At the bend of Darlington Road in Chippewa Township, just outside Beaver Falls, sits a congregation that traces its roots to the frontier era of western Pennsylvania. Chippewa United Methodist Church has gathered on this stretch of Beaver County since 1796, and today the church family fills a sanctuary that has been raised, expanded, and reimagined many times since a small sandstone meeting house was first raised near the old Stratton Farm. The congregation's mission statement - to speak the Word of God, share the love of Christ, and make God's Kingdom visible - has stayed remarkably steady across two and a half centuries of growth, even as the buildings, programs, and people around it have changed.
230 Years of Faith on Darlington Road
The story of Chippewa United Methodist Church begins with a handful of frontier families clearing land north of the Ohio River. In 1796, Abraham Powers and the Stratton, Welsh, and Inman families began meeting at the Powers house for class meetings and worship. Within a short time they built a small sandstone church, 25 feet by 20 feet, near the old Stratton Farm about 200 feet east of present-day Shenango Road. That first structure served the community until 1848, when a spark from the fireplace damaged it during a service.
The loss pushed the early church fathers to seek a larger site in a better location. In 1857 they secured about a half acre and began building the "Red Brick Church," constructed largely by the members themselves. The Red Brick Church served the congregation for nearly seventy years. In 1925, the first major addition raised the building and dug out a proper basement for a kitchen and Sunday School rooms. A groundbreaking in September 1949 launched the next phase, adding an entrance way, additional rooms, and the steeple that still rises over the property today. The first worship in the expanded building was held in January 1951.
The 1960s brought another wave of expansion. A three-story educational wing constructed in July of 1963 added offices, classrooms, a church library, music rooms, and basement social rooms, along with a new entrance facing Shenango Road. By the early 2000s, the church had purchased the Gumpf property at 118 McMillen Avenue to provide dedicated youth space, and in 2010 construction began on the Community Life Center, which opened in early 2012.
Four Weekend Services, One Welcoming Family
Chippewa UMC offers four opportunities for worship each weekend, each with its own setting and feel but all centered on Christ.
On Saturday at 5:30 pm, the Sanctuary hosts a relaxed, laid-back traditional service that runs about 45 minutes - a chance to center the weekend in worship before Sunday begins. Sunday at 8:30 am and 11:00 am brings the most well-attended services, traditional in style, with meaningful liturgy and music from the organist and music ministry team, lasting roughly 45 to 50 minutes. The 11:00 am service is also the church's livestreamed service, broadcast on Vimeo for those who cannot attend in person.
In between, at 9:45 am on Sunday, the Community Life Center at 118 McMillen Avenue fills with the sound of the Praise Band. This contemporary service runs about an hour and welcomes families in a casual setting with tables, chairs, and padded folding chairs arranged around the room. Communion is celebrated on the first weekend of every month at all worship services, and visitors are never asked to step forward, be introduced, or do anything they did not come prepared to do.
The Community Life Center: A Building Beyond Sunday
The Community Life Center is Chippewa UMC's largest outreach to the surrounding community. Housed in a former youth property at 118 McMillen Avenue, the CLC features a full-sized basketball court with six hoops, volleyball nets that can be set up as a single court or two side-by-side courts, and the flexibility to host a wide range of other events. The contemporary worship service meets here, as do youth gatherings and a sports ministry. The building is also available to rent, with two rooms for public and private events.
Reservations require a $50 refundable deposit, with the balance due one week in advance. Weekend availability is limited because the gymnasium is scheduled around Sunday morning contemporary worship. The CLC's policies are clear: alcohol and gambling are prohibited, the sound system, stage, and projector must be booked in advance for an additional fee, and renters handle all setup, breakdown, and trash removal. For bookings, the CLC phone line is 724-843-4023.
Children and Preschool: Faith from the Start
Children are welcome in every service at Chippewa UMC, noisy or quiet. During the 8:30 and 11:00 am Sunday services, a nursery is available for infants through first graders, staffed by caring volunteers who provide a safe and nurturing environment. From September through May, Sunday School begins at 9:30 am in the Fellowship Hall in the basement of the main church building. Children start with fifteen minutes of Children's Choir practice, then move to grade-level classes.
The Children's Ministry is organized into three classes: Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade together; Second and Third Grade together; and Fourth and Fifth Grade together. Each child must be signed in and out by a parent, guardian, or designated pickup person, with a completed registration form on file. For the littlest ones, "Chippers" is an Adult and Me Christian playgroup for children 18 to 36 months old. Vacation Bible School is a highlight of the year, organized by Children's Ministry Director Abigail Helmick, who grew up in Chippewa, graduated from Blackhawk High School, earned her bachelor's at Pitt and a master's at Slippery Rock, and serves with her certified Search and Rescue K-9, Harley, on a wilderness team. She is supported by a robust Safe Sanctuary program requiring training and federal and state clearances for any adult working with children or youth.
The same campus also houses Chippewa UMC Preschool and Small Wonders Daycare under the direction of Preschool Director Chris Wilson. Together they make the church building a place where many of the youngest residents of Chippewa Township spend their weekdays as well as their Sundays.
Music That Spans the Centuries
Music is woven through every corner of the church's life. Music Director Don Kephart oversees the program, working alongside Choir Director Brenda Connors and Bell Choir Director Carol Holman. The traditional services draw on the organ and the music ministry team, while the contemporary service is led by the Praise Band. Children's Choir is part of the Sunday School morning for kids in Preschool through Fifth Grade, giving even the youngest members a chance to sing together before heading to class.
Behind the scenes, Director of Worship and Media Arts Chad Lewis shapes the audio, video, and visual experience across all four weekend services, including the livestream that goes out from the 11:00 am service.
Bible Study, Fellowship, and Small Groups
Two weekly Bible Studies meet on Mondays in the Wesley Room - one at 11:00 am and another at 6:00 pm. A Fellowship Group also gathers in the Fellowship Hall, providing an additional setting for conversation, prayer, and shared study. Sunday School, which runs September through May, offers another small-group hour at 9:30 am for adults as well as children and youth. Friday Night Fun brings people to the Community Life Center for an evening of food, games, and fellowship several times a year.
Youth at Chippewa
Youth Ministry Director Stephanie Corless oversees programming for middle and high school students. The youth room at the McMillen Avenue property, originally the main house on the Gumpf land, gives the group a dedicated space of its own, and the CLC's gymnasium and yard host the bigger gatherings. Rummage sales and bake sales are recurring fundraisers, with both a regular Rummage Sale and a special $2 Bag Day drawing neighbors from across Chippewa Township to the Community Life Center.
Pastors and Staff
The church is led by Lead Pastor Susan Moudry and a devoted team of staff and ministry leaders. Associate Pastor Matt Williams supports the pastoral work of the congregation. Office Manager Jennifer Dierdorf and Business Manager / Treasurer Amanda Pedaline keep the daily operations running from the church office at 2541 Darlington Road, in the green house behind the main church building.
Visiting Chippewa UMC
First-time visitors have plenty of options. The church's main building, the Sanctuary, and the Fellowship Hall are easiest to reach through the glass sliding doors at the main entrance, where an elevator provides access to every level. The Community Life Center at 118 McMillen Avenue has its own entrance off the gravel parking lot. Two main parking lots serve the church building - a larger front lot with handicap accessible spaces and a lot behind the building - while the CLC has a single gravel lot in front. Restrooms are available on the basement level and the main level of the church, including a handicap accessible family restroom off the sanctuary, and handicap accessible restrooms off the CLC gymnasium.
Visitors are welcome to sit wherever they like; there are no assigned pews. A balcony in the Sanctuary offers a little more distance from the crowd, and tables and chairs are set up for the contemporary service. Attire ranges from casual to slightly more formal at the traditional services, with most dressing casually at the contemporary service. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and visitors are encouraged to arrive about ten minutes before a service to enjoy a time of fellowship. Online worship is always available through the livestream page, and giving is available through the church's online giving platform.