Just off Green Valley Road in Sinking Spring, a small borough tucked into the rolling country east of Reading, Community Evangelical Church has been gathering believers since June 1996. Its motto, "Center on Jesus | Live Focused," shows up on every page of its ministry and on the sanctuary wall. The church belongs to the Evangelical Congregational Church denomination and describes itself as a community of imperfect people who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and seek to live by the teachings of the Bible. Three decades after its founding, CEC remains a place where neighbors come to worship, learn, and serve the Berks County area together.
The Rhythm of a Sunday Morning
A Sunday at Community Evangelical follows a clear, unhurried pattern that gives visitors several natural entry points. The day begins with a Traditional Service at 8:00 AM, where the congregation sings hymns accompanied by various instruments, recites creeds, shares in liturgy, and listens to verse-by-verse Bible preaching. The aim is a sacred and reverent atmosphere in which the congregation can encounter God's presence together.
At 9:30 AM, the church opens its Community Connection Hour, a Sunday School-style block for every age. Children from birth through senior year of high school head into age-appropriate classrooms, and adults can choose from a rotation of classes including a men's Bible study, a women's Bible study, a discussion-based Bible study, a video-based lecture, a book discussion, and a Light Discussion and Fellowship Time. Coffee is on hand and the mood is intentionally casual.
Between the Connection Hour and the late service, the worship team leads The Prelude at 10:30 AM, a brief window of music and prayer in the sanctuary. The Contemporary Service then begins at 10:45 AM and runs until noon. A band and worship team lead songs that range from classic hymns to newer releases, followed by the same pattern of prayer, Scripture reading, and verse-by-verse teaching found in the early service.
Every service is livestreamed, so anyone unable to attend in person can search "Community EC" on a smart TV or watch through the church's YouTube channel. Dress runs the full spectrum, from sport coats and dresses to jeans and khakis; the church's own description is "exciting, casual, and relaxed."
What Community Evangelical Believes
Community Evangelical's beliefs are summarized in a clear, eight-point statement that shapes its preaching, worship, and ministry to children and youth. The church teaches that a personal, loving, and almighty God purposefully created the universe, that every human being is made in God's image with infinite worth, and that sin entered the world through Adam and continues to express itself in human brokenness. One eternal God exists in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and is totally loving and completely holy.
Jesus Christ is confessed as the one and only Savior of the world, the incarnate Son of God, whose virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension graciously offer new life to all who receive him by faith. The Holy Spirit fills believers and gives them the desire and ability to live lives patterned on God's Word. The Bible is the only inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God and the final authority for doctrine and Christian living. Finally, the Christian faith is lived in the community of the church, where worship and witness are embodied through the spiritual gifts of its members. Community Evangelical is affiliated with the Evangelical Congregational Church.
The Pastoral Team
Pastor Mike Snedeker has been on staff at Community since the church started in June 1996. He began as the youth pastor and served in numerous roles before becoming the third lead pastor in 2012. Mike is married to Beth, has two adult daughters, Allysa and Cassidy, and in his spare time rides his bicycle, works on house projects, and fly fishes.
Pastor Tim Sanger has been the church's Pastor of Next Gen Ministries since 2015. A graduate of Penn State University, Jerusalem University College, and Evangelical Seminary, Tim has served youth and their families for more than thirty years. He and his wife Sherry, who volunteers in the youth ministry, have an adult daughter and a teenage son.
Pastor Doug Shuey joined the staff in 2023 as Pastor of Discipleship. A former music and math teacher in the Wyomissing and Muhlenberg School Districts, Doug teaches Scripture with a teacher's instinct for clarity. He and his wife Sarah have a young daughter, Ella.
Karen Blanchard directs Worship Arts and joined the staff in March 2016. She holds two master's degrees from Temple University in vocal performance and choral conducting, sings with the Grammy-winning chamber choir The Crossing, and leads the team that bridges the traditional and contemporary services.
Denise "Dee" Jaramillo, a licensed and credentialed deacon in the Evangelical Congregational Church and a US Army veteran, became Executive Director in March 2024. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and works to equip people as disciple-makers.
Katy Meszaros has directed the Children's Ministry since October 2023. She previously served as library director and children's ministry director at an international Bible college in Hungary.
Kids from Birth Through Fourth Grade
The Children's Ministry meets on Sundays at 9:30 and 10:45 AM and on Wednesdays through Awana at 6:30 PM. Four classrooms serve age-specific needs: a Nursery for newborns through not-yet-potty-trained three-year-olds, a Preschool room for potty-trained three to five-year-olds, a K through second-grade classroom, and a third- and fourth-grade classroom that acts as the last step before students move up into the youth ministry.
The Sunday curriculum is Brite\*, a Gospel-centered program that combines engaging stories, games, and activities with biblical truths to help children know, love, and follow Jesus. On Wednesday evenings during the school year, Awana runs from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, using the lobby for check-in, the Fellowship Hall for games, and the children's classrooms downstairs. Families can request information about Pennsylvania child abuse and criminal record check clearances through links on the kids' ministry page.
ARISE Youth Group
Middle and high school students, grades five through twelve, are part of ARISE, which meets on Sundays at 9:30 AM during the Community Connection Hour and on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 8:00 PM in the youth rooms. The program is built around creating a safe and welcoming place where students can connect with one another, grow in their faith, and bring their questions and doubts about the challenges of life. ARISE also runs an annual fall retreat for grades six through twelve.
The youth ministry publishes its own calendar and email list, and the Awana program dovetails with it by giving the same Wednesday-evening building an energetic, Christ-centered presence for younger children.
Men, Women, and the Seasoned Citizens
The Men's Ministry at Community is built around three regular rhythms. On Wednesdays at 6:00 AM, men gather for Bible study, fellowship, and prayer in Room 119, with a Zoom option for those who cannot attend in person. At 8:00 AM the same morning, a group heads out to hike two to four miles around Blue Marsh Lake, where conversation ranges over faith, family, fitness, and finances. Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM bring the Men of Iron Mentorship Ministry and the Men's Evening Bible Study in Room 120. The Men of Iron program pairs men in one-on-one mentorship relationships that strengthen home, work, and community leadership.
Flourish, the women's ministry, meets on Sunday mornings during the Community Connection Hour and on the second Thursday evening of each month at 7:00 PM for a Bible study in Rooms 8/9. Flourish also gathers the women of the church for retreats (including the Flourish Women's Retreat Away), mentoring, discipleship, social events, and outreach projects.
For the more mature members of the church, the Seasoned Citizens ministry, part of the 50+ ministry, hosts programs such as the October session on the Myths of Hospice Care and Planning Ahead, plus a Christmas Party in the Fellowship Hall. These gatherings offer engaging activities, spiritual growth opportunities, and warm fellowship.
Community Connection Hour and Life Groups
The 9:30 AM Sunday Connection Hour is the church's hub for adult education. Six recurring classes meet most weeks:
- Men's Bible Study in Room 118, led by Buster Killinger, opens with light discussion and prayer before a life-application lesson.
- Video-Based Lecture in Room 114, led by Bob Barskey, uses short video series from pastors and theologians followed by discussion.
- Women's Bible Study in Room 119, led by Kathy Loomis and Jackie Lockard, gives women space to explore Scripture together and bring honest questions.
- Book Discussion on the far side of the Fellowship Hall, where small groups work through topics like marriage in seminar-style conversation.
- Discussion-Based Bible Study in Room 120, which begins with prayer requests and life updates before opening the Bible with a heavy emphasis on life application.
Beyond Sunday morning, Life Groups meet in homes and at the church throughout the week. These small gatherings share meals, study the Bible, and practice living out the Gospel in the kind of relationships where prayer, accountability, and encouragement become natural.
The Sinking Spring Food Pantry and Community Outreach
On the first Thursday of every month from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen at Community Evangelical open as the Sinking Spring Food Pantry. The pantry has become a steady presence in the borough, serving neighbors throughout Berks County. The church also maintains a list of partner organizations for those who need additional help, including the Berks County Crisis Line (operated by Holcomb, with Spanish-speaking staff available 24/7), Helping Harvest, the Salvation Army of Reading, Hope Rescue Mission, and Hannah's Hope Ministries.
Prayer remains central to the church's outreach. Anyone can submit a prayer request through the church office, and the staff prays over each one. A Spiritual Gifts assessment is available for those who want to discover where they might serve.
Giving, Facilities, and Staying Connected
Community Evangelical offers three ways to give: in person through the offering boxes at the exits of the sanctuary, by Venmo to @Communityec (listed under business), or through MyEOffering for recurring online giving. The church buildings include a sanctuary, a fellowship hall and kitchen, classrooms and youth rooms, plus a library, all of which can be reserved through the Building Use Form for outside events.
Recent sermons are available on the church's YouTube channel. A digital library through Right Now Media gives members access to thousands of Bible studies, kids' programming, and conference sessions. Subscribers to the church's email list receive regular updates on events and prayer prompts. Sermon recordings, event reminders, and ministry announcements round out an active online presence, while the calendar page keeps everything from worship times to pantry dates in one place.
Community Evangelical Church is, at its heart, a congregation that takes seriously its name. From the eight o'clock traditional hymns to the late contemporary set, from Wednesday morning Bible study at 6 AM to a hike around Blue Marsh Lake at 8, from the nursery to the Seasoned Citizens Christmas party, the church keeps its focus on Jesus and on the people of Sinking Spring who call it home.