Embrace the love of Jesus | Brunch Churches & Neighborhood Groups
Brunch Churches
The first three Sundays of the month, join us for one of our Brunch Churches. The fourth Sunday of the month we gather for a celebration gathering at our South Brunch Church location (520 North Street).
North Brunch Church
City Center YMCA – 265 Harrisburg Avenue | 10 AM on the first floor
Mission Team Leader: Amanda Stratmeyer (amandastrats@gmail.com)
This laid back gathering includes pastries, fruit, juice and coffee. This gathering is like an extended family gathering where people of all ages gather around the large tables to eat, sing songs, learn a Bible verse together each season, and then have a special lesson for kids while teenagers and adults engage Scripture together through facilitated dialogue. On the 5th Sundays of the month they gather neighbors for a brunch out in the neighborhoods of northwest Lancaster city, find ways to support the YMCA and local elementary schools.
South Brunch Church
The Mix – 520 North Street | 10 AM in the Multi-Purpose Room
Mission Team Leader: Micah Brickner (mbbrickner@gmail.com)
This is our first Brunch Church and you will typically enjoy pancakes, fruit, and coffee. People sing in the languages we speak and hear around our neighborhoods. On the first Sundays of the month, all ages join together for the entire gather that includes a brunch potluck and extended time to talk and pray together. Other Sunday, there is a lesson or activity for kids, while teenagers and adults engage with Scripture by listening to a 15-20 minute message, followed by dialogue time. On the 5th Sundays of the month they gather to walk and pray in the southeast. This Brunch Church finds ways to support The Mix – a youth advocacy center, and is intentionally trying to cross cultures with neighborhood leaders, groups, and neighbors who are black and brown.
Neighborhood Groups
Neighborhood Groups are monthly gatherings of 4–10 people who meet at least once a month during the school year to engage the Bible and prayer, while building relationships beyond Sunday gatherings. Contact Heather (heather@branchvine.org) for more information.
- 2nd Tuesdays at 6:30 PM: Various Homes and lead by Alan & Diane Niesley
- 2nd Thursdays at 6:30 PM: Southern Market and lead by Micah Brickner
- 4th Tuesdays at 6:30 PM: The Mix and lead by Heather Brickner (only women, 16 and older)
Share the love of Jesus | Community partnership
Lancaster city is the home to countless churches and nonprofits who do amazing work in pursuing justice for neighbors. Rather than duplicating good work that is already being done, we choose to join in and partner with various community groups.
Anchor Lancaster, provides free weekday breakfast, hot showers, laundry facilities, and day shelters during extreme weather to any neighbor who needs it. We support Anchor through prayer, financially giving, and several people from church volunteer their time.
Church World Service helps new refugees and immigrants to Lancaster city get settled into their new lives. We form welcome teams to walk with a new family for six months and help them adjust to a new place and navigate finding the grocery store, enrolling kids in school, finding permanent housing and jobs. We typically continue relationships past the first six months by helping to welcome a new baby by providing diapers, or the church throwing a wedding for our new friends.
Sophie Thiesen, works with Immerse International where she teaches English to students who come to Lancaster county from all around the world. Our monthly financial support of Sophie allows her to teach, build relationships and community with international students, and help to foster the growth of programs.
The Mix is a youth advocacy program and is also where South Brunch Church and church-wide gatherings take place. Our monthly rent helps them provide after school programming for elementary and middle school students, summer camps, and family enrichment programs. As people have availability, they may volunteer at an event or program throughout the year as well.
Family Ministry
We believe kids should be seen and heard so the majority of our Brunch Church gatherings consist of all ages eating, worshiping, and praying together. Jesus redefines family so as we cross generations, we are building relationships that are foundational to faith. As we embrace and share the love of Jesus as a church, our goal is to help kids grow a strong faith. Research shows that the key indicator of a kid graduating from high school and still connecting with a church is whether or not they had a relationship with an adult at church that was not their guardian. Ministry happens when different ages sit together for a meal, volunteer alongside one another, get to know one another during a community event, and the kids always lead us in our benediction of This Little Light of Mine. We don’t prioritize age specific and separate experiences of church – we prioritize all ages embracing and sharing the love of Jesus together.
During most Brunch Church gatherings, we have a kids breakout time for elementary students and younger that includes an age and developmentally appropriate lesson that helps them engage Scripture, build relationships with one another and the adult leaders, and pray. This fun and safe environment is led by adults who have all PA clearances.
Messages
The 2nd-5th Sundays of the month, you can join us through our Facebook livestream of our South Brunch Church gathering, beginning at 10:10 AM.
