Terre Hill Area Senior Connections: The Result of a Jesus-like Dream
By David Kling, with Keri Bloom
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Terre Hill, Pennsylvania, began asking how God wanted the congregation to spread God’s love and serve as God’s hands and feet in the community. The process began with the spiritual renewal of the congregation. It included a commitment from each member of the renewal team to a fifteen-month process to discern how God wanted the church to serve the community. The renewal team (called the Dream Team) met monthly in sessions designed to deepen members’ spiritual development and discern God’s call.
The renewal team used two separate programs as part of the process: (1) the R3 (Renew, Reform, Revision) initiative developed by the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and (2) a process based on Dream Like Jesus by Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter.
The R3 initiative looked at the following:
- The assets of the congregation.
- Community needs. What are the needs in the community? What learning opportunities, connectedness, relationships, or services are needed?
- Wows. What brings joy to the congregation? What work does the congregation already do that makes God smile?
The Dream Like Jesus book helped team members understand the five elements of a Jesus-like dream:
- It expands assumptions about what is possible.
- It’s bigger than you are.
- It scares you.
- It’s about the kingdom, not the congregation.
- It inspires and unifies people.
The Dream Team conducted surveys within the congregation over several weeks. The resulting information indicated that St. Paul was a community of Christ that nurtures life-changing relationships with God (through preaching, Holy Communion, music, and Bible studies), one another (hospitality, prayer, spiritual growth, and sharing joys and concerns), and the world (demonstrating Christ-like behavior, offering support, and sharing the resources of our building, time, and dollars).
After determining what a vital congregation looked like, the team developed a list of community stakeholders (government and judicial officials, police, firefighters, school district social workers, business owners, and social service providers) to gather input. The community interview form included questions such as:
- What are the biggest strengths of our community?
- What challenges does our community face?
- What challenges do families face?
- What social services need to be expanded or instituted?
- What opportunities exist to connect residents with social services?
The Dream Team discovered that Northeast Lancaster County had no community groups, service organizations, or fraternal clubs for seniors. Community leaders indicated there was a need for people to be connected, particularly older adults.
Repeatedly, the Lord directed the team’s path toward developing a senior center. The Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the local Lancaster County Office of Aging provided resources to help with organization, but could not provide funding. The congregation then decided to trust in God and develop a senior center as a ministry of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. The church provided startup monies. Later, leaders secured grants for exercise programs and instructors. Numerous fundraisers, including a concert and a yard sale, helped support the center.
On January 13, 2025, Terre Hill Area Senior Connections opened its doors for the first time. Since the early months, the center has experienced significant growth. Senior adults who live alone love the opportunity to talk with one another at the center.
God has opened doors repeatedly for this much-needed ministry. There is now an advisory board of community participants willing to lead and guide this ministry. Performers and entertainers add excitement to days spent at the center. Creative individuals lead activities.
To help make the center’s presence known to the fourteen municipalities it serves, Terre Hill Area Senior Connections set up a Facebook page and linked it to local community Facebook pages. Several newspaper articles were written about the center, and a big publicity boost came from the local television station, WGAL, which did a sixteen-minute segment that included interviews with executive board members, advisory board members, and senior center participants who told stories about new connections, friendships, and a place where they were fully accepted.
In the winter months, the center’s advisory board provides a light lunch for center participants, emphasizing the importance of breaking bread in community during a season when many seniors would ordinarily eat alone. Now, leaders are actively looking for a grant to fund lunches beyond March.
On February 10, 2026, Terre Hill Area Senior Connections was honored with a proclamation by the Borough of Terre Hill for “invaluable contributions to the community and its first anniversary in operation.”
Terre Hill Area Senior Connections is indeed a Jesus-like dream. God has provided and continues to provide financial, personal, and programming resources. Community support continues to grow.
We are serving as the hands and feet of Christ as we offer this service to the community. May God continue to bless and guide us into the kingdom.
Learn more:
- Jorgensen, Jr., Richard E. T., Bishop, and Daubert, Dave, “Renew, Reform, Revision Initiative,” Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- Rebekah Simon-Peter, Dream Like Jesus, Knoxville, TN: Market Square Publishing, LLC. 2019.
David Kling is a newly retired Certified Lay Minister in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, serving Terre Hill Senior Connections.
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