Biblical Teaching and Loving Community on Harrison Avenue
Harrison Presbyterian Church meets on Harrison Avenue in the Town of Harrison, a community in southern Westchester County, New York. The congregation describes itself with a straightforward tagline: "Biblical Teaching & Loving Community." Members come from Harrison, Rye, Rye Neck, and Mamaroneck, and the church's stated mission is to "glory and worship the living God by preaching the Word, making disciples, and reaching out to the community and world for Jesus Christ." The church identifies as Harrison Presbyterian Church (EPC), placing it within the family of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Sunday Mornings at 10
The Sunday service begins at 10 a.m. and runs between 65 and 75 minutes, ending no later than 11:15. The service is livestreamed on YouTube through the church's channel, allowing members who are traveling or homebound to follow along.
The order of worship is simple and gospel-shaped. A welcome and call to worship open the gathering, followed by two or three songs led by the praise team. After announcements and a time of corporate prayer, a piece of special music is offered. Children are then dismissed to God's Kids downstairs, and the pastor preaches a Gospel-centered, Bible-based sermon. A final hymn and benediction follow. On the first Sunday of each month the service closes with the Lord's Supper. Communion is offered to anyone who has placed faith in Christ as Lord and Savior; those who have not are invited to wait.
Worship at the church is blended, drawing on both classic hymns and contemporary songs. The service is led musically by Minister of Music Jay Castelli, who grew up in the church and has served in the role on and off for more than 35 years, and by the praise team.
What to Expect as a Newcomer
Visitors enter through the front doors, where a deacon or volunteer hands them a bulletin. The atmosphere is described as friendly and casual; people dress across a wide spectrum, from flip-flops and a T-shirt to semi-formal wear. After the service everyone is invited downstairs for coffee, refreshments, and conversation in the gathering space.
First-time guests are never asked to give. The offering plate is not passed during worship; it sits near the exit for those who wish to give. Online giving is also available through a dedicated giving portal, and checks may be made out to "Harrison Presbyterian Church."
Children are welcome from the very first visit. Infants through age 3 may be dropped off in the nursery downstairs up to ten minutes before the service begins; greeters upstairs can point the way. Children up through fourth grade are dismissed partway through the service to God's Kids, a downstairs ministry that teaches a Bible lesson and leads an interactive craft.
A Heritage of Reformed Faith
Harrison Presbyterian holds to the historic Reformed and Presbyterian tradition. The church's Statement of Faith teaches that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God; that God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose again, ascended to the Father's right hand, and will come again; and that the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer. Salvation is by grace, through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and is received by acknowledging Jesus as God's Son, repenting of sin, and inviting him to be Lord.
The church practices both adult baptism for those who have accepted Christ and infant baptism as a sign of parents' commitment to raise their child in the instruction of the Lord. Communion is observed regularly as a remembrance of Christ's death on the cross. The congregation summarizes its beliefs in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed and looks to the Westminster Confession of Faith as a fuller expression of its Reformed understanding.
God's Kids, Youth Group, and Vacation Bible School
The children's ministry, called God's Kids, serves children ages three through third grade during the Sunday service. Adult, take up the room. The HPC Youth group meets throughout the year for students in sixth through twelfth grade, with events, games, and an annual summer camp trip. Pastor Tom Unkenholz, who has led the church since September 1998, is known for enjoying a spirited game of "Elimination" with the youth.
The church also runs a Vacation Bible School each year, opening the building to children from the wider community for a week of Bible teaching, crafts, and games.
A Preschool on Harrison Avenue
Sharing the Harrison Avenue building is Harrison Presbyterian Preschool, a community-focused, non-profit early childhood program that has been serving families across Westchester County for more than sixty years. The preschool provides small-group care for children ages two through five, with morning and afternoon options, flexible two-, three-, and five-day schedules, and an extended-day program for three- and four-year-olds.
The teaching team is led by Preschool Director Heidi Smith, who also serves as head Pre-K teacher and oversees after-school art classes and tutoring. The school day blends free time, creative expression, one-on-one time with a teacher, circle time, snack time (the school is nut free), and outdoor play on a playground attached to the church. Curriculum integrates New York State learning goals so that children are prepared for kindergarten.
During the summer the preschool operates a Summer Camp for children ages two through five, with weekly sessions running from late June through mid-August. Camp days are a mix of games, water play, process art, science and engineering projects, nature exploration, music, dance, and storytelling. The full seven-week session and shorter one-week options are open for registration each spring.
Staff and Leadership
Tom Unkenholz has served as pastor of Harrison Presbyterian Church since September 1998. A native New Yorker raised on Long Island, he holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Mamaroneck.
Jay Castelli, Minister of Music, was baptized in the church where his mother served as organist and choir director. He holds a B.A. in English with a music minor from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Pace University, and has been part of the music ministry on and off for more than 35 years.
Karen Rivituso serves as Church Administrator, a graduate of Douglass College/Rutgers University who found her way to the church while searching for a congregation in Mamaroneck. Heidi Smith directs the preschool in addition to teaching and tutoring in the wider community.
Missions and Outreach
The church frames its outreach around the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, sending and supporting disciples who make more disciples, baptize, and teach. Members are encouraged to participate in giving and in prayer, and a prayer-request page on the church site invites anyone in need to reach out.
Plan a Visit
Sunday morning is the easiest way to get to know Harrison Presbyterian. Park near 181 Harrison Avenue, walk in through the front doors, and pick up a bulletin. After the service, stay downstairs for coffee and conversation, or introduce yourself to Pastor Unkenholz. Children can join God's Kids downstairs and youth can connect with the HPC Youth group. The church office can be reached at (914) 835-2325 or office@harrisonpres.org during the week, and the preschool office at (914) 835-0055 or hp2preschool@gmail.com.