Little Swatara Church of the Brethren sits a mile west of Rehrersburg, in northern Berks County, drawing families scattered across the villages of Bethel, Frystown, and Fredericksburg in the rolling Pennsylvania farm country along Swatara Creek. Organized in 1757, the congregation is one of the older Church of the Brethren bodies in eastern Pennsylvania, and it has carried a small-group, family-centered style of worship into a modern, fully accessible campus with two Sunday services, a long-running preschool, and an active slate of youth, peace, and food ministries.
Two Sunday Services, One Congregation
Each Sunday morning the church offers two worship services that feel quite different from one another.
At 8:30 in the fellowship hall, the Off the Hook contemporary service gathers around tables in a small-group format. Dress is whatever feels comfortable, coffee and refreshments are out, and the focus is on what it means to be "off the hook" for Jesus as followers and worshippers in the world.
At 10:30 in the main sanctuary, the principal service alternates weekly between a traditional service with organ and choirs and a contemporary/blended service. It features a children's sermon and other special elements, and coffee is served beforehand in the downstairs entry way. While this hour can be more traditional, the Brethren heritage leads the congregation toward a less formal approach to worship, with no reserved or special spaces in the sanctuary.
Visitors are met by ushers and greeters who are quick to give directions to the service, the coffee, and the restrooms. The 10:30 service is livestreamed each Sunday on Facebook and YouTube for those who want to follow along from home.
A Heritage That Goes Back to 1757
The congregation was officially organized in 1757, though German immigrants had been meeting in one another's homes and barns for some years before that. They continued gathering in homes until 1848, when they built the Merkey Meeting House north of the village of Bethel on Route 501.
In 1875, the congregation built two large meeting houses: the Ziegler House, located a half mile northwest of Rehrersburg, and the Frystown House, on the south edge of Frystown. In 1923, the Schubert House was built. Two meeting houses were also constructed in the Fredericksburg area, one in town and another two miles to the south.
In the horse-and-buggy years, families worshipped in the one closest to home. After 1919, the congregation split into separate groups. Those closer to Fredericksburg worshipped there, while those east of Little Maiked Mountain Road rotated between the four local meeting houses. With the arrival of automobiles, people traveled to whichever house was being used that Sunday.
By the 1950s, the congregation had outgrown those scattered buildings. After years of planning, the present modern facility was built a mile west of Rehrersburg, and the meeting houses were sold to other groups. The building has been updated several times over the decades and is now fully accessible, air conditioned, and fitted with current sound and video systems. A preschool was added in the 1990s. The most recent renovation brought new windows, new roofing, and a new entry way with a drive-through pavilion, and the grounds now include a playground and a well-equipped picnic pavilion that hosts many activities through the year.
The Naming and the Mission
The congregational name comes from a nearby stream, the Little Swatara, which begins as a spring in the mountains near the campus. The Bible is filled with references to springs, streams, and rivers, so the church has taken its identity from an important source of growth and life. In many ways the congregation calls itself the Little Swatara River of God, not a place, but a people who have found the source of living water. Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks the living water will never thirst again."
The mission statement reads, "Little Swatara Church of the Brethren: Transformed by Christ to Love, and Serve Together." The vision statement spells out the work that follows from that calling:
- Provide opportunities for spiritual growth for all ages
- Energize, equip and disciple youth and young adults for Christian service
- Connect and engage with each other and the community
- Introduce others to Christ through service
- Expand ministries in love
Church of the Brethren Beliefs and Practices
Little Swatara is a Church of the Brethren congregation. The Brethren use the New Testament as their creed, pledging obedience to Jesus Christ rather than following a fixed set of rules. The denomination promotes the principles of peace and reconciliation, simple living, integrity of speech, family values, and service to neighbors near and far.
Specific beliefs include:
- Baptism is an ordinance performed upon adults in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by immersion three times forward. It is seen as a commitment to live Jesus' teachings responsibly and joyfully.
- The Bible is the guidebook, divinely inspired, with the Old Testament laying out God's purpose and desires for humanity and the New Testament affirming beliefs and giving direction for daily living.
- Communion is an expression of love modeled after Christ's last supper with his disciples, with the congregation partaking of bread and wine in celebration of agape, the selfless love Jesus showed the world. Communion also includes the love feast and feet washing.
- God the Father is viewed as Creator and loving Sustainer.
- Healing and anointing are an ordinance in which the minister lays on hands for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, anointing the believer's forehead with oil three times.
- The Holy Spirit is integral to the believer's life. The church seeks to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of life, thought, and mission.
- Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and living a life patterned after his humble service and unconditional love is of paramount importance.
- Peace is a defining mark. The church holds that all war is sin and that Brethren are conscientious objectors who seek nonviolent solutions to conflict, from personal disagreements to international threats.
- Salvation is God's pardon of sinners through belief in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, his only Son given as the perfect sacrifice in our place.
- The Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one God.
Local Brethren worship services tend to be informal, with prayer, singing, a sermon, and space for sharing and testimonies. Music can be contemporary worship music or more traditional choir and organ.
Sunday School for All Ages
From 9:30 to 10:25, between the two services, Sunday School classes meet for every age. Adult classes are organized by special interest groups so that adults can choose the curriculum that speaks to them. Senior High and Junior High youth meet in their own area, and children in first through sixth grade gather in their own classes. Younger children can be placed in the preschool and nursery programs, with babies cared for in the nursery and an extended session for small children available for parents who elect to use it. Adults are welcome from their twenties through their nineties.
Music at the Center of Worship
Music is central to worship at Little Swatara. A varying rotation of choirs serves through the year, including adult, children's, and youth choirs, along with a bell choir and a worship team. Small special-purpose musical groups appear as well, lending variety to the 10:30 service as it alternates between traditional and contemporary/blended weeks.
Pastor Matt Christ and the Staff
Pastor Matt Christ serves as senior pastor. Married to Denise (Myer) Christ since October 1999, he is the father of three - Abigail, Malachi, and Leshane - and a grandfather to Jaxton. A 1995 graduate of Mifflinburg Area Senior High School, he went on to Bucknell University, where he earned a double major in Religion and Environmental Studies. After graduation in 1999 he worked in water treatment, banking, and insurance sales while volunteering in youth ministry at Buffalo Valley Church of the Brethren. He began studies at Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2007 and transitioned to Buffalo Valley as full-time youth and young adult pastor, graduating in 2013 with a Master of Divinity and a concentration in youth ministry. The senior pastor call led him and Denise to Little Swatara, where the family felt God's affirmation nearby at the Rehrersburg Lions Club playground.
Connie serves as church secretary. A 1967 graduate of Warwick Township High School in Lancaster County, she lives in Schaefferstown with her husband David and their rescue cat. Before Little Swatara she spent ten years in fire and liability insurance underwriting and thirty-five years in healthcare, most recently as compliance officer for a tri-state physical therapy company. Since retiring in 2017 she has taught LEGO-based STEM classes through the public library system.
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
An active and vibrant youth and young adult ministry is a hallmark of the congregation. Events include Sunday soup-and-sandwich fundraising luncheons, church fun nights, bowling and laser tag outings, work days for several members of the congregation, disaster response trips, the youth choir, and a praise and worship band.
The Junior High Youth Group is active and growing, with fall and spring festivals, hayrides, weekends at Camp Swatara, district lock-ins at Lebanon Valley College, regular bake sales, hiking, and pool parties. Music programs, fun nights, retreats, and a yearly mission and disaster relief trip round out the calendar.
The Peace Witness of the Church of the Brethren
As one of the historic peace churches, the Church of the Brethren continues to support those who make a decision of conscience opposing war. The denomination's peace witness goes back to its beginnings. Brethren fled Germany and Holland to escape war and persecution, and in coming to America the founder Alexander Mack stated firmly, "No [Ana]Baptist will be found in war." Despite harassment the church resisted support of the Revolutionary War effort, and that resistance was magnified when Brethren refused to participate in the Civil War, especially in the South.
After World War I, the Church of the Brethren began participating with Quaker Friends and Mennonites in peace conferences and became part of the "Historic Peace Churches." They formed the National Service Board for Religious Objectors, which administered fourteen Civilian Public Service camps during World War II. The Brethren also pioneered the resettlement of Japanese Americans interned in U.S. evacuation camps.
In 1955, the Historic Peace Churches began holding conferences in Europe to provide for conscientious objectors, and the Brethren played a significant role in forming the Eirene program, which provides an alternative to military service in many European countries today. The Brethren Service Committee began humanitarian relief projects in 1939 in Germany, Greece, Italy, and China, formalizing that work in 1948 as Brethren Volunteer Service. In 1974, M. R. Ziegler formed On Earth Peace, which focuses on peace education, and in 1976 Brethren and Mennonites joined the Friends in New Call to Peacemaking. In 1983, Brethren churches were declared sanctuaries for Central American refugees, and in 1986 the denomination opposed investing in any company doing business in apartheid-era South Africa.
Today the church seeks peace not as merely the opposite of war, but as a system where all of God's creation is given just treatment, recognizing justice as a critical element of peacemaking and expanding the understanding of violence to include economic, emotional, and spiritual violence as well.
Feed Them: A Warm Meal for the Community
Feed Them is an outreach ministry Little Swatara started in 2021 as an extension of the Bethel Tulpehocken Food Bank. Once a month the church provides a warm, prepared meal to anyone who needs one. Founders Jenny and Craig wrote: "Jesus said 'Feed them.' What a great command from our Lord and Savior. For those of us who use food as their love language it's an easy one." The meals have grown over time, fed from a generous supply of soup and bread contributed by the council of churches, fellow believers, and the home church. Volunteers bake, cook, and serve, and those interested in helping can reach out to the church office.
Vacation Bible School
Each July, the Christian Education Ministry Team organizes and leads Vacation Bible School, which culminates with an evening picnic and program. The 2026 program, called Snowball Mountain, challenges kids to a winter sports event where they are challengers gearing up for frosty games, snowy surprises, and hands-on lessons about resilience and faith. Guided by Ollie the Arctic Seal puppet, students use their Bible to learn stories and life lessons, drawing on the strength of God's provision.
Little Swatara Preschool: Thirty Years and Counting
Little Swatara Preschool has served families in northern Berks County for more than thirty years. Sara Bryant directs the preschool and has served as secretary and chair of the board, and her two children are preschool graduates themselves.
The purpose of the preschool is to provide spiritual and academic instruction for children three to five years old, a loving atmosphere where children can joyfully adjust to being away from home, opportunities for the development of wholesome social relationships, and quality learning experiences as a service to the local community.
The program uses a Christian preschool curriculum published on a three-year cycle, including Bible stories, singing, crafts, pre-reading and pre-math skills, supervised play, and snacks, sometimes prepared by the children themselves. Three-year-olds through pre-kindergartners may enroll if they are three by August 1 of the school year and independent in toileting. Three class options are available, each running September through May, including Preschool 1 (Mon/Wed/Fri 9 to 11:30 a.m.), Preschool 2 (Tues/Thurs 9 to 11:30 a.m.), Pre-Kindergarten 1 (Mon/Wed/Thurs 9 to 11:30 a.m. with seventeen extended days running 9 to 3 p.m.), and Pre-Kindergarten 3 (Mon/Tues/Thurs 12:30 to 3 p.m. with seventeen extended Tuesdays running 9 to 3 p.m.). Activities include a fall Meet the Teacher Night, field trips, special celebrations, Fall Fest, an Easter Festival, Cookies and Carols Christmas Celebration, an Art Show, and Preschool Sunday, when students sing for worship at the 10:30 service. Foul-weather closings follow the Tulpehocken School District policy.
Deacons and Pastoral Care
In the Church of the Brethren, deacon ministry is a vital expression of care, and the deacons at Little Swatara are called caregivers who use their spiritual gifts in a shared ministry of concern for the total well-being of God's people. They are called to be Christ-like, welcoming, nurturing, reconciling, sensitive to the presence of God's spirit in their lives and in the lives of others, witnessing for Jesus Christ within and beyond the Body of Christ. Deacons at Little Swatara serve for a set term and are assigned by geographic area. They assist the pastor through visitation, prayer, and addressing the concerns and missions of the church.
The Building and Accessibility
The campus a mile west of Rehrersburg was built in the 1950s and has been updated several times. The sanctuary and fellowship hall are fully accessible, with a drive-through portico on the lower level, ADA ramps to the upper level, and an elevator between the two. Modern sound and video systems support both in-person worship and the weekly livestream. A playground and a well-equipped picnic pavilion serve church life through the year. As a service to the community, the sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, and pavilion are available for rent.
Visiting Little Swatara
The church is glad to welcome visitors and wants them to feel at home without feeling overwhelmed. The congregation is mostly Pennsylvania Dutch, a heritage of reserved warmth and legendary hospitality. There are no reserved or special spaces in worship, and ushers and greeters are happy to help with whatever a first-time guest needs, from directions to the restroom to a cup of coffee.
Pastor Matt is active on social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and is happy to be in contact. Weekly announcements and a full calendar are available, and a livestream of the 10:30 service runs each Sunday on Facebook and YouTube. A weekly email newsletter and a text list give visitors a way to stay connected.
Other Activities Through the Year
Beyond Sunday morning, the church family gathers for a car and antique tractor show, yard sales, a Christmas Bazaar, and many special dinners and social events. The spring calendar includes Spiritual Renewal Services. Twice a month, after worship, the doors open again for a meal through Feed Them, and the bulletin board carries a long-running series of children's activity sheets that go back years.