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Christmas Eve often looks calm on the surface, but real peace rarely comes from a quiet scene alone. Pastor Hans shared a message about a deeper kind of peace that enters dark places, unsettled hearts, and uncertain futures. This message invites you to consider where peace truly comes from and how the arrival of Jesus still speaks to the unrest we carry today.

Some kinds of joy only come after you step forward in trust. Pastor Hans looks at a quiet but powerful moment in the Christmas story and invites us to consider what joy grows when we trust God without having all the answers. This message is for anyone learning to wait, to remember, and to believe that God is still at work even when the outcome is not yet clear.

Tonight was one of those nights that reminds you why church feels like family. Our annual Adult Christmas Banquet brought us together for great food, lots of laughter, and a variety show full of surprises. From games and contests by members of our church to incredible musical guests from the University of Valley Forge, the night was packed with joy, talent, and Christmas spirit. We hope this captures even a piece of the fun we shared together. Merry Christmas!

Hope doesn’t usually arrive all at once. Sometimes it grows quietly through prayer, waiting, and moments when God seems silent. In this message, Pastor Hans looks at the day before Christmas and the kind of hope that forms long before answers show up. If you are in a season of waiting and wondering whether God is still at work, this message will meet you right where you are.

Sometimes the simplest stories are the ones that hit the deepest. Today our kids shared Gloria’s Christmas, a musical that follows a young girl learning to tell her own story of being chosen and loved. As she finds her voice, she discovers something bigger than she expected: Christmas is a story of adoption too. Through song, joy, and honest moments from our children, this presentation reminds us what it truly means to belong.

What do you do when life backs you into a corner and every easy answer disappears? Pastor Hans shared the story of blind Bartimaeus, a man who refused to stay quiet when Jesus passed by. In a moment charged with fear, tension, and uncertainty, one desperate voice cut through the noise and changed everything. This message will challenge you to see desperation not as a sign of weakness but as the doorway to the clarity and breakthrough you have been praying for.

What if the one thing you refuse to let go of is the very thing keeping you from the life God is trying to give you? Pastor Bailey shared from Mark 10 about a man who came running to Jesus with all the right questions, yet walked away with all the wrong priorities. This message will nudge you to look honestly at what you hold tight and what Jesus might be asking you to surrender so you can finally breathe, finally trust, and finally follow Him with a whole heart.

Ever chase success so hard that you forget why you started in the first place? Pastor Hans shared from Mark 9 about a moment when the disciples were so focused on being great that they missed what God wanted to do right in front of them. This message will push you to look honestly at your motives, your drive, and the kind of greatness Jesus actually calls us to pursue.

What do you do when God moves powerfully in your life, then the moment passes? Pastor Hans shared from Mark 9 about the mountaintop experiences that were never meant to be campsites. God calls us to do more than just feel His presence; He calls us to steward it. This message will challenge you to carry what God is doing in your life into the ordinary, everyday moments where faith really takes root.

Ever had one of those days that starts out normal, then everything flips? One moment you feel unstoppable, the next you’re wondering if God even sees you. Pastor Hans shared from Mark 8 about a disciple who went from rock star to rebuke in a single breath. What he learned—and what we can too—is that God’s love doesn’t shift with our failures or successes. It’s steady, fierce, and unchanging.

Imagine living in a land where no one can make weapons. The enemy controls the tools, the prices, and even the sharpening of your blade. That is where Israel found itself. And that is where many people live today, surrounded, dulled, and paying more than they should for what only God can provide. In this heartfelt message, Pastor Bailey shares his vision for Praise Assembly, his passion for students, and a challenge for all of us to become spiritual blacksmiths who help others find their purpose and strength in Jesus.

Ever find yourself missing what God is doing right in front of you? Pastor Hans shared from Mark 8, where Jesus challenged His disciples to look deeper than the surface and pay attention to what truly matters. In a noisy, distracted world, this message calls us to sharpen our spiritual senses and recognize the voice of God in everyday life.

Have you ever searched for the right words but couldn’t find them? Pastor Hans ministered from Mark 7, where Jesus met a man who could not hear or speak until one powerful moment changed everything. The crowd’s response was simple but profound: “Everything He does is wonderful.” This message invites you to rediscover those same words in your own life of worship, trust, and faith.

Pastor Hans shared from Mark 7 about a woman who faced every reason to give up… but didn’t. What do you do when life throws barriers between you and what you’re praying for? This message reminds us that Jesus still meets faith that refuses to quit. We also welcomed Pastor Bailey Giesbrecht as our new Youth Pastor and partook in Communion together as a church family.

Pastor Hans reminded us that Jesus does not want His followers drifting through life spiritually dull. In Mark 7 He challenged the Pharisees and His own disciples not to trade God’s truth for empty tradition. What about us? Are we sharp to sin, to the condition of our hearts, and to where our lives are headed, or are we slipping into dullness? This message will push you to sharpen your faith where it matters most.

On our 40th anniversary as a church, we were honored to welcome Rev. Bryan Koch as our guest speaker. Bryan served over 30 years as Lead Pastor of GT Church in Reading, PA, and now ministers with Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge. A former pro baseball player, his life was forever changed by injury and loss, yet his faith remained strong. His testimony reminded us that “if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”

Why does Jesus often become clearest in the middle of the storm? This week, Pastor Hans continued our Gospel of Mark series with a message from chapter 6 that reminds us of a hard but hopeful truth. The disciples had just seen Jesus multiply loaves and fish for thousands, yet when the storm came, their hearts were still hard. It wasn’t until He climbed into their boat and calmed the wind that they began to see Him for who He really was. If you’ve ever wondered why your faith feels sharper in seasons of fear, struggle, or desperation, this message will help you recognize the moments when Jesus steps into your storm, and shows Himself as God.

Today was a historic day at Praise Assembly as Rev. Robert Wise installed Pastor Hans as our new lead pastor. Rev. Wise has served the church faithfully for over 40 years, pastoring in New Jersey and Massachusetts and later leading nearly 200 churches as Superintendent of the Southern New England District of the Assemblies of God. His wisdom, experience, and heart for the church were evident as he ministered on The Role and Ministry of the Pastor. This service wasn’t just about titles or positions, it was about God’s calling, the shepherding of His people, and the future He is unfolding for our church family.

It can feel like evil wins far too often. Tragedies fill the headlines, injustice goes unpunished, and God’s people sometimes suffer in ways that make no sense. Mark 6 records one of those moments: the brutal death of John the Baptist. In this message, Pastor Hans wrestled with the tension of a world where evil seems to have its moment. But what looks like defeat may actually be God setting the stage for something greater. If you’ve ever asked, “Where is God when the world feels out of control?” this word will help you see that His purposes never fail, even when darkness seems to.