First United Church of Christ, Mount Pleasant PA

06/07/2026

05/26/2026

More on the Memorial Day celebration that honored local Veterans including our longtime church member, Regis Sofranko

Thomas Dix was instantly a celebrity of sorts after Mt. Pleasant’s annual Memorial Day ceremony. Maybe it was the ball cap on his head proclaiming him a World War II veteran that drew others over. The 101-year-old Donegal Township man shook hands, hugged and smiled. “I like that they sti...

05/25/2026

Today the community here in Mt Pleasant observed Memorial Day with their annual parade and memorial service at the Veterans Park at the Diamond. Our own Regis Sofranko, shown here with the new Mayor Ken Phillabaum, served as the Grand Marshall of the parade. Regis, a retired US Navy serviceman, served in Vietnam. He was airlifted from one ship to another during his time in the war. Regis, and his wife, Donna are longtime members of First Church and we're so pleased that our community honored him this way today! Congratulations Rege!! 🇺🇲

05/25/2026

34 years ago, May 24, 1992, I started an unbelievable journey. There will never be enough words to thank the congregation of the First United Church of Christ in Mt Pleasant for giving me the privilege of being their organist and music director. I have been blessed from the first Sunday with an amazing church family and amazing choirs. I look forward to the continued journey and pray that God continues to bless us all as we journey together. Thank you all 🤗❤️🙏

05/14/2026

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above, the angels, whispering to one another can find, among their burning terms of love, none so devotional as that of Mother... Edgar Allan Poe

Here is a snippet of the little ones sharing gifts during our Sunday Children's service. ❤️🦋

04/16/2026

Colten Kenning

Mark your calendar now because you don't want to miss our annual Rummage Sale taking place on Saturday, April 18th, from 8 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. If you are interested in donating to the event, please message us to arrange a time to meet at the church. See you soon!

04/05/2026

Barna Group data from 2025 shows Gen Z churchgoers now average 1.9 visits per month. Millennials: 1.8. Gen X: 1.6. Boomers: 1.4. It's nearly double Gen Z's own rate from 2020. Barna calls it a "generational reversal." The first time younger Christians have outpaced older ones in attendance frequency since tracking began.

The last time young Americans led all generations in church attendance was the late 1950s, during the post-WWII religious boom, when weekly attendance across all ages hit nearly 50%. By the mid-1970s, a persistent age gap had opened. Older adults attended more, younger adults less. It held for decades until now.

The shift toward tradition is its own story. Traditional Latin Mass attendance in the U.S. jumped 71% from 2019 to 2021, led by 22- to 39-year-olds. A survey of nearly 1,800 young TLM attendees found that only 10% grew up in Latin Mass households. The rest found it on their own, often through YouTube and TikTok, drawn to incense, chant, and reverence that contemporary services stripped away.

Kansas State had 110 students preparing for baptism this Easter. Nearly 3 times prior years. Notre Dame's class of new Catholics is its largest in 25 years. Arizona State's Newman Center hit a record 52 new students in fall 2025. Texas A&M's Catholic center brought 70 people into the Church in one cycle. Harvard data shows Gen Z Catholic identification rose from 15% in 2022 to 21% in 2023. The YouVersion Bible app crossed 1 billion installs in late 2025, with activity up 20% year over year.