Love and Serve Through Christ
Wayne United Methodist Church stands in the heart of downtown Wayne, Pennsylvania, on South Wayne Avenue just off Lancaster Avenue and a short walk from the Wayne train station. Its mission statement is a single line: Love and Serve Through Christ. Every ministry, sermon series, choir rehearsal, and outreach program at the church flows from that sentence.
The congregation belongs to the United Methodist Church and serves as a presence in Radnor Township on the Philadelphia Main Line. Members describe their calling as active and outward-facing: they want to be a resource for their neighbors, and they back that up with a food pantry, a homeless meal partnership, a community Christmas challenge, and a long list of ways the church doors swing open to the town throughout the year.
Sunday Morning at 10:30
Worship gathers at 10:30 AM on Sundays, both in the sanctuary and online through Facebook and YouTube. The service is blended, weaving contemporary worship songs together with carefully chosen hymns, Scripture readings, prayer, and a sermon rooted in the Bible but aimed at the real questions people carry through their week. Past series have covered topics ranging from the meaning of success and weathering life's storms to wrestling with being overwhelmed and discovering the heart of Jesus.
Holy communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and all who follow Jesus are welcome at the table regardless of church membership. The order of worship typically includes a call to worship, congregational singing, prayer, a children's message, the reading of Scripture, the sermon, the Lord's Prayer, and a sending blessing, with instrumental music woven throughout.
What to Expect as a First-Time Visitor
Wayne Church welcomes newcomers, regular attenders, and people returning to faith after time away. Members make a point of helping visitors find their way, and the atmosphere is purposeful without being formal.
Children are welcome throughout worship, and a children's message is offered each week. Families with young children may drop them off in age-appropriate classrooms during the service. Childcare for children six weeks old through age five is available from 9:15 to 11:45 AM, with three distinct rooms: a nursery for six-week to 18-month-olds, a toddler room for 18 months through potty training, and a preschool room for ages three to five. Sunday School for children in kindergarten through fifth grade begins in worship and is dismissed to its classroom after the children's message; the children rejoin their families afterward in The Well, the church's gathering space just outside the sanctuary.
The building is fully handicapped accessible, with indoor and outdoor ramps and an elevator. Parking is available in the church's lot directly behind the building (entrance on South Wayne Avenue), in the municipal lot across the street, and along Runnymede Avenue in front of the church. Street and municipal parking are free on Sundays.
Music for Every Voice
Music is a central act of worship at Wayne Church. The music ministry program is led by Director of Music Eric Cui and includes several choirs and ensembles open to anyone who wants to sing or play.
- Joyful Noise Choir, the adult choir, rehearses Sunday mornings at 9:30 in the sanctuary and sings regularly during the 10:30 service.
- Praise Bells, the handbell choir, rehearses Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 PM, September through May, and performs once or twice a month during worship.
- Strings, a Brass group, and rotating Vocalists provide music for special services and seasons such as Christmas and Easter.
- Wesley Choir, for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, rehearses Sundays from 9:15 to 9:45 AM during the school year and shares songs in worship five or six times a year.
The sanctuary has also been a venue for concerts open to the wider community. Past performances have included Elisabeth Von Trapp, the Amici Strings, the York County Junior Honors Choir, and an annual December performance by the Eastern University Choir during the 10:30 service. Outside concerts, called 210 Live!, take place on the front lawn with local bands and food vendors; past events have featured Savior Soul, Jimi Kenrick, and Abuelita's Empanadas food truck, with coffee from The Giving Bean, and proceeds supporting the food pantry and the Radnor Township Civic Association.
Children and Youth
Wayne Church invests heavily in its next generation. Sunday School runs from September through May for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, middle school youth, and senior high youth. Children experience age-appropriate, Bible-based classroom environments and are invited to take part in worship through the Wesley Choir and the weekly children's message.
Middle school and senior high youth meet for Sunday School from 9:30 to 10:20 AM in the Youth Room. The Director of Christian Education, Demetrio Beach-Kenon, oversees the children's and youth programs and is a regular presence in worship, often leading the children's message and occasionally preaching.
Children's music ministry happens before the 10:30 service, from 9:30 to 10:15 AM, and is open to all K-5 children regardless of musical experience. Volunteer background checks, Safe Sanctuaries training, and a signed covenant are required before anyone serves with children or youth.
Adult Bible Studies and Small Groups
Several ongoing Bible studies meet throughout the week, with options for in-person and Zoom attendance.
- Wednesday Morning Bible Study on Zoom for Adults meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11 AM. The current study walks through the Torah and then dives into Deuteronomy, the book that shaped post-exilic Jewish faith and that Jesus quotes often in the Gospels. It is led by Katie McNabb.
- Wednesday Women's Bible Study in The Well meets every other Wednesday evening at 7 PM. The group has read titles such as The Faith Club, which follows three women of three different faiths in conversation.
- Thursday Morning Bible Study on Zoom meets every Thursday at 10 AM, studying the Book of Acts with the William Barclay guide.
- Men's Morning Study meets the first and third Thursdays at 6:30 AM in the Upper Room and on Zoom, currently working through the Ten Commandments and led by Lowell Gustafson.
- Adult Sunday School provides Bible study, meaningful conversation, and practical application for everyday life, with a place for newcomers and longtime students of Scripture alike.
A separate offering called Sunday School in a Minute delivers one-minute online Bible lessons for spiritual growth throughout the week, with weekly challenges that connect Scripture to daily life.
The Radnor Township Food Pantry
The food pantry at Wayne Church is the only one in Radnor Township. It serves more than seventy families each week and has done so continuously since the pandemic began, more than double its pre-pandemic volume. Distribution happens on Wednesdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. There is no application process; anyone in need can come during those hours and receive one pre-packed bag of non-perishable groceries per household per week, while supplies last.
Typical bags include canned tuna/chicken/meats, canned soup, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, jams, jellies, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, pasta, mac and cheese, boxed rice and mashed potatoes, cereal, applesauce, meal kits, and basic toiletries. The church accepts donations of non-expired, non-perishable items in the donation bin just inside the lobby doors, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Monetary donations and gift cards to local supermarkets such as Acme or Giant are also welcome, and an Amazon Wish List is available for those who want to contribute but cannot shop in person.
Homeless Ministry: Chosen 300 and Family Promise
The church partners with two organizations serving people experiencing homelessness in the Philadelphia region.
Wayne Church cooks and serves a meal every other month, on the fourth Saturday, at Chosen 300's Spring Garden Street location. The meal is shared with a brief time of worship and a short message, all led by church volunteers. The partnership began Christmas Eve 2016, when the congregation spent Christmas Eve giving back, and has continued as a regular ministry ever since.
The church also supports Family Promise of the Main Line, a nonprofit serving homeless families who have fallen on hard times. Wayne Church joins several other congregations in hosting families for a week at a time, five times a year, at Central Baptist Church. Volunteers prepare and serve meals, and chaperones stay overnight from 8:30 PM to 6:00 AM.
Wayne Christmas Challenge
Each year the congregation takes on the Wayne Christmas Challenge: members are invited to donate half of what they would normally spend on Christmas gifts to a fund that supports local and global causes. All giving flows through the church's nonprofit arm, Wayne Cares. Over nine years the Challenge has raised more than $260,000, every dollar of which has been spent in the communities the church has chosen to walk alongside, including a landmark $18,500 commitment in 2015 that helped launch a community-wide effort to refurbish the Radnor Township Civic Association.
Out in the Community
Wayne Church sees its role in the wider Main Line community as active and ongoing.
- Radnor Township Civic Association (RTCA): the only African-American-owned civic center on the Main Line, RTCA has hosted wedding receptions, community gatherings, after-school tutoring, and social clubs for nearly a century. The church partnered with RTCA beginning Christmas 2015, when the Christmas Challenge directed $18,500 toward the building's refurbishment. Volunteers have continued to support RTCA alongside other local churches, Radnor Township, Villanova University, and concerned neighbors.
- Wayne Tree Lighting and Carriage Rides: every December, the church opens its doors to downtown visitors with decorated sanctuary, public restrooms, hot chocolate, and Christmas treats in the front entryway.
- Memorial Day Parade Hospitality: when the Wayne Memorial Day parade concludes at the war memorial across from the church, Wayne Church welcomes veterans and parade attendees with restrooms and a small treat.
- Blood Drives: the church hosts quarterly American Red Cross blood drives.
Mission Trips and Family Service
Wayne Church partners with five other United Methodist churches for the MyCalling! Youth Mission Experience, a week of hands-on service for youth that combines physical and relational ministries in different settings each day. The church also gathers children, youth, and adults for an Intergenerational Mission Day with Family Promise Montco PA and Main Line, a single-day project that brings the whole church family together in service. In addition, Wayne Church has supported Appalachian Service Project work over the years.
Safe Sanctuaries
Wayne Church takes the safety of every child, youth, vulnerable adult, volunteer, staff member, and family seriously. The church follows a Safe Sanctuaries policy built around the Two Adult Rule: at least two unrelated, approved adults are present during any church-sponsored activity, one adult is never alone with a child or youth, and transportation and digital communication follow the same standards of transparency and accountability.
Before serving with children, youth, or vulnerable adults, every volunteer must have been an active participant at Wayne Church for at least six months (or a letter of recommendation from a previous church), complete a Volunteer Application with three non-related references, successfully complete all required Pennsylvania background clearances, complete Wayne Church Safe Sanctuaries training, and sign a Volunteer Covenant. Photography, social media, and digital ministry follow strict privacy guidelines: children's personal information is never shared with photographs or videos, and children are never identified by name alongside images posted online. Concerns about abuse or neglect are reported promptly to the Senior Pastor or Director of Christian Education.
Giving
Online giving is available through a secure online portal, the Vanco Mobile app, Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal. Text-to-give is also available by texting a gift amount to 844-941-2190. Gifts to the food pantry can be designated in the memo line, and an Amazon Wish List supports the pantry directly. Members are also invited to participate in the annual Ministry Team Commitment Card process, renewing their time-and-talent commitments to the church's nurture, outreach, witness, and resource ministries each program year.
Leadership and Staff
The Wayne Church Leadership Council is a team of eight to ten laypeople plus the Senior Pastor, with general oversight of the church's administration and program. Its primary task is to oversee the mission and vision of the congregation, including the work of Christian nurture, outreach, and witness within the church family, in the surrounding community, and in the wider world.
Lead Pastor Greg Impink shepherds the congregation. Congregational Care Pastor John Shannon walks alongside members in times of need. Director of Christian Education Demetrio Beach-Kenon oversees the children, youth, and Christian education ministries. Director of Music Eric Cui leads the music ministry program and its choirs.
Visit, Find Us, Get in Touch
The church building sits at 210 S. Wayne Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, in the heart of downtown Wayne near the post office and fire station. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The main phone is 610-688-5650 and the general email is learnmore@wayneumc.org. The church is also active on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where the Sunday service is livestreamed and a deep archive of past sermons is available, going back several years.