University Mennonite Church

06/02/2026

Consider this important event!

Please help us spread the word about our screening and discussion of All the Empty Rooms on Saturday, June 20, at 7:00 p.m.

This event is part of our observance of Gun Safety Awareness Month and recognizes the Centre County Commissioners’ 2026 Proclamation for Secure Firearm Storage and Ask Day.

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

06/01/2026

It is my first day as our new pastor, and I’m feeling a lot of excitement and appreciation for this role that you have affirmed in me.

Over the next few months I hope to meet in person with as many of you as possible - whether you have been attending for many years, or for just a few weeks; whether you are a regular attender, or can’t remember the last time you were present on a Sunday morning.

During these conversations, I hope we can share our personal answers to these three questions, borrowed from my colleague, Melissa Florer Bixler;

• What brought you to UMC, and why have you stayed?
• When are we at our best?
• What are your hopes for the future?

I’m also hoping to hear if there are pastoral ways I can walk with you - whether you hold questions of faith or personal challenges or struggles that you are facing.

I would love to connect! Send me a message to arrange a time to go for a walk or hike, grab a cup of coffee (or a meal or pint!), play a few holes of disc golf, or take a bike ride. The pastor office is still being renovated (Ben paint for Ben’s office!), but I’m happy to simply meet you at the church building or at your home as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions as we begin this new chapter together!

My prayers go with you,

Ben

05/05/2026

For more than a decade, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light has been encouraging supporters and people of faith who care about creation, to get out and move during the spring as part of an active fundraising effort. Jon Brockopp began this participatory movement by organizing the first bike trip from State College to Washington DC many years ago (of which many of us participated over the years!), and in the time since then it has shifted from a singular destination ride, to a broader and more inclusive challenge to ride (or hike!) in your local context or community.

This year PA IPL is kicking off the Bike & Hike by asking this simple question: How am I breathing? How am I pushing? Who will breathe and push with me?

We invite you to Breathe & Push with PA-IPL as together we birth a brighter future. You can join us in the Bike & Hike to help sustain this labor! Their goal is to raise $5,000 this year. This money will help us in their work to plant trees, develop educational resources, and speak truth to power.

It is not too late to sign up to be a participant, or support a participant by visiting the PA-IPL website.

05/04/2026

The latest issue of Town&Gown Magazine includes an article about Sacred Harp/Shape Note Singing that takes place in our building!

04/09/2026

“Is your faith in conflict with your field of study?” This is a question often raised, and we’ll be talking about it on Sunday morning! Come and hear what UMC’s own, Karl Ahrendsen (who studies atomic physics!), has to say on this topic.

04/08/2026

04/02/2026

Join us at University Mennonite Church this weekend! We’ll have an Easter breakfast at 8:45am followed by our Easter Sunday service at 10am.

02/23/2026

From Lent at Home 2026 🌿

Week 1 (Feb. 18–28): Love and Grief, Glory and Belief
Today’s invitation (Feb. 22): Worship God in community.

As we reflect on John 11 and Jesus’ presence with Mary and Martha, we remember that even in sorrow, we gather—trusting the One who weeps with us and walks beside us. We can pray, “Jesus, sometimes we feel lonely and sad. Please walk with us. Amen.”

Light your six candles and join your congregation or loved ones in worship today. Hold space for both grief and hope.

Download the full 2026 Lent at Home guide:
mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/lent-at-home-2026.pdf

02/23/2026

We are in the midst of a pastoral search process!

Our church is seeking a full-time, Christ-centered Lead Pastor grounded in Anabaptist values. We are a peace-focused welcoming congregation located among the beautifully wooded ridges of central Pennsylvania in the university town of State College. The Lead Pastor is responsible for guiding the planning of worship, providing pastoral care and supporting the mission of the church through community engagement.

Our congregation is an active member of Allegheny Mennonite Conference within Mennonite Church USA.

Send inquiries to Amy Yoder McGloughlin, Allegheny Conference Minister.