Welcome to Emmanuel Church

As St. Augustine famously said, “In essentials, we have unity; in non-essentials, we have liberty; in all things, charity.” At Emmanuel Church, we embrace this philosophy wholeheartedly.

We recognize that many people in our community, particularly in the Western Pa area, have roots in the Catholic Church or continue to attend. We celebrate the rich Christian heritage here and want to emphasize that we are not in competition with the Catholic Church.

Our vision extends far beyond the physical space of our church; we aspire to foster a movement. We believe that many churches in our area will participate in this mission.

Over the century-long history at Emmanuel Church, we have welcomed numerous individuals who previously attended Catholic services. Consequently, we often receive questions from our Catholic friends before their first visit and shortly thereafter. To help facilitate open discussions, we've put together this FAQ to address some common inquiries in a supportive environment.

Catholic FAQs

I'm Catholic. Can I attend Emmanuel?
Absolutely! Regardless of your background—whether you’ve never stepped foot in a church or you’re a weekly attendee—everyone is welcome at Emmanuel, especially YOU!

Is Emmanuel part of the Catholic Church?
Emmanuel is a non-denominational Christian church, independent of the Catholic Church and other denominations (such as Lutheran, Protestant, or Methodist). While we may belong to different traditions, we share many essential beliefs centered on Jesus Christ.

Do you celebrate Communion?
Yes, we do! We gather as a church to celebrate Communion every 4-8 weeks.

What programs do you offer for children?
We are passionate about children and welcome many young families! Our intentional strategy focuses on partnering with you to guide your child's spiritual journey. We provide separate spaces for children, from infants through 6th grade, during services, ensuring age-appropriate teaching environments for both kids and parents. You can find more details on our Emmanuel Kids/Student pages.

What’s your approach to baptism?
We believe baptism is a significant step in publicly declaring one's faith in Jesus. It's a personal choice, so we baptize individuals who are at least seven years old. For more information on baptism at Emmanuel, click here.

How do I dedicate my child to a life of faith?
At Emmanuel, we host a special ceremony called Baby Dedication. During this event, we dedicate your child to the Christian faith and pray for three circles of people: your family, your extended family and friends, and our church community. Learn more about Baby Dedication here.

What about the other sacraments?
We recognize the importance of confessing sin as part of a healthy Christian life, but we don’t have a formal sacramental process for it. We do celebrate significant moments such as marriages, pray for the sick, commission pastors, and hold funerals, as these are all important opportunities to draw closer to God.

I still have more questions. What should I do?
If you have additional inquiries, we encourage you to meet with one of our pastors to discuss your questions further. You can find our Pastor's contact info here.