DISTRICT: Lancaster

LOCATION: 337 Circle Avenue, Lancaster, Pa. 17602

DATE OF FOUNDING: 1930

AVERAGE SUNDAY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE: 75

WORSHIP SERVICE: Sunday Worship – 9:30 a.m.; Sunday School – 11:00 a.m.; Tuesday at the House (TATH) – 6:15 p.m.

PASTOR: Joshua Jefferson with wife Monica and their children

Sunnyside Mennonite Church is a blend of city and country, a caring family. We are located on the southern edge of Lancaster City at the end of South Duke Street on the Sunnyside Peninsula next to Lancaster County Park. Over the past few years, with encouragement from each other and our interim pastor, we bonded and used our gifts in ways we otherwise would not have as we made many important decisions about church life together. God clearly led us in the search for a pastor. During the search process, people in the congregation shared their gifts in new and creative ways. In that time without a pastor, we experienced more deeply what it means to be a priesthood of all believers. God has been gracious in answering prayers and we were thrilled to welcome our new pastor, Joshua Jefferson and his family.

Part of our calling now is to continue finding ways to share our gifts here in the Sunnyside community and also to support God’s work of mission around the world. We desire to worship with our whole hearts and lives. We seek to discern where God is working and then join in that work. The congregation attempts to be a source of stability, acceptance, and love in a neighborhood that faces many challenges. This includes being caring listeners, sharing skills such as home repair, operating a food pantry, and offering financial assistance at times. Members of the congregation are also being changed by relationships with community folks. Community members teach us about fostering a strong sense of community and living with gratefulness for all of God’s gifts.

Sunnyside began in 1930 as a mission church to “a lively group of children to instill in their minds and hearts God’s eternal truth.” Today the residents of Sunnyside see us as “their church”, whether or not they attend on a regular basis. This is especially true for special events such as weddings, funerals, reunions, and other special gatherings. Community residents value and trust the congregation, a trust that has been strengthened by our community meal and gathering every Tuesday evening. The congregation continues to look for ways to connect with the community out of a genuine desire for
relationship, and this seems to be understood by the community. Visit our website at www.sunnysidemc.org to learn more about us. Come and visit us on a Sunday morning or a Tuesday evening!