A Congregation That Has Walked With Castleton Since 1852
Emmanuel Reformed Church traces its roots to 1852, when the first wooden church was erected in Castleton. That structure served the congregation for more than three decades, and in 1886 was replaced by a grand building on the north end of Main Street in Castleton-on-Hudson, a landmark visible from much of the village. Some in the present-day congregation still remember the Main Street building, which served the community through 1967.
On July 19, 1967, ground was broken on the Maple Hill Road site where the church stands today. The current Fellowship Hall and classrooms were dedicated less than a year later, in 1968, and the present Sanctuary was completed in 1973. A new entrance, meeting room, and office space followed in 1991. In 2017, members began work on a new outdoor ministry pavilion, which was completed by volunteers in 2019 and proved especially valuable when outdoor worship became the safer option during the pandemic.
When the congregation moved from Main Street to Maple Hill Road, members took great care to preserve the stained glass windows from the old sanctuary. Those windows still tell their story in the present building, described at the 1973 dedication as a perpetual memorial to the love of the old church and the sacrifice of the parishioners who made it possible.
Across more than a century and a half, the building has changed, the style has changed, and the congregation has changed. That blend of past and present, history and vision, is what the church points to as its unique preparation for ministry in the Schodack area today.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
The Sunday service begins at 9:30 a.m., with most people arriving about fifteen minutes before. The main parking lot sits around back, and greeters stand just inside the doors to say hello and point newcomers in the right direction. The service is described as semi-traditional. Someone with a Catholic or mainline background will find it a little less formal, while someone from a newer church will find it a little more structured. For visitors with no church background at all, the morning aims to be a friendly blend of the old and the new.
Musicians use piano, guitar, and organ, and the music itself moves between hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years and newer worship songs written more recently. The words and liturgy are projected so anyone can follow along. After a brief welcome, a few songs mixed with prayer settle hearts, then the sermon offers Bible-based teaching that the pastor tries to keep clear, helpful, and decidedly un-boring.
On the first Sunday of each month, the congregation shares in the Lord's Supper. Communion uses bread and grape juice in separate containers, and a gluten-free option is available so that all may partake. An offering plate sits in the back of the sanctuary, but visitors are never pressured to give.
Children are welcome throughout the service. Partway through the morning, a Children's Sermon invites kids forward to spend a few minutes with the pastor; afterward, children through third grade may leave for Kids Connection, a volunteer-led program of stories, games, music, and crafts. Sunday School classes for all ages meet from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., September through mid-June, with parents picking kids up after coffee and refreshments.
What to wear runs a wide spectrum. There are a few suits and a few t-shirts, with the rest somewhere in between, and women often a step more dressed up than the men. The simple guidance is to come as you are.
During the summer months, weather permitting, worship moves outdoors to the ministry pavilion for a more relaxed time of praise in God's creation. Services are also streamed live on YouTube at 9:30 a.m. Sunday mornings for those participating online. Each week's sermon notes, worship guide, and prayer list are posted alongside the video.
Beliefs Rooted in the Reformed Tradition
Emmanuel Reformed Church belongs to the Reformed Church in America (RCA), a Protestant body whose beginnings in the United States are traced to a 1628 worship service held over a flour mill in what is now New York City. The word Reformed comes from the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s and the efforts of leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin to re-form the church so that it would be more faithful to the Bible and to Christ. To be Reformed is, at heart, a commitment to putting Christ first and to the Holy Scriptures as the ultimate rule of faith and practice.
The church affirms three historic Christian creeds, the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, along with four Reformed statements known in the RCA as Standards of Unity: the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Confession of Belhar. The creeds and confessions explain what Scripture teaches; Scripture alone is the rule of faith and practice.
For the congregation at Castleton specifically, the Apostles' Creed gives the clearest picture of what is essential. The church walked through the Heidelberg Catechism together in 2024, a friendly study that lays out the basics of the Christian life in terms of Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude. Every person carries guilt before God and must acknowledge sin. Christ Jesus, through his death and resurrection, gives grace for a new eternal life. And out of gratitude, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live godly lives according to Scripture.
Children, Youth, and the Family Table
The congregation describes itself as a spiritual family rather than a Sunday-only program, and a great deal of ministry is built around its youngest members. Sunday School classes for preschool, elementary, and teens meet after the worship service until 11:15 throughout the school year, with experienced teachers working to lay a firm foundation of faith at every age.
During worship, Kids Connection invites children through third grade to step out for an age-appropriate program while the rest of the congregation listens to the sermon. On the third Sunday of each month during the school year, Mission Muffins Sunday invites kids of all ages to help bake muffins that are given to homebound members in need of encouragement and sold during coffee hour to support mission partners.
God Squad, the children's ministry for preschool through elementary-age kids, meets the first Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for Bible stories, crafts, games, music, and hands-on activities. The program mixes faith and fun, and there are occasional themed nights like PJ and Pizza Night. Special events run throughout the year. Trunk-or-Treat, a Live Nativity, an Easter Egg Hunt, and a Memorial Day parade float are among the community favorites. Confirmation Class walks teenagers through the basics of Christianity in a year-long journey of their own.
Adults and Encounter Groups
For adults who want to dig deeper, Encounter Groups are the church's small-group engine. Groups gather weekly in fall, winter, and spring seasons, meeting in homes and at the church on Sundays and throughout the week, to discuss the Sunday sermon, study the Bible, pray together, and find encouragement in the walk of faith. Most groups are open to anyone, and questions from the Sunday sermon notes serve as a starting point for the discussion.
Several other gatherings round out the rhythm of the week. A small group meets at the Giesers' home every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for an intimate, Spirit-led time of prayer and worship in preparation for Sunday morning. On the first Saturday of each month, men gather at 8:00 a.m. for a Men's Breakfast, with food, fellowship, and Bible conversation. The Bereavement Group meets on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. to provide support for those grieving the loss of a loved one.
Women's ministry includes the Mug-N-Muffin gathering at the Giesers' home each fall, an overnight retreat at Camp Pinnacle in the spring, and smaller gatherings like the Women's Group that meets for lunch, fellowship, and a craft. Midweek Bible studies include a Thursday evening Who is my neighbor? study examining Christian love for those beyond the familiar, and a Wednesday morning Person of Jesus study.
Worship is led by a volunteer team of musicians on guitar, organ, and piano, supported by a choir that sings special choral arrangements throughout the year, with rehearsals generally on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. A tech crew handles the projector, sound, and live stream each week. There are also opportunities to help with seasonal yardwork, spring planting, fall cleanup, and snow shoveling. The state-of-the-art ministry pavilion on the grounds was completed by church volunteers in 2019.
Beyond the Front Door: Missions and Service
ERC follows Jesus into the world, locally, regionally, and globally. Locally, the church is part of Cooperative Christian Ministries of Schodack (CCMS), a coalition of area congregations that supports the Anchor Food Pantry and Thrift Store, both housed in the Provincial House of the Sisters of the Resurrection Convent behind Riverside Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at 90 N. Main Street in Castleton. The pantry offers food and clothing to neighbors in need, and about a quarter of the funds raised through Castleton's annual CROP Hunger Walk come back to support that work.
Regionally, the church partners with St. Paul's Center in Rensselaer, a year-round shelter that provides emergency shelter and transitional support to mothers and their children. ERC provides Christmas gifts and clothing, hosts a Mother's Day brunch for the residents, and supplies back-to-school backpacks.
Globally, the church walks alongside three mission partners. In La Pintana, Chile, the church supports Casa Esperanza, the House of Hope, a ministry that rescues young women from difficult circumstances, provides education and life skills, and is now extending its work into local orphanages through the Vision for Children organization. In the far north of India, the church partners with the Himalayan Training Institute, where Pastor Steward and his wife Nyapu train men and women for ministry in rural villages and run three elementary schools serving children who would otherwise receive little formal education. And in Kenya, the church partners with the Maasai Outreach Mission through RCA Missions, supporting community health education and access to healthcare in remote Maasai communities.
Each year, the congregation participates in Operation Christmas Child, filling shoeboxes with toys, toiletries, school supplies, and clothing for children around the world. Members also support Church World Service's Blankets+ program and CWS Kits program.
Partners in the Work
Several organizations share space or a close working relationship with the church. Happy Kids Day Care operates on the church property under the direction of Cierra Pulver, and the daycare office can be reached at 518-732-4569. The Anchor Food Pantry and Thrift Store, where ERC members volunteer alongside others, is open Mondays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the first Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The church also maintains a relationship with Camp Fowler, a regional camp and conference ministry.
A small publishing effort grew out of the church's family ministry: Hunter Mulligan and the Lost Kingdom, a picture book written and illustrated by Jashton Gieser, one of the church's elders. Through a Pay-it-Forward campaign, every twenty-dollar donation allows another copy to be printed and shared with families.
Leadership at ERC
Pastor Dirk Gieser and his wife Jennifer have served at Emmanuel Reformed Church since 2014. Before entering ministry, Dirk earned a degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and later received his M.Div from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He and Jennifer served with Food for the Hungry, including three years in Bolivia, before he joined the Reformed Church in America in 2004. The Giesers have three boys and love to spend time together as a family.
The Board of Elders includes Dave Ewert, Roland Ferris, Jashton Gieser, Judy Rappold, Rhonda Van de Wal, and Wes Van Ort. The Board of Deacons includes Tracy Angelini, Mary Lee Hedrick, Emily Kreutziger, Jessica Mascolo, and Patty Songao. Jennifer Rhenow serves as Ministry Coordinator and Tracy Angelini as Finance Administrator.
Visiting ERC
The church sits at 1150 Maple Hill Road in Castleton, New York, next to Maple Hill High School. Sunday worship starts at 9:30 a.m., with Sunday School following from 10:30 to 11:15 during the school year. Greeters meet visitors at the door, the parking lot is around back, and there is room for families with children of any age. The Saturday evening prayer gathering at the Giesers' home and the church's Encounter Groups are easy ways to connect during the week. Giving is available online through the church's secure giving portal, by check mailed to the church office, or by placing an offering in the plate on Sunday morning.