Living in Fellowship on Main Street in Emmaus
Emmaus Moravian Church sits on Main Street in the borough of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley. The congregation's roots reach back to the mid-eighteenth century, and its members describe their life together with a single phrase: "Living in Fellowship, Growing in Christ." The church is known for its long Moravian heritage, its brass choir that has been sounding from the steeple since 1820, an on-site preschool that has been welcoming children since 1994, and a steady rhythm of prayer, service, and community outreach that runs through every week of the year.
Two and a Half Centuries on Main Street
The Moravian tradition to which Emmaus Moravian belongs traces its origins to 1457, well before the Reformation. Moravians began their witness in the United States in 1735, and the Emmaus congregation was officially organized in 1747 with forty-three charter members. Earlier, in 1746, the community had already established a boarding school for Native American and European children in a place called "Maguntsche," a Lenape word meaning "feeding place of the bear." Between 1758 and 1759, the Moravians developed a closed village on 102 acres of donated land, known at first as Salzburg or Salisbury. Moravian Bishop Spangenberg gave the village the name Emmaus in 1761. A church building was constructed for Moravian worship in 1829. Six years later, in 1834, the community began selling home and land plots to individuals outside the church, and by 1859 Emmaus had grown into a borough of 200 acres with 277 residents drawn from Moravian, Lutheran, Reformed, and non-religious backgrounds. Today, the congregation points with quiet pride to the simple fact that it has been living in fellowship and growing in Christ for over 275 years.
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday worship is the heart of the week. From September through May, services are held at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary; from the end of May through September, the hour shifts to 9:30 a.m. Each service weaves together liturgies, sermons, biblical readings, children's chats, prayer, and a variety of musical styles. The congregation gathers for the worldwide celebration of Holy Communion on designated Sundays, and a nursery is available during worship for children up to six years old. Worship is also accessible from home through Zoom each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School runs from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., September through May, with classes for everyone from age two through adult. Adult classes follow a range of themes throughout the year, and the children's program shares the hour with parents before worship begins.
For those who would like to step into the life of the church, a Volunteer Job Fair is held each September in the chapel, with opportunities to serve on the Sacristan Corp, the Christian Education Committee, the Youth Group, the Choirs, or the Life and Growth Committee.
Morning Prayer Every Day of the Week
A defining practice at Emmaus Moravian is daily Morning Prayer. The group meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:15 a.m. on Zoom, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 a.m. at the Superior Restaurant on State Avenue in Emmaus. The church describes this rhythm as "a time-honored Moravian practice and a great start to your morning," and welcomes anyone who would like to join. The same Zoom link (Meeting ID 4429 489 211) opens the door to the Sunday livestream and to the weekday morning prayers alike.
The Emmaus Moravian Brass Choir
The Emmaus Moravian Brass Choir has been sounding from the steeple since 1820. It began as an all-trombone ensemble whose job was to "announce" holidays, Moravian festivals, and deaths in the church family, summoning parishioners who all lived close enough to hear the music from the church. Specific chorales signaled each occasion and identified the deceased by age, sex, and marital status. While the group no longer announces deaths, several other traditions endure. Each Easter, the choir assembles in darkness before sunrise and "announces" the rising sun as the congregation processes from the Sanctuary to the Cemetery for the Easter Dawn service.
Today the Brass Choir offers chorales and special music during worship about once a month and performs at community events such as Old Fashioned Christmas in Triangle Park, ArtiFest at the Museum of Indian Culture, and Emmaus Community Day. The ensemble is open to musicians of all ages and faiths with at least two years of experience on a brass instrument. Rehearsals are scheduled as needed, the calendar is posted on Google Calendar, and the church has spare instruments for anyone who would like to join but does not yet own one. The choir is also available to perform for weddings, funerals, and other private functions.
Christian Education and the Preschool
Education has been part of the Emmaus Moravian story since 1746, when the community founded its boarding school. Today that same emphasis on learning takes shape in the church's Sunday School program and in the Emmaus Moravian Preschool.
The preschool began in 1994 as a "Mom's Day Out" program offering a nurturing environment one day a week, expanded under the leadership of Bev Godusky into "Stay and Play," and has since grown into a full preschool serving children ages three to five. Classes run ten months a year, from September through June, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Families can choose two, three, or four mornings a week, and each classroom is led by a head teacher supported by a teacher's aide. The program is overseen by the Christian Education Committee and provides purposeful learning in a safe, caring, and well-supervised setting.
Reaching Out: Blessing Boxes, Food Bank, and the Second Helping Dinner
Outreach is woven into the rhythm of the week. The congregation maintains Blessing Boxes stocked with non-perishable food, hygiene items, and household supplies such as granola bars, oatmeal, pasta and sauce, canned vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, tuna, soup, cereal, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and laundry detergent. Donations are always welcome.
On the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to noon, a small group of volunteers serves at the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, with substitutes always needed and ongoing requests for peanut butter, corn, green beans, and cereal.
Each month, a Second Helping Community Dinner is held in the Pavilion on the church grounds. Volunteers help set up tables, serve the meal, and clean up afterward, and dessert donations are appreciated. All are welcome at the table.
Special offerings throughout the year support Youth and Young Adult Missions, Local Mission, the Emmaus Community Assistance Fund, the Camp Hope Scholarship Fund, Emmaus Ecumenical Ministries, Emmaus Christian Education, the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, and Moravian Common Ministries. Unified Giving - the weekly offering - supports the ongoing work and ministry of the congregation. Memorial gifts, Joyful Noise offerings for specific needs, and special envelopes round out the giving life of the church.
Vacation Bible School and Family Events
Each summer, the church hosts Vacation Bible School for a week, typically in late July, with a different theme each year. Recent themes have included a "Surf Shack" and a "Food Truck Party: On a Roll with God." Children ages three through those who have just completed fifth grade are welcome, and the program invites older youth and adults to serve as helpers. A Blessing of the Animals is held each October in Hartzell Grove, with leashes, halters, and carriers requested. Other family-friendly events include a fall Rummage Sale, Trunk or Treat, and a Holiday Craft Fair in November. The Christmas season brings the beloved Moravian tradition of Lovefeast, with beeswax candles distributed to worshippers to remind all that Jesus is the light of the world.
The Cremains Garden and the Grounds
On the church grounds sits the Emmaus Moravian Church Cemetery, which includes a Cremains Garden established in June 2020 as a serene option for the burial of cremated remains. The garden is centrally located within the cemetery, with easy access from a nearby driveway and a paver walkway. At its heart is a cross-shaped burial area, a granite memorial stone engraved with each name and the birth and death years, planting beds, a perimeter fence, and two meditation benches. Burial costs are $625 for church members and $725 for non-members, and a minimum of two business days' notice is required to schedule a burial. Families may prepare the small burial site themselves or with the help of a funeral home, and a minister of their choosing may officiate.
The church also offers its facilities - including a fellowship hall, a well-equipped kitchen, and additional meeting rooms - for meetings, celebrations, and community gatherings, with flexible rental options and ample parking.
Beliefs and What It Means to Be Moravian
Emmaus Moravian belongs to the Moravian Church in America, Eastern District, a denomination that has existed since 1457 and has been active in the United States since 1735. Members of the congregation affirm belief in God as Trinity, the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God, the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as the path of spiritual growth.
The Moravian motto - "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love" - is taken seriously here. Moravians do not proselytize; when new churches are considered, they look for areas with a growing population but few churches so that duplication of effort is avoided. They have always been primarily interested in serving according to local needs and cooperating with other churches as partners. A "Moravian," the church teaches, is one who seeks to work in partnership with all Christians to carry out Christ's mission in the world, claims Jesus Christ as Chief Elder, seeks to build community, worships God in community and in daily devotion, deepens faith through prayer, study, and teaching, joyfully gives back to God with time, talent, and treasure, looks on others as children of God, and compassionately shares Christ's love in both word and deed.
Getting Connected: Book Club, Prayer Shawls, and More
Several smaller groups invite deeper involvement. The EMC Book Club meets on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., either in person in the Comenius Room or by Zoom, and newcomers are always welcome. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers to knit, crochet, and craft quilts, and Pastor Brian Dixon brings the finished shawls to homebound and hospitalized members of the community as a tangible embrace.
Members and visitors can submit prayer requests through the church office, sign up for the monthly newsletter, or follow along with the Sunday livestream on Zoom. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 148 Main Street, on the corner of Keystone and Main, and the pastor and staff welcome questions, visits, and new faces.
Each year a Congregational Watchword guides the congregation's reflection. The watchword for 2026 is drawn from 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For in Him every one of God's promises is a Yes. For this reason it is through Him that we say Amen, to the glory of God."