Pike Grace Brethren Church sits right on Pike Road in Mundy's Corner, a small community just outside Johnstown in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. From its red-brick location at 541 Pike Road, the congregation has built a reputation as a church that takes the motto "A Serving Church" to heart, weaving service into nearly everything it does.
Sunday Mornings at Pike
Sunday is the center of life at Pike. A Sunday School hour for all ages, from nursery through adult classes, begins at 9:30 a.m. and offers a low-pressure way to get connected through study and prayer. The main Worship Service follows at 10:30 a.m. and runs as a blend of hymns and contemporary choruses, all grounded in Scripture. After a time of singing, the service moves into an extended, in-depth look at a book of the Bible. Pastor Rudy preaches verse by verse through books of both Testaments, teaching that all of Scripture points to Christ (Luke 24:44).
The church describes the Word of God as "relatable, relevant, and real for any and all seasons of life," and that conviction shapes the entire flow of a Sunday at Pike.
Children and Students
Children are woven into the Sunday morning service, not separated from it. ALIVE is the church's Children's Church program, an upbeat hour of singing and Bible teaching for students in grades 1 through 6 that runs during the worship service. Younger children and infants have their own nursery so parents can follow the sermon without distraction.
Identity Youth Group meets on Sundays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and is open to students in grades 7 through 12. The group is a regular weekly gathering for the teenagers of Pike and the surrounding area.
AWANA on Wednesday Nights
From September through May, the church's midweek AWANA program is one of the busiest ministries on the calendar. Every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., children between 18 months and sixth grade arrive for a club night that combines Bible teaching, handbook work, memory verses, songs, games, and story time. The program is divided into four age-based clubs:
- Puggles for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years, built around four foundational truths: God Made Everything, God is Great, God Loves Us, and We Give Thanks.
- Cubbies for preschoolers ages 3 and 4, a two-year program that celebrates the spiritual potential of young children through Bible stories and activities.
- Sparks for children in kindergarten through second grade, a three-year journey through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation, organized around the handbooks Hang Glider, Wing Runner, and Sky Stormer.
- Truth and Training (T&T) for third through sixth graders, a four-year curriculum focused on the grace of God, working through handbooks titled Grace In Action, Evidence Of Grace, Agents Of Grace, and Discovery Of Grace.
Older students in grades 7 through 12 can also take part through a self-study Trek and Journey curriculum. AWANA is free to join, with weekly dues of $1 that help cover the cost of uniforms, handbooks, and awards. A Fun Fair and Registration Night kicks off each club year, and the season wraps up with a Grand Prix pinewood-derby-style car race for T&T clubbers and ending programs with award ceremonies.
On snowy Wednesdays, AWANA follows the Central Cambria School District schedule: if the district closes or dismisses early, club is canceled for the night, with no make-up date. A two-hour delay, however, does not stop the evening from running on time.
Summer at "The Good Place"
When the school year ends, Pike shifts gears for the summer. Marksman Ministries takes over Wednesday nights from June through August, gathering children ages 6 through 12 at a property the church calls "The Good Place," off Route 22 West. There, kids get hands-on instruction in the fundamentals of marksmanship with both firearms and archery, paired each week with a lesson from Scripture. The evening closes with hot dogs, chips, drinks, and a campfire.
Summer also brings Vacation Bible School, when the building is transformed for one week to take children from age 2 through sixth grade on a Bible learning adventure. A free Christ-Centered Basketball Camp, run by coaches, former college athletes, and current high school players, teaches basic skills and the discipline behind success to first through sixth graders. And on the second Saturday in August, the church hosts its Outdoor Extravaganza, a professional 3D Archery Shoot with 25 animal targets, three competitive divisions, door prizes, and a family picnic to close the day.
Men, Women, and the Week Around the Church
Monday nights are for the men. The Men's Group meets at 7:00 p.m. for a time in God's Word, life conversations, service projects, and shared meals, centered on what it means to "act like men" from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. The women of the church gather twice a month, on the second Thursday of each month for Women of Grace at 7:00 p.m. (with occasional 6:00 p.m. special meetings), and at the end of each month for Ladies Dinner Club at a local restaurant, a casual time to build friendships over a meal.
Throughout the rest of the year, additional Bible studies and service projects are added to the calendar. The church also has a long-running love for Camp Mantowagan, a summer camp the congregation has supported for many years to send children and teens to a week away each summer.
Reaching the Community
"A Serving Church" shows up beyond the church walls. Every October, the parking lot and family center are turned into a free Trunk or Treat, with decorated car trunks walking families through Bible stories and themes, plus carnival games, cotton candy, s'mores, and hot chocolate. The week before Thanksgiving, the family center hosts a free community Thanksgiving Meal, open to anyone who wants a place to sit down and share a hot dinner. The church also partners with other local congregations in the Interfaith Community Food Pantry, taking turns serving as a distribution point for food throughout the year, and donations are welcomed.
What Pike Believes
The church holds to the Statement of Faith of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Central to that statement is a high view of Scripture: the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the verbally inspired, wholly without-error Word of God. Pike confesses one true God existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the full deity and virgin-born incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, His sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and return, and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who indwells and fills every believer at the moment of regeneration.
Salvation is by God's grace alone, received as a gift through personal faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The church recognizes two ordinances: believer's baptism by triune immersion and a threefold communion service that includes the washing of the saints' feet, the Lord's Supper, and the communion of the bread and cup. Pike also teaches the conscious existence of the dead, the bodily resurrection, the judgment and reward of believers, the judgment of unbelievers, and the personal, visible, imminent return of Christ to remove His Church before the tribulation.
The mission of the congregation is to worship the Almighty God and, through Christ's love, to encourage and equip believers and to evangelize the lost until Christ's return.
Plan a Visit
Pike Grace Brethren Church is located at 541 Pike Road, Johnstown, PA 15909. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. and the Worship Service follows at 10:30 a.m. Dress is casual and newcomers are easy to spot, since a special group of people is on the lookout to welcome first-time guests. The church office can be reached at (814) 749-8721, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., or by email at pikegbc@gmail.com. Sermon recordings are available on the church's YouTube channel and through the Sermon.net app, and audio can be followed along in the church's online media player.