Central Manor Church stands at 387 Penn Street in Washington Boro in Lancaster County, and its ministry reaches the people of Manor Township through a simple refrain: “Love. Serve. Obey.” For more than 125 years, the independent Bible-believing congregation has centered its life on the authority of Scripture, expository preaching, and worship that includes every generation. It is known for Bible teaching intended to continue through years of study, family ministry that keeps children and teenagers with their parents, and a regular rhythm of worship, Life Groups, missions, and community service.
Sunday worship takes place at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. The 10:30 service is available in person and on YouTube. Around those gatherings are nursery and preschool care, Sunday School for children and teens, Kids Church, AWANA on Wednesday evenings, a Sunday night youth gathering, Bible studies for adults and students, small groups for prayer and fellowship, worship and technical roles, local outreach opportunities, and missions work extending from Manor Township to international partners. The result is a church where a first-time visitor can encounter substantial Scripture teaching and a wide range of ways to belong.
“Love. Serve. Obey.” and a Century-Plus of Bible Teaching
Central Manor describes itself as an independent Bible-believing community rather than naming a national denomination. Scripture is held as God’s direct message and the final authority “in all aspects of our lives.” The church’s guiding principle is “Love and Obey God, and Love and Serve People.” Its mission is to glorify God by sharing the good news of the Bible with Manor Township, reaching people through worship, fellowship, training, and outreach while ministering both inside and outside the church.
That mission is framed by Ephesians 3:14-19. The church teaches that every family and every individual is named and valued by the Creator, and it seeks for Christ to dwell in the hearts of people. Its stated goal is to see the lost come to faith, share the gospel, strengthen community, and experience the depth of God’s love and fullness. Central Manor calls itself a multigenerational family united in faith, with the hope that worship, youth programs, Life Groups, missions, and Bible teaching will help people grow as individuals and families.
The same love theme shapes the church’s goals for those who participate. People are invited to connect with God, find community, grow in faith, raise healthy families, cultivate their gifts, and impact the world around them. The church does not treat those aims as isolated programs. Children and students are taught to participate in the life of the church, adults gather in classes and Life Groups for sustained application of the sermon, and the Global Outreach team connects local service with a mission extending across nations.
For more than 125 years, Central Manor has preached the Bible and carried that message through generations. That longevity is central to its identity, but its ministries are presented in present-tense terms: the Word remains the foundation from which all other ministries flow, worship is to be offered with authenticity and excellence, and fellowship is meant to become spiritual growth rather than simply attendance. Its character is best understood through these connected emphases: Scripture, worship, family formation, relationships, service, and sending.
Two Sunday Services Centered on Scripture, Song, and Prayer
Central Manor gathers for worship every Sunday at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. The 9:00 service is in person. The 10:30 service is offered in person and online, with the live stream beginning at 10:30 on YouTube. The congregation describes the pattern as biblically grounded music, Scripture readings, prayer, a sermon grounded in biblical teaching, and a pastoral prayer led by one of the elders. The church is intentionally intergenerational, and families are encouraged to worship together.
Each service is about one hour, though the length can vary when a service includes special elements. No registration is required, and guests are welcome without a previous membership connection. Free parking is available at the church, with accessible spaces close to the main entrance. Sunday morning tours can be arranged for those who want to see the facilities and learn more about the church before becoming involved.
- 9:00 AM worship: An in-person service featuring Scripture, music, prayer, and preaching.
- 10:30 AM worship: The same worship pattern, available in person and through the YouTube livestream.
- Children: Nursery and preschool are available during both services, with age-specific Bible classes.
- Parking: Free parking is available, with accessible spaces near the main entrance.
The 10:30 gathering is also where families can join the church’s live broadcast, while past services remain available through the church’s YouTube channel. The livestream makes room for people who cannot attend in person to engage with the same worship service rather than with a separate Sunday gathering. For families choosing the 9:00 service, children and teens also have age-specific Sunday School classes; the 10:30 service includes nursery, preschool, and a distinct Kids Church option.
Those interested can arrange a Sunday morning tour. The church’s emphasis on welcoming families is reflected in the practical care offered during both services and in the conviction that children should see their parents worship and hear the preaching of God’s Word together.
Children and Teens Are Active Parts of the Worshiping Church
Central Manor places substantial emphasis on children and on families worshiping together. The children’s ministry seeks a safe, comfortable environment where children are excited to worship, learn more about Jesus Christ, and develop a personal relationship with him. The purpose is both biblical and relational: dedicated volunteers serve the children so that young people can learn the Word, sing in worship, and see faith modeled by the adults around them.
Nursery care for children ages zero to two and preschool classes for two-year-olds through five-year-olds are available during both the 9:00 and 10:30 services. At 9:00, Kids Sunday School serves kindergarten through sixth grade and uses a curriculum that takes children through the whole Bible every three years. The church regards this sustained teaching as important to building a strong foundational knowledge of the Word. Many children also serve alongside their families during the morning.
At 10:30, Kids Church serves kindergarten through second grade. Children begin worship with their families and are dismissed at the start of the sermon for their lesson. Junior and senior high students have Sunday School during the 9:00 hour. Junior High, grades seven and eight, uses Bible Studies for Life, while Senior High, grades nine through twelve, follows a scope-and-sequence curriculum that includes biblical and church-history subjects. Students are encouraged not only to attend but to participate in singing, hearing the preaching of God’s Word, and serving with their church.
The Sunday night youth group runs from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. It opens with worship, including songs led by the youth worship team, and continues with a message from God’s Word. A large-group game and snacks close the evening. The stated purpose is to encourage faith, help teenagers make godly friendships, and build meaningful relationships with youth leaders who are described as dedicated and Christlike.
Youth ministry is framed as partnership with families. Pastor Jeremy Metze and the youth leaders seek to disciple teenagers into mature faith and Christlike living through preaching and teaching, service to God and others, meaningful relationships, and fellowship. The youth curriculum and activities are not designed only to hold teenagers’ attention. They are meant to help young people understand the Bible, know foundational Christian doctrine, serve in the life of the church, and become active disciples.
AWANA, Student Bible Study, and Prayer on Wednesday Evenings
During the school year, AWANA meets on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM for preschool and elementary children. The format includes a large-group session with singing, a Bible lesson, memory-verse time, and games. The age groups are Cubbies for the two years before kindergarten, Sparks for kindergarten through second grade, and T&T for third through sixth grade. The church presents these groups as a child-centered way to learn Scripture, memorize important truths, and enjoy shared activity.
Several youth leaders also lead a Wednesday Bible study from 6:30 to 8:00 PM during the school year. That gathering begins with a game or icebreaker, moves into a Bible lesson, and concludes with small-group prayer. A prayer group meets at 7:00 PM on Wednesday evenings. The overlapping rhythms show how Central Manor divides the evening among children, students, and adults while keeping teaching and prayer connected to the life of the church.
For adults, a men’s Bible study meets on Tuesday mornings at 6:00 AM, and the recurring calendar also includes men’s breakfasts and women’s ministry gatherings. These activities sit alongside Adult Sunday Classes and Life Groups. The church’s larger aim is consistent across them: people should not only hear biblical teaching but have regular places to discuss it, practice it, and share it with others.
Life Groups Turn the Sunday Message into Shared Practice
Life Groups are one of the clearest expressions of Central Manor’s emphasis on relationships. These groups meet weekly, generally in homes, to build community with spiritual growth as their goal. Their rhythm is simple: discuss and apply the previous week’s sermon, share their lives, and pray for one another. The groups usually contain six to twelve people, small enough for honest sharing and sustained attention to each person.
The groups run for about ten weeks in the fall and about twenty weeks during winter and spring, with breaks in December and summer. The seasonal shape gives participants a defined period of study while preserving space for family life and rest. Life Groups may also be joined by people who want to lead a group, host a group at home, or help write the weekly questions used for discussion. The church emphasizes that community is not meant to be experienced only on Sunday morning.
Pastor Steve Scoffone oversees connections through Life Groups and Adult Sunday Classes, and works with the Global Outreach Team. His role reflects the church’s conviction that spiritual growth and relationships are connected: people need places where they can be known, accountable, and encouraged as they apply Scripture. The Life Group practice also creates a bridge between the sermon and daily life, giving families and individuals regular space to ask what a passage means and how it should shape conduct.
The Word Is the Church’s Primary Ministry
Central Manor states that the Word of God is its priority and the primary ministry of the church. The Bible is understood as sufficient for faith and practice, final in authority, and the foundation from which all other ministries flow. Preaching is primarily expository. The church’s approach is to present the biblical message faithfully, allow the text to speak, and make application in the lives of those listening.
The teaching plan is unusually long-term. Sunday Schools aim to take every person through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation over a five-year period, giving special attention to Genesis, the Gospels, and the beginning of the church in Acts. If a book cannot be covered during one five-year set, it is scheduled for another. The goal is not to claim that every depth of Scripture can be exhausted in a classroom, but for people to develop a substantial knowledge of the Bible through years of patient instruction.
Children’s Sunday School adds a three-year whole-Bible cycle, while youth classes use age-appropriate curricula and organized scope-and-sequence study. The church’s teaching emphasis also appears in its doctrinal priorities. Central Manor stresses the authority of Scripture, Jesus Christ as the foundation of life and worship, the gospel of Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and return, and the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus. Its leaders teach that receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord brings reconciliation with God and a relationship with him.
That teaching is pastoral as well as doctrinal. The pastors’ messages emphasize that people are created in God’s image, that every person has dignity, and that the church exists to glorify God and share the good news with those who do not yet know him. They also stress the church’s responsibility to form healthy families and spiritually mature disciples. Scripture is thus presented not as information separated from life, but as the authority that directs worship, character, relationships, service, and mission.
The centrality of the Word explains why the church makes room for so many forms of teaching: expository sermons in Sunday worship, classes for every age, Life Groups around the weekly message, student Bible studies, and leadership in children’s ministry. Each setting has a different rhythm, but all are tied to the same aim. People are encouraged to know what the Bible says, understand its teaching, and allow it to shape the way they live in relationship with God and one another.
Worship Sought with Authenticity and Excellence
Central Manor describes worship as central to following God and states its aim plainly: to serve God with authenticity and excellence so that people may know the joy of a life lived in communion with him. The church connects worship with music, instrumentation, prayer, generosity, technology, and daily life. Its grounding includes psalms, hymns, and songs, while its services emphasize biblically grounded music and congregational singing.
The service pattern gives music and prayer meaningful places around the sermon. Scripture readings and prayer lead into worship music, the preaching of God’s Word, and a pastoral prayer led by an elder. The worship team includes vocalists and instrumentalists, with opportunities for service hosts, ushers, security team members, greeters, sound technicians, camera operators, graphics technicians, and livestream technicians. These roles show that Central Manor regards worship as the work of the whole church, not only the work of the stage.
Technology also extends the congregation. The church livestreams its 10:30 Sunday service on YouTube, and past services are available through the same channel. The aim is participation: people unable to attend in person can worship with the congregation and engage with the teaching. Giving is likewise connected to worship through Realm, including recurring gifts and the Realm Connect app, because generosity is presented as part of a life that honors God.
From Manor Township to Lancaster and the Nations
The stated goal of reaching the lost and sharing the gospel with Manor Township leads naturally into the church’s outreach work. Central Manor supports local ministries in the Lancaster area and also commits resources to global partners and strategic agencies that serve internationals in the United States and people overseas. Its Global Outreach team gives special priority to unreached ethnic or people groups, using the language of Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.
Participation takes several forms. Church members can pray for and encourage global partners, serve on the Global Outreach Team, take part in short-term mission trips, volunteer with local partners, and help with the church’s regular mission gatherings. A youth missions trip each summer gives ninth- through twelfth-graders the chance to serve God and others away from the local church and community. Students qualify by regularly serving in the church throughout the year, which connects mission experience with discipleship rather than treating it as a one-time activity.
Local outreach also takes practical forms that church members can support through volunteer teams. Those opportunities include the food pantry, Love Life and House of Refuge, college care packages, child sponsorship, and assistance with church meals and hospitality. The Global Outreach team works alongside the broader volunteer network to keep mission connected to everyday service. This is why the church can speak both of supporting unreached people groups abroad and of strengthening the community around Manor Township.
The outreach philosophy is summarized in the church’s understanding of the Great Commission. Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations is not confined to one locality, but the church also emphasizes the call to witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Central Manor’s response is to support ministry near, work with local partners, and remain engaged with global partners and strategic agencies. Outreach is thus one expression of its broader mission to love and serve people while glorifying God.
Pastors and Elders for Worship, Families, and Connection
Scott Davis serves as lead pastor and has been part of Central Manor’s ministry since June 2017. He holds a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministries from Calvary Baptist Seminary and has preached and taught since 1989. He founded Nazareth Baptist Church in 1995, now called Slate Belt/Nazareth Baptist Church, and has participated in planting several churches. His work at Central Manor carries forward that experience of establishing churches and strengthening ministry.
Steve Scoffone is Pastor of Connections and Operations, a role he has held since January 2021. A graduate of Ursinus College and Westminster Theological Seminary, he met his wife while both served with Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. Their later ministry included work with Cambodians and Vietnamese in Philadelphia and three years of living and serving in Cambodia. At Central Manor, he helps people build community and spiritual growth through Life Groups and Adult Sunday Classes, and he also works with the Global Outreach Team.
Jeremy Metze has served as Pastor of Youth and Family since May 2018. He is a graduate of Baptist Bible College and Liberty University. His ministry emphasizes partnering with families, helping young people understand the Bible and foundational Christian doctrine, and equipping households for godly living. Noah Reber has served as Director of Worship and Technology since March 2022. A graduate of Lancaster Bible College with studies in worship arts and biblical studies, he has led worship in several contexts and works to raise up a generation of worshipers.
The church’s elders are Jim Doman, Paul Grego, and Chuck Swanson. One of the elders leads the pastoral prayer during Sunday worship, giving that part of the service a regular place in congregational life. Together, the pastors, elders, ministry leaders, and committed volunteers distribute the church’s work across teaching, worship, family discipleship, group connections, children and youth, local service, and global mission.
Greeting, Hospitality, and the Work of the Church
Central Manor describes many ministries as outreaches of its core work, including greeting people, helping, and teaching Sunday School classes. Its volunteer opportunities cover First Impressions, greeting, ushering, the Welcome Center, safety, hospitality, church meals, cooking, set-up, serving, worship and technology, nursery, Sunday School, AWANA, youth leadership, Global Outreach, building and grounds, finance, visitation, outreach, the church library, and the food pantry. Some roles call for specialized skills, while others begin with a willingness to serve and receive training.
The church says people with no prior experience are welcome to express interest. Follow-up can identify possible prerequisites and help equip people for the work. This approach keeps volunteer service connected to the church’s broader goal of cultivating gifts. It also offers a practical entry point into community for those who want to serve alongside others while growing in faith.
Visitors who want to see the church more closely can arrange a Sunday morning tour. Families can connect with children’s and youth ministries, adults can explore Adult Sunday Classes or Life Groups, and the Global Outreach team welcomes people who want to serve locally or internationally. Online giving through Realm supports the church’s ministries and global outreach, and the Realm Connect app also provides a way to give and arrange recurring donations.
Central Manor’s identity is held together in the relationship among its emphases: the authority of Scripture, worship offered to God, homes and generations formed in faith, relationships that become spiritual growth, practical service in Manor Township, and a mission reaching across nations. At 387 Penn Street, these are not separate labels. They form one church life centered on the refrain “Love. Serve. Obey.” and on the conviction that the good news of the Bible is meant to be shared, learned, lived, and carried from one generation to the next.