Since 1934 on Shore Road
Linwood Community Church has stood at 1838 Shore Road in Linwood, New Jersey since 1934. What began as a small congregation in the communities just inland from the Jersey shore has grown into a Bible-believing, gospel-centered church serving Linwood, Northfield, Somers Point, Ocean City, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway, Absecon, and the broader Atlantic County area. The church's purpose is simple and direct: to glorify God by making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ.
A Gospel-Centered Identity
The congregation describes itself with three commitments: Bible-centered, God-centered, and gospel-centered. Members hold to the verbal inspiration, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture, and the church is conservative evangelical and baptistic in polity. Where its doctrinal statement is silent, the church refers to historic orthodox Christian confessions. Articles of faith are spelled out in the church's constitution and bylaws, and the Bible is treated as the final authority in matters of faith and practice.
Everything the church does is organized around the gospel story of creation, fall, and redemption. The pastoral team teaches that the gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the sin debt and take the punishment of humanity so that people can be reconciled to God. Sermons draw primarily from a single passage of Scripture at a time and are mostly expository in style, meaning the point of the message comes directly from the text.
Gather, Grow, Serve, Share
The church's discipleship strategy is summed up in four words: Gather, Grow, Serve, Share. Sunday mornings are built around gathering for worship; classes and small groups are where growth happens; ministry teams are where members serve; and sharing the gospel with neighbors and the nations is the overflow of everything that has come before. The church calls these its core ministries: Exalting Jesus in worship, Evangelizing the lost in word and deed, Equipping and edifying the saints, Engaging in mission.
Sunday Mornings on Shore Road
Worship gatherings take place at 10:30 AM on Sundays. Services typically open with welcomes and announcements, followed by Scripture reading, prayer, congregational singing, and a sermon. Music blends new songs with older hymns, all focused on the person and work of Christ. Musicians serve the congregation rather than perform for it, and the singing aims to be a family endeavor across ages and backgrounds. Visitors will find people in jeans, people in ties, and people in ties with their jeans; there is no dress code.
Children are welcomed as part of the church today, not just the church of tomorrow. Kids begin the service with their families for the music and Scripture readings, then are dismissed to a children's church program that uses curriculum from Crossway and apologetics resources from Answers in Genesis. Nursery is available for infants through three-year-olds, and nursing mothers are accommodated by the nursery volunteers. Sunday school for all ages meets at 9:30 AM, using The Gospel Project curriculum to show how every Bible story connects to the larger story of God's redemption through Jesus.
The 9:30 AM hour also gathers youth for discipleship and small groups, adults for Bible Fellowship classes, and a ladies' ABF class. A young adult group meets weekly at 9:30 AM for coffee, breakfast treats, conversation, and occasional activities.
Midweek on Wednesdays
Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM bring the congregation back together for a midweek meeting. Men's Discipleship Groups, called D-Groups, also meet during this hour. Earlier in the evening, the Children's Community Choir Club runs from 6:00 to 7:30 PM during the school year. Each meeting combines a biblical teaching time, an enduring hymn from the past, and a newer worship song, teaching kids to sing both the theological heritage of the church and the music of today's church.
Rooted Youth Group
The student ministry partners with parents and the wider church to disciple students from sixth grade through senior year and to reach out to youth in the community. In addition to the Sunday morning youth discipleship class, the Rooted Youth Group meets on the first and third Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, September through May, with games, snacks, a devotional, and time in God's Word. Students also attend a week of summer camp and other annual events. On Sunday mornings they participate alongside the whole church in worship and serve in music, greeting, childcare, and technology.
Senior Saints
The senior adult ministry, called Senior Saints, is for adults 55 and older who want to engage in ministry and community. The group is built around three purposes: fellowship, edification, and service. Many seniors are active in classes and small groups, and once a month the seniors take a trip to America's Keswick for a hymn sing and lunch, with transportation provided by a church van.
Men's and Women's Ministry
The men's ministry focuses on developing men who exhibit biblical masculinity and who love God, love their families, and love their church. Discipleship of men is central because the church believes spiritually mature men lead spiritually healthy families. Men meet for D-Groups on Wednesday nights, play basketball on Tuesday nights in the LCC gym with a devotional included, and serve on Sundays as ushers, on the safety and security team, and on the building and grounds team. The current deacon body, which serves three-year terms, includes David Bosico (Chair), James Mercadante (Benevolence Treasurer), Lloyd Jones, and Lon Murray.
The women's ministry exists to see ladies grow into mature disciples of Jesus, understand biblical femininity, and serve in the broader church body. A ladies' Bible Fellowship class meets on Sundays at 9:30 AM.
Small Groups, Intergenerational and Sermon-Based
Life Groups at Linwood are intergenerational and family-integrated, intentionally not separated by demographics or age. Each group is sermon-based, so the discussion flows from the text of the previous Sunday's sermon. Most groups are led by a deacon or pastor, and meetings typically include fellowship with food, discussion, and prayer. The church teaches that there is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian; the vertical connection with God brings a horizontal connection with other believers.
GriefShare and Handi*Vangelism
Two support ministries serve people in the church and surrounding community. GriefShare is a biblical, Christ-centered grief recovery support group that meets most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, with sessions offered on a rotating schedule. Barbara Heinold serves as the contact, and the church number (609-927-2950) reaches her.
Handi*Vangelism is a support ministry for people of all ages with disabilities, including those living in rehab centers, residential facilities, nursing homes, or the community. The LCC group meets twice a month on Thursdays with occasional outings, and is part of Handi*Vangelism International, a ministry that exists to share the compassion of Christ by walking alongside individuals facing life's challenges and equipping others to do the same.
Missions, Local and Global
The church takes seriously the call to advance the gospel both in Atlantic County and around the world. Locally, Linwood Community Church partners with and supports Atlantic Christian School, Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Options for Her, and The Pilgrim Academy. Members serve in a monthly nursing home ministry, a monthly ministry at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, an annual Vacation Bible School, personal evangelism training, canvassing, transportation for those needing rides to church, and mercy ministry opportunities.
A portion of the annual budget supports missionaries and agencies across the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, including CRU, Church Works Media, Christian Training and Missionary Fellowship, EFCA International (Reach Global), Endure International, Friends of Israel, Baptist World Mission, Greater Europe Mission, RMI, and Handi*Vangelism International. Short-term mission trips are organized regularly. A special sister-church relationship connects Linwood with a congregation in Anse-A-Veau, Haiti, where teams from LCC serve on a recurring basis.
Leadership and Membership
The church describes itself as elder-led congregational, with pastors assisted by deacons. Ministry is framed as a team sport for all the saints. Pastoral ministry is exercised through staff pastors, with a long-term goal toward a plurality of elders. The current staff includes a Music Director and Coordinator, Mrs. Jamie Byrd. An Administrative Assistant and Office Manager position is currently open.
Becoming a member of Linwood Community Church is described as joining a family committed to growing in Christ together. Membership classes, baptism classes, evangelism training, and Bible doctrines classes are offered on a rotation, along with summer topical seminars.
Practical Details for Visitors
There is plenty of free parking in the church lot, with overflow parking available in the activity field behind the building. Several reserved handicap spaces are available, and a wheelchair-accessible ramp leads into the building on the side. An elevator provides access to the lower level; ushers or greeters can point visitors to it.
Worship gatherings are livestreamed online each Sunday, with the broadcast typically starting around 10:45 AM. Giving is available during the offering in services, by mail, in the giving box in the lobby, by texting any amount to 84321, or through online giving. The church office is reachable at office@linwoodcommunity.church or 609-927-2950.