From a Storefront to Saint Laurent Street
Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene sits at 5 St. Laurent Street in Nashua, New Hampshire, just a short walk from the heart of the city it has served for more than eight decades. The congregation traces its roots to the early 1940s, when a small storefront church first took shape in the community. Generations later, that same sacrificial spirit has carried into the present campus on Saint Laurent Street, where a sanctuary, education wing, fellowship hall, and child learning center form a ministry hub for the whole region.
The church is part of the Church of the Nazarene, a denomination that joins with believers in 156 nations to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Locally, Community Chapel belongs to the New England District of the Church of the Nazarene, and the church roots its identity in a single sentence: "We exist to make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in the 21st century." Everything from the weekly schedule to the missions budget flows out of that calling.
Sunday Morning at 10:30
Worship is the weekly center of life at Community Chapel. The congregation gathers on Sundays at 10:30 AM in the sanctuary, the front room nearest to Saint Laurent Street, with ushers ready to help direct first-time visitors. The service moves through a familiar rhythm: a few announcements near the start, a pastoral prayer, a time of singing, the offering, and a sermon. Senior Pastor Geoff DeFranca usually preaches, with messages that run twenty-five to thirty minutes and seek to connect the truths of Scripture to the realities of daily life.
Music is contemporary with room for other styles, and the church welcomes drama, corporate readings, dance, and other creative expressions in the life of the service. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper are celebrated on a regular basis. Lyrics are projected so guests can sing along or simply read the words in their own way. Plates are passed for the offering, but guests are warmly told that they are not expected to give, since giving is an act of worship for those who regularly attend.
Altars sit at the front of the sanctuary as short rails in front of the platform. These altars are a place to come and spend time in prayer with God, and a pastor may open them during the service for anyone who wishes to come forward, with no obligation to do so. For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed on YouTube and on Facebook, and a sermon podcast archives recent messages.
Coming Through the Door
Visitors enter at the door marked "Church Offices and Worship Center," then turn right to reach the offices and the sanctuary. There is no formal dress code, and a guest-friendly tone is built into the morning. Children are part of the gathered community rather than separated off: ages four through fifth grade begin in the sanctuary with their families and are dismissed before the sermon for a time of learning God's names, attributes, and character, and for age-appropriate worship. Older elementary friends receive a clipboard activity page to help them follow along, with a small prize waiting after the service from a children's leader affectionately known as Mrs. Mary.
For infants and toddlers up to age three, a staffed nursery sits in the hall to the left of the sanctuary and is open during both the worship service and the Journey Group hours. Parents sign children in at drop-off and leave a cell phone number so the nursery can reach them immediately if any question or emergency arises.
Journey Groups: Discipleship in Every Season
Community Chapel takes seriously its name for small-group life: Journey Groups. A Journey Group is a place to connect with fellow travelers and explore the abundant life Jesus promised, taking the form of classes, accountability groups, Bible studies, or discussion groups. Topics stretch across theology, prayer, spiritual disciplines, relationships, parenting, finances, and missions. Groups run on a quarterly system, meeting anywhere from ten to thirteen weeks depending on the quarter, with most on Sunday mornings and others meeting during the week, often by Zoom.
An adult Journey Group meets on Sundays at 9:00 AM. Recent studies have included a twelve-week journey through the minor prophets Jonah, Joel, and Amos, and a study of "Not Beyond Reach" by Aaron Pierce on reaching a generation that may not walk into a church. There is also a young adult group for adults eighteen to thirty that meets on Sundays from 5:30 to 7:00 PM in Room 304 and works through the Gospel of John during winter and spring.
Women's groups include a Wednesday morning study on the book of Acts, a Wednesday evening study of Revelation with N.T. Wright, and a first and third Saturday gathering on "Gospel-Centered Motherhood," with childcare provided by church volunteers. Men's groups feature a Tuesday evening study of the book of Ruth, a Wednesday evening study of "Living by the Holy Spirit" by Nazarene theologian Dr. Frank Moore, and a first and third Saturday group walking through a Bible Project YouVersion series on the Ten Commandments, again with childcare provided.
S.A.G.E.S., Men of Legacy, and the Women's Ministry
For adults aged fifty and up, S.A.G.E.S., Senior Adults Growing, Encouraging, and Serving, brings people together for meaningful fellowship and service. The monthly S.A.G.E.S. luncheon gathers on the third Friday of each month at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall, with a six-dollar donation for the food; during summer months the group heads out to local restaurants instead.
Men of Legacy, the church's men's ministry, gathers for a monthly dinner on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, where men share a meal, hear from a guest speaker, and enjoy a night of fellowship and inspiration. Men's Bible studies and small groups offer further opportunity to grow alongside other men.
The women's ministry invites women of all ages into times of fellowship, service, and study, with a particular heart for mentoring the younger generation. The weekly newsletter carries the latest list of women's groups.
Children, Youth, and the Nashua Child Learning Center
Children's and family ministry is woven deeply into the life of Community Chapel. The ministry exists to partner with parents in the spiritual development of their children, walking together to know, love, and become like Jesus. Mary Hardwick leads the children's ministry and welcomes questions about programming.
On Wednesday nights, elementary students from kindergarten through sixth grade gather at 6:30 PM at the church to play games, share a devotional that teaches the names and character of God, and engage in authentic worship together. The gathering lasts about seventy-five minutes.
The Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene Youth Group, known as ccnazyg, gathers every Wednesday night from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Youth Area in the basement of the Education Wing. The group is for students in sixth through twelfth grade and focuses on leading them in loving God and loving others, growing in community and deepening their relationship with Jesus through games, prayer, Scripture study, and small-group discussion. The church is Ministry Safe certified: every staff member and volunteer who works with minors passes a background check and completes Ministry Safe training every two years, and six months of attendance is required before volunteering with minors.
Connected to the church is the Nashua Child Learning Center, a private Christian child care ministry celebrating more than forty years of education. NCLC provides year-round care and learning for children ages six weeks through Pre-K, with age-appropriate curriculum, weekly Bible stories, and seasonal chapels. The center offers a nurturing home-away-from-home environment that actively involves children in thinking, reasoning, and communicating. More information is available at nclckids.org.
Worship as a Shared Work
Worship at Community Chapel is a team effort. The music ministry includes a band and a choir that anyone of any age is welcome to join, with no special training or abilities required to lift a voice. A creative arts team thinks through visual means, drama, interpretive movement, and other ways to engage in worship. A projection team handles slides for services and special events and is open to anyone in eighth grade and up. A sound team runs the sound system for services and special events and is open to anyone in tenth grade and up with required training. A scripture reading team welcomes all ages, with training provided.
Joining the worship ministry involves an application, a ministry exploration conversation with the Worship Ministry Director and Senior Pastor, and a signed Worship Covenant; the choir alone does not require an application. Acceptance is contingent upon the recommendation of the Senior Pastor and Worship Ministry Director.
Local Missions in Nashua
Community Chapel ministers to the city of Nashua in many practical ways. The Good Samaritan Fund meets emergency life-sustaining needs such as utilities, prescriptions, and food, funded through a special offering received on the first Sunday of the month and other gifts above and beyond regular tithes; all such monies are used only for that purpose.
Each fall, the church partners with Samaritan's Purse to fill Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, and each year the congregation puts together Thanksgiving baskets for families in need. Every year Community Chapel joins with other churches in Nashua to bring the Shalom of God to the city. In partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department, Southern NH Rescue Mission, Harbor Home, EMS services, Keystone Hall, and Nashua Public Schools, the church participates in projects like beautifying city parks, filling and providing backpacks for students, sending cards, goodies, and fresh produce to the Fire Department and other first responders, encouraging those in recovery, and creating hygiene kits for the homeless.
Each week, fifteen to twenty-five people gather at Keystone Hall, an addiction treatment center in the region, where Scripture is presented and discussed. The church also regularly supports CRU missionaries Emily and Edward Brake in their work on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
A Global Reach
As a Church of the Nazarene congregation, Community Chapel contributes to the work of Nazarene Missions International, mobilizing the church in mission through prayer, education, giving, and interactive experiences. The annual Faith Promise giving emphasis funds the majority of the church's global mission work. The Alabaster Offering gathers spare change throughout the year to support the building of churches, schools, and hospitals in world mission areas. Crisis Care Kits, filled with personal care items, are gathered year-round and sent to provide aid in disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Short-term Work and Witness teams travel around the world to serve others. The church supports missionaries, as well as Eastern Nazarene College outside Boston, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and Nazarene Bible College.
Support for the Hard Places
Community Chapel runs two support programs for people walking through heavy seasons. GriefShare is a thirteen-week biblically based program for those who have lost a child, parent, spouse, close relative, or friend, with each session combining a video seminar featuring Christian experts, a support group discussion, and personal study through a workbook. Workbooks cost twenty dollars. A "Loss of a Spouse" gathering is held in the Parlor from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, and the next GriefShare group is being planned for the winter of 2026-27.
DivorceCare, also a thirteen-week program, offers information, inspiration, and support for those who are divorced, separated, or considering divorce. Each lesson stands on its own, allowing for absences when needed, and is supported by DVD lessons, a workbook, and group discussion. Workbooks are fifteen dollars.
What the Church Believes
Community Chapel holds to the historic Christian faith as taught in the Church of the Nazarene. There is one Creator God, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human. The Bible is the inspired and relevant Word of God. All people have sinned and need God's grace and forgiveness, free and available through Jesus' death on the cross. God draws people to Himself, but the decision to respond is each person's. An individual must repent and trust Christ to receive forgiveness and eternal life. Christians are called to offer their whole lives to God, and when they do, His Spirit works to mold them into Christ-likeness, the biblical word for which is sanctification. The church is the Body of Christ carrying on His purposes in the world. The church practices the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. God can bring healing, and the church prays for healing while also recognizing that God uses medical science. Jesus Christ is coming again and will make all things right in the final judgment.
The church expresses this shared faith through three commitments: in essential beliefs there is unity, in non-essential beliefs there is liberty, and in all beliefs there is charity. The congregation also holds eight core values: depending on God through prayer, growing in relationship with Jesus, participating in church community, being a learning community, being a sent community revealing the good news of Jesus, expressing compassion for the broken among them, promoting healthy stewardship of life and ministry, and letting the mission of God trump everything else.
The Pastoral Team
Senior Pastor Geoff DeFranca has served Community Chapel since October of 2002, walking The Journey with the people of the church alongside his wife Kathleen. A New Jersey native, he came to Christ as a young adult while serving in the U.S. Navy, graduated from Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, and has participated in non-degree graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary focused on missional leadership. The DeFrancas have served congregations in California, upstate New York, and Nashua, and have three adult children living in the greater Boston area.
An associate pastor focuses on pastoral care and counsel, especially for those facing addiction, grief, and life-crisis issues, with oversight of administration and building management. A youth director, who first met Jesus in the Community Chapel youth room herself, has returned to walk alongside young people in the same community. Mary Hardwick leads the children's ministry, and a worship director brings a lifetime of musicianship to lead the music ministry. Becca Kisakye helps lead the young adult group alongside Pastor Leo.
The church office can be reached at office@community-chapel.org or 603-883-8345, with a fax line at 603-880-4457. Weekly newsletters keep the congregation informed, and a sermon podcast archives recent messages. A church library offers novels, non-fiction, CDs, and DVDs from authors including Kingsbury, Thoene, Lucado, Chan, Ortberg, Wright, Volf, and Yancey, and welcomes donations of Christian material. Online giving is available through MyWell, and gifts of appreciated stock, real estate, or cryptocurrency can also be arranged through the church office.
At the heart of it all is an invitation from Senior Pastor Geoff DeFranca: "So, we hope we get to soon welcome you to The Journey called Community Chapel."