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Frequently asked questions about us
The Labyrinth in our picnic grove.
Read the beautiful labyrinth dedication blessing here.
What's with the funny name?
"Zion" is a name from the Bible; the village around us on Mt. Zion Road is called "Mt. Zion." "Goshert's" is named after the farmer who gave the land for the church in the 19th century.
"United Church of Christ" (or "UCC") is our denomination; you can find out more about the UCC here. Historically, our congregation has ties to the German Reformed movement.
What do you believe at Zion "Goshert's" UCC?
You will find a variety of beliefs at Zion "Goshert's," from what might be characterized as fairly conservative to very liberal. Our members might describe their own faith positions as evangelical, liberal, radical, humanist, spiritual, questioning, prayerful, born-again, searching, Reformed, catholic, "ex-something," or even "post-church" or "post-Christian." Others might even say, "I just am who/what I am!" Even though many of our members are lifelong Reformed or UCC members, others come from Catholic, Brethren, Methodist, Moravian, Jehovah Witness, Assembly of God, non-denominational, evangelical, Presbyterian, and other traditions. A growing number of our new members come from no religious background. Our worship often includes many elements from these traditions, which reflect the diversity of our community; our worship bulletins are designed to help the newcomer make sense of what we're doing.
At bottom, however, our journey and commitment to each other in our community is what unites us.
That said, we share a common faith in the lordship of Jesus Christ and strive to act as a Christian community. Beyond this, all of us are quite different--this is what makes us unique.
As a United Church of Christ congregation, we may say creeds in our worship or use a German Reformed text called The Heidelberg Catechism, but we do not believe that creeds are litmus tests; instead they represent living beliefs and traditions from the past that inform us in the present.
This is why we say that "God is still speaking": God still speaks through our worship, actions, and works of justice, even if this sometimes means boldly breaking with tradition. "Never place a period where God has placed a comma."
Detail of one of our paraments.
What is your worship service like?
Our services are both traditional and contemporary and the Sunday morning worship experience can be very different in different weeks. The diversity of worship reflects the diversity of beliefs and backgrounds of our congregation. We are always trying new things.
Perhaps a good way of describing us is that we have a contemporary attitude toward a traditional worship style.
You'll notice that much of the furniture, banners, and paraments are unique at Zion "Goshert's." Most have been made by the talented men and women of our church over the years.
Detail of three of the permanent parements in the sanctuary.
What are your pastor's sermons like?
Pastor Chris' sermons are, like our worship, traditional in form but very contemporary in message. He loves to tell stories. Expect to be provoked, challenged, and inspired.
His sermons are intellectually cultivated but very down to earth. Expect to hear about something he saw at the Farm Show and the latest book from a favorite philosopher in the same breath--and it will make sense to anyone. It is not uncommon for our members to discuss the sermon beyond our Coffee Hour and into the week.
You can learn more about Pastor Chris in the Lead section of this website.
Is there a Children's sermon?
Yes, normally there is a special time for children in our worship time; children are usually invited to gather around our baptismal font and often take leadership in the worship service.
What chidren and youth programs are available? What about adult education opportunities?
Please visit the Grow section of this website for more information!
What music programs do you offer?
We present a fairly sophisticated music program for a small country church.
Our children's choir performs occasionally and sings age-appropriate music and use drums as part of their musical offerings. Children who participate in our VBS program also help lead worship with the songs they learn during the summer.
The adult choir meets weekly (usually on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM) for rehearsal. They occasionally have "pick-up" choir Sundays where anyone can come to church an hour early and sing without further commitment.
Our church is host to a semi-professional brass ensemble who named themselves after the church, Goshert's Brass. They rehearse monthly in our sanctuary, their rehearsals are open to the public who might like to listen to brass music. They perform around the area and at weddings and other special events.
We typically have special music during our outdoor worship services in the summertime.
Finally, we regularly have various musicians perform as part of our Sunday worship service. Some more recent guest musicians include local community choirs, a hammered dulcimer player, a theremin player, a jazz band, and others.
Men participating in our reconciliation service,
burning the confessionals.
What do you believe about baptism?
Baptism is a sacrament and is offered to everyone, adults and children alike. Please contact us for more information about having your child baptized at Goshert's.
Generally, we do not practice second baptisms (though if this is something you are considering the Pastor will evaluate this on a case-by-case basis) but we will honor requests for individual baptismal rededications; and we corporately rededicate our baptisms as a congregation.
What does it cost to have my child baptized at your church?
We prefer to have baptisms as part of our Sunday worship service and as a sacrament of the church there is no charge or fee for baptism!
May I have a child dedicated, rather than baptized?
The pastor will offer a child dedication service upon request, usually outside of a church worship service, as a family or community presentation of a child, and sometimes with a formal naming ceremony.
Child dedication is not a part of our direct religious heritage, but we also understand that some of our members and friends come from backgrounds where child dedications are a common practice. The pastor is occasionally asked to perform a dedication for individuals whose churches forbid the practice of child dedication; the pastor makes a final decision on whether to offer the service in these situations.
What do you believe about communion?
We usually celebrate the sacrament of holy communion on the first Sunday of the beginning of most seasons of the church year (Lent, Easter, and Pentecost) and on special days (New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Maundy Thursday).
Everyone is welcome to our table.
Our members have a great sense of humor
and our men in particular enjoy our social time together.
How do I become a member?
If you would like to become a member, you should simply declare your intentions, our Consistory (church council) will vote on you and you will be received during a worship service through a very simple ritual.
Members are expected to serve their church through participation in worship, their gifts of time and talent, and by celebrating communion with us in worship at least once per year.
Detail of the historic painting in our sanctuary.
Is the pastor available for pastoral care or counseling?
The pastor is available for pastoral care and counseling to church members and individuals in the community.
Pastor Chris (who holds two doctorates) is certified as a client counselor by the American Philosophical Practicioners Association. Philosophical counseling is a problem-solving approach to counseling and talk therapy.
He is also trained to offer the Prepare/Enrich pre-marital and martital assessment and counseling. This involves an on-line or on-paper relationship and personality test and several meetings with the pastor.
Will the pastor visit me at home?
Pastor Chris will make hospital or home visits upon request. He will also offer home communion, a rite of annointing with oil, or a blessing of a home if requested, as well.
Where are you located?
We are located in the village of Mt. Zion, just north of Lebanon, south of US Rt. 22. We are easy to find and in a beautiful, scenic location for worship. Our Grove is directly across the street.
Can we hold a wedding at your church?
Yes, and our pastor will do weddings off-site. Pastor Chris is trained to also do Prepare/Enrich premarital assessment and counseling if you would like to have counseling; we encourage (but do not require) this. Church members must receive pre-marital counseling for weddings. Contact us for a wedding application and to check availability.
How much does it cost to get married at the church?
The complete fee schedule is on the wedding application. A wedding at the church for someone who is not a member typically costs around $425-550.
The pastor will travel off-site for weddings as his schedule allows. Fees for off-site weddings include a donation to the church. Contact the pastor directly for more information.
The church grove is available for weddings; see below for more information.
Can I rent your grove for an event, campout, reunion, or wedding?
Yes; our grove, just across the street, is a four-acre scenic property with running-water bathrooms, indoor cooking and eating facility, sand volleyball court, outdoor bandstand, children's play area, barbeque pit, outdoor labyrinth, and baseball backstop.
The grove is used by the church for outdoor worship services and picnics, youth activities, church fundraisers and other community events, and Vacation Bible School. The Northern Lebanon Little League Baseball league uses its baseball fields for practices and it is a popular spot for other churches' picnics, family reunions, and other events.
The current fee for day rental is $150.
May I come and visit your Labyrinth?
All are welcome to our prayer Labyrinth in our grove during the daytime. It is located on the north edge of the grove property, East of the bandstand. Please leave it as you found it. If you would like to bring a group or schedule an event, please contact us to reserve the grove.
What other charities are you connected with?
Detail of the historic painting in the sanctuary.
I have a question about your church records or would like more information about your cemetery.
Our cemetery is incorporated separately from the congregation; contact us and we will put the appropriate persons in touch with you. Also, this website (not affiliated with us or the cemetery association) has quite a lot of information about our cemetery.
Zion "Goshert's" United Church of Christ
1588 Mt. Zion Road
Lebanon, PA 17046
(717) 865-3286
