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
(U.S.A.), which has over 2 million members in the
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 for a very long time, and we’re active and involved today. We
usually have between 30 and 40 people attend on any given Sunday. The worship
services start at 9 a.m. after the bell in the bell tower is rung. Paul
Wolverton is our Commissioned Lay Pastor and has served here for 10 years. His
sermons are Bible based, well thought out and presented. 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.
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.
This
year we started a youth praise band with
the goal of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ through music at outreach
functions. There’s a surprising amount of musical talent already!
The
over-all age group of people who attend church on a regular basis ranges from
about 6 to 88.
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.
We
do have a men’s group at Tomahawk that recently started up. We’re still trying
to figure out exactly what their mission is. They meet the first Saturday at
8:30 for breakfast, and use this time for, prayer, devotion and fellowship. And
for now that seems to be good enough.
We
are also blessed to be in the planning stages of building a new fellowship
hall. The little room in the back of the church has been filled to capacity
many times during special functions. We seek to expand somewhat to improve the
comfort of members and visitors.
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. Please call or write if you have any
questions. Thank you for reading this. May God bless you!
Come worship with us!
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