home, and continues throughout life, so check our Faith Formation page for more
information about how you can.

Joining a church means committing to being a part of the household of faith in a particular place and time.  You are a part of God’s family as a consequence of your baptism; you are a member of this church in Glen Rock when you choose to worship God with us, to grow in faith and love of God with us, and to love and serve one another and the neighbor with us.
 
We would love to welcome you into this household of faith. We invite you first to speak with Pastor Murray or another member of the congregation about joining our church family.  Approximately once a quarter, we host a luncheon for those people who believe that God has led them to our family. Prior to that luncheon, you will meet with Pastor Murray with others also called to this congregation for a brief introduction to the Lutheran Church and especially to St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church.  After this introduction, we will share a lunch with a number of members of the congregation, including leaders of various ministries within the church.  They will introduce themselves to you and then their ministries so you may not only come to know and love your brothers and sisters in Christ here at St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church but find a place to work
out your vocation as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  You will learn more about our Family Ministry programming for children of God of all ages, our Music and Worship Teams, our Prayer Ministries and our Outreach Ministries, including our relationship with Isanga Parish in Konde Diocese, Tanzania.
 
We will welcome you into the fellowship of St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church the following Sunday through the Rite of Affirmation of Faith for the baptized and baptism for those not yet baptized.   Over the next two years, you will be asked to participate not only in worship and acts of service, but in a series of short term classes that will enhance your knowledge of your faith and your relationship with Jesus Christ. These classes will help you read and understand the Bible better, grow more confident in prayer, and participate in the liturgy.

Following worship, you will be given a gift and invited to sign our visitor’s book.  Most importantly, you will be asked to share in our fellowship time after worship in fellowship hall.
 
The most important thing to happen after worship is that we share Jesus’ love with our neighbor – Strengthened by the
Holy Spirit given us in Word and Sacrament, and the support we receive from one another, we share Jesus’ love with our neighbors near and far.  We do this first by living as disciples of Christ in our homes and schools and work places. But we also support two local food pantries, a shelter program, local schools, a congregation in Tanzania, a Girl Scout Troop, the Wounded Warrior Project, World Hunger, Habitat for Humanity and that’s not all.  We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves and serve meals to the hungry, take supper to a grieving family, provide a Christmas for a family in need, put together new backpacks for children in shelters, rake leaves for a homebound grandmother, or pound nails and paint a home damaged by a hurricane.  There are many opportunities to serve, and to make a difference in someone’s life.