Welcome to the Tomahawk Presbyterian Church near Hedgesville, WV, U.S.A
Tomahawk Presbyterian Church is in a small well kept stone building on a hilltop surrounded by centuries old oak trees and a cemetery, but we’re not “small” by any other measure. The church is a family with a mission first is to learn about God through his word and to worship, glorify and praise God. We desire to do that in fellowship with our friends and neighbors – welcoming all who wish the same. So come as you are. We want you to feel welcomed and comfortable here. We want you to be part of this Christian family.
This congregation is a member of the
Presbyterian Church USA, which has 1.2 million members in the United
States (as of Dec. 2019) and around the globe.
Legend
has it that worship services started on this hilltop around 1745 with
the first meeting house being built sometime after 1750. The earliest
known official records date back to 1760. So this congregation
and church family has been part of the community of Tomahawk and
Hedgesville, WV for a very long time, and we’re active and
involved today. We usually have about 20 people attend on any given
Sunday. The worship services start at 9 a.m. after the bell in the
bell tower is rung. We all help each other in our journey of
spiritual growth and we welcome you to learn and grow with us.
We usually celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion the first Sunday of every month, and have special services to celebrate Holy seasons, such as Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost and Christmas.
We have two youth Christian Education classes for the very young children up to the young teenagers group. These classes are held in the side rooms during the regular worship time, and start after the Pastor conducts the Call to Worship and Confession and spends some time with the children. We are blessed to be able to offer this for the youth of the church.
We are also blessed to have people with the talents to play the organ and piano as well as young adults with a surprising amount of musical talent, also. The hymns we sing together are considered “traditional”.
The members of the choir do not wear choir robes and come from the congregation seating area to sit in the choir loft area during the worship service. This sometimes catches visitors by surprise wondering why a group of people are going to the front of the church in the middle of the service. After the Bible scripture readings, the choir sings an anthem and then returns to their pew. There’s always room for more choir singers if you might be interested in doing that.
The over-all age group of people who attend church on a regular basis ranges from about 4 to the 80’s.
We are involved in mission, which includes special offerings to help feed the hungry and supporting local charities or causes. We also support the mission of the church on a domestic and global level, too.
he little room in the back of the church has been filled to capacity many times during special functions and we hope someday to build a fellowship hall. We seek to expand somewhat to improve the comfort of members and visitors. In 2012 we upgraded the side room to become a full function kitchen.
Attending a local church is a good way to help you feel like you’re part of the bigger picture community. It’s also a good way to make new friends or share your talents. In a church of this size it’s hard to hide though. If you want to hide when you go to church, then this probably isn’t the place you want to be. You will likely be hugged at least once every Sunday.
And when you do visit here, please feel free to sit wherever you want. People are creatures of habit and like to sit in the same pew, but for a visitor, we will make room for you and not grumble too much if you happen to sit where we normally sit. Please just come in, grab a Order of Worship bulletin on the table by the front door, and sit where you’re comfortable. Don’t be surprised if someone (or many) greets you. We do want you to feel welcome, but perhaps may be overdoing it a little for some visitors liking. We think it’s better to say hello than to ignore you.
If you like to eat then you’ll enjoy being a part of this church family, too. We welcome all to attend a fellowship lunch held here every third Sunday at 12:30. It’s a tradition that goes back so far, no one remembers when it started, but it is popular. Coming to a lunch is a good way to meet some of your neighbors, make friends and to get a feel for the church and the people who attend. If you’re looking for a church home, we welcome you to visit with us for lunch.
There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer. Currently only the Pastor is paid. All other duties and requirements to operate the church and do God’s work are faithfully done by volunteers. Think about that for a minute because it’s an important consideration. Many people participate in one way or another to make the worship services happen every week. If that’s important to you, there is room for everyone to contribute something other than just money in the offering plate.
We know that people visit churches for various reasons. We hope that we can fill your need, and that you are filled by the Holy Spirit when visiting here. But even if you don’t visit with us, please know that there is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. At a minimum though, we believe that we should all acknowledge God. Ask God to forgive you of your sins and mean it. Believe in Jesus as the only begotten son of God. Learn more about God through his word and prayer and share the good news about Jesus with others. If you think we can help fill a void in your life, visit us a few times to see for yourself... Come and See.. Please call or write if you have any questions. Thank you for reading this. May God bless you!
Come worship with us!