Market Square Presbyterian Church

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Harrisburg, PA
Market Square Presbyterian Church

Everyone is welcome regardless of race, class, national origin, sexual identity or worldly condition. Our commitment to service is central to who we are.

FAITH • COMMUNITY • COMPASSION • JUSTICE • SERVICE

Since its founding in 1794, Market Square Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) has been a vital presence in the heart of downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For more than 160 years, our congregation has worshiped in our historic sanctuary, a sacred space where tradition and transformation meet. Market Square is a vibrant and inclusive community of faith co

mmitted to proclaiming and living the Good News of Jesus Christ. We welcome friend and stranger alike—regardless of race, class, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any worldly condition—into the full life of our church. Our mission calls us to celebrate the unique gifts of each person, work for justice, peace, and environmental sustainability, reach out in mission, and witness to God’s transforming love in all we do. While we cherish our rich heritage of traditional worship—anchored by thought-provoking sermons and outstanding music—we also embrace fresh expressions of Christian faith and practice. Worship at Market Square is both reverent and relevant, honoring the sacred while speaking powerfully to the present. Market Square is known for its ministries with unhoused individuals, advocacy for refugees and immigrants, and peacemaking and social justice efforts. We proudly affirm and support the LGBTQ+ community, care for creation through environmental initiatives, and provide space for a wide range of community groups. In all things, we seek to be a church where love leads, justice grows, and all are truly welcome. No matter who you are or where you are on your faith journey, you will find a place of belonging at Market Square Presbyterian Church. WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS
9:30 a.m. Korean Language Service (Davis Chapel.) The Reverend Ki Nam Lee preaching
11:00 a.m. English Language Service (Sanctuary) Rev. Dr. Bruce Humphrey and Rev. Allison Smith preaching

08/23/2026

Many Voices, One Church

When the world feels like it's on fire, gathering matters. We need one another — and the reminder that despite our differences, we're part of one body, one church, one community of faith.

Join us Sunday, August 30 at 4:00 p.m. as Presbyterians from across our presbytery gather at Second Presbyterian Church in Carlisle for the Many Voices Worship Service — a celebration of our presbytery's unity through inspiring preaching, joyful worship, uplifting music, and fellowship with siblings in Christ from congregations throughout the region.

We're especially glad Market Square will be part of it! Tyler Canonico-Dilley joins musicians from across the presbytery to lead worship, Melinda Ormsbee Cree is preparing the communion bread, Beth Hager is bringing Hershey Kisses, and keep an eye out for a few more Market Square saints sharing their gifts too.

The Rev. CeCe Armstrong, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of the PC(USA), will preach.

And when this many Presbyterians gather to sing... they SING. Come add your voice. 🎶

📍 Second Presbyterian Church, Carlisle
🕓 Sunday, August 30 | 4:00 p.m.

08/22/2026

Last night's to-go dinner for our unhoused neighbors was a test-run to see how to manage it without the benefit of a working elevator to take the dinners from the downstairs kitchen to the first floor atrium. With the help of MSPC staff and a bevy of volunteers, the atrium became the assembly kitchen and all 120 visitors enjoyed a healthy and delicious meal. While we'll be glad to have the elevator working again, it's great to see we can still coordinate the Friday dinner with a bit of ingenuity and a lot of heart. 🤗 🫶

08/21/2026

It will be here before you know it! Mark your calendars for Genesis Sunday, September 13, when lots of opportunities for community, faith, and education start up again. 🤗 💕 ☮️

08/20/2026

This Friday: Witness for People & Planet

Friday, August 21, 4:00pm
Begins at City Island

Join the Rev. Kevin Long and the Intertwined Faith Community for a walk and witness through Harrisburg supporting the livability of the world we inhabit. This is a focused, interfaith event supporting ecological justice. Bring your signs with messaging supporting the health of our environment (and policies doing the same).

The group will meet at the City Island end of the Walnut Street foot bridge. They'll carry signs across the bridge, then along the river to Kunkel Plaza, then down State Street to the state capitol steps, where they will be led in prayer by local faith leaders.

The purpose of this witness is to demonstrate that people of faith support policies that will protect the livability of the planet we inhabit, to call out the corruption that prevents those policies from being enacted, and to leave space for the divine in our efforts to defend God's good creation.

https://f.mtr.cool/chnywhzrlm

08/19/2026

Friends, our elevator will be temporarily out of service. We know this is a real inconvenience for folks with mobility needs, and we're taking it seriously.

So seriously, in fact, that the social media team spent an entire meeting brainstorming alternatives.

We pitched the Steampunk Mecha-Pedal. Denied.
We pitched the Dragon-Scale Catapult. Also denied.
The Cosmic-Rail Launch felt promising. Denied.
Human Cannon-Launch? You'd think. Denied.
Jetpack Joyride, Trebuchet Toss, Zipline Zipper — a hat trick of denials.
Even the humble Pogo-Stick Processive got a hard no.

The church staff, it turns out, has no vision.

So while we regroup (and possibly appeal to a higher committee), please use the ramps available and enter via Second Street (as indicated by our Bridge Operations Manager Dave Volkman in the last photo)— no waiver required, no torches, no jetpack fuel. We'll share updates as soon as the elevator is back in service. Thank you for your patience! 🙏

08/18/2026

Faithful Then, Faithful Now

War, Violence & Peacemaking
During international conflict in 1990, MSPC urged prayer for peace among the “children of Abraham,” warned against stereotyping enemies, and encouraged negotiated, international approaches to conflict. In 1994, the Peacemaking Offering explicitly linked justice and peace as inseparable Christian commitments.

Today we continue to pray for a peaceful resolution to all conflicts, international and domestic.

08/17/2026

Rev. Anne assures us that no one is beyond God’s forgiveness. And no one can make you feel quite so assured as Rev. Anne, with her warm and genuine way of offering comfort. 💕 🤗

08/16/2026

Market Square would like to thank cellist Brian Buterbaugh for his exceptional support of our music ministry in worship last Sunday. In this clip, Brian and Tyler Canonico-Dilley (piano) present "Near to the Heart of God," arranged by Brant Adams (b. 1955).

The offertory anthem, “Near to the Heart of God,” is a beloved hymn with words and music by Cleland B. McAfee, written in 1901 following the tragic deaths of his two young nieces. In the midst of grief, McAfee composed this hymn as a testimony to the peace and comfort found in the presence of Christ. Its gentle refrain, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God,” has offered hope and consolation to countless believers for more than a century.

In this expressive arrangement by Brant Adams, the hymn’s serene melody is presented with warmth and sensitivity, inviting us into a spirit of prayer and reflection. Adams preserves the hymn’s quiet reverence while enriching it with expressive harmonies and flowing accompaniment, allowing the familiar tune to unfold with renewed depth and beauty.

As we hear this timeless hymn, we are reminded that amid life’s joys and sorrows, God’s presence remains our refuge, our peace, and our abiding source of strength.

08/15/2026

"Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it." —Father Gregory Boyle, Jesuit priest

This quote is hanging in our Fellowship Hall to remind us that some of our neighbors carry burdens most of us can scarcely imagine. It's a reminder for us to meet our unhoused neighbors not with judgment, but with compassion, dignity, and care—sharing food, friendship, and a reminder that every person is worthy of being seen, welcomed, and loved.

08/14/2026

Rev. Allison invites us to ponder a question for her upcoming sermon this Sunday. We've heard people call themselves spiritual, but not religious. But what happens when we're religious, but not spiritual? Have a listen to her clip from Wednesday's Beacon Light.

The Beacon Light is a mid-week email blast containing current information about happenings in the church and within our community. If you'd like to be added to the email list, please contact Nancy in the church office: [email protected].

Address

20 S 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA
17101

Website

http://www.marketsquarechurch.org/

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