Sabbath at the Center
The Corona Seventh-day Adventist Church gathers on Saturdays at 35-30 103rd Street in Corona, Queens, where the seventh-day Sabbath sets the rhythm for the week. Sabbath School opens the day at 9:45 a.m. with a program for every age - adult classes, a young adults track at 10:00 a.m., and Children's Sabbath School running concurrently at 10:00 a.m. both in person and on Zoom. At 11:15 a.m., the main Worship Service begins, drawing together preaching, congregational singing, and the choir. The gathering runs until 1:30 p.m., giving space for the unhurried fellowship that the Adventist tradition values.
For those who cannot attend in person, both the Sabbath School lesson and the worship service are carried on YouTube and Zoom. The church maintains a dedicated livestream channel and an online church platform so members, traveling friends, and shut-ins can follow along from wherever they are. The Saturday continues with the Adventist Youth Ministry gathering at 5:00 p.m., followed by an evening Bible study at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. A Prayer Ministry Meeting takes place after the morning worship for those who want to pray together as a smaller group.
Weeknight Gatherings
The church treats the week itself as a runway into Sabbath. On Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., the Man Cave meets on Zoom - a Bible study open to men who want to dig into Scripture in a frank setting. Wednesdays carry two recurring rhythms: a free Cooking Class at 6:00 p.m. offered through the Personal Ministry and open to anyone who registers, and Power Night, the midweek prayer meeting, which runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Friday evenings close the week with Friday Night Family Worship, also on Zoom from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., built as a relaxed lead-in to the Sabbath day.
Anyone can join the Wednesday and Friday gatherings on Zoom. A connect card on the church site gives newcomers a way to share contact preferences - phone, email, text, or Zoom meeting - so they can be added to the right lists.
Feeding the Neighborhood
The Adventist Community Services department is one of the most visible ministries of the church, anchored at the same 35-30 103rd Street address. The Soup Kitchen opens its doors on Sundays from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., serving a hot midday meal to anyone who walks in. On Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to noon, the Food Pantry distributes groceries to households facing short-term need. Both programs depend on church volunteers and donations from members and friends. The department can be reached at 718-492-0276 or coronasdaclerks@gmail.com.
Children's Ministry and Vacation Bible School
Children's Ministry is built around the words of Jesus: "Let the children come to me and don't hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." On Sabbath mornings, children are divided into GraceLink classes by age - Beginner (birth through 2), Kindergarten (ages 3 to 4, or 4 to 6 depending on the curriculum track), and Primary (ages 5 to 9, or 7 to 9). Older children move into Junior PowerPoints lessons. Each Sabbath, the children cycle through Bible stories, crafts, games, and puzzles designed for their stage.
Vacation Bible School is a separate, weeklong push each summer. The most recent program, "Mountain of Miracles: God's Love is Rock Solid," walked children through stories from the life of Elijah across five mornings, with Christ-centered activities pointing to the same theme - that God is always with His people. Volunteers ages 14 and up sign up through a verified registration portal, and parents register their kids through a separate online form.
Pathfinders and the Adventist Youth Society
For older children and teenagers, Pathfinders is the church's adventure-and-service club. The Pathfinders Ministry describes a worldwide organization sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church that welcomes young people of any background. At Corona, Pathfinders learn camping and survival skills, take age-appropriate leadership training, and serve in the community - helping in downtown soup kitchens, collecting food for neighbors in need, cleaning local parks, and visiting the elderly. The program promises at least one staff mentor for every five Pathfinders. Information is available at pathfinders@coronasdachurch.org.
The Adventist Youth Society (AYM) carries a parallel mission aimed at adolescents through young adults. Its motto, "The love of Christ constrains me," and its aim, "The Advent message to all the world in my generation," shape weekly meetings, mission projects, and social events. AYM Saturday programming on the church calendar begins at 5:00 p.m. The AYM Pledge commits participants to take an active part in the youth ministry of the church, doing what they can to help others and to finish the work of the Gospel in all the world.
Men's, Women's, and Family Life
Men's Ministry at Corona runs on a mission statement that doubles as a charge: "Helping men to become everything God created them to be," with a vision of "Leave No Man Behind." Its Operation R.E.S.C.U.E. framework lists reaching men where they are, empowering them with the Word, securing them for service, calling them out of sinful habits, uniting them in Christ, and encouraging and equipping them to live godly lives for eternity. Beyond the weekly Man Cave Bible study, the ministry hosts 33 The Series, a six-volume video study on Authentic Manhood that follows the example of Jesus' 33 years on earth - covering design, story, traps, work, marriage, and fatherhood.
Women's Ministry, Family Life Department, and Family Worship resources round out the household side of the church. The Family Life Department has emphasized the theme "We Are Family: Building Bridges That Empower Families Now and Into the Future," offering a printed resource, "Growing Hearts of WELCOME: Understanding Diverse Families," in both English and Spanish ("Cultivando Corazones de Bienvenida") for families to use in their own weeknight devotionals.
Music Ministries
Music Ministry is one of the strengths the church names openly. A choir supports the Sabbath worship service and the special programs that run through the year. The church's stated purpose: "the purpose of our music is to enhance your worship experience and to draw you closer to our Lord and Savior." The church also highlights the TuneIn Hymns and Favorites radio stream and the Hope TV channel as everyday companions for members who want music and Christian programming throughout the week.
Education, Health, and Religious Liberty
Several departments reflect the wider Adventist emphasis on whole-person growth. The Education Department connects Corona to the global Seventh-day Adventist school system of more than 1.7 million students in over 7,800 schools, colleges, and universities, and points members to the Journal of Adventist Education and Dialogue for ongoing Christian-learning resources. The Health Ministries Department carries on the Adventist tradition of caring for body as well as soul, coordinating stop-smoking programs, substance-abuse prevention work, and partnerships with Adventist hospitals and clinics.
Religious Liberty ties the local church to the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department that has represented Adventists to governments since 1901, including offices on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations. The International Religious Liberty Association, sponsored by the church, brings Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Baptist, Mormon, and other traditions together around the common principle that differences in religion should be respected and that each person should worship according to the dictates of conscience.
Personal Ministry and Stewardship
Personal Ministry at the Corona church is largely relational - the Wednesday cooking classes, the Connect Card follow-up for visitors, the Prayer Line, and the Prayer Request page all funnel into the same idea: meeting practical needs and walking with people one on one. Stewardship frames the giving side of the same mission. Rooted in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 and the Proverbs 11:24 line "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer," the department uses the Faith Bucket Challenge as a way for members to track sacrificial, cheerful giving. Online giving is handled through Adventist Giving, accessible via a link in the menu.
What Seventh-day Adventists Believe
The church holds to the standard Adventist confession. God is one, existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and creation, the Bible, and human nature are all understood through Scripture. Salvation centers on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, received through faith and sealed in baptism by full immersion and the Lord's Supper. The Seventh-day Sabbath is observed from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown as a day of focused fellowship with the Creator. The church looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the millennium and end of sin, and the new earth.
The Twenty-eight Fundamental Beliefs range from the Holy Scriptures and the Trinity through Creation, the Great Controversy, Growing in Christ, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, Spiritual Gifts and Ministries, the Gift of Prophecy, the Law of God, the Sabbath, Stewardship, Christian Behavior, Marriage and the Family, Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary, and the Second Coming of Christ, ending with Death and Resurrection, the Millennium and the End of Sin, and the New Earth.
Pastor and Staff
Pastor Herman Charles leads the Corona Seventh-day Adventist Church and can be reached at 718-429-7050 or Pastor@coronasdachurch.org. The church office number is 718-651-4534. The clerks' office, which handles community-services inquiries, bulletin information, and general correspondence, is reached at coronasdaclerks@gmail.com.
Staying Connected
The church keeps its full calendar online, with weekly Sabbath School, Worship Service, Adventist Youth Ministry, Bible Study, Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, and Friday Night Family Worship all on a recurring schedule. Visitors can subscribe through Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live. The livestream is available on YouTube and through a dedicated online church platform. Prayer requests can be submitted through a form on the site, and a Prayer Line phone ministry is available for members who want to talk through concerns. Online giving is processed through Adventist Giving, with giving, livestream, and Zoom links in the navigation bar for anyone joining from home.