Worship on Sunday Morning at 10:00 AM
On the corner of Mountain Avenue in Bound Brook, the Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook gathers its congregation every Sunday at 10:00 AM for a worship service that is described as informal, with hymns, scripture, prayer, and uplifting sermons. At the start of the service, children join the pastor for a brief children's time before heading downstairs to Sunday School. After the service, the congregation lingers over refreshments in the reception area. For those who cannot come in person, the service is livestreamed through Facebook, YouTube, Apple TV, and BoxCast, and past services remain available for ninety days.
Music as a Form of Faith
Music is woven through nearly everything at BBPC. The Music Ministry is led by Benjamin T. Berman, the church's Music Director, and brings together an adult choir, a children's choir, a multi-generational bell choir, and a teen choir. The instruments are serious ones: two grand pianos, four and a half octaves of Malmark and Schulmerich handbells and chimes, a wide array of percussion, and the church's crown jewel, the 1967 Austin pipe organ, Op. 2642. The volunteer Adult Choir rehearses Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, September through June, in the upstairs choir room, and sings music ranging from Renaissance motets by Victoria, Palestrina, Tallis, and Tye to contemporary works by composers such as Rorem, Stopford, Hoiby, and Ola Gjeilo. An audition is not necessary, though new members may be asked to sing a few lines to help with placement.
The Bell Choir rehearses Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:15 PM and rings for Sunday worship about once a month, with occasional appearances at conferences and outreach concerts. The Children's Choir, open to anyone from first grade up regardless of church membership, rehearses Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 AM with warm-ups, icebreakers, and a steady diet of singing, games, and (mostly healthy) snacks. Singers appear in Sunday morning worship about once a month and learn real music literacy along the way.
Concerts on the Austin Organ
The same musical energy spills out of the sanctuary and into a public Concert Series that fills the church with visitors from across the region. The series features a major artist in the fall and culminates with a choir concert in June. Recent and upcoming programs include a Second Annual Community Carol Sing, an organ recital given by Music Director Benjamin T. Berman on the Austin organ, a Baroque Masters evening pairing Charpentier's Te Deum with Vivaldi's Gloria for choir and orchestra, and a concert by New York trumpeter Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas. Tickets for ticketed events can be purchased.
The Choir School: A Tuition-Free Music Program
In October 2025, BBPC's Music Director founded the Bound Brook Choir School, an after-school music program for middle and high school students that is open to all teens regardless of faith background. The program meets Wednesdays after school and teaches piano, organ, keyboard, voice, handbells, and choral music under the guidance of a professional local teacher. Tuition is free. Registration forms and a full schedule can be picked up at 409 Mountain Avenue. The program is now entering its second year, starting Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The Cave: Middle and High School Youth
Youth ministry at BBPC takes place in a space called the Cave, where middle and high schoolers meet Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:15 PM, September through June. Junior High (grades 6-8) focuses on building friendships, having fun, and asking honest questions in a safe, supportive environment. Senior High (grades 9-12) gathers for meals, games, themed discussions, service opportunities, Bible study, and conversations about faith, justice, relationships, and the world. Confirmation is offered for ninth graders. Both programs are coordinated through Rev. Lissette González Sosa.
From the Sunday Pantry to Pakistan
The Mission & Outreach Commission at BBPC takes a deliberate approach: guide the actions and resources of the congregation toward service to others, with a strong emphasis on local mission. The Sunday Pantry, run in the PCC gym, distributes perishable and non-perishable food, prepared meals, and household and hygiene products to an average of 121 families, roughly 447 people, every Sunday. Volunteers haul food from New Brunswick during the week and set up and run the pantry on weekends; donations are accepted at the church or via the pantry's Amazon Wish List.
Other local initiatives include the ShopRite Gift Card Program, which supplies gift cards to Casa de Esperanza (legal services for immigrants and refugees) and HOME of Somerset County (housing support for families facing insecurity); Operation St. Nick, which provides Christmas toys for foster children served by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency; and four hosting weeks a year at the BBPC site of the HOME emergency shelter for unhoused families. Globally, the Global Partners Task Force supports the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan, Friends for Health in Haiti, Homes of Hope in Nicaragua, the Mar Elias School in Israel/Palestine, and a school in Armenia.
Growing at Every Age
People grow in faith, knowledge, ministry, community, and service at BBPC. A "Pray Ground" in the sanctuary gives parents and the youngest children a place to participate in worship together. Nursery care for infants through age three runs Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM with a Circle Time of song, story, and prayer. Sunday School for ages four through sixth grade, plus the Club 56 program for fifth and sixth graders, meet downstairs after the children's time; on Communion Sundays, students return to the sanctuary for the Lord's Table alongside the congregation. Vacation Bible School fills a week each summer with music, games, storytelling, crafts, science activities, and snacks.
Adults have their own rhythm of formation. The Sunday Morning Currents class meets from 8:45 to 9:45 AM in the PCC and explores current events, culture, theology, and ethics through the lens of faith. What's the Point?, a monthly gathering on the last Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Parlor, holds space for honest conversation about faith, doubt, and meaning. Men's Breakfast meets the first and third Thursday of the month at 8 AM in the Parlor, and the Women's After Hours Bible Study meets the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Jan Holmlund House, working through the PW Horizons Bible study one chapter each month. On Thursday mornings at 9 AM, the Silence Seekers gather at the Freeman Chapel at the Bound Brook Cemetery for quiet prayer, sitting outside around a portable chair when the weather permits.
An Old Building, Made Accessible
The main church building is more than 125 years old, but accessibility has been a long-standing priority. Visitors can enter from the parking lot through either of two doors or through the front doors on Union Avenue. Parking is available in the main lot and on side streets, with five handicap lift accessible spaces next to the entrance ramp. The sanctuary, restrooms, and main floor are ADA compliant, and wireless audio devices are available for guests with hearing impairments.
An Open, Affirming Congregation Since 1688
BBPC's congregation traces its roots to 1688, and the church has been part of Bound Brook life ever since. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). BBPC is open, affirming, and inclusive, welcoming people from all walks of life. Services are offered in English. Baptisms are generally celebrated on the third Sunday of each month. Weddings, memorial services, and funerals are arranged through the church office, and the Bound Brook Cemetery, just across the street, provides plot information, records, and contacts.
Giving and Staying Connected
Stewardship at BBPC supports children and adults in growing in faith, keeps the building open as a place of worship and fellowship, and shares God's love in Bound Brook and beyond. Gifts can be made online through EasyTithe, or pledged through the church's ministry forms. The annual budget also includes legacy giving and a share of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Special Offerings. Congregants and visitors can sign up for the weekly email list, read the latest Weekly Buzz or Mission Monday newsletter, or download the Sunday bulletin as a PDF each week.