A Church on Thompson Road with a Forty-Year Story
Believers Chapel sits on Thompson Road in Cicero, a few miles north of Syracuse, and it has been part of that community for more than forty years. The church was founded by Pastor Paul Wagner, who felt called to start a thriving local church that would reach the surrounding area with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. Lead Pastor Rich Ryfun now carries that same burden and vision forward, and the congregation continues to grow around a simple mission: Leading people to find and follow Jesus.
The church describes itself as a place where anyone can find their hope and purpose in Jesus and where a person's background or mistakes do not disqualify them from belonging. Whether someone is new to faith, returning after time away, or looking for a deeper walk with Christ, the doors at 7912 Thompson Road are open.
Sundays at Ten: What to Expect
Believers Chapel gathers for one Sunday worship service each week at 10:00 am. The atmosphere is described as welcoming, with a mission of providing a welcoming environment where everyone can encounter God, experience genuine relationships, and make a positive impact in the world.
Visitors who want to plan ahead can fill out a short connection form through the Plan Your Visit page, and the church will reach out personally. Services are livestreamed online for those who cannot attend in person, and a sermon archive of recent messages is available on the church's YouTube channel.
What Believers Chapel Teaches
The teaching at Believers Chapel is rooted in a few core convictions. The church believes in one true God, eternally self-existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible is held up as the inspired and only infallible and authoritative Word of God, authoritative over marriage, family, sexuality, morality, and ethics.
Humanity, in the church's view, was created to know and enjoy God but willfully rejected that calling, bringing sin, sickness, death, and judgment into the world. Salvation is by grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ - crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended - and the cross is seen as a victorious work that brings freedom from sin, lies, sickness, and torment.
The Holy Spirit's role is given particular weight at Believers Chapel. The church teaches the ongoing, sanctifying power of the Spirit and believes in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a distinct Christian experience, with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. The church also teaches that the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12-14 are still in operation today, which gives the congregation a charismatic flavor alongside its contemporary worship.
The Church itself is understood as the whole community of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, gathered to carry on His ministry through baptism, communion, discipleship, and preaching the good news until His return.
Chapel Kids and Vacation Bible School
Children are a serious priority at Believers Chapel. The Chapel Kids ministry is designed to instill core principles of the gospel from toddlerhood through the elementary years. Each Sunday, age-appropriate groups - modeled after the church's Chapel Crews - help children learn the Bible, experience God's presence, and build a love for Christ. Energetic worship music, interactive games, and bright, friendly classrooms are part of the experience.
Safety is built into the program. Every staff member and volunteer in kids' areas has completed a background check, uniformed security staff are present in each kids' area, and video surveillance covers most campuses. The team is trained in safety and cleanliness so families can drop off their children with confidence.
Each summer, the church hosts Vacation Bible School. Recent themes have been geared toward helping kids understand that Jesus is the light of the world, with high-energy music, crafts, simple allergy-conscious snacks, missions lessons, outdoor recreation, and a secure check-in process. VBS is open to children from Pre-K through 4th grade.
BC Youth: Thursdays at Six
Believers Chapel runs a high school ministry called BC Youth (or Chapel Youth) that meets every Thursday at 6:00 pm. The goal of the ministry is to create a place where young people can belong, grow, and encounter God. In addition to the weekly Thursday gathering, BC Youth hosts seasonal events throughout the year, giving high schoolers consistent community and something to look forward to beyond Sunday mornings.
Next Steps: A Clear Path from Curious to Committed
For people who are ready to get more involved, Believers Chapel has built a structured discipleship path called Next Steps. Each step is designed to move a person deeper into the life of the church.
Essentials is a four-session group that meets monthly on Thursdays and covers foundational topics like walking with Jesus, baptism, discipleship, and the role of the Holy Spirit. It is built for people who want to ask honest questions and lay a solid foundation of faith.
Serve happens every third Sunday of the month and introduces newcomers to the church's Dream Team of serving opportunities, small groups, and serve teams. The church calls serving the perfect opportunity to discover how you can make a difference.
Freedom is a ten-week group that runs twice a year. It is designed to help people identify and break free from habits, struggles, and mindsets that keep them from the abundant life Jesus offers, using biblical teaching, prayer, and a supportive community.
Membership at Believers Chapel is a personal, one-on-one interview that walks new members through the church's leadership, government, finances, and ministry organization. Members also have a voice in key decisions that shape the church's future.
Purpose helps participants explore their spiritual gifts, personality profile, and leadership style to discover what God has uniquely designed them to do. The church's conviction is that you were made on purpose for a purpose.
For those ready to take the public step of faith, Baptism is presented as a meaningful act of obedience. Baptism services are held regularly, and the church is glad to walk people through the process.
Small Groups and Chapel U
Beyond the structured Next Steps, Believers Chapel runs a robust Small Groups ministry. The church's philosophy is that meaningful relationships are not always easy to find, so small groups are intentionally designed to make life-changing community accessible. Groups meet in homes and around the area, and a leader pathway - SERVE class, Next Steps, and Small Group Leader Training - prepares people to host and lead their own group.
For people pursuing ministry as a vocation, the church offers Chapel U, an academic, practical, and spiritual program built around Ephesians 4:12. Entry-level classes cover subjects like Introduction to Counseling, and a full-time internship combines biblical study, hands-on ministry experience, weekly one-on-one mentorship, and character development. The internship is designed to equip men and women to lead at a high capacity in ministry both inside and outside the local church.
The Believers Chapel Food Pantry
One of the most visible ways Believers Chapel serves Cicero is through the Believers Chapel Food Pantry. The pantry provides essential groceries to families and individuals in need throughout the community, and the church is one of the few in the area that also has a licensed counselor on site to walk alongside people in harder seasons.
Congregants can keep the pantry stocked by dropping off items in a donation tote located in the main entrance vestibule. The current list of needs includes pantry staples like soups, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, pancake mix, syrup, cereal, and peanut butter; baking essentials like flour, cake mixes, and sugar; shelf-stable and specialty items like stews, chili, condiments, and jams or jellies; and non-food items such as toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, and toothpaste.
Families who need groceries are encouraged to reach out by phone (315-699-4140, extension 1) or email to begin the process. A team member will then build a custom order and schedule a pickup at the Thompson Road campus.
The Legacy Campaign: A Vision for the Next Decade
Looking ahead, Believers Chapel has launched a strategic initiative called the Legacy Campaign, which Lead Pastor Rich Ryfun describes as a spiritual journey to cast vision for the next decade and beyond of ministry at the church. The campaign is built around several big questions: how to meet urgent needs for families in the community, how to address a growing mental health crisis, how to keep introducing the next generation to Jesus, how to continue connecting people with hope, and how to fund needed ministries and campus updates.
Plans include a multi-use community center with a state-of-the-art indoor playground, a kids' worship center, sensory and soft play rooms, additional kids' classrooms, game rooms, and a gymnasium. The Worship Center itself is also slated for refurbishment. The church's goal is simple: our programming and facilities to match the same level of excellence for decades to come.
Getting Connected
Believers Chapel is at 7912 Thompson Road in Cicero, New York. The office can be reached at 315-699-4140, with a text line at 315-288-0071 and a general inbox at info@believerschapel.org. Prayer requests can be submitted online, giving is available through Pushpay, and small groups, baptism, membership, and Next Steps all have their own sign-up forms. Whether someone comes for a Sunday morning, a Thursday night youth gathering, a small group in someone's living room, or a bag of groceries from the food pantry, the church's heartbeat is the same: leading people to find and follow Jesus.