Worship Arts
We are grateful for all that God has done in and through our ministry this year. In every endeavor, we strive to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength above everything. We hope that in every area of our lives we have a heart full of gratitude that manifests in generosity; in that way bringing true worship to our King.
Welcome to our new Worship Arts Associate!
In September we welcomed Diana Postevka onto our staff team. She has been a fantastic addition bringing talent, warmth and humility to our ministry. We didn’t know if we would be able to pull together the Christmas concerts on such short notice, but we got to work and were pleased at how everything came together, including 55 people in the choir! Diana brings a wonderful spirit of worship to the platform. Her deep commitment to singing the traditional hymns of our faith is beautifully balanced with a desire to incorporate songs of the last few decades when appropriate.
Ministry Highlights:
We look forward to all that God has in store for us in the next ministry year. We would love to see the next generation equipped in greater ways to serve God. We hope to bring our very best to the Lord as we design services and gather for corporate worship. Thank you for the great blessing of worshipping alongside you each week.
Welcome to our new Worship Arts Associate!
In September we welcomed Diana Postevka onto our staff team. She has been a fantastic addition bringing talent, warmth and humility to our ministry. We didn’t know if we would be able to pull together the Christmas concerts on such short notice, but we got to work and were pleased at how everything came together, including 55 people in the choir! Diana brings a wonderful spirit of worship to the platform. Her deep commitment to singing the traditional hymns of our faith is beautifully balanced with a desire to incorporate songs of the last few decades when appropriate.
Ministry Highlights:
- We are thankful to the Lord for the amazing volunteers in our traditional service ministry that stepped in to fill the gap in leadership before we hired Diana. It was a timely blessing for our folks to offer their creativity and leadership in worship to our God in that season.
- In November we had another great CREATIVE night hearing original praise music, readings of original poetry and literature, surrounded by the paintings and photographs of such talented artists. Our sanctuary was filled with beauty once again and God was worshiped in creative ways.
- The Christmas season was very a special with a ton of involvement from many new volunteers.
- That was followed up with an Easter season that saw our choir loft filled once again as they sang Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus to kick off resurrection Sunday.
We look forward to all that God has in store for us in the next ministry year. We would love to see the next generation equipped in greater ways to serve God. We hope to bring our very best to the Lord as we design services and gather for corporate worship. Thank you for the great blessing of worshipping alongside you each week.
Community Groups
Community Groups are key to loving others and growing in God's word in a safe and predictable environment created by our trained Community Group Leaders, based on the Sticky Church book by Larry Osborne. Coach Philip Byers from North Coast Church has been a helpful resource to our newly formed Community Group Advisory Team who oversee this ministry.
The eight members of the Community Group Advisory Team coach and support Community Group leaders who disciple men and women as we all follow Jesus. The categories of our groups are as follows: Empty Nesters, Mixed-Age Adults, Young Families, Young Adults, Men, Women.
Group Format: Our Community Groups run in a Fall Term (September-December) and Winter/Spring Term (January-May) and break for the summer. Our community groups meet at various times and locations. Most of our community groups are sermon-based groups that follow the supplied sermon study notes to discuss and personally apply the scriptures presented in the weekly sermons. Alternatively, some groups choose Book Studies. The Advisory team offered creation and review of the sermon studies and a content approval process for the book studies.
Statistics: This year we have 91 leaders overseeing 42 Groups, representing about 80% of our average Sunday attenders. Community Groups include:
There are always open groups for newcomers to join in each category, which requires developing leaders to meet our ongoing interest and growth.
Community Group leaders shepherd others, facilitate discussions, and encourage discipleship. Qualifications for leaders include church membership and a proven track record of high integrity. We provide new leader training twice a year and our current leaders gather for peer learning twice a year. Community Group leaders gathered for appreciation, fellowship, and encouragement in July.
The eight members of the Community Group Advisory Team coach and support Community Group leaders who disciple men and women as we all follow Jesus. The categories of our groups are as follows: Empty Nesters, Mixed-Age Adults, Young Families, Young Adults, Men, Women.
Group Format: Our Community Groups run in a Fall Term (September-December) and Winter/Spring Term (January-May) and break for the summer. Our community groups meet at various times and locations. Most of our community groups are sermon-based groups that follow the supplied sermon study notes to discuss and personally apply the scriptures presented in the weekly sermons. Alternatively, some groups choose Book Studies. The Advisory team offered creation and review of the sermon studies and a content approval process for the book studies.
Statistics: This year we have 91 leaders overseeing 42 Groups, representing about 80% of our average Sunday attenders. Community Groups include:
- 9 Empty Nester Groups: 101 people
- 10 Mixed-Age Adult Groups: 135 people
- 8 Young Family Groups: 108 people
- 6 Young Adult Groups: 61 people
- 6 Men’s Groups: 48 people
- 3 Women’s Groups: 34 people
There are always open groups for newcomers to join in each category, which requires developing leaders to meet our ongoing interest and growth.
Community Group leaders shepherd others, facilitate discussions, and encourage discipleship. Qualifications for leaders include church membership and a proven track record of high integrity. We provide new leader training twice a year and our current leaders gather for peer learning twice a year. Community Group leaders gathered for appreciation, fellowship, and encouragement in July.
ALPHA
Over the past year, we praise God for continued growth in the Alpha ministry and have seen clear fruit of God’s blessing. We hosted three Alpha Courses (beginning in September, January, and April) in which approximately 100 guests attended.
At the core of our philosophy for Alpha is hospitality. The Alpha Team thinks regularly about how to create a welcoming environment for our guests, who may be initially uneasy about entering a church or engaging on the topic of faith. In addition to being welcoming, we utilize trivia, online feedback polls, a meal, a cookie tasting, and other means to get people to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.
Highlights of our September Alpha included a core group of guests, that upon the completion of Alpha, continued to Rooted, our “Beta course,” where they were introduced to the seven discipleship rhythms (including devotions, prayer, generosity, service) of the Christian faith, while continuing to develop relationships that were formed during Alpha. Our January course included our first high school and college table led by their peers and had a dedicated prayer team. Our current Alpha that began in April, although smaller than recent courses, has a particularly high percentage of people not currently attending Church of the Saviour.
Over the year, specific fruit included a guest receiving prayer for healing of past hurt from church leaders, guests with scientific backgrounds being exposed to the Christian faith, a guest noting that God was guiding them during the discussion on the week of How Does God Guide Us?, multiple guests receiving prayer, a guest who attended Alpha many years ago reaching a decision to be baptized, and four additional guests desiring to be baptized. We also recognize that there is much fruit we will never see but trust the results to God and his timing.
God is at work at Alpha, and we are thankful to see the recent tangible evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. We recognize we are entirely reliant on God doing the work only he can do.
The work of Alpha (and by extension all evangelistic efforts) is not easy and has disappointments as we see in the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. As we move into the new ministry year beginning in September, we need to expand the Alpha Team to support our growth. In addition to Alpha Team roles that love on and interact with Alpha guests, we also have a need for team members to assist with prayer, administration, and food service.
Finally, we encourage all of us to be praying over the summer for God to lead us to people to invite to an upcoming Alpha with us, and for God to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) in our church and at Alpha.
At the core of our philosophy for Alpha is hospitality. The Alpha Team thinks regularly about how to create a welcoming environment for our guests, who may be initially uneasy about entering a church or engaging on the topic of faith. In addition to being welcoming, we utilize trivia, online feedback polls, a meal, a cookie tasting, and other means to get people to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.
Highlights of our September Alpha included a core group of guests, that upon the completion of Alpha, continued to Rooted, our “Beta course,” where they were introduced to the seven discipleship rhythms (including devotions, prayer, generosity, service) of the Christian faith, while continuing to develop relationships that were formed during Alpha. Our January course included our first high school and college table led by their peers and had a dedicated prayer team. Our current Alpha that began in April, although smaller than recent courses, has a particularly high percentage of people not currently attending Church of the Saviour.
Over the year, specific fruit included a guest receiving prayer for healing of past hurt from church leaders, guests with scientific backgrounds being exposed to the Christian faith, a guest noting that God was guiding them during the discussion on the week of How Does God Guide Us?, multiple guests receiving prayer, a guest who attended Alpha many years ago reaching a decision to be baptized, and four additional guests desiring to be baptized. We also recognize that there is much fruit we will never see but trust the results to God and his timing.
God is at work at Alpha, and we are thankful to see the recent tangible evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. We recognize we are entirely reliant on God doing the work only he can do.
The work of Alpha (and by extension all evangelistic efforts) is not easy and has disappointments as we see in the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. As we move into the new ministry year beginning in September, we need to expand the Alpha Team to support our growth. In addition to Alpha Team roles that love on and interact with Alpha guests, we also have a need for team members to assist with prayer, administration, and food service.
Finally, we encourage all of us to be praying over the summer for God to lead us to people to invite to an upcoming Alpha with us, and for God to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) in our church and at Alpha.
Global Outreach
What a privilege it is to partner with God in his mission of making disciples in Wayne—and beyond! With the support of our new Global Outreach Director, our Global Outreach Team Leaders are developing 5 core ministry teams as we make disciples of all nations, focusing on the roles of Praying, Mobilizing, Welcoming, Sending, and Going.
Praying
Every movement to Christ is preceded and sustained by a prayer movement. We are committed to prayer as our foundation! Our Global Outreach prayer gathering continues to take place every third Sunday of the month.
Mobilizing
With our Global Focus on the unreached, we highlighted Hinduism in the fall and Islam in the spring. The church was engaged through a variety of avenues, including seminars with guest speakers, trainings through conferences or Equipping Courses, special prayer gatherings, experiential learning, and outreach opportunities.
Welcoming
As our church community grows in diversity, we have offered Bibles in a wide variety of languages in our lobby. In addition to organic relationships we hope to foster at COS, we have three ministries engaging the international community of Wayne and surrounding towns:
Sending
We celebrate the faithfulness of a few of our legacy Global Partners who have reached retirement this past year. Currently, we are supporting 33 partners advancing God's Kingdom through education, mobilization, evangelism, discipleship, and missionary care. Our Giving Tuesday project in December provided funds for a Women's Training Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where our Global Partners are providing medical and theological training to Christian leaders in a place of deep spiritual and humanitarian need.
Going
As we consider the strategic focus areas the Lord would direct our church in reaching the unreached, we are particularly led toward the Muslim and Hindu world. Our student ministry trip to Montreal in June will focus on these demographics, and plans are progressing for a vision trip to India in the coming year.
Praying
Every movement to Christ is preceded and sustained by a prayer movement. We are committed to prayer as our foundation! Our Global Outreach prayer gathering continues to take place every third Sunday of the month.
Mobilizing
With our Global Focus on the unreached, we highlighted Hinduism in the fall and Islam in the spring. The church was engaged through a variety of avenues, including seminars with guest speakers, trainings through conferences or Equipping Courses, special prayer gatherings, experiential learning, and outreach opportunities.
Welcoming
As our church community grows in diversity, we have offered Bibles in a wide variety of languages in our lobby. In addition to organic relationships we hope to foster at COS, we have three ministries engaging the international community of Wayne and surrounding towns:
- International Student Outreach: Every year, we welcome international students to our campus for a furniture giveaway and brunch. This past year, we impacted over 70 students through this outreach from nearby colleges and universities. Four social events were offered throughout the year, including game nights, a Friendsgiving, and a Hot Pot Night.
- ESL Classes: With an enrollment of more than 60 adult learners in four class levels, our team of 16 teachers and assistants provided English education which not only helps our neighbors thrive, but provides avenues for deeper relationships. Community Groups stepped up this year to provide snacks and conversation at break time, while a short devotion based on scripture was shared. ESL Bible studies and conversation corners were offered in between semesters.
- Refugee Resettlement: We continue to serve Afghan newcomers with urgent resettlement needs. In addition to ongoing relationships with the families we have previously resettled, this year, we have helped two more families with housing, material needs, job applications, and connected them to crucial services such as legal assistance, healthcare, and education. In April, more than 150 Afghans were welcomed for a luncheon on our campus and several Bibles were taken.
Sending
We celebrate the faithfulness of a few of our legacy Global Partners who have reached retirement this past year. Currently, we are supporting 33 partners advancing God's Kingdom through education, mobilization, evangelism, discipleship, and missionary care. Our Giving Tuesday project in December provided funds for a Women's Training Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where our Global Partners are providing medical and theological training to Christian leaders in a place of deep spiritual and humanitarian need.
Going
As we consider the strategic focus areas the Lord would direct our church in reaching the unreached, we are particularly led toward the Muslim and Hindu world. Our student ministry trip to Montreal in June will focus on these demographics, and plans are progressing for a vision trip to India in the coming year.
Kids Ministry
We are deeply grateful for the abundant opportunities God has provided to partner with families in discipling the children entrusted to our care. Through our Sunday School, Tuesday night AWANA gatherings, and summer camps—including VBS and Adventure Camp in 2024—our dedicated Kids Ministry volunteers have played a pivotal role in shaping the spiritual journeys of our young ones. It has been heartening to witness both returning and new families actively participating in these programs.
As our community grows, so does our commitment to maintaining intimate teacher-to-child ratios, ensuring each child receives personalized attention that fosters meaningful relationships and impactful instruction in making disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond.
Ministry Highlights:
Join Us in This Mission
As we look ahead, we recognize the pivotal role each of you plays in nurturing the next generation. We're seeking passionate individuals to join our teaching teams this fall. Your involvement can profoundly influence the lives of our children, guiding them to walk faithfully with the Lord and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
As our community grows, so does our commitment to maintaining intimate teacher-to-child ratios, ensuring each child receives personalized attention that fosters meaningful relationships and impactful instruction in making disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond.
Ministry Highlights:
- Sunday School Expansion: To accommodate our growing numbers, we introduced an additional Sunday Preschool class this year, serving children ages 3 through kindergarten. As the children deepen their love for God, they are also learning to serve others in meaningful ways. This spring, they begun creating beautiful artwork to bring joy and encouragement to the “Worth It Women” program here at COS and residents of local senior homes.
- Preschool children created artwork filled with loving and encouraging words for moms, while elementary students handwrote heartfelt “Happy Mother’s Day” notes.
- In the Elementary department, we were excited to open classes for each grade, 1st through 5th, by August 24, coinciding with our “Move-Up” day for preschool, elementary, and student ministry.
- In the Nursery, we enjoyed having some Worship Arts musicians and Nursery volunteers play their instruments for us on Sunday mornings as we praised God together during our Worship Song Time.
- AWANA Program Growth: This year, our AWANA program welcomed 148 students, culminating in a celebratory Award Ceremony on Tuesday, May 6. We anticipate increased participation in the fall and invite YOU to join our team as a disciple leader!
- 2025 Summer Bible Camp – "Magnified": Our reimagined Vacation Bible School, now encompassing preschool through elementary-aged children, is nearing full capacity—only one month left to sign up! Please join us in prayer for God's plan to touch the hearts and minds of all the kids and families participating.
- 2025 New Sports Camp Partnership: In collaboration with FCA, we're excited to launch a Sports Camp from July 14–18, featuring soccer and flag football for children who have completed Kindergarten through 5th grade. Professional, faith-based coaches will lead this initiative, blending athleticism with spiritual growth.
Join Us in This Mission
As we look ahead, we recognize the pivotal role each of you plays in nurturing the next generation. We're seeking passionate individuals to join our teaching teams this fall. Your involvement can profoundly influence the lives of our children, guiding them to walk faithfully with the Lord and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Student Ministry
In the last year, even while walking through many changes in Student Ministry, we’ve experienced the joy and life from our unchanging, everlasting, and good God! This is evident in how the Lord has continued to propel our mission, glorifying God by making student disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond, forward. We’ve seen this carried out as we’ve sought to Love God, Love Others, and Serve the World!
Love God
We’ve learned so much about the life of Jesus together from the book of Mark in Student Ministry Sunday School. And we’ve dove headfirst into rich truths about who God is, who we are, and what the life of a Christian looks like because of Jesus from Ephesians at Wednesday night Youth Group! Our Student Ministry Community Groups have continued to unpack these truths into real life circumstances, in settings cultivated for a specific grade and gender. Including goofy games and just hangin’ out, all adds to a community of growth and genuine friendship with one another, and Jesus.
In addition, Student Ministry has a long history and a bright future for overnight retreats. These are opportunities to get students out of their regular rhythm for a concentrated time of fellowship, worship, and discipleship. At our winter retreat, students remarked on the fun they had there with friends and leaders, the lasting impression the worship made, and the increase of love they have for Jesus. That’s worth a polar plunge!! And we can’t wait for a full slate of retreats this summer!
Love Others
Student Ministry wants more students trusting in Jesus as their saviour, living their life for Him, and welcoming them into God’s family! This past year, we have continually encouraged students to be Christ’s hands and feet and invite students to church. In addition, we’ve sought to host big, fun events that are especially easy to invite friends to. Putt-putt, Lock-ins, movie nights, block parties, choose your own adventure nights, and more! These events have acted as a bridge for new students to meet other students and leaders, feeling even more comfortable and welcomed to our weekly events. Not to mention, we love havin’ fun with each other!
Serve the World
We desire for our students living out their faith in service! And we’ve seen that in a number of ways this past year. Many students serve regularly at AWANA on Tuesday nights, in kids and preschool Sunday school, and in the nursery. It’s our joy to see service and discipleship of the next generation abound IN the next generation! On top of this, Student Ministry collaborated with many other ministries in special ways to serve our neighbors in Wayne & beyond, like our Afghan Refugee lunch with Global Outreach and writing encouragements to women in the Worth It program. And, we’re excited to serve the Kingdom on a missions trip to Montreal in just a few short weeks!
Would you pray with us? Pray thankfulness with us for the life the Lord is giving to the ministry, pray endurance for the continued work of the leaders and parents supporting the ministry, and pray hopeful expectations for all the work still to be done. Praise God!
Love God
We’ve learned so much about the life of Jesus together from the book of Mark in Student Ministry Sunday School. And we’ve dove headfirst into rich truths about who God is, who we are, and what the life of a Christian looks like because of Jesus from Ephesians at Wednesday night Youth Group! Our Student Ministry Community Groups have continued to unpack these truths into real life circumstances, in settings cultivated for a specific grade and gender. Including goofy games and just hangin’ out, all adds to a community of growth and genuine friendship with one another, and Jesus.
In addition, Student Ministry has a long history and a bright future for overnight retreats. These are opportunities to get students out of their regular rhythm for a concentrated time of fellowship, worship, and discipleship. At our winter retreat, students remarked on the fun they had there with friends and leaders, the lasting impression the worship made, and the increase of love they have for Jesus. That’s worth a polar plunge!! And we can’t wait for a full slate of retreats this summer!
Love Others
Student Ministry wants more students trusting in Jesus as their saviour, living their life for Him, and welcoming them into God’s family! This past year, we have continually encouraged students to be Christ’s hands and feet and invite students to church. In addition, we’ve sought to host big, fun events that are especially easy to invite friends to. Putt-putt, Lock-ins, movie nights, block parties, choose your own adventure nights, and more! These events have acted as a bridge for new students to meet other students and leaders, feeling even more comfortable and welcomed to our weekly events. Not to mention, we love havin’ fun with each other!
Serve the World
We desire for our students living out their faith in service! And we’ve seen that in a number of ways this past year. Many students serve regularly at AWANA on Tuesday nights, in kids and preschool Sunday school, and in the nursery. It’s our joy to see service and discipleship of the next generation abound IN the next generation! On top of this, Student Ministry collaborated with many other ministries in special ways to serve our neighbors in Wayne & beyond, like our Afghan Refugee lunch with Global Outreach and writing encouragements to women in the Worth It program. And, we’re excited to serve the Kingdom on a missions trip to Montreal in just a few short weeks!
Would you pray with us? Pray thankfulness with us for the life the Lord is giving to the ministry, pray endurance for the continued work of the leaders and parents supporting the ministry, and pray hopeful expectations for all the work still to be done. Praise God!
College Ministry
College campuses are a strategic mission field. COS is providentially positioned and strategically situated (Acts 17:26) to minister to college-aged students due to its proximity to so many colleges, including Valley Forge Military Academy, Eastern University, and Villanova University, and its biblically grounded faithfulness to Christ and his Word. Bill Bright, a titan of college ministry and the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), famously said: “If we can win the campus today, we will win the world tomorrow.” He’s right. Many gospel movements in church history have begun on college campuses, and this has been an exciting year in COS College Ministry!
COS College Ministry seeks to glorify God by making college-aged disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond. In its first year under new leadership, COS College Ministry has been built upon the foundation of Christ and his Word (Matt. 7:24-27; 1 Cor. 3:11) through gospel-centered teaching, prayer, and relationships in a context of Christian community, discipleship, and hospitality. More specifically:
Beyond the foregoing, gospel partnerships were fostered and forged with on-campus chaplains and college ministries like InterVarsity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and more. Lastly, many college students have stepped into roles of leadership and service within other COS ministries, including Student Ministry, Kids Ministry, Alpha, and Worship Arts, and COS will be welcoming eight college-aged persons as Next Generation summer interns. It is exciting to see the next generation of church leaders being raised up in our midst!
COS College Ministry seeks to glorify God by making college-aged disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond. In its first year under new leadership, COS College Ministry has been built upon the foundation of Christ and his Word (Matt. 7:24-27; 1 Cor. 3:11) through gospel-centered teaching, prayer, and relationships in a context of Christian community, discipleship, and hospitality. More specifically:
- Gospel-Centered Teaching: Multiple weekly college Bible studies and book studies were held both at COS and on nearby college campuses, including a year-long study on the Gospel of John entitled “That You May Believe.” The end-of-year retreat held in Stone Harbor, NJ on Palm Sunday weekend had the theme “Behold Your King” and focused on the death and resurrection of King Jesus—promised, rejected, and risen.
- Prayer: Every week a team of college prayer warriors would gather for prayer for the gospel of Jesus Christ to advance among and transform college students, nearby college campuses, and the COS College Ministry. COS also joined with others to pray for colleges and universities on the national Collegiate Day of Prayer.
- Relationships: In addition to discipleship of student leaders on multiple nearby campuses, picking up students on the college shuttle so that they can attend Sunday worship services, and attending numerous student events and activities on campus, fellowship lunches were held twice monthly at COS family homes throughout the academic year where the group would gather for a meal, friendship, and sermon discussion. Social outings also happened monthly and included activities like bowling, corn maze, game night, Friendsgiving, Christmas Party, Super Bowl Party (Fly Eagles Fly!), and concerts (Winter Jam and Forrest Frank).
Beyond the foregoing, gospel partnerships were fostered and forged with on-campus chaplains and college ministries like InterVarsity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and more. Lastly, many college students have stepped into roles of leadership and service within other COS ministries, including Student Ministry, Kids Ministry, Alpha, and Worship Arts, and COS will be welcoming eight college-aged persons as Next Generation summer interns. It is exciting to see the next generation of church leaders being raised up in our midst!
Young Adult Ministry
Our Young Adult Ministry continues to be a vibrant space where meaningful relationships are formed through both spiritual growth and shared experiences. Throughout the year, we’ve gathered for a wide range of social events including pickleball, ice skating, and Sunday lunches. These fun and relaxed environments have helped deepen existing connections while creating easy onramps for new individuals to get involved.
In addition to these events, we offer community groups that meet regularly to discuss biblical topics, reflect on Sunday sermons, and walk together in faith and accountability. A highlight this year has been our Thursday night Summer Fellowship, which drew strong participation and naturally extended into the fall. These evenings brought together young adults from various groups for worship, teaching, and fellowship over shared meals and meaningful conversation. As we enter the new ministry year, we are actively reimagining what Thursday nights could look like, seeking fresh ways to cultivate deeper spiritual formation and broader community engagement.
One initiative we're especially excited about is our Equipping Course called Demystifying Hermeneutics. In response to a growing desire among young adults to better understand and engage with Scripture, we launched a new five week Equipping Course in the Spring of 2025 focused on how to read and study the Bible. This course has beautifully met that need, providing participants with practical tools for faithful and confident engagement with God’s Word.
Whether someone is exploring faith or seeking to grow in deeper discipleship, the Young Adult Ministry remains a place marked by growing spiritual formation and genuine community.
In addition to these events, we offer community groups that meet regularly to discuss biblical topics, reflect on Sunday sermons, and walk together in faith and accountability. A highlight this year has been our Thursday night Summer Fellowship, which drew strong participation and naturally extended into the fall. These evenings brought together young adults from various groups for worship, teaching, and fellowship over shared meals and meaningful conversation. As we enter the new ministry year, we are actively reimagining what Thursday nights could look like, seeking fresh ways to cultivate deeper spiritual formation and broader community engagement.
One initiative we're especially excited about is our Equipping Course called Demystifying Hermeneutics. In response to a growing desire among young adults to better understand and engage with Scripture, we launched a new five week Equipping Course in the Spring of 2025 focused on how to read and study the Bible. This course has beautifully met that need, providing participants with practical tools for faithful and confident engagement with God’s Word.
Whether someone is exploring faith or seeking to grow in deeper discipleship, the Young Adult Ministry remains a place marked by growing spiritual formation and genuine community.
men's Ministry
Our desire is to create spaces to grow closer to God, connect with one another, and serve our community. We believe that one of the ways that Gospel transformation happens is through relationship and we want to create pathways for those relationships to form.
Community Groups
Community groups are a critical way that we make the large church smaller. We have a number of men’s only community groups that meet throughout the year. In addition to that, we have encouraged the men in our blended groups to find a time monthly to meet together, take a break from their study, and spend time in transparent conversation. At some point during these gatherings the leader asks an intentional question: How are you doing? What are your goals this year? How can we pray for you? Most of us know by experience that as someone shares more transparently with their life, it opens the door for others to do the same. Some of this happens around fire pits, some at restaurants, and some in our homes. A number of our groups took us up on that model to meet monthly and we hope to create more in the upcoming year.
Good Works
We are excited to continue our partnership with Good Works, a ministry out of Coatesville, PA that helps low-income homeowners with home repairs. This year, some of our servant leaders gave up a handful of Saturdays to serve alongside this ministry repairing homes. We look forward to more opportunities to serve with Good Works in the future.
Looking Ahead
This year we want to put an emphasis on outreach as we sense God’s movement in our community. We are looking at opportunities with our Heritage School dads and praying for other pathways of connection to those who might not know the Good news. We hope to see more and more men come to know our great and awesome God.
Community Groups
Community groups are a critical way that we make the large church smaller. We have a number of men’s only community groups that meet throughout the year. In addition to that, we have encouraged the men in our blended groups to find a time monthly to meet together, take a break from their study, and spend time in transparent conversation. At some point during these gatherings the leader asks an intentional question: How are you doing? What are your goals this year? How can we pray for you? Most of us know by experience that as someone shares more transparently with their life, it opens the door for others to do the same. Some of this happens around fire pits, some at restaurants, and some in our homes. A number of our groups took us up on that model to meet monthly and we hope to create more in the upcoming year.
Good Works
We are excited to continue our partnership with Good Works, a ministry out of Coatesville, PA that helps low-income homeowners with home repairs. This year, some of our servant leaders gave up a handful of Saturdays to serve alongside this ministry repairing homes. We look forward to more opportunities to serve with Good Works in the future.
Looking Ahead
This year we want to put an emphasis on outreach as we sense God’s movement in our community. We are looking at opportunities with our Heritage School dads and praying for other pathways of connection to those who might not know the Good news. We hope to see more and more men come to know our great and awesome God.
Women's Ministry
The guiding framework for Women’s Ministry, the Pathway for Women, outlines steps to help women love God, love others, and serve the world—glorifying God by making disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond. This pathway includes four key steps:
Each step represents a dynamic and growing opportunity for women to deepen their faith and engage in community. The Pathway reflects our current ministry areas, cross-ministry engagement, and future aspirations. Under the leadership of the newly established Women’s Ministry Vision Team, many faithful servant leaders have responded to God’s call and contributed to a flourishing ministry.
Come and See (Who We Are)
The Worth It program allowed us to minister to about 20 women who have survived sexual exploitation and were on our campus for 22 days. Additionally, we partnered with Global Outreach to host a meal for Afghan guests and fostered relational evangelism through walking groups, crochet circles, playgroups, and hiking meet-ups—pre-evangelism activities designed to create welcoming spaces for women to "Come and See" the love of Jesus lived out.
Step In (To the Gospel)
We embrace the churchwide call to outreach with energy and joy as we invite women to hear the Gospel. A highlight was our Christmas outreach event with over 220 women attending, most of them guests to our church. Additionally, Women’s Ministry enhanced our holiday celebrations by decorating photo areas for Easter and Mother’s Day. MomCo, a monthly outreach for Heritage School moms running September through May was launched, with a Taste of MomCo offered during June Bible Camp—providing a welcoming space for mothers to connect during drop-off hours.
Grow (Into God’s Word)
We thank God for the six Bible studies that reach over 200 women each week from September through May. These studies offer fellowship, spiritual growth, and deep engagement with Scripture:
Two additional short book studies furthered growth opportunities in the spring: Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and Never Too Late by Rob Reinow.
Women are in Prayer monthly to intercede for every aspect of the ministry. On Mother’s Day, prayer was offered in the Reception Room after both services for women seeking encouragement and spiritual support.
Lead (To Make Disciples)
The Women’s Ministry Vision Team was launched to guide, grow, and steward the ministry with excellence. Currently, 43 women are actively serving in leadership roles, with 30 more identified as potential future leaders. We hosted four Leadership Workshops this year to develop our leaders spiritually and equip them with leadership skills.
To God be the glory for all He has done in and through the Women’s Ministry this year. We look forward with anticipation to the next season of transformation and discipleship.
- Come and See Who We Are
- Step Into the Gospel
- Grow into God’s Word
- Lead to Make Disciples
Each step represents a dynamic and growing opportunity for women to deepen their faith and engage in community. The Pathway reflects our current ministry areas, cross-ministry engagement, and future aspirations. Under the leadership of the newly established Women’s Ministry Vision Team, many faithful servant leaders have responded to God’s call and contributed to a flourishing ministry.
Come and See (Who We Are)
The Worth It program allowed us to minister to about 20 women who have survived sexual exploitation and were on our campus for 22 days. Additionally, we partnered with Global Outreach to host a meal for Afghan guests and fostered relational evangelism through walking groups, crochet circles, playgroups, and hiking meet-ups—pre-evangelism activities designed to create welcoming spaces for women to "Come and See" the love of Jesus lived out.
Step In (To the Gospel)
We embrace the churchwide call to outreach with energy and joy as we invite women to hear the Gospel. A highlight was our Christmas outreach event with over 220 women attending, most of them guests to our church. Additionally, Women’s Ministry enhanced our holiday celebrations by decorating photo areas for Easter and Mother’s Day. MomCo, a monthly outreach for Heritage School moms running September through May was launched, with a Taste of MomCo offered during June Bible Camp—providing a welcoming space for mothers to connect during drop-off hours.
Grow (Into God’s Word)
We thank God for the six Bible studies that reach over 200 women each week from September through May. These studies offer fellowship, spiritual growth, and deep engagement with Scripture:
- Precepts – Sunday evenings
- Community Bible Study – Tuesday mornings
- Joy in the Morning – Wednesday mornings
- Joy in the Evening – Wednesday evenings
- Virtual Joy – Wednesday evenings
- Free Fridays – Friday mornings
Two additional short book studies furthered growth opportunities in the spring: Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and Never Too Late by Rob Reinow.
Women are in Prayer monthly to intercede for every aspect of the ministry. On Mother’s Day, prayer was offered in the Reception Room after both services for women seeking encouragement and spiritual support.
Lead (To Make Disciples)
The Women’s Ministry Vision Team was launched to guide, grow, and steward the ministry with excellence. Currently, 43 women are actively serving in leadership roles, with 30 more identified as potential future leaders. We hosted four Leadership Workshops this year to develop our leaders spiritually and equip them with leadership skills.
To God be the glory for all He has done in and through the Women’s Ministry this year. We look forward with anticipation to the next season of transformation and discipleship.
Family Ministries
As we reflect on this past year, our hearts are full of gratitude for how God has continued to work in and through our Family Ministries. We have witnessed stories of transformation, renewed hope, and growing community. Across these life stages, the presence of the Spirit has been evident in our gatherings, conversations, and acts of service. Below are highlights of what God has done.
Together Won
Together Won remains a dynamic and inclusive community for young adults (18+) with special needs. This year brought a deepening of friendships and meaningful shared experiences. Highlights included a talent show, karaoke night, fall festival, themed crafts, and group outings to a Phillies game, Sight and Sound Theatre, and Handels ice cream.
In response to the growing need for life skills and vocational readiness, we launched a new initiative focused on practical preparation. A representative from Wegmans met with our group to discuss job readiness and inclusive hiring. We also practiced social interactions like ordering food before dining out. These simple rehearsals helped boost confidence and reduce anxiety, making everyday experiences more joyful and empowering.
Premarital Counseling and Weddings
We had the honor of walking alongside 18 couples in preparation for marriage. Through a combination of one on one sessions and group workshops, couples engaged with resources like Prepare and Enrich, The Meaning of Marriage, and guided pastoral conversations. Topics included communication, conflict resolution, spiritual intimacy, and shared purpose.
Looking ahead, we are reimagining our group format to create deeper connection and shared learning among couples, recognizing that mutual encouragement and real-life community can significantly strengthen the foundation they’re building for a lasting marriage.
Parenting Ministry
This year we offered our most widely attended Equipping Course yet, a 12 week parenting class based on Dr. Leonard Sax’s The Collapse of Parenting. Parents explored timely topics like discipline, screen time, gender identity, and the changing role of authority. Rooted in Scripture and contemporary research, the course provided a space for thoughtful, respectful dialogue.
Amid today’s often polarized parenting conversations, it was encouraging to witness our community engage with humility and mutual respect. We are grateful for your ongoing commitment to parenting with wisdom and grace.
Marriage Enrichment
In partnership with Serving Leaders, we hosted a regional marriage seminar that welcomed couples from both our church and the broader community. Through engaging teaching, storytelling, and practical exercises, couples reflected on their relational health and embraced biblical principles for joy and longevity in marriage.
We also ran two sessions of The Marriage Course for couples within our congregation. Each session combined video teaching with private, guided conversations, allowing couples to personally reflect and apply what they learned in a safe, supportive environment.
Family News Page
Our Family News Page continues to be a space for shared joy and care. Whether celebrating a birth, honoring an anniversary, or supporting one another through grief, this page reminds us of our deep bonds in Christ and the gift of doing life together.
Together Won
Together Won remains a dynamic and inclusive community for young adults (18+) with special needs. This year brought a deepening of friendships and meaningful shared experiences. Highlights included a talent show, karaoke night, fall festival, themed crafts, and group outings to a Phillies game, Sight and Sound Theatre, and Handels ice cream.
In response to the growing need for life skills and vocational readiness, we launched a new initiative focused on practical preparation. A representative from Wegmans met with our group to discuss job readiness and inclusive hiring. We also practiced social interactions like ordering food before dining out. These simple rehearsals helped boost confidence and reduce anxiety, making everyday experiences more joyful and empowering.
Premarital Counseling and Weddings
We had the honor of walking alongside 18 couples in preparation for marriage. Through a combination of one on one sessions and group workshops, couples engaged with resources like Prepare and Enrich, The Meaning of Marriage, and guided pastoral conversations. Topics included communication, conflict resolution, spiritual intimacy, and shared purpose.
Looking ahead, we are reimagining our group format to create deeper connection and shared learning among couples, recognizing that mutual encouragement and real-life community can significantly strengthen the foundation they’re building for a lasting marriage.
Parenting Ministry
This year we offered our most widely attended Equipping Course yet, a 12 week parenting class based on Dr. Leonard Sax’s The Collapse of Parenting. Parents explored timely topics like discipline, screen time, gender identity, and the changing role of authority. Rooted in Scripture and contemporary research, the course provided a space for thoughtful, respectful dialogue.
Amid today’s often polarized parenting conversations, it was encouraging to witness our community engage with humility and mutual respect. We are grateful for your ongoing commitment to parenting with wisdom and grace.
Marriage Enrichment
In partnership with Serving Leaders, we hosted a regional marriage seminar that welcomed couples from both our church and the broader community. Through engaging teaching, storytelling, and practical exercises, couples reflected on their relational health and embraced biblical principles for joy and longevity in marriage.
We also ran two sessions of The Marriage Course for couples within our congregation. Each session combined video teaching with private, guided conversations, allowing couples to personally reflect and apply what they learned in a safe, supportive environment.
Family News Page
Our Family News Page continues to be a space for shared joy and care. Whether celebrating a birth, honoring an anniversary, or supporting one another through grief, this page reminds us of our deep bonds in Christ and the gift of doing life together.
Care Ministries
At COS, Care Ministries exist to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus to those walking through the brokenness of life. Our hope is to bring transformation through Christ to those who are hurting. In every expression of this ministry, we aim to be a tangible reminder that Jesus sees, knows, and cares.
Spiritual Direction
This past year, Roy Shirley transitioned from his role as Care Director to serve exclusively in Spiritual Direction. Regularly, Roy meets with individual congregants, helping them discern God’s voice and presence in their lives. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—this ministry is quietly but powerfully shaping lives.
While the Care Director position has remained vacant for most of the year, our committed volunteers have faithfully sustained many of the ministry’s key expressions. We’re excited to announce that in September, Drew Angus will step into the role part-time as Pastor of Congregational Care. Drew brings a heart for pastoral care and a vision to build on the strong foundation already laid—equipping even more volunteers to extend Christ’s love in practical and meaningful ways.
Looking Ahead: A New Peer Care Model
One challenge we’ve faced is sustaining Stephen Ministry. While the training is excellent, the 50-hour requirement has proven difficult for many to complete. Over the next year, we’ll phase out the current model and develop a more flexible, high-quality peer-to-peer care system. Our hope is to bring together existing Stephen Ministers, trained counselors, and visitation volunteers into a new, united team to provide intentional and sustainable care.
Celebrate Recovery
This April, Celebrate Recovery (CR) marked four years of ministry at COS! CR continues to help people find freedom from the hurts, hangups, and habits that hinder our walk with Jesus. As people experience healing, many go on to serve others from a place of gratitude and renewal. CR is unique—meeting 51 weeks a year, entirely led by volunteers.
Visitation Ministry
Our Visitation Ministry lives out Christ’s call to presence and compassion. Volunteers go to those who are homebound, hospitalized, or isolated—offering prayer, scripture, songs, and simple companionship.
Grief Share & Divorce Care
Grief Share and Divorce Care provide vital support to those grieving a loss or navigating divorce. These ministries offer safe, Christ-centered spaces for healing. Amazingly, 75-80% of participants come from outside our church family, making these groups a powerful outreach to our wider community.
The Road Ahead
As we look to the future, we are filled with hope. God is at work in and through Care Ministries. With new leadership, a solid foundation, fresh vision, and continued dedication from volunteers, we are poised to expand our reach and deepen our impact—for the glory of Jesus and the healing of His people.
Spiritual Direction
This past year, Roy Shirley transitioned from his role as Care Director to serve exclusively in Spiritual Direction. Regularly, Roy meets with individual congregants, helping them discern God’s voice and presence in their lives. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—this ministry is quietly but powerfully shaping lives.
While the Care Director position has remained vacant for most of the year, our committed volunteers have faithfully sustained many of the ministry’s key expressions. We’re excited to announce that in September, Drew Angus will step into the role part-time as Pastor of Congregational Care. Drew brings a heart for pastoral care and a vision to build on the strong foundation already laid—equipping even more volunteers to extend Christ’s love in practical and meaningful ways.
Looking Ahead: A New Peer Care Model
One challenge we’ve faced is sustaining Stephen Ministry. While the training is excellent, the 50-hour requirement has proven difficult for many to complete. Over the next year, we’ll phase out the current model and develop a more flexible, high-quality peer-to-peer care system. Our hope is to bring together existing Stephen Ministers, trained counselors, and visitation volunteers into a new, united team to provide intentional and sustainable care.
Celebrate Recovery
This April, Celebrate Recovery (CR) marked four years of ministry at COS! CR continues to help people find freedom from the hurts, hangups, and habits that hinder our walk with Jesus. As people experience healing, many go on to serve others from a place of gratitude and renewal. CR is unique—meeting 51 weeks a year, entirely led by volunteers.
Visitation Ministry
Our Visitation Ministry lives out Christ’s call to presence and compassion. Volunteers go to those who are homebound, hospitalized, or isolated—offering prayer, scripture, songs, and simple companionship.
Grief Share & Divorce Care
Grief Share and Divorce Care provide vital support to those grieving a loss or navigating divorce. These ministries offer safe, Christ-centered spaces for healing. Amazingly, 75-80% of participants come from outside our church family, making these groups a powerful outreach to our wider community.
The Road Ahead
As we look to the future, we are filled with hope. God is at work in and through Care Ministries. With new leadership, a solid foundation, fresh vision, and continued dedication from volunteers, we are poised to expand our reach and deepen our impact—for the glory of Jesus and the healing of His people.
Heritage school
Throughout this school year, the children of Heritage School have blossomed spiritually, personally, and academically, demonstrating remarkable growth and maturity.
In the fall, they embarked on a journey of exploration during Harvest Days, engaging in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities that ignited their curiosity. They also had an exciting time experiencing the beauty of our campus firsthand through an exhilarating hayride.
As winter arrived, the school was filled with joy and celebration. The highlight was the Christmas concert, where the children showcased their talents and spread the spirit of the season. The birth of our Savior was taught with reverence and appreciation in the classrooms, creating a meaningful learning experience. Moreover, parents and loved ones were warmly welcomed to join in the festivities in the sanctuary and reception. Later in this season, fathers were welcomed into their child’s classroom to engage in fun learning activities during Buddy Day.
Spring brought a renewed sense of wonder and discovery. We celebrated the diversity of Heritage School with our annual International Month. Families brought their culture to life via stories, interactive games, crafts, and cultural dress. The children eagerly observed the magical process of chicks hatching and were delighted by the presence of a petting zoo on campus. In honor of Mother’s Day, mothers were invited into the classrooms for a special tea, fostering a sense of love and appreciation.
The children showcased their talents in a spring concert, which marked the culmination of an exciting school year. This event was an unforgettable celebration of their growth and achievements.
In the fall, they embarked on a journey of exploration during Harvest Days, engaging in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities that ignited their curiosity. They also had an exciting time experiencing the beauty of our campus firsthand through an exhilarating hayride.
As winter arrived, the school was filled with joy and celebration. The highlight was the Christmas concert, where the children showcased their talents and spread the spirit of the season. The birth of our Savior was taught with reverence and appreciation in the classrooms, creating a meaningful learning experience. Moreover, parents and loved ones were warmly welcomed to join in the festivities in the sanctuary and reception. Later in this season, fathers were welcomed into their child’s classroom to engage in fun learning activities during Buddy Day.
Spring brought a renewed sense of wonder and discovery. We celebrated the diversity of Heritage School with our annual International Month. Families brought their culture to life via stories, interactive games, crafts, and cultural dress. The children eagerly observed the magical process of chicks hatching and were delighted by the presence of a petting zoo on campus. In honor of Mother’s Day, mothers were invited into the classrooms for a special tea, fostering a sense of love and appreciation.
The children showcased their talents in a spring concert, which marked the culmination of an exciting school year. This event was an unforgettable celebration of their growth and achievements.
Funds
Love-In-Action
The COS Deacon Board is one of our oldest church ministries and has been in existence at least since the 1980s. The purpose of the Board is to administer the Love in Action (LIA) fund, the primary objective of which is to provide emergency, short-term financial assistance.
The general Deacon institution dates back to the first century Christians and is ordained by Scripture in Acts 6: 1-6, in which the early disciples formed a committee to care for the widows and other believers in need. Additionally, the Apostle Paul stipulated in his letter to the Galatians, that, “…let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
In keeping with Paul’s intentions, the COS Elders determined over three decades ago that LIA priority should be given first to “needy members and regular attenders” and then to individuals outside of the COS Body. Every year, the Deacon Board provides dozens of families with much-needed assistance for food, shelter, utility, healthcare and other essential costs, and for counseling expenses as well. But in addition, at the beginning of COVID and the anticipation of increased needs from within the non-COS community, the Board decided to provide a one-time Mercy Gift of up to $300 to most any non-COS individual, with a legitimate need, referred to as a non-member, non-attender, or NMNA, and the Board has continued this practice since.
More recently, a one-time disaster and year-end emergency relief has been provided to select organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, examples of which include:
Also, every Christmas the Board supports the Adopt-A-Child program, which grants generous monetary assistance that helps qualifying parents, both in COS and, where appropriate, others within the community, to provide Christmas gifts for each child.
The process by which the Board administers LIA funds begins with those in need contacting the COS Compassion Line (CL), which the Deacons monitor 24/7; i.e., each Deacon is assigned one day per week to check the CL 4-6 times per day between 8 AM and 9 PM. CL callers who are COS members or regular attenders are assigned a Deacon of the same gender, who then establishes a relationship with the potential client to assess the need for LIA assistance and/or refer to other potential resources. The assessment process, as stipulated by the Elders and in place for several decades, includes completing a personal financial profile (aka, a “Green Sheet”). Above all else, the entire assistance process is conducted with the strictest confidentiality, and the utmost compassion and respect.
The Deacons realize some congregants may be reluctant to seek financial assistance, but this process is the surest way to maintain complete confidentiality. Moreover, nearly every client who garnered the courage to call for help admitted they were glad they did because they grew stronger for it, often both spiritually and personally. Many have also learned some practical money management skills by tracking their expenses and developing a personal income statement, and this has been invaluable in showing what is happening with their money and identifying potential problem areas, thereby facilitating potential recommendations and solutions.
As stewards of the LIA monies, the Deacons are accountable for their distribution, first to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, then to the COS governing body and those giving to the LIA fund, especially sacrificially. And since we live in a fallen world, an objective and discerning evaluation is necessary to ensure every assistance is warranted and appropriate, which is also why a critical characteristic of every Deacon is a Holy Spirit mix of both compassion and discernment. That said, it is relatively rare that an initial request is turned down; instead, the Board’s goal is to find a reason to say yes and to decide, as prudently as possible, in favor of compassion, unless proven otherwise.
The COS Deacon Board is most grateful to the entire COS community for its continued financial, spiritual, and moral support. We encourage those in our congregation who may need financial assistance and/or referral resources to call the Compassion Line at 484-367-7341. It is an honor and privilege to serve you!
Fund Balance | $82,747
Expenses to 3/31/25 | $54,727
The general Deacon institution dates back to the first century Christians and is ordained by Scripture in Acts 6: 1-6, in which the early disciples formed a committee to care for the widows and other believers in need. Additionally, the Apostle Paul stipulated in his letter to the Galatians, that, “…let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
In keeping with Paul’s intentions, the COS Elders determined over three decades ago that LIA priority should be given first to “needy members and regular attenders” and then to individuals outside of the COS Body. Every year, the Deacon Board provides dozens of families with much-needed assistance for food, shelter, utility, healthcare and other essential costs, and for counseling expenses as well. But in addition, at the beginning of COVID and the anticipation of increased needs from within the non-COS community, the Board decided to provide a one-time Mercy Gift of up to $300 to most any non-COS individual, with a legitimate need, referred to as a non-member, non-attender, or NMNA, and the Board has continued this practice since.
More recently, a one-time disaster and year-end emergency relief has been provided to select organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, examples of which include:
- Those ravaged by tropical storm Ida (e.g., an African American church in downtown Coatesville);
- A group of Ukrainian refugees soon after the Russian invasion;
- Worthwhile Wear, which supports survivors of human trafficking, and with which COS volunteers have been deeply involved, including collecting items for their rescue homes, hosting their Worth It program, and working their thrift store; and,
- The Frederick Douglass Christian School in Chester, whose emergency funds went towards helping make payroll and cover essential utilities.
Also, every Christmas the Board supports the Adopt-A-Child program, which grants generous monetary assistance that helps qualifying parents, both in COS and, where appropriate, others within the community, to provide Christmas gifts for each child.
The process by which the Board administers LIA funds begins with those in need contacting the COS Compassion Line (CL), which the Deacons monitor 24/7; i.e., each Deacon is assigned one day per week to check the CL 4-6 times per day between 8 AM and 9 PM. CL callers who are COS members or regular attenders are assigned a Deacon of the same gender, who then establishes a relationship with the potential client to assess the need for LIA assistance and/or refer to other potential resources. The assessment process, as stipulated by the Elders and in place for several decades, includes completing a personal financial profile (aka, a “Green Sheet”). Above all else, the entire assistance process is conducted with the strictest confidentiality, and the utmost compassion and respect.
The Deacons realize some congregants may be reluctant to seek financial assistance, but this process is the surest way to maintain complete confidentiality. Moreover, nearly every client who garnered the courage to call for help admitted they were glad they did because they grew stronger for it, often both spiritually and personally. Many have also learned some practical money management skills by tracking their expenses and developing a personal income statement, and this has been invaluable in showing what is happening with their money and identifying potential problem areas, thereby facilitating potential recommendations and solutions.
As stewards of the LIA monies, the Deacons are accountable for their distribution, first to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, then to the COS governing body and those giving to the LIA fund, especially sacrificially. And since we live in a fallen world, an objective and discerning evaluation is necessary to ensure every assistance is warranted and appropriate, which is also why a critical characteristic of every Deacon is a Holy Spirit mix of both compassion and discernment. That said, it is relatively rare that an initial request is turned down; instead, the Board’s goal is to find a reason to say yes and to decide, as prudently as possible, in favor of compassion, unless proven otherwise.
The COS Deacon Board is most grateful to the entire COS community for its continued financial, spiritual, and moral support. We encourage those in our congregation who may need financial assistance and/or referral resources to call the Compassion Line at 484-367-7341. It is an honor and privilege to serve you!
Fund Balance | $82,747
Expenses to 3/31/25 | $54,727
THE DELAWARE VALLEY FUND (DVF)
As part of its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond, Church of the Saviour has been blessed with the ability and opportunity to financially invest in church growth outside of Church of the Saviour. The Delaware Vallley Fund was begun as part of the Next Chapter initiative. A portion of the money raised in that initiative – which was for site and building improvements at the church campus – was set aside for the DVF.
The DVF is specifically targeted to support church plants in our regional area. The primary focus of the DVF in the recent past, although not the sole focus, has been the support of church plants in urban areas. The generosity of the church body, when this fund was established, has enabled us to assist in the planting of a number of new churches over the past 20 years. At this point, when the Elder Board decides to fund a church plant, it will generally commit to distribute $50,000, paid over three years depending on positive annual reviews. The balance in the DVF is $344,470, and both principal and earnings are available for distribution. The expectation is that this fund will be depleted once all of the funds are dispersed at some point in the future.
In 2022, the DVF began supporting and blessing the Kensington church plant of City Reach Church. The DVF has made two $20,000 distributions for this church plant, and a third distribution (of $10,000) is now being reviewed. These distributions aided City Reach in the installation of an HVAC system, restrooms, and a ramp into the building it is leasing for this church plant. These physical improvements made the space ready for worship services and church activities. This church plant ministers in a difficult area: Kensington is nationally known as an area plagued with homelessness and drug problems. Services at the City Reach – Kensington church plant began on November 19, 2023 and now, eighteen months later, the church has two packed services every Sunday; so many people are coming that the church has had to purchase more chairs! Many people have been baptized, and the church plant plans to have another baptism service in June.
In 2024, the DVF began supporting and blessing Liberti Bristol, a church plant in Bristol. The DVF has thus far made one $20,000 distribution for this church plant. Liberti Bristol is affiliated with the Liberti Communion of Churches which has planted churches in ten locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Liberti Bristol had its first service on September 29, 2024. It describes itself as a church in the heart of Bristol with a heart for Bristol. The church actively reaches out to the Bristol community, which is a financially needy area – yet one which is seeing an influx of many young unchurched people (both singles and families). The DVF sponsored an earlier Liberti church plant (Liberti Northeast), and saw the same energy, enthusiastic outreach, and thoughtful preparedness as we are seeing in Liberti Bristol.
The DVF is specifically targeted to support church plants in our regional area. The primary focus of the DVF in the recent past, although not the sole focus, has been the support of church plants in urban areas. The generosity of the church body, when this fund was established, has enabled us to assist in the planting of a number of new churches over the past 20 years. At this point, when the Elder Board decides to fund a church plant, it will generally commit to distribute $50,000, paid over three years depending on positive annual reviews. The balance in the DVF is $344,470, and both principal and earnings are available for distribution. The expectation is that this fund will be depleted once all of the funds are dispersed at some point in the future.
In 2022, the DVF began supporting and blessing the Kensington church plant of City Reach Church. The DVF has made two $20,000 distributions for this church plant, and a third distribution (of $10,000) is now being reviewed. These distributions aided City Reach in the installation of an HVAC system, restrooms, and a ramp into the building it is leasing for this church plant. These physical improvements made the space ready for worship services and church activities. This church plant ministers in a difficult area: Kensington is nationally known as an area plagued with homelessness and drug problems. Services at the City Reach – Kensington church plant began on November 19, 2023 and now, eighteen months later, the church has two packed services every Sunday; so many people are coming that the church has had to purchase more chairs! Many people have been baptized, and the church plant plans to have another baptism service in June.
In 2024, the DVF began supporting and blessing Liberti Bristol, a church plant in Bristol. The DVF has thus far made one $20,000 distribution for this church plant. Liberti Bristol is affiliated with the Liberti Communion of Churches which has planted churches in ten locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Liberti Bristol had its first service on September 29, 2024. It describes itself as a church in the heart of Bristol with a heart for Bristol. The church actively reaches out to the Bristol community, which is a financially needy area – yet one which is seeing an influx of many young unchurched people (both singles and families). The DVF sponsored an earlier Liberti church plant (Liberti Northeast), and saw the same energy, enthusiastic outreach, and thoughtful preparedness as we are seeing in Liberti Bristol.
THE KINGDOM GROWTH FUND (KGF)
The Kingdom Growth Fund was formed by substantial gifts from two members of Church of the Saviour well over twenty years ago. This generosity has resulted in an expansion of the ministries that the church can offer, in a number of different areas. The Elder Board has focused the distributions from the KGF on new or expanding ministries of Church of the Saviour. The fund maintains a minimum principal amount that is increased annually by 3% to preserve the purchasing power of the distributions. Only investment earnings are available for distribution. The KGF has a current available balance of $2,280,335, of which $1,492,566 consists of the minimum principal amount. Earnings on this investment vary; as a result, the annual amounts available for distribution vary as well. Several years ago, the Faith in Context speaker series was funded by a grant from the KGF. Last year, the Elder Board approved a distribution of $245,000 from the KGF for the improvement of safety at all of the buildings on the church campus.