Josh Placeway believes a church should be an active part of its community. That's one of the things that drew him to his new role as pastor of Manheim Grace Brethren Church, 333 E. High St. Placeway became the pastor in late June.

"I'm excited about the direction that this church is going," he said. "Talking to the people here, I realized that our hearts aligned to the idea of wanting to reach out to the community. Change happens by going out in the community."

Placeway was enthusiastic about the opportunity to return to the place he once called home. He grew up in Elizabethtown and graduated from Mount Calvary Christian School.

"I'm also excited to get back to Lancaster County," he said. "My wife and I are really happy to be living in Manheim. We're looking forward to meeting people in the community. We are ready to put down roots here."

Before coming to Manheim, Placeway served as a pastor at a church in a suburb of Chicago for 10 years. Although he enjoyed the job, he was ready for a new challenge.

"I was looking for a change, and I was looking to come back to this area," he explained. "The Lord started stirring things in my heart, and I realized it was time to make a change. I truly believe the Lord guided our steps in bringing us here."

In his new position, Placeway sees a bright future for the church. "Overall, my goal is to help people discover who Jesus is," he stated. "I believe that life change happens through Him."

He also wants to encourage more community involvement from the church and has already felt support from the congregation for that goal. "This church as a whole has a desire to have an impact on our community," he said.

When he's not at work, Placeway has been busy discovering Manheim and watching his three children learn to love the county he left years ago. "We love exploring around town, whether it's going on a bike ride or getting ice cream," he commented. "It's really neat to see this place through my kids' eyes."

And he's got his own eyes set on the good things he sees coming for Manheim Grace. "My focus is on the future. I'm excited about what God has in store for this church and the impact we can have on the community," he remarked. "If you want to come in on a Sunday morning and be greeted by smiling faces, connect with other people and really discover who Jesus is, this is the place to do that."

Manheim Grace holds services at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Services are held in person and are also livestreamed. For more information, visit http://www.manheimgrace.org.