When Jon Barrett and his wife, Sarah, moved back to Pennsylvania from New York during the pandemic, the couple prayed about finding a new church for Jon to pastor.

"I was looking for a church with a small, homey feeling," Jon recalled. "My wife and I were praying about it, and the opportunity came up the first day I started looking."

That opportunity was a position as executive director of the nonprofit Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services (CVCCS), which then alerted Jon to an open position as pastor at Grace Community Fellowship in Manheim.

Jon began preaching at Grace earlier this year and took over as pastor July 1. He continues to serve at both the church and CVCCS, noting that both jobs focus on helping people in the community.

"CVCCS is an amazing ministry," he said. "It's completely Jesus-focused. It's focused on the transformation of people, not just providing services, but wanting to see people thrive and become self-sufficient." CVCCS operates a food and clothing bank, provides ministry programs for youths and offers financial literacy programs, among other initiatives.

At Grace, Jon is also focused on serving the community.

"I think it's so important these days that people have a place they can come and feel connected to other people," he stated. "Loneliness is a big issue, and people have gotten really isolated, especially after the pandemic. There is no substitute for personal interaction, and a lot of people are suffering from lack of community."

That's his top goal for Grace - to be a welcoming space for anyone.

"I want our community to know that we are a safe space for biblical truth," he remarked. "I want them to feel a family atmosphere and to know that they can rely on us. When people come to us, I want it to have the feeling of coming home."

Jon, the father of two young adult daughters, said he sees his role in the church as a parental one.

"My passion is discipleship," he explained. "I believe in being a spiritual father of sorts to people to help them as they grow in their faith. I want to see the church thrive."

He cautions that while he wants Grace to continue to succeed in its ministry, he's focused on growing the church organically.

"There are no gimmicks," he said. "We just want to welcome people who love the Lord and want to see the church thrive."

He said people who come to Grace can expect a straight-forward message.

"There's no fluff when you come to hear the sermons," he commented. "It's solid, biblical truth, but it's not too deep over the heads of people where they can't get it. Today, people are really looking for the truth, and we just give it unapologetically."

Grace Community Fellowship is located at 1483 N. Colebrook Road, Manheim. Worship is held on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., preceded by Sunday school for people of all ages at 9:30 a.m.