On the corner of Chester Pike and Ridley Avenue in Norwood, Pennsylvania, Norwood United Methodist Church has opened its doors to the borough week after week since a small mission began there in 1888. The congregation has worshipped in the same neighborhood through four building programs, two denominational mergers and a century of change in the surrounding community, while keeping a steady rhythm of Sunday worship, Bible study and service.
Four cornerstone ceremonies on Chester Pike
Methodism in Norwood began in March 1888, when Prospect Park Methodist Church started a mission in the vacant old Norwood Hotel on the south side of Ridley Avenue. Within months the Norwood Church Building Association was formed, Mrs. William Hazzard donated a plot of ground, and the men of the new church worked at night to finish a temporary chapel in two weeks. The Ladies Aid Society organized on June 15, 1888, the first Trustees were elected two days later, and the board met for the first time on October 9.
Growth came quickly enough that a permanent building was needed. The cornerstone was laid on November 14, 1888, and the church was dedicated on April 10, 1898. Within a decade the trustees decided the building sat in the wrong spot. On November 23, 1908, crews began moving the church to the corner of Chester Pike and Ridley Avenue, and a new cornerstone was set in place on December 13, 1908.
By 1924 the Sunday School had outgrown the building once again. Members gathered for groundbreaking on June 7 of that year, the cornerstone was laid on August 17, and the expanded building was dedicated on November 1, 1925. A final building campaign added a religious education wing, with a cornerstone laid on September 11, 1955 and consecration by Bishop Corson on December 18. The building at 315 Chester Pike, with its Social Hall downstairs and the Sanctuary upstairs, is the home the congregation still meets in.
Sunday worship and the seasons of the year
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 am and lasts about an hour. From the second Sunday in September through the last Sunday in May, the service meets in the upstairs Sanctuary; during the summer, from the first Sunday in June through the first Sunday in September, the congregation moves downstairs to the air-conditioned Social Hall. Holy Communion is observed on the first Sunday of every month. Each service is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
The Sanctuary and Social Hall are both wheelchair accessible from the Ridley Avenue side of the building, through the double glass doors. Two designated handicap parking spaces are available on Ridley Avenue, and additional parking is found on Chester Pike, on Ridley Avenue, and at Cavanagh's Funeral Home when no services are taking place there.
Bible classes for every age
Bible study runs alongside worship from the third Sunday in September through the last Sunday in May. At 9:00 am, adults gather in the Chapel for the Cornerstone Bible Class, taught and facilitated by Bob Gibbs. Children ages two through twelve are dismissed from the Sanctuary during the 10:00 am service into two classes held in the Gathering room classrooms: Little Sprouts Bible Time for ages two to six and Bible Bunch Time for ages seven to twelve. The classes are designed so that parents attending worship can drop their children off without missing the service.
Prayer hour and a midweek word
On Tuesdays at 10:00 am, Pastor Scott Dorn leads Prayer Hour in the Sanctuary, an open gathering the church describes as good for the soul. On Wednesdays, Pastor Scott posts a Midweek Message of Encouragement on the church's Facebook page.
The people who lead the church
The congregation is shepherded by Rev. Scott Dorn, who grew up in Telford, Pennsylvania, served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army, graduated summa cum laude from Valley Forge Christian College, earned a Master of Divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary in 2013, and was ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church in 2017. He and his wife Nicole have two children, Owen and Mia. The music program is led by Music Director Sharon Neff, who has directed worship at Norwood since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Houghton College and a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music, performs with the Main Line Opera Guild and Delaware Valley Opera Company, and teaches voice at Settlement Music School. The church is also served by an Administrative Assistant, Melanie Passarella, and by longtime treasurers Kurt Schaefer, Sr. and Lynda Stine.
Little Blessings Christian Preschool
The church operates Little Blessings Christian Preschool, with a school board made up of Norwood UMC members who volunteer their time on finances, publicity, policy and fundraising. The preschool is directed by Maggie McCans, a veteran educator with more than twenty years of experience in preschool and grades K-8 and a background as a religious educator and scout volunteer. Paige Myers and Lindsey Marsteller serve alongside her. Tours can be requested by calling the preschool at 610-583-4780.
Handy Hands and River of Life Fishing Ministry
Two long-standing ministries round out the congregation's fellowship. On the third Monday of each month from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, knitters, crocheters, quilters, embroiderers and counted-cross-stitch enthusiasts gather in the church parlor for Handy Hands Fellowship. Beginners are welcome - experienced members are happy to teach a new needle craft. The River of Life Fishing Ministry takes the church out onto the water, providing tackle, bait and instruction to introduce youth to fishing and to Christ. The team will travel to any body of water with willing partners and can arrange lunch depending on the size of the group.
A wide circle of mission partners
The church supports an unusually broad slate of mission organizations. Local and regional partners include Camp Innabah, Child Evangelism of Delaware County, City Team Chester, the Greenhouse Project, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Ranch Hope, Simpson House and Young Life. International mission links include BCM International in France, Cross World, Start With One in Kenya, TMS Global, Word of Life Brazil Sao Paulo and World Venture.
What the church believes
Norwood United Methodist Church states its mission simply: introducing people to Jesus Christ and strengthening lives through Him. Its core values are Christ-centered, Scripture-based, and a call to love, care for, and serve all people both inside and outside the church. In its statement of belief the church confesses one true, holy and living God in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and affirms that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man. It teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from and is one in being with the Father and the Son, and that the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God revealing what is necessary for salvation. The Church is described as the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ.
Serving behind the scenes
Members who want to put their skills to work can join the Audio/Visual team, which runs the sound, video and on-screen slides during the 10:00 am service with training provided, or sign up with the Trustees as a "Handy Member" ready to be called for occasional repairs and small projects around the building.