Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Next to be highlighted in The Daily Herald’s spotlight on area churches is Grazierville United Methodist Church and Sinking Valley Presbyterian Church.
The Grazierville United Methodist Church, located on Grazierville Road in Grazierville, is planning on celebrating its 130th anniversary next year. The church’s pastor is A. Michele Somerville .
An excerpt from the church’s mission statement says, “We want to be a place where all may come and grow.”
The church offers a 9:15 a.m. service on Sundays. The church also offers a children’s church, adult class after church, vacation bible school and a win-one adult class.
The church has planned a special event for the Christmas Season on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The event is called the Service of the Longest Night and is also known as a Blue Christmas service.
A Christmas Eve service will also be held at 9 p.m. on Dec. 24.
The church can be reached at 814-686-0563.
The Sinking Valley Presbyterian Church is located close to Arch Spring, approximately two miles from Route 453 on Kettle Road.
Sunday School is held from 9 to 10 a.m. each Sunday with classes for nursery on up. The worship service follows at 10:15 a.m. Rev. John Dean, retired pastor of the Alexandria congregation, serves as the moderator and leads worship services for part of the month. Rev. Paul Pease, a native of Sinking Valley and a retired Army Chaplain, assists Rev. Dean in Ministry by leading worship services for part of the month and by visitation.
The church was organized in pastoral Sinking Valley in 1790 following perhaps ten or more years of unofficial existence. Founded by settlers of Scotch-Irish background, simplicity was the order of the day and the original church was a simple log structure.
Rev. David Bard was the first pastor. Rev. Bard, who is buried in the Arch Spring Cemetery at the church, was a member of the first Congress of the United States.
Many changes have occurred in the country in the past 200 plus years. But, as written for the 1990 History Book: “We like to think that some of the early influences still prevail; our concern that God’s work be done decently and in order; our emphasis upon the centrality of Christ and the Bible; and our belief that in uncertain times, God’s Truth and His most Gracious Promises are still constant.”
The current Neo-Gothic brick structure is the third building, replacing a smaller, stone structure. The sanctuary has been the subject of great interest because of the beauty and the symbolism that can be seen everywhere.
The Trinity is represented in the windows, the arches and on the wooden pillars. Even the ceiling, made of knotty pine, is laid so that all the boards (or roads) lead upward and to the thin wooden strip at the top (the narrow path to Heaven).
Sinking Valley is and always has been a strong supporter of the mission field. This is apparent locally as it is called “the mother of churches.”
Those churches that grew from the Sinking Valley congregation include Bellwood, Birmingham, Lower Spruce Creek and Tyrone. Warriors Mark also had a congregation at one time.
The church supports several missionaries abroad: the Babes in Haiti, the Callisons in Germany, Carol Wilson in India, the Haningers in Africa and Pahk 5 Nan, the church’s sister presbytery in Thailand.
The church also supports many local programs such as Joshua House, the Salvation Army, WTLR, the Food Bank, Camp Krislund and the Presbyterian Homes.
The church provides a home for the Sinking Valley Preschool which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. The teachers are Jennifer Donnelly and Linda Carper. Preschool serves children ages three to five, primarily from the Tyrone and Juniata Valley School districts. Preschool is Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 11:45 a.m.
Sinking Valley has many opportunities for involvement. Harnish Mission Circle is the women’s group. They study various ministries around the world and raise funds to support missions. Among other special activities, there is a Bible Study, a Crafts and Fellowship group, youth activities, a Bell Choir and a Choir.
Throughout the year the church has opportunities for special worship services. It holds an Ash Wednesday service, Maundy Thursday Communion, Easter Sunrise and Easter Festival Worship Services during the Easter season. In addition there is a scrumptious Easter Sunrise sausage and pancake breakfast following the Sunrise service.
In May, there is Mother’s Day, a Mother/Daughter/Friend banquet and Musical Tapestry – a delightful event showcasing the musical talents of friends and family.
The church celebrates Pentecost, Children’s Day and Father’s Day. The church also remembers those in the service on Memorial Day and Independence Day. Sinking Valley celebrates children in September on Rally Day to mark their progress through Sunday School.
Each year the Lutheran and Presbyterian congregations in Sinking Valley gather for community worship on Thanksgiving eve. This past November, the church hosted the event with Rev. Pease serving as the worship leader and liturgist and Rev. Heather Culuris, of the Lutheran Parish, delivering the Thanksgiving message. After the service, there is always time for fellowship and time to catch up with each other.
The church especially looks forward to the Advent and Christmas season.
The theme this year is “Increase the Joy”, and the church plans to do just that.
There is a special lighting of the Advent candle each week and lots of joyous music and beautiful decorations that focus on the Christ Child.
The Christmas Eve Candlelight service begins at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 24. There is a half-hour of holiday music before the service featuring instrumental and vocal selections. The service culminates in a candlelighting ceremony that brings special peace to those in the sanctuary as friends and family, in a circle around the sanctuary, are bathed in the light of a hundred candles.
The church encourages everyone to join them as they welcome the Christ Child and “Increase the Joy” throughout the world in 2005.
The Sinking Valley Presbyterian Church address is RD 1, Tyrone, PA 16686. The church phone number is 684-5868.
Church staff includes: Rev. John C. Dean, moderator – 814-669-8567; Rev. Paul I. Pease, assisting in the ministry -814-942-1651 and Elder James Crawford, clerk of session.

By Rick