A 1956 Community Church on Great Neck Road
Three blocks from the southern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, in the Great Neck neighborhood of Virginia Beach, stands Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ. The congregation numbers about 160 members and draws people from many different denominations and religious traditions. Its members describe it with a phrase that doubles as an ethic: "We welcome everyone. Seriously."
The church was founded in 1956 as a community church when Shore Drive was still a two-lane road, W. Great Neck Road was the only "Great Neck" Road, the Long Creek Bridge was a one-lane drawbridge, and the first homes were just being built in Cape Story by the Sea. The fellowship has grown from a small cinder-block building into an active center of faith and community life on the Bay.
Open, Affirming, and Still Listening
LCCC formally identifies as an Open and Affirming congregation. Its covenant reads: "We welcome into full membership and participation in this community of service persons of every race, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, mental ability, socio-economic status, marital status, and faith background." The church is also a WISE Congregation for Mental Health, a designation through the UCC's Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged program that names mental health as part of the church's pastoral concern.
As members of the United Church of Christ, LCCC grounds its identity in the UCC's recurring motto: "God is still speaking." The congregation believes in extravagant welcome, an open communion table, and the irrevocable gift and claim of baptism. It teaches that religion and science are not mutually exclusive and that "your head and heart are both welcomed into our places of worship."
The local congregation belongs to the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ, formed in 1965 and made up of churches in Eastern Virginia, Eastern North Carolina, and Western North Carolina. The conference, which its own description calls the most diverse in the UCC, has its offices in Burlington, North Carolina, with the Rev. Edward Davis serving as Designated Conference Minister.
Sunday Mornings at 10 a.m.
Worship is held every Sunday at 10 a.m. Worshippers wear whatever they feel comfortable in; some arrive in business attire, others in jeans. A nursery is available from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. for the youngest children. Children's and Adult Sunday School begins at 11:15 a.m., and the adult class rotates through topics that often take up the hard questions of faith.
Music is a real presence in the room. Dean Englert directs the choir from the loft, conducting, playing, and singing. A New England Conservatory graduate, he previously served as Conducting Instructor of the Armed Forces School of Music and as low-brass instructor in the Marine Corps, and he currently directs music at Norfolk Academy. Phoebe Pacleb, the organist, brings more than two decades of professional experience to the service, accompanying on both piano and organ and occasionally adding her own voice. She is joined by her husband Ted, a choir member, and together they have raised a daughter now in college.
At Easter and Christmas, the choir offers a seasonal cantata during worship. The annual Christmas Eve Service draws the wider neighborhood. Lent brings an Ash Wednesday service and a Maundy Thursday service. In August, a "Tomato Sunday" offers a bluegrass-style worship, and early October brings a Blessing of the Animals. Occasional contemplative services round out the year.
Sermons Online
Sermons are streamed live on the church's Facebook page each Sunday and later posted to its YouTube channel. A library of recent sermons is also available on the Sermons page of the church site.
Service Near and Far
LCCC's service work follows a long-standing rule of thumb: think globally, act locally. The congregation prepares and serves meals at PIN Ministries and at the Judeo Christian Outreach Center, collects clothing and supplies for those without homes, and provides medical support for people in need.
Beyond direct service, LCCC has built lasting partnerships. It is a Pearl Faith Community partner with Lynnhaven River Now, the local watershed organization, and participates each year in Clean the Bay Day to clear area beaches and waterways. Members recently joined with Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) to help a refugee family settle into their first U.S. home. They teach English as a Second Language classes for refugees in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). They also support the Dos Santos Food Pantry and Thrift Store on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
Disaster relief is a long-standing commitment, both through financial giving and on-site work teams sent to hurricane and tornado rebuilding sites. Mission trips in past years have reached orphanages in Haiti and projects in North Carolina, including organizing foster-care supplies and helping outfit handicapped children with wheelchairs.
Equality, Equity, and Social Justice
LCCC names social justice as a central reason it exists. The congregation has walked through the JustFaith program to study the history, evolution, and systemic nature of racism, and now enjoys regular combined worship services with Union UCC in Norfolk. Each year the church sets up a table at Hampton Roads PrideFest and supports the City of Virginia Beach's policy of inclusion and non-discrimination. Members have sent more than 800 postcards through a Get Out the Vote campaign and offer ongoing study resources for personal exploration of justice questions.
Growing in Faith Together
Adult formation is woven into the rhythm of the week. After worship, the 11:15 a.m. Sunday School tackles rotating topics, and members gather once a month at a local brewery for Progressive Pints, a discussion over a beer on subjects that have ranged from modern medicine to heaven and hell. Daily devotionals through UCC Stillspeaking Devotions are promoted as a weekday companion to Sunday's larger conversation.
A Day Care that Grew with the Church
From its earliest days, LCCC has been home to a Child Development Center that is fully licensed with the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Center is open year-round to children from six weeks old through age twelve, with hours from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, closing only for a few major holidays and serious weather days. Programming covers pre-reading skills, introductory math and science concepts, language arts, music, and motor skills, with optional extras like computer classes, soccer, yoga, and dance available for a small additional fee. Dorothy Hall serves as Director.
Community Center and Rental
Adjacent to the church, the Community Center is available for rent for showers, receptions, meetings, and other events. The space includes a social room and adjoining kitchen and accommodates up to 150 guests. Renters arrange access through the church office, where Stephanie Vega, the office administrator, handles bookings along with the many other jobs that keep a busy church running: reception, bookkeeping, technology, facility oversight, and document processing.
A Year of Fellowship
LCCC's calendar carries the congregation through the seasons. April brings the spring plant sale, with perennials, annuals, herbs, and a few gently used finds. Summer closes with the annual luau, when the Original Rhondels take the stage for an evening of music, dancing, and heavy hors d'oeuvres. The Saturday before Thanksgiving each year is the Holiday Bazaar, with local artists and crafters renting space, gently used Christmas items for sale, a bake sale organized by the Women's Fellowship Circle, and a hot lunch at a reasonable price. On the weekend of Mother's Day in even-numbered years, the fellowship hosts a "proper" English Tea, with themed tables and musical entertainment. Members also host rolling fellowship events through the year: kayak trips to False Cape Park, movie nights and discussions, indoor shuffleboard, ballgames, boat rides, mystery dinner theater, and tours of local attractions.
The Pastoral Team
The congregation is served by the Rev. Phil Myers, who hails from Burlington, North Carolina, and has served several UCC congregations there, including First Reformed UCC since 1994. He holds a Master of Divinity and a BA in Psychology, and spent time as a short-term missionary in Kenya. He has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and with Young Musicians of Alamance, a program that offers free music lessons for less privileged children, and remains active in the leadership of the Southern Conference of the UCC.
Stephanie Vega is the office administrator, the first point of contact for visitors and the steady hand behind the church office. Dorothy Hall directs the Child Development Center. Together with Dean Englert and Phoebe Pacleb, they make up the staff of a congregation that has spent seventy years working to keep its welcome as wide as the Chesapeake Bay three blocks away.