Rochester Christian Reformed Church has stood on Atlantic Avenue in Penfield, a suburb of Rochester, New York, since 1881, when the first Dutch Reformed families of the area organized the congregation. The motto - "We Welcome In, Build Up, and Reach Out" - captures the rhythm of a multigenerational community that has gathered continuously for nearly a century and a half. The church is currently served by Pastor Bill Vis, an ordained minister who preaches as interim pastor.
Sunday Mornings at 10
Worship begins at 10:00 AM each Sunday morning, followed by a fellowship hour of coffee and cookies around 11:15. The service is liturgical and musically rich, with a Pels and Van Leeuwen organ leading congregational singing, supported by a choir, a youth bell choir, and a worship coordinator. Services are livestreamed on YouTube, with recordings and a sermon archive available afterward.
Children in Worship
Children participate in the opening portion of the service before being dismissed after the children's message. The youngest - ages 3 through 1st grade - move to Children & Worship, a structured program designed to "prepare our young ones to be able to worship meaningfully apart from the congregation so that they become able to worship meaningfully with the congregation." A staffed nursery welcomes infants through age 3. Worship Bags with quiet, age-appropriate activities are available in the Narthex for children who remain in the service, with two versions: one for children under 6 and one for ages 7 and up. Bags are returned after the service and refilled the following week.
Sunday School for Children
Sunday School classes meet during the service on most Sundays. Grades 2 through 5 work through "God's Big Story" beginning in Genesis; grades 6 through 8 study the Gospel of John on the second and fourth Sundays. On the first Sunday of each month the congregation gathers for communion together, and children remain in the service.
High School and Adult Sunday School
After fellowship, from 11:30 to 12:15, classes gather for high school students and adults. High schoolers work through a study of Philippians and learn how to study the Bible. Adult offerings have included a Heidelberg Catechism class facilitated by Dave Dill, Chris Hall, and Jeff Harp, and a Scripture study on the Psalms led by Jim and Kathy Quinn using the study guide "Learning to Love the Psalms." A separate Academic Fellowship discussion group for students, faculty, and staff at local universities meets in room 2, focused on how to remain faithful in a secular university.
Cadets, GEMS, and the Youth Bell Choir
On the second and fourth Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, the church hosts two long-running youth programs. Cadets, an independent club of the Calvinist Cadet Corps, brings elementary school boys together for Bible study, badge work, pinewood derby races, Amerks hockey outings, and camp-outs at Agony Acres. GEMS - Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior - serves girls in grades 1 through 5 with Bible study, crafts, music, badge work, and games. Led locally by Charlene DeLallo and Christine Ferraraccio, the program is part of the wider GEMS Girls' Club movement. The Youth Bell Choir, directed by Richard Astifan, practices Wednesdays from 5:15 to 6:00 PM and includes ringers from second grade through high school seniors, performing in monthly services.
Junior and Senior High Youth
The Junior High Youth Group meets Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM; the Senior High Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Both groups are led by Julie Vande Brake, Director of Youth Ministries, with a discipleship model that emphasizes relationships - Bible stories, small-group conversations, games, and time with caring adults. The youth serve the city through Flower City Work Camp, Cameron Ministries, and SERVE mission trips through Youth Unlimited. Financial assistance is available for activities, and a consent-to-participate form must be filled out at the start of each school year.
A Reformed Faith
RCRC is a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, in the Reformed tradition. Worship and teaching reflect Reformed theology as set out in the historic ecumenical creeds - Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian - and the "Three Forms of Unity": the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort. The church affirms the sanctity of all human life, "from conception to death," supporting mercy missions that promote, protect, and preserve life.
Connection Groups
Beyond Sunday, a network of small groups meets throughout the week. A Men's Bible Study gathers in the church lounge every Saturday at 7:00 AM. Pickleball players meet at Rochester Christian School at 11:30 AM on Saturdays. Retirees gather in private homes on the second Tuesday of the month at 10:00 AM; a Ladies' Connection Crafting Group meets on the first and third Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to noon. ROFT-ers - "Readers of First Things" - hosts an academic discussion on Monday evenings at 6:30. A Cancer Support Group meets on the first Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM when interest warrants. Groups are open to members, regular attenders, and those exploring the Christian faith.
Outreach in the City of Rochester
For more than 25 years, RCRC has sent an average of 15 to 20 students and 8 adult volunteers each spring to Flower City Work Camp, joining more than 50 Rochester-area churches during spring break to repair homes, run basketball and soccer camps for city teens, and lead Sidewalk Clubs for younger children. Since 2017, the church has partnered with RCSD School #33 on Webster Avenue, sending volunteers to provide one-to-one reading intervention, cafeteria and bus-loading support, and teacher encouragement. The Mitten Ministry knits and crochets hundreds of hats, scarves, mittens, and slippers each year, which are distributed to School #33, Open Door Mission Women's Shelter, and a family medical clinic where a congregant serves as a doctor.
Special Causes and Mission Partners
The deacons of RCRC regularly review the church's ministry partnerships, grouped into three areas. Justice ministries include School #33, His Branches (family health and psychological care), and Caring Choices (pregnancy and pre-natal care). Teaching and edification includes Good News Global jail ministry, international missionaries Doug and Priscilla Higby (Bible translation), Resonate Global Mission, Roc Bible, Rochester Christian School, and Summer's Best Two Weeks. Mercy and relief work supports Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity, Open Door Mission, Rochester Family Mission, and World Renew - with current emphasis on a Guatemala maternal nutrition and child health initiative, disaster response in North America, and sustainable farming and aquaponics to combat hunger.
Summer's Best Two Weeks
Each summer, the church building becomes home to Summer's Best Two Weeks, a faith-based sports day camp for young people. SBTW Penfield was started in 2005 by Christy and Carol Mathewson and continues under Executive Director Kristin Sapienza, with Dianka Sobiech as Board Chair. Activities include track and field, swimming, soccer, volleyball, kickball, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, tennis, hockey, crafts, and nature. Campers are sorted into the Romans and the Galatians for a daily rivalry. A half-day Squad 0 is offered for those entering kindergarten and first grade.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School returns each August, free and open to the public, for children ages 4 through entering fifth grade. Each day's program includes crafts, games, and hands-on science that connects to a Bible story. One recent theme, Deep Sea Discovery, focused on water stories. Youth entering sixth grade through age 13 can serve as Counselors-in-Training. The program is led by Bethany Miller, the Children's Ministry Coordinator.
The Annual Theology Conference
The church hosts an annual theology conference each fall, drawing speakers from across the Reformed world. Past conferences have addressed "The Imitation of Christ" and Calvinism for a secular age. Childcare is provided for children 0 to 5 during the morning sessions.
Creation Care and Solar
RCRC was the first house of worship in the Rochester area to be powered entirely by rooftop solar, with a 90-panel array installed in 2021 by GreenSpark Solar. The system produces about 35,000 kilowatt-hours annually, sends surplus power onto the Rochester Gas and Electric grid in summer, and is expected to pay for itself within 14 years. Panels carry a 25-year warranty and are expected to generate power for 30 years or more.
Accessibility
The 1984 building sits on a single level with space for wheelchairs and walkers. Renovations over the years have added a unisex bathroom with a 36-inch doorway and grab bars, education wing restrooms with wide stalls and grab bars, and staggered pews at the back of the sanctuary with space for chairs and walkers. The west-side parking lot includes handicap spaces with van access, a curb break with a slight ramp, and battery-powered main entrance doors. The sanctuary sound system broadcasts on FM to personal hearing-aid receivers; large-print bulletins are available.
Office, Giving, and Weddings
The church office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The general number is (585) 381-7861. E-giving is available online, and a special offering schedule outlines ministry support throughout the year. The building and the pastoral staff are available for weddings of members and regular attenders, with funerals and memorial services accommodated as well. The Safe Church Policy outlines protection for children across all programs.