A Welcoming Congregation on Jonestown Road
Charlton United Methodist Church sits at 5920 Jonestown Road on the eastern edge of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where two parking lots, one off Jonestown Road and another off South Mountain Road, wrap around the building and connect at the northwest corner. Overflow parking is available across the street in the daycare lot. The church is a family of faith that lives by the motto "Where Faith Meets Life" and strives to embody the wider United Methodist phrase "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." Walk into the main lobby on a Sunday and greeters at the welcome desk will hand you a brochure, ask you to sign in as a guest, and help you find your way around.
Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM
The heart of the week is the Sunday morning worship service at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary. Charlton deliberately does not label its service "traditional" or "contemporary." Music is chosen around the theme of the day, weaving cherished hymns with newer songs of praise so that the service feels uplifting, inspirational, and rooted in a variety of Christian traditions. In addition to the Sunday gathering, the church observes the major seasons of the Christian year with special services for Advent, Christmas Eve, Lent, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
A Music Ministry That Invites Everyone In
The Worship Arts Ministry at Charlton is built on the Psalms' call for everyone to praise the Lord. The church invites members and friends to use whatever gifts they have, from singing and acting to dancing, painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, and cooking, and provides opportunities to put those gifts to use. The Sanctuary Choir meets on Sunday mornings before the service and provides musical leadership throughout the year, including Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. A Children's Choir opens KIDs Club each Sunday and sings in worship from time to time. A Handbell Choir also participates in services on a periodic basis. Each Advent season the church hosts a midday "Christmas at Noon" concert series that has featured harp, trumpet and organ, dulcimer, and vocal performances, often with Director of Worship and Administration Chuck Kaufmann accompanying on keyboard or organ.
Between Pastors, Held Together by Lay Leadership
Charlton is currently in a season of pastoral transition. The bishop of the Susquehanna Conference and his cabinet are discerning the next pastor to appoint, and during that time a diverse group of guest preachers fills the pulpit. For congregational care, the church has called on Rev. Dann Caldwell to walk alongside members. The Director of Worship and Administration, Chuck Kaufmann, returned to Charlton in June 2010 after earlier serving as Director of Music and Arts from 1987 to 1998. A Lycoming College graduate with degrees in music and religion, he is also a certified Spiritual Director and the program administrator for the Ministry of Spiritual Direction at the Center for Spiritual Formation, and serves on the boards of Family Promise of the Capital Region and Christian Churches United.
The Office Administrator, Marianne Eagle, has served since November 2004, and the Student Ministries Coordinator, Sarah Tingley, oversees the youth and confirmation work of the parish. Thomas Schreiber chairs the Leadership Council, with Marjorie Martin serving as Lay Leader and Mark Holmgren as Delegate to Annual Conference. Debra Hughes and Wendy Criste lead the nursery.
The Discipleship Hour at 9:00 AM
Before worship, the Discipleship Hour fills the building at 9:00 AM with classes for every age. KIDs Club welcomes children from preschool through fifth grade for devotions, praise, lessons, crafts, and activities. Youth in grades six through twelve gather in the youth room on the lower level to talk about how scripture meets their everyday lives. For adults, the church offers the Faith & Fellowship Class, the Foundation/JOY Class, The Gathering, and the Journey Class. The Gathering and Journey Classes are both Reconciling Communities with the Reconciling Ministries Network, and together they have issued a statement affirming that all people are created equally in the image of God and embraced regardless of age, race, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. As a Safe Sanctuary, the church maintains policies designed to reduce the risk of child abuse.
Youth, Children, and Family Life
The youth ministry at Charlton is called CHAOS, and it meets Sundays at 9:00 AM, with a monthly event added to the calendar. KIDs Club runs on Sunday mornings for children ages four through fifth grade, and once a month Kid's Night Out opens its doors to the wider community for an evening of VBS-style activities and games for the same age group. Nursery care is provided on Sunday mornings for infants and toddlers, and the staff encourages parents to bring their children through the lower level pickup after the 10:00 AM service. Adjacent to the church, Charlton Preschool offers weekday early-childhood programming for the surrounding community.
Weekday Study and Small Groups
A weekly Bible Study gathers at 10:00 AM on Tuesdays to go deeper into the texts and themes from Sunday's sermon. Beyond that anchor group, Charlton runs a rotating menu of short-term Bible studies and book clubs during the week throughout the year. The church also maintains an online devotional link to the Upper Room's daily devotionals so members can keep up their devotional lives at home.
Fellowship Across the Stages of Life
Charlton's fellowship calendar is built around the idea that "the church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is a people." The Hot Topix Discussion Group meets on the second Thursday of each month for an evening meal at a local restaurant and a frank conversation about how the news of the day meets the spiritual journey. CHUM 55+ is the senior ministry open to anyone in the community age 55 and older, with monthly luncheons, entertainment, and seasonal bus trips to local points of interest. Meet 'n' Eat gathers on the fourth Thursday of each month at a local restaurant for simple fellowship with no planned program. Men's Breakfast meets Wednesdays at 7:30 AM at a local diner, and Ladies' and Men's Luncheons are held on the second Tuesday of each month.
Outreach: Giving Grace, Helping Hands, and Family Promise
Charlton has a heart for missions, and several steady outreach ministries put that into practice. Giving Grace is a monthly outreach that provides non-food items that local food banks cannot supply. It serves residents of the 17109, 17111, and 17112 zip codes who are experiencing economic hardship, and runs on the first Wednesday of each month from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. First-time participants are asked to bring identification and proof of household members to register. Helping Hands is a flexible outreach that meets the immediate needs of neighbors, whether small or large, by walking alongside individuals, families, and seniors in the community. Charlton is also a proud partner congregation with Family Promise of the Harrisburg Capital Region, providing meals, hospitality, and overnight shelter for families working with Family Promise to find affordable housing.
Stewardship and Giving
The church frames stewardship as a discipleship response: everything a person is and has comes from God, and the congregation is invited to invest time, talents, money, and relationships in service to God and neighbor. Giving is available online through Vanco and by text message at 844-952-2041, where a donor texts the amount followed by a code such as GF for General Fund, MM for Mission, FM for Facility Maintenance, or CC for a specific purpose. Charlton also supports the United Methodist connectional system of mission and justice work locally, regionally, and around the world.
Proud to Be United Methodist
Charlton's identity statement, adopted in 2015, describes a diverse community of people of faith and people who are still questioning, drawn from many traditions, single and partnered, conservative and progressive, who choose to respect and support one another because they are united by love for God and a desire to worship, study, serve, and fellowship together. In 2022 the Administrative Council affirmed, and the Leadership Council reaffirmed in 2023, that Charlton intends to remain part of The United Methodist Church, citing John Wesley's call that "though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?" The church points to four United Methodist guides for faith: Scripture as the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine, tradition as the continuing activity of God's Spirit, experience as a genuine source of theological insight, and reason as the disciplined tool that helps interpret Scripture and test Christian witness.
A Word About Dress and Arrival
Visitors are invited to come just as they are. On any given Sunday the pews hold people in suits and ties and people in their favorite jeans, all worshiping side by side. Charlton asks guests to stop by the welcome desk in the main lobby so the congregation can extend a personal greeting and answer any questions about its life and ministry. A New Members Class gathers two or three times a year for an overview of the church's ministry and beliefs and the wider tradition it belongs to. Newcomers who want to join the next class can contact the church office.
Sermons Online and the Wider Connection
Worship is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a deep worship archive of recorded services goes back several years, including Christmas Eve, Easter, and the holy days of Lent. Weekly bulletins are posted as downloadable files, and a fall newsletter keeps the congregation informed of coming programs. Charlton also maintains a calendar so members can follow the week's events and plan their attendance. Together these resources keep the Charlton family connected with one another and with neighbors who are searching, as the church has put it, for "meaning, for truth, for strength, for hope."