ABOUT RIVER CORNER CHURCH
Who we are together.
River Corner Church is a growing church community of everyday people who gather to worship God, follow Jesus, and serve through life together. We gather on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM to worship and experience God, study the scriptures, journey through life together, and to partner with the Holy Spirit. It is our hope that you will gather with our simple community of Jesus followers.
Come as you are—just be yourself.
What we value together.
Our community is anchored by four shared values.
We gather to worship and experience God.
We study the scriptures to learn how to follow, live, and love like Jesus.
We are committed to journeying through life together.
We partner with the Holy Spirit to bring healing and peace to the places we live, work, and play.
What we practice together.
We are a simple community of Jesus followers, we want to be a welcoming, safe, and healing community for those who are seeking, hurting, or need a place to belong. Our small church community is uniquely caring, simple, and laid-back. As an intergenerational church, our community is made up of people from all backgrounds and stages of life, and our times together are intentional and intimate, and a mix between modern and traditional. We want to be a place in which love and honor are lived out, where humility is central, and where hospitality is woven into the threads of our community.
There is room at the table for you.
What we believe together.
As a church, we uphold a simple confession of faith centered on God's eternal purpose and love. We worship God as Father, follow Jesus as the way, and are guided by the scriptures and Holy Spirit. We believe in healing and restoration through Jesus, value every life, and see the local church as a place for worship, encouragement, and discipleship. Our mission is to live compassionately, proclaim God's goodness, and steward all that we are blessed with.
You can read our whole Statement of Faith here.
Our Story.
In the early 1700s, Jesus followers began meeting in homes in the Conestoga area. By 1760, an early meetinghouse was built on land donated by Benedict Eshleman, and this is where our current building stands today. Throughout the years, we have always been a smaller church community that pursues great intentionality. In 2022, we embraced a new chapter, appreciating the history of our meetinghouse, but renewing our community with new purpose and expressions. Today, we are becoming a diverse group of families and stories, excited for the new ways God is moving among us.
Our Ministry Team.
Our church community is guided by our church community and a small elected Leadership Team that includes two members at large, a treasurer, a recording secretary, and our pastoral leader. We also have a Ministry Team that helps support and enrich the life of our worship gatherings.
Jeff McLain, Pastor
Jeff McLain has been our pastoral leader since April 2022. He is pursuing an MBA at City Vision University and a Doctor of Ministry at Kairos University, and he holds master’s degrees in Theology and Ministry, as well as Leadership, from Fuller Seminary. In addition to leading River Corner Church, Jeff works full-time as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission. With over 13 years of pastoral experience, Jeff embraces a life of simplicity and down-to-earth living amidst a chaotic world. Jeff and his wife Katie and their three adventurous daughters love road trips, baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books. As the pastoral leader, Jeff is focused on empowering everyone in our community to actively lead, contribute, and support one another.
Katie McLain, Pastoral Care
Katie McLain, the other half of our pastoral couple, has been serving in our pastoral care and children's ministry since April 2022. Originally from Southern California, she moved to Pennsylvania to attend Lancaster Bible College and fell in love with the East Coast’s beauty, cities, and history. It was in a local diner that she met Jeff, and they have been happily married for over eighteen years. With over sixteen years in early childhood education, Katie holds an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Northampton Community College, and is often found overseeing our Kingdom Adventures children's ministry, where she helps our children to understand the scriptures and experience a Spirit-filled faith. In addition, Katie is busy raising her own three daughters, and working at the Wawa deli in East Petersburg.
Laura Metzler, Worship Leader
Laura has served as our worship leader since June 2023. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Houghton College and a Master in Education from Eastern Mennonite University. In addition to a combined 9 years of classroom teaching and homeschooling, Laura has enjoyed teaching private piano, guitar, and violin lessons over the last 20 years. She loves to help others enter God's presence through her music and worship leading. Laura works part-time as a manager at the Mennonite Life Visitors Center and Biblical Tabernacle Experience. She lives in Lampeter with her husband and four children.
Where is River Corner Church located?
River Corner Church gathers in a historic meeting house located in the town of Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Our address is 524 River Corner Road, Conestoga, PA 17516. The driveway can be easy to miss, as we share it with a Sportsman Club and a local farm. Stay alert for a small sign with our logo. We are the first stone building on the right, and located at the top of the hill. We gather on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM.
Who makes up your church community?
Though River Corner Church is located near Conestoga, Pennsylvania, we are more than just a historic church community. Our church is made up of individuals from all over Lancaster County who gather to worship God, follow Jesus, and journey through life together. We are also individuals from all walks of life and experiences, diverse in jobs, age, stages of life, faith journeys, and more. Some people drive from Lancaster City, while others come from Willow Street, East Petersburg, Lampeter, and more. Our location provides a retreat from the hustle and bustle of life, offering a picturesque place to worship and experience God amidst the rolling hills and trees of Conestoga.
What should I expect when I visit?
When you visit River Corner Church, you can expect to find a friendly and hospitable community of everyday people. We are a simple community of Jesus followers, uniquely caring, simple, laid-back, and intergenerational. Our church community strives to be a welcoming, safe, and healing place for those who are seeking, hurting, or in need of a place to belong.
The times we share together are intentional and intimate, blending modern and traditional elements. We aim to be a place where love and honor are lived out, humility is central, and hospitality is woven into the fabric of our community. There is always room at the table for you.
Regarding attire, while a few individuals may dress up, the majority of us feel comfortable wearing jeans and a t-shirt or a button-down shirt. We look forward to welcoming you into our community.
Come as you are—just be yourself.
What does a worship gathering look like?
A typical worship gathering at River Corner Church is a blend of fellowship, worship, and encouragement in community. People start arriving about ten minutes before the worship gathering begins, enjoying coffee and fellowship in the lobby or our worship space.
Our time together then starts at 10:00 AM with worshiping God through song. Our worship is usually a mix of modern and traditional songs.
Following worship through song, we have announcements, a time to keep everyone informed about upcoming events and opportunities.
After announcements, we then take a ten-minute coffee and snack break, providing a chance to fellowship and encourage one another. During this break, children can be dropped off downstairs for our Kingdom Adventures ministry, where they will engage in age-appropriate activities and lessons.
As we gather back together in our worship space, we engage the scriptures through a message delivered by our pastoral leader or a member of our preaching team. This time is laid-back and often delivered sitting down to foster a more conversational approach.
After the message, we take time to pray for each other, lifting up our needs and concerns as a community. We close out our gathering with a song. Most Sundays, we are done around 11:15 AM, making our worship gathering about an hour and fifteen minutes total.
Though we end at 11:15, don't be surprised if you see quite a few individuals sticking around to hang out because we enjoy being together. Often, some of us will even grab lunch together afterward.
Again, come as you are—just be yourself—and experience the warmth and simplicity of our intergenerational church family.
What do you mean by a simple community of Jesus followers?
When we refer to ourselves as a “simple community of Jesus followers,” we mean that we are a church focused on the essential aspects of faith and community life, without unnecessary complexity or hype. River Corner Church embraces a passionate commitment to Jesus, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds. We emphasize informal gatherings, intimate worship, personal transformation, and a strong sense of communal life and missional living and evangelism. As a simple community of Jesus followers, we are a Jesus people with an approach that is grounded in:
Authenticity Over Anonymity: We strive to be genuine in our relationships with God and each other, embracing simplicity in our worship, teachings, and interactions. No one is lost in the crowd, we welcome authenticity from everyone. There’s no hype—just real, heartfelt connections.
People Over Programs: While programs have their place, we prioritize people over procedures and activities. Instead of focusing on doing more, we emphasize being together more meaningfully. We believe that many programs can lead to exhaustion and minimal life change, so our goal is to foster a community that is supportive and not overwhelming. We aim to create a close-knit, caring environment where every individual is valued. Our community is intentionally laid-back and intergenerational, warmly welcoming people from all walks of life and experiences.
Focus on Jesus in the Places that We Live, Work, and Play: Our mission is centered on following Jesus and living out Jesus' teachings in practical, everyday ways, across the places where we live, work, and play. We aim for our times of worship and learning together to prepare us for influencing these spheres effectively, Monday through Friday.
Substance Over Style: Our worship and activities are designed to be meaningful and intentional, focusing on substance over style. We blend modern and traditional elements, creative and liturgical, to foster a deeper connection with God and each other, without chasing trends.
Simple Expressions Over Consumerism: We value being focused on each other and simple expressions of faith, rather than feeding into a consumeristic culture or striving to be bigger and better. Our priority is to nurture a genuine community rather than to impress or expand for the sake of growth.
As a simple community of everyday people, our church community desires to embrace a spirit of hospitality, making sure there is always room at the table for everyone, and we encourage an atmosphere where everyone can feel at home as they look to worship God, follow Jesus, and join God's Spirit in bringing healing to the world around us. In essence, being a simple community of Jesus followers means that we keep our focus on what truly matters—genuine faith, authentic relationships, and a welcoming spirit—making our church a place where you can be yourself and find support in your spiritual journey.
If there's anything you'd like us to pray for, please send us a note using this form.