Sunday Mornings on Timonium Road
Timonium Presbyterian Church sits along West Timonium Road on a 10-acre campus just west of the I-83 interchange, about a quarter mile past the York Road intersection. The congregation's single sentence for what they are about is printed at the top of their materials: connecting people to Christ, His community, and His calling. Sunday mornings are built around that purpose.
Doors open at 9:10 a.m. and the worship service begins promptly at 9:30. The service is livestreamed from the church for those unable to attend in person, and a recording is posted afterward in the Sermons and Messages archive. Worship is blended in style, mixing traditional and contemporary songs, and the teaching is rooted in the Bible as the church's only authority for faith and life. The Lord's Supper is observed on the first Sunday of each month during the service.
Greeters welcome visitors at the door, and a small thank-you gift is offered to those joining for the first time. A QR code on the visitor card connects newcomers to the church office for follow-up. Nursery care for infants through age three is provided during the service by screened member-volunteers, and families are also warmly welcomed to keep children of any age in the service.
After worship, the congregation gathers in the Fellowship Hall for a time of refreshments and conversation. Sunday Studies begin at 11 a.m. and run until noon, with classes for toddlers, elementary students, middle and high school students, and adults offered throughout the year. Children's and youth classes meet on the lower level; adult classes are held in various rooms on the main level. Classes take a break during August.
A History Spanning Five Decades
In the late 1960s, a group of believers with a historic Presbyterian background believed God was calling them to plant a church on the growing edge of Baltimore. They wanted to bring Christ and His church to the rapidly expanding areas of metropolitan Baltimore and to provide a place of worship as they served Christ together.
Timonium Presbyterian Church was incorporated on November 28, 1969 and held its first service on January 4, 1970, at Pinewood Elementary School in Timonium. The charter membership numbered 150. In April 1970 the young congregation affiliated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, and in April 1971 the Reverend Arthur L. Herries became its first pastor.
Worship continued at Pinewood Elementary School for two and a half years. Groundbreaking for the present building was held on August 8, 1971, and the cornerstone was laid on October 22, 1971. The first service in the new building was held on October 29, 1972, and the building was dedicated to the glory of God on November 19, 1972. The congregation joined the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in 1982 and celebrated 50 years of ministry on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2019. Two entrances serve the parking lot off Timonium Road.
Teaching the Whole Counsel of God
TPC adheres to the historic Reformed faith. Its statement of beliefs begins with Scripture - the Old and New Testaments are the verbally inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God and the only authoritative rule of faith and practice. God is one being existing eternally in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the sovereign Creator who providentially sustains all He has made.
The church confesses that mankind was created in the image of God but fell into sin through Adam's disobedience, so that all people are born sinful and in need of salvation. Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human, and saves His people from their sins by His life, death, and resurrection. Sinners are justified by grace alone through faith alone based on the finished work of Christ alone, and true believers are sustained by the power of God. The Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, and seals all who become children of God through Christ, enabling them to live godly lives and to use the spiritual gifts He has given.
In addition to this basic statement, the church holds to the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort.
Core Values That Shape the Church
The congregation has articulated a set of core values that guide its ministry. They acknowledge Christ as the Head of the church and submit all activities to His will. They strive to teach God's Word with integrity and authority so that inquirers find Christ and believers mature in Him. They desire authentic, God-centered worship in both personal and corporate life, and they rely on unceasing prayer in the conception, planning, and execution of every ministry.
The members are asked to commit to and fully participate in biblically functioning small groups where they may reach the unchurched, exercise their gifts, be shepherded, and grow in Christ-likeness. The church values the spiritual nurture of the family, shows people Jesus only through grace and truth together, and constantly evaluates its forms and methods for cultural relevance. It seeks to equip every member for ministry, values unchurched people and pursues them with every Christ-honoring means, and pursues real unity that handles conflict in biblical ways. Finally, the church seeks to maintain a high standard of faithfulness in all its ministries because God gave His best.
Children and Students
Children's Ministry at TPC covers infants through fifth grade. Sunday Studies at 11 a.m. offer classes for toddlers and preschoolers, kindergarten through second grade, and third through fifth grade, all on the lower level. Nursery care for infants through age three is staffed by screened volunteers during the 9:30 worship service.
Middle and high school students are part of FUSION, the youth ministry led by the Director of Youth and Family Ministries. Sunday Studies for grades six through twelve meet on the lower level during the 11 a.m. hour. FUSION also gathers on the first and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., September through May, for games, study, fellowship, discipleship, and service activities. Special events are planned each month.
Fellowship for Men, Women, and the Whole Body
Several fellowship opportunities meet on a regular rhythm through the school year. The Men's Study gathers on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., September through May, for Bible study and small group discussion led by a leader, with a study book provided. The Women's Fellowship meets on the first and third Mondays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., September through May, for a relaxing evening of conversation, connection, and refreshment.
Taste of Timonium luncheons bring the congregation together three times a year at 12:15 p.m. on a Sunday for a shared meal, dessert, and time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
Small Groups for Deeper Discipleship
TPC's small groups ministry provides opportunities for spiritual growth, connection, and maturity. CONNECT is the membership seminar and inquirer's class offered twice a year in spring and fall, either online or in person; attendance does not obligate one to join, but attending is required for church membership. COMMUNITY groups gather as scheduled for worship, prayer, and study. CORE groups meet two or more times a month from September to May for deeper discipleship, study, and accountability. The Men's Monday Study and the Sunday L.I.F.T. group are among current CORE offerings.
International Friends and ESOL
TPC welcomes international friends and neighbors into several in-person ministries. The International Sunday Bible Study meets at 11 a.m. with a three-fold focus: teaching the truths of the Christian faith, teaching English, and building fellowship. Students actively participate in reading selected portions of scripture and discussing vocabulary and meaning. Tuesday ESOL classes run from 7 to 8:45 p.m., September through May; all teachers are Christian volunteers, and students may join at any time for a $10 book fee. A Thursday Women's Bible Study meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. with free childcare for children two and up.
Missions Near and Far
As part of the PCA, TPC is connected to the denomination's three mission agencies: Mission to the World (MTW), the PCA's global church-planting sending agency; Mission to North America (MNA), which supports church planting and evangelism across the continent; and Reformed University Fellowship (RUF-I), which places ordained PCA ministers on college campuses.
Beyond those denominational agencies, TPC supports a number of partner mission organizations. Local and North American partners include CBMC (Christian Business Men's Connection) and the CBMC Leadership Institute in Maryland, the Christian Community Center in Baltimore, the Central Mission Clearinghouse Ministry in Alaska jail and prison work, and RUF-International in Baltimore. International partners include Africa Inland Mission, ELIC in China, Greater Europe Mission in France, Interserve in Asia, and Mission to the World teams in Latin America and Japan.
Governance and Staff
Timonium Presbyterian Church functions under the Presbyterian form of church government. The church is governed by elders (presbyters) elected by the members. The Senior Pastor and the Ruling Elders together form the Session, which carries the governance and spiritual oversight of the church. Deacons are elected by the members to serve three-year terms as servant-leaders ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the body.
Dr. Nick Ganas has been Senior Pastor since 2005 and has labored for Christ in California and Maryland churches for more than three decades. A graduate of Covenant College, he earned his Master of Divinity and Doctorate from Westminster Theological Seminary in California and is committed to Life on Life discipleship. T.J. Barringer serves as Director of Youth and Family Ministries; a Hunt Valley native and Dulaney High School graduate, he earned a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Covenant College and a Master of Divinity from Westminster, and previously led middle school ministry at Hunt Valley PCA. Anne Anthony has been Music Director since 2008 and a member of the church since 1984; she holds a Bachelor and Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Louisville. Gail Baity serves as Executive Director; she and her husband Peter have been members since 1999.
Practical Matters for Visitors
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is closed on Mondays and federal holidays. The phone number is (410) 252-5663 and the general inbox is info@timpca.org. In case of severe weather on a weekday, the church follows Baltimore County Public Schools: closures, early dismissals, or activity cancellations close the campus and cancel afternoon and evening events, except when the school system closes early specifically for high temperatures, in which case TPC's air-conditioned activities continue. Sunday cancellations are determined by the leadership and communicated through the church's text notification service and posted online.
Giving can be done online through the church's Breeze portal, or by texting "GIVE" to 410-873-9556. Sermon recordings are posted online and remain available for catch-up listening.