Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome in Parkside United Church of Christ. We strive to share spiritually in the new life and energy that is taking place throughout the Phoenixville area. We welcome you to join us in this journey of faith!

Worship with us every Sunday at 10:45 AM

Click HERE to provide a donation online 

Our Pastor

Rev. Ray Jachowski 

I was born and raised in rural Hunterdon County, New Jersey, some miles northeast of Philadelphia in a supportive family. I received my calling in 1989 after growing up in the Church. I graduated from Thomas Edison State College with a Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities and a Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary.

I have served as a pastor of churches for the past twenty-five years in the Penn Central Conference, Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, and the Southern Conference. I have served as Pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Phoenixville for the past six years. 

I am married to Kathy, who serves as the Executive Assistant to the General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches, and we have two children: Gabriel Abraham, age 23, and Hannah Elizabeth, age 20. 

I love history, sacred and classical music, rock and pop music, and also some jazz; biblical, liturgical, and theological research and writing (my academic journal article “The Death of Herod the Great and the Latin Josephus: Re-examining the Twenty-second Year of Tiberius” was published in 2015 in the Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism); collecting historic documents and books, Batman comics, and we love “glamping” (camping) as a family. 

Our History

Parkside United Church of Christ was founded in 1900 by a small group of Hungarian and Slovak speaking immigrants. Originally named the Hungarian Reformed Church in Phoenixville, the church grew in numbers and faith, and the language barriers melted.  

Following the 1956 Hungarian Revolt, the church actively supported the many refugees brought to Phoenixville and helped them find jobs, learn a new language and become oriented to a new way of life. To reach out to the wider Phoenixville community worship began to be conducted solely in English, and in 1980 the name was changed to Parkside United Church of Christ.  

The congregation continues to be recognized as the church with great ethnic food and caring hospitality. At the same time Parkside UCC seeks to nourish the spiritual lives of people of all ages through worship, Christian education, and fellowship events in intimate and inter-generational settings.

Worship & Music

Worship is at the heart of the Parkside UCC congregation. Our worship aims at enabling worshipers to experience the presence of God through engaging music, prayers, sermons, sacraments, and other non-verbal expressions. We believe that worship is essentially God’s event, and it is God who invites us to be immersed into the many ways in which God comes to us.  

Worship takes place each Sunday at 10:45 A.M. and at other times on special occasions in the Church Year. Please check this website for the listing of occasional services.  

Holy Communion generally is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month and on the major festivals of the Church Year. Holy Communion is open to all who look to the Lord Jesus Christ to be nourished through Word and Sacrament. 

We believe that, as Jesus invited, “Let the little children come to me,” the presence of children in worship is integral to our worshiping community and that children learn about God by experiencing the various worship acts. A special time for children is incorporated into each Sunday worship service. Worship at Parkside is a multi-generational experience.

Children & Youth

Educational opportunities for children and adults occur in various settings at Parkside UCC. Seasonal series of adult seminars on various faith issues are scheduled at convenient times around worship services and on other occasions. Please check this website for the listings of educational opportunities. 

Children’s Christian formation takes place within worship on Sundays and in special services throughout the church year.  

Confirmation formation for youth takes place through a one-to-one mentoring process leading to the Rite of Confirmation. The Pastor and lay mentors work with each youth depending on his or her life experiences and spiritual journey. 

Location

We are located on the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue, directly across Third Avenue from Reeves Park in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. On-street parking is available on Main Street and Third Avenue.