Princeton Community Church sits along Route 31 just outside Pennington, New Jersey, on a property that has become a familiar gathering place for worshipers across central New Jersey. The church describes itself as a non-denominational Christian congregation committed to "helping people discover and experience the life-changing love of Christ," a phrase that anchors everything from the Sunday gathering to its global partnerships in Haiti, Honduras, and on college campuses around the country.
PCC was built on three commitments drawn from the life of Jesus. The community prioritizes being together, gives attention to hearing and responding to God's word alongside prayer, and seeks to be a tangible presence of grace in its neighborhoods and around the world. The staff team describes itself as a group that simply wants to embody what grace and love look like in everyday life.
What Sundays Look Like
A single in-person worship service meets at 10:15 AM each Sunday, and the same service is also broadcast live on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel. The service lasts roughly an hour and combines contemporary praise and worship with prayer and a biblically based message intended to be relevant to daily life. Visitors can expect a relatively modern, expressive style of worship in keeping with the Worship Ministry's emphasis on unrestrained, communal worship.
Before the service, the building opens up to a full morning of programming. At 9:00 AM, the weekly prayer meeting gathers in Room 104, where the congregation prays together for the church, community, country, and world. In a different space, the Discipleship Course meets in Room 101 at the same hour, walking through book studies or short series on the Bible and Christian history. Princeton Youth Church, the middle and high school gathering, meets in the Youth Room at 9:02 AM - yes, 9:02, a tongue-in-cheek nod to youth-group culture, complete with donuts. Each of these smaller gatherings turns a Sunday morning at PCC into more than just one service.
PCCKiDS: From Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children from birth through fifth grade have their own program during the 10:15 AM service. PCCKiDS runs in age-appropriate classrooms led by background-checked volunteers who walk through lessons and life applications drawn from the Orange curriculum. Family-friendly resources - including parent guides and devotionals - are posted online each week for parents to use at home.
The children's ministry divides into a preschool track and an elementary track. Preschoolers are introduced to three core ideas: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Elementary students learn that God is good and trustworthy, that Jesus was sent to rescue them, and that the Holy Spirit helps them live and love the way Jesus did. Twice a year - once in the fall and once in the spring - the church offers a Parent | Child Dedication Ceremony, an opportunity for parents to publicly commit to raising their child in a home that honors God. The ceremony takes place at the start of the 10:15 AM worship service. Lucy Foust serves as Director of Children's Ministry and is the contact for families interested in PCCKiDS.
Princeton Youth Church: Grades 6 Through 12
Princeton Youth Church welcomes all students in sixth through twelfth grade and meets on Sundays at 9:02 AM in the Youth Room and on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM at the church. The ministry centers on love as the foundational witness of the Christian life, drawing from 1 Corinthians 13:2 - "if I have not love, then I have nothing." Students are taught Scripture as it stands, encouraged to build discernment, and prepared to live out their faith beyond the youth room. Discipleship:Youth courses let students dig deeper into the Bible together. Chris Thompson serves as Director of Youth Ministry, and Doug Schoenberger leads the Discipleship:Youth courses. All volunteers working with students complete a background check coordinated and paid for by PCC.
Small Groups: Doing Life Together
PCC believes God created people to do life together, and the small groups ministry exists to extend the church beyond Sunday morning. The community of groups meets on nearly every day of the week, with options for nearly every age and stage of life. A Tuesday night group and a Sunday evening group, both facilitated by Jacob Hunter, share a meal and work through a book of the Bible or a devotional. A Thursday night group led by Joel and Carole Goldstein shares discussion leadership among its members. Tim Cash hosts another Thursday study using video-based curricula with discussion guides.
Other groups fill out the calendar. Tim Noble leads a Wednesday night men's Bible study that meets at 7:00 PM in the PCC Café. A first and third Wednesday group hosted by Bob and Dottie Prud'homme or Scott and Karen Bruno creates a relaxed atmosphere with a mix of Bible study, video, and media, though childcare is not provided. Melisa Meccage hosts a second and fourth Monday night gathering for anyone exploring the Christian journey. Ben and Ama Abbey host a first and third Friday group that begins with a shared meal and then digs into Scripture and prayer together, with families and children welcome. Mike and Meredith Butler host a family-focused group that meets three Thursdays a month, splitting time between moms-only, dads-only, and whole-family outings. A twice-monthly Sunday afternoon group led by Jeffrey Lukman meets in Room 101 with a meal, a brief study, and free-range childcare. A college-age group is on the drawing board for anyone interested in helping launch it.
Discipleship and the Path to Membership
The Discipleship Ministry offers classes and reading plans designed to help members grow in knowledge and understanding of Scripture. Discipleship courses are held at the church on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM and have included a five-week survey of church history from the apostles through the Reformation led by Chris Pullen in Room 101.
Anyone interested in formally joining PCC is invited to take the PCCID class, offered once a year, which walks through the church's identity, mission, and history in central New Jersey and explains what membership means. Those wanting to learn more are encouraged to contact Senior Pastor Craig M. Casey.
Worship, Hospitality, and the Sunday Morning Welcome
The Worship Ministry is a diverse group of talented musicians who are invested in each other and in what God is doing at PCC, applying their musical gifts as servant-leaders.
Hospitality is its own ministry. The Coffee Team arrives at 9:30 AM on Sundays to prepare coffee for the congregation. The Communion Team arrives at 9:45 AM to set out the trays. The Connect Team staffs the foyer to help visitors and regulars take next steps, while the Greeting Team stands at the front doors between 10:00 and 10:20 AM each Sunday. The aim is for every volunteer to serve roughly once every four to six weeks.
Men of PCC and Women of PCC
Men of PCC gathers on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM in the PCC Café for a Bible study centered on learning to love, follow, and lead in every aspect of life. The ministry takes its cue from Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Tim Noble coordinates the group.
Women of PCC aims to bring women together, encourage spiritual growth, and cultivate Christ-centered relationships. The ministry hosts gatherings such as the Bloom Bar, a floral-arrangement event hosted by Meredith Butler, where women bring their own vases and create arrangements together.
Prayer Ministry
Prayer at PCC is both individual and communal. Each Sunday at 9:00 AM, a community prayer meeting gathers in Room 104 to pray for the church, the community, the country, and the world. The prayer team also fields individual prayer requests - anyone can submit a prayer or praise through the church, and a team member will connect for a personal Zoom meeting or phone call. Ben Abbey leads the prayer ministry.
Outreach: Trenton, Honduras, and the Campus
Outreach at PCC is framed around four commitments: building deep relationships with a few key ministries, supporting initiatives where God is already moving, empowering local leaders for sustainable change, and combining practical help with spiritual hope.
Locally, the church partners with Arm-In-Arm, Mercer Street Friends (whose food bank runs the Send Hunger Packing program that provides weekend meals for school children), and Prayers in Every Stitch - a group that knits and crochets hats, shawls, and blankets for local ministries. PCC also partners with Church on the Block and Street Church Ministries in Trenton, hosts the annual Breakfast with Santa event with Church on the Block, and joins Trenton Street Outreach as it serves people experiencing homelessness on the streets of Trenton. The church additionally supports Trenton Community Schools.
Globally, PCC's longest-running partnership is Hearts for Honduras, which funds scholarships and agricultural training through Ed Lockett, Jr.'s work with Missionary Ventures. Hearts for Honduras is the beneficiary of the church's annual Dinner and Silent Auction. Other partnerships include Hope Coffee, an Orchard Group church plant, and the campus ministries InterVarsity and Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru). Nancy Pullen leads the Outreach Ministry.
What PCC Believes
PCC's statement of faith is straightforwardly evangelical and Trinitarian. The church affirms one true God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It teaches that Jesus is God's one and only Son, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was bodily raised, ascended into heaven, and will return to bring human history to its consummation. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who empowers believers, illuminates Scripture, gives gifts for service, and provides direction for life.
The Bible is described as the authoritative instruction for belief and life, useful for teaching, preaching, and training in faith. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, with baptism by immersion described as the biblical next step and a public demonstration of personal surrender to Christ. PCC teaches that all believers share in a "royal priesthood" with direct access to God and are called to discover and use their spiritual gifts in service to the church and the world. Membership at PCC begins with the PCCID class, generally offered once a year.
Location, Office, and Practical Details
Princeton Community Church is located at 2300 Pennington Road, just past the intersection of Interstate 295 and Highway 31 North in Pennington, New Jersey. From I-295, take Exit 72 onto Highway 31 North toward Pennington, turn right onto Brandon Road, then right onto Brigham Way and right again into the parking lot. Travelers coming south on Route 31 should note that a left turn onto Brandon Road is not legal; a U-turn at the second light past PCC will put them in position to turn right onto Brandon Road.
The mailing address is P.O. Box 715, Pennington, NJ 08534. The phone number is 609-730-1114 and the email is pcc@princetonchurch.com. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Giving is handled through the PushPay platform, with the option for donors to cover processing fees so that 100% of the intended gift reaches the ministry.
Leadership Team
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Craig M. Casey, who has served at PCC since 2007. Chris Thompson serves as Director of Youth Ministry. Jacob Hunter oversees discipleship and small groups as associate pastor. Lucy Foust serves as Director of Children's Ministry. David leads the Worship Ministry, and Jacquie directs communications. Ben Abbey leads the Prayer Ministry, Nancy Pullen leads the Outreach Ministry, Tim Noble leads Men of PCC, and Doug Schoenberger coordinates the Discipleship:Youth courses. The church is also served by a Leadership Team of men and women chosen by the members, who serve three-year terms beginning in January of their confirmation year.