Grace United Church of Christ stands at the intersection of 9th Street and Lincoln Avenue in Northampton, Pennsylvania, two blocks up 9th Street after the Coplay/Northampton bridge and diagonally across from Franklin Elementary School. The congregation is known for a traditional Sunday worship service that follows a liturgy, a music program of organ, choir and bells, and a mission of love God with PEP - Prayer, Energy and Passion - that puts shared meals, food collection and support for local families at the center of church life.
Grace's mission statement, adopted in 2013, is built on Mark 12:29-31, where Jesus names loving God and loving neighbor as the greatest commandments. In practice, the church prays for family, friends and neighbors, brings energy to uplifting the community, and expresses passion for spreading God's love by helping others, from Northampton and Coplay to Whitehall and Allentown.
From a Sunday School in Stemton to Grace UCC
Grace began as a layman's movement in the borough of Stemton. Community leaders who wanted religious instruction for their children gathered for Sunday School sessions in the Dry Run Public School House as early as 1864 and then met in the Stemton School House from 1870 onward. As Stemton's population grew with the cement industry, more people wanted regular religious services, and in 1897 Thomas George carried a petition bearing seventy-three names to East Pennsylvania Classis asking for the organization of a new congregation. Fifty-nine of those petitioners became the charter members of Grace Reformed Congregation, and many of their descendants are among the current congregation.
The cornerstone of the church building was laid shortly thereafter, and the completed building was turned over to the congregation in 1898. The First Hungarian Reformed Church of Northampton used the building for Sunday afternoon services in 1916 and 1917. When that congregation dissolved, many of its members joined Grace Reformed Church, and a worship service in German was conducted once a month until 1926.
In 1957, following the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed denominations and the Congregational and Christian denominations, Grace Reformed Church became Grace United Church of Christ. The original building still houses the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall, and an Education Building was added in 1964.
Grace continues to honor its beginning as a Sunday School program by taking every opportunity to serve young people. The church hosted Northampton students in 1980-81 while Franklin Elementary School was being renovated, and Boy and Girl Scouts have found a home in the building through the years.
Two Sacraments, Open Scripture and a Uniting Church
Grace is a member of the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ and holds to the UCC's core beliefs. The church recognizes two sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, both understood as the human response to God's gifts of acceptance and forgiveness, and it practices them as a way of celebrating unity with God. The Bible is held to be Holy Scripture and God-inspired, and as the congregation studies the Word it listens for how "God Is Still Speaking," staying open to the light and truth that break forth from Scripture and to how God is teaching people to live today.
Grace also affirms the priesthood of all believers, meaning everyone who professes belief in Jesus as Christ is called to minister to others with the gifts God has given, through worship, prayer, personal devotions and service both within and outside the church. The phrase "That They May All Be One," taken from John 17:21, is the church's motto and appears in its logo as a reminder that the denomination was formed from four separate traditions. Grace believes in the autonomy of the local congregation, while holding it in a loving covenantal relationship with the national UCC church, other faith communities and one another.
Those beliefs shape the church's mission in action. Grace publishes daily devotionals for spiritual reflection, highlights local businesses each month to support neighbors who employ people and keep money circulating in the community, and organizes charity collections such as monthly Food Bank Sundays, a Christmas Mitten Tree and a Family Celebration that provides Christmas gifts to families in need. When a local need comes to the church's attention, Grace works to help.
Sunday at 10:30: A Traditional Liturgical Service
Grace's standard worship time is 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, and the service lasts about an hour. It includes prayers, scripture readings, a sermon and music. Grace describes itself as a traditional church that follows a liturgy, using responses that help connect worshippers with God, and traditional hymns remain a large part of the service. The congregation also enjoys contemporary styles from time to time, and Pastor Bob occasionally shares his own musical talents with the assembly.
Visitors and guests are always welcome. Deacons and greeters are there to say hello, and a Welcome Packet introduces who Grace is and what the church stands for. The sanctuary is reached by a handicap-accessible elevator on the main floor in Fellowship Hall, with a lift operator arranged in advance through the church office.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. In recognition of the nourishment God gives, that first Sunday is also celebrated as "Food Bank Sunday," when the congregation collects non-perishable food items for the Northampton Food Bank.
Sunday services are also streamed live. The congregation gathers at Facebook for the live service, and a YouTube stream is provided as well. Grace has continued to share daily devotionals for spiritual reflection and updates on church happenings through its Facebook presence, even as it seeks to rekindle the sense of community and fellowship that gathering in person brings.
The Sound of Grace: Organ, Choir and Bells
The first sounds heard on entering the doors are ones of joy-filled music. Grace's music programs are a point of pride for the congregation and are led by Minister of Music Marisa Deshler, an organist with more than thirty years of experience playing in various Christian denominations. Between the organ, the choir and the bell choir, the congregation hears uplifting music during every worship service.
Traditional hymns anchor the worship, with different types of contemporary music added every now and then, and Pastor Bob sometimes entertains the congregation with his musical talents. The congregation's favorite Christmas hymns, chosen by poll, are "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Silent Night," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and "Joy to the World."
Learning Together: Sunday School, Family Church and Youth
Grace's Christian education is open to everyone. No church membership is required for Sunday School, youth programs or any other church event, and no matter where a person is on their faith journey, children and families are welcome.
Children's Sunday School meets Sunday mornings during the school year, from September through May, starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 a.m., just before worship. Every Sunday School teacher has passed background checks and completed Safe Church workshops. Grace also hosts "Family Church" four times a year, when parents are invited to join their children during Sunday School for fun family activities, and Vacation Bible School is a summer program of themed lessons and activities built around Bible stories, crafts, skits, snacks and games.
Youth activities include snow tubing, bowling, kickball and a Christmas play. Eighth graders are invited to become full members through confirmation, with one hour-long classes each week from September to mid-May in preparation for confirmation. The church also welcomes new traditions that bring new faces into the life of the congregation.
Adults gather for a Sunday School discussion group that meets at 9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall during the school year, typically lasting 45 to 60 minutes before the 10:30 worship service. Participants share what is happening in their lives and in the church, listen to the scripture reading, and then talk openly about the passage. The lectionary-based curriculum offers a responsible and creative contemporary understanding of Christian teachings and explores how faith can be lived authentically in a diverse and rapidly changing world. The group is led by Gary Henry, and light refreshments and conversation with one another often follow before worship.
Meals for Neighbors: Community Dinners and the Soup Kitchen
Grace's community work starts in the dining room. Several times each year the church hosts dinners that extend far beyond its own membership, bringing together people from Northampton, Coplay, Whitehall and beyond for delicious food, good company and plenty of fun. These dinners also serve families going through difficult times: Grace works with the local Northampton School District to identify them and offers them a place at the table free of charge. Volunteers help with set up, cleanup, and making and serving the food.
Once a month, volunteers join Grace's pastor at the Lehigh Conference of Churches Kitchen, located at 457 W. Allen Street in Allentown, to distribute meals to people who face food insecurity. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. and lunch is served at 11:45 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month.
Charity collections run throughout the year. Food Bank Sundays collect non-perishable food for the Northampton Food Bank, the Christmas Mitten Tree gathers holiday items for families in need, and the Family Celebration gift drive provides Christmas gifts to families going through difficult times. Card drives are organized for different reasons, including a birthday drive for a church member turning 100 and collections for people who are having a hard time and could use a cheerful card. Grace's "Friendly Faces" outreach reaches people in the community who would benefit from a visit; one such effort gathered volunteers to sing Christmas carols to a local man with a terminal illness and his family.
Fund-raising and communication are part of the rhythm as well. Grace holds a monthly hoagie sale and occasional homemade dinners such as halupki and spaghetti suppers, with baskets and gift cards accepted for a basket social. Each month, the congregation shares a letter from the pastor, general announcements, fund-raising and event information, Consistory meeting highlights, the month's schedule and a Spotlight on Local Business feature, while daily devotionals offer short reflections for spiritual reflection.
Partners Beyond the Church
Grace supports and learns from a group of local and regional partners. Bethany Children's Home provides a safe place of nurture, protection and supportive care for youth, helping residents and families work through loss and move toward healthier futures. KidsPeace is highlighted primarily as a resource for learning to recognize risk indicators for youth suicide, spot warning signs and prevent suicide, with additional resources through TeenCentral. Lancaster Theological Seminary, a graduate school affiliated with the United Church of Christ, is known for academic excellence, celebration of differences across Christian traditions and creative engagement on issues important to the world, educating and nurturing leaders for redemptive and liberating work.
The Lehigh Conference of Churches assists those most in need in the community through its Ecumenical Soup Kitchen, which provides nutritious meals, the Daybreak Drop-In Center, which offers safe and supportive programs for people struggling with mental health, Pathways Housing Services, which helps people facing homelessness find housing, and the Hope Program, which helps stabilize the lives of adults struggling with homelessness and mental health. Phoebe Ministries offers quality and compassionate health care services for more than 15,000 older adults annually, along with personal protective equipment for residents and staff, pastoral care programs, innovative educational programs, pharmacy services and charitable care. Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley is a safe place for survivors of domestic and intimate partner abuse and their children, reaching nearly 2,200 people a year through a 24-hour helpline, an emergency safe house, empowerment counseling and groups, legal advocacy, outreach education and medical advocacy in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Fellowship Hall: Gatherings, Rentals and Giving
Grace's Fellowship Hall comfortably holds up to 125 guests, is handicap accessible, and includes a large kitchen with a sink, stove, oven, refrigerator and freezer. Tables and chairs are set up before renters arrive, leaving hosts free to decorate with whatever materials they bring. Members rent the hall for $100 and the public for $175, with an additional $50 fee when the reserved time runs after 6:00 p.m. and a $100 security deposit that is fully refunded upon satisfactory return of the hall. No smoking, alcohol or gambling is permitted, and no tape or thumb tacks may be used on walls, doors or cabinets.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and can be reached at 610-262-7186. Support for Grace's community-driven mission is offered through traditional Sunday offerings, contributions during office hours or by mail, an E-Giving form that transfers a chosen amount automatically from a checking or savings account, and one-time or monthly PayPal donations. Receipts from Redner's grocery purchases can also be submitted, earning one percent of the purchase total for the church. Redner's Rewards Cards work as usual, but the full receipt must be given to the office for the credit to count.
Pastoral and Music Leadership
Grace's pastor is the Rev. Bob Gutekunst, an authorized minister in the Penn Northeast Conference since 2011 and ordained in 2019. He has served several congregations in the conference, most recently Forks UCC in Stockertown, Pennsylvania. He plays in a band with his twin brother, Tom, and enjoys travel, hiking, movies and reading. Marisa Deshler serves as Minister of Music, and Gary Henry leads the Adult Sunday School discussion group. An elected Consistory oversees the life and finances of the church, working alongside committees for fellowship, property and Christian education.
Grace's own words - experience God, find community, live your purpose - capture a congregation that grew out of Sunday School children in a public schoolhouse in Stemton. That purpose now shows up in a liturgical Sunday service at 10:30, in organ and choir and bells, in education for every age, and in a steady rhythm of meals, food collections, card drives and gatherings that bring Northampton and its neighbors together around a table.