Upper Bucks Area Places of Worship

Bible Baptist Church

Meets at HIghland Park Dining Hall

415 Highland Park Road

Sellersville, PA 18960

484-523-3333 www.biblebaptistcares.org

Pastor: Tom Harris

Bible Study Hour 9:30 am, Morning Worship

10:30 am, Services interpreted for the deaf

Christ Church United Church of Christ

101 N. Main Street

Trumbauersville, PA 18970

215-538-0142 christchurch10@verizon.net www.christchurchisalive.org

Pastor: David Heckler

A friendly, welcoming church. Change fear into hope, doubt into faith. God is calling.

Join us at 11am Sunday. Halleleujah!

Christ’s Lutheran Church

1 Luther Lane Trumbauersville, PA 18970

215-536-3193 christselca@verizon.net www.christslutheran.com

9:00am Worship, 10:15 Sunday School, Handicapped accessible, Family Friendly Church. Find us on Facebook!

Church of the Incarnation

44 S. 8th Street

Quakertown, PA 18951

215-538-3787

Ardores@verizon.net www.IncarnationQuakertown.org

Pastor: Most Rev. Thomas J. Kleppinger

Traditional worship, Biblical faith

Sunday 10:30am, Holy Days as announced.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

560 S. Main Street

Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-3040 emmanuelchurch11@yahoo.com www.emmanuelquakertown.org

Sunday service at 10am, Visitors and new members always welcome!

First United Church of Christ

151 S. Fourth Street

Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-4447 info@firstUCC.net

Facebook.com/FirstUCCQuakertown

Senior Pastor: Rev. Jon C. Bauman

Min. of Visitation & Pastoral Care: Elaine Ely

Join us in person Sundays 9:15am Join us online at www.firstUCC.net. Community Lunch

2nd Saturday Drive through pickup 9am. Community Dinner 3rd Thursday 5:30pm (eat in).

BY PASTOR JON BAUMAN

In the span of a week, the role of a pastor may call you to be a leader in a meeting, an advisor in one, a writer, a planner, a pastoral counselor, a maker of instant mashed potatoes in massive quantities, a public speaker, a dishwasher, a leader of a team, an officiant, a dunk tank volunteer, and a ton of extra roles thrown in there that vary from week to week. But the role of a member of a church can include many of these things as well. I’ve seen my church, coming from varied career fields, and some being retired, do an incredibly diverse set of tasks in order to support the youth on their mission trip, the kids in Sunday school, the community members in need, the women in the women’s guild, the property of our church, and many other worthy causes. It doesn’t matter if they've never worked an industrial dishwasher, cooked food for hundreds, or ran games for the kids… I’ve seen our church do incredible things when we all work together.

The point is: All of us are called to enrich the world around us with our faith in Jesus, and I am glad to see our church rising to that challenge, and having a posture that asks, “What next?”

The summer is a very busy time for our church. Even though many of our members go on vacation in the summer, we face the challenge of one of the most packed seasons of the year together. It’s a beautiful thing when the church comes together to follow our United calling. And when we do so, we get to know one another at a deeper level, we respect each

Good News Church 424 Juniper Street

Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-4393

Pastor: David Markey, Jr.

An alternative to the ultra-contemporary Sunday Worship and Children’s Church 10:30 am, Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm, World Evangelism Fellowship affiliate.

Grace Bible Fellowship Church

1811 Old Bethlehem Pike N. Quakertown, PA 18951

215-536-6096 grace@quakertownbfc.org www.quakertownbfc.org

Sr. Pastor: Ron Kohl

Sunday School for all ages. 10:10am Morning Worship, Small group meetings 2nd & 4th

Sundays 6:30pm; Tues: Ladies Bible Study

9:45am; Wed: AWANA (2 yrs - 6th grade) & Teens for Christ 6:30pm, Adult prayer meeting 6:45pm Juniper Street Bible Church

317 Juniper Street

Quakertown, PA 18951

267-373-9115

Pastor: Bob Stevenson www.juniperstreetbiblechurch.org

Sunday worship 10am (also watch live on our Facebook page), Tuesday 7pm Bible study and prayer. We offer an invitation to you. Come and worship with us.

Morning Star Fellowship

429 S. 9th Street

Quakertown, PA 18951 215-529-6422

Pastors: John & Theresa Decker www.mstarqtown.org

Sunday Services at 9 am and 11 am. Our cafe is open with free coffee. Children’s Ministries provided. Celebrate Recovery on Tuesdays at 7 pm. Student Ministries on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Weekly Connections. For updates and schedule changes, check our website.

Palisades Community Bible Church

8730 Easton Road Revere, PA 18953 610-847-2637 secretary@pcbchurch.com www.pcbchurch.com

Pastor: Rev. Corbin Seltzer, Jr.

Sunday School (all ages) 9:30am, Sunday

Morning Worship 10:30am, Tuesday Prayer Meeting 7:00pm, Men & Ladies’ Bible Studies - see website. “Walk by Faith.” ii Cor. 5:7 other’s hearts and passions, and our own sense of community grows as a result.

All of these events and ministries show us the beauty and the life of the Church of Jesus Christ, who is called to be his hands and his feet.

All of us have our own unique gifting and calling, given to us by our Lord to enrich those around us through embodying the love of Jesus.

And when we gather together, in worship and In service, we see the work of God unfolding into a world that needs the kind of hope that only God can give.

I encourage all of the followers of Jesus in Quakertown and the surrounding area of Upper Bucks County to keep listening to that broader calling from our God, and to join one another in following that calling, together. The church of our Lord is not meant to be divided; it is meant to be united in the efforts of a living, breathing, robust, and life-giving Gospel.

I’ll leave you all with a quote from St. Theresa of Avila:

Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which He looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body.

Christ has no body now but yours…

Jon bauman is the senior Pastor at first uniteD church of christ in quakertown he can be reacheD at Jbauman@firstucc net

Pennridge Christian Fellowship 720 Blooming Glen Rd, Blooming Glen 18911 215-257-7309 pastor@pennridgecf.org www.pennridgecf.org

Pastor: Thomas Vargis

Multicultural Charismatic church worshipping God in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Our service consists of song service, testimonies, and teaching of the word. Live Spanish translation & children’s service at 10:30 Sunday worship. Livestream: fb.com/pennridgechristianfellowship

Quakertown United Methodist Church

1875 Freier Road Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-4992 barb@qumc.com www.qumc.com

Pastor: Rev. Richard K. Brown II

Sunday schedule: Worship 8:30 am, Sunday School 9:45 am, Worship 11 am Communion first Sunday of each month.

St. Isidore Roman Catholic Church

2545 West Pumping Station Rd Quakertown, PA 18951 (215) 536-4389

Pastor: Rev. Kenneth C. Brabazon izzyparoff@comcast.net www.stisidores.org

Sunday Masses - 5:00pm Saturday evenings; 7:00am, 9:00am, & 11:00am on Sunday mornings; 1:00pm in Spanish Sunday afternoons

St. John’s Lutheran Church 4 South Main Street • PO Box 458 Richlandtown, PA 18955 215-536-5027 Admin@stjohnsrpa.org www.stjohnsrpa.org

Pastor: Rev Dr. David A Genszler

In person worship service Sunday at 9:30 am, Watch our Worship Service anytime on stjohnsrpa.org/sermon or on Facebook. Activity Center Rentals Open, Capacity 125, call 215-536-5027 to book.

St. John’s Lutheran Church of Spinnerstown

1565 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Spinnerstown 18968 (GPS Quakertown 18951) 215-536-0734 stjohnsspinnerstown@gmail.com www.stjohnsofspinnerstown.org

Worship Service: 9:30 a.m. Service also is live-streamed on Facebook (St. John’s Lutheran Church, Spinnerstown, PA) and video available on the church website.

St. John’s Lutheran Ridge Valley 910 Allentown Road, West Rockhill Twp 215-257-9643 stjohnsridgevalley910@gmail.com www.stjohnsridgevalley.com

Pastor: Rev. Lauren Bruno

8:30am Traditional - 10:15am w/praise band. Grape juice & gluten-free wafers available. Adult Forum 9:40, Handicapped accessible. All invited and welcome to Share the Joy! St. John the Baptist Parish 4050 Durham Road, Ottsville 18942 610-847-5521 pastor@stjohnsottsville.org www.stjohnsottsville.org

Pastor: Selvaraj Lucas, MSC

St. John the Baptist, the first Catholic parish in Bucks County, has served the pastoral needs of Catholics since 1743.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Applebachsville 837 Old Bethlehem Road, Quakertown 215-536-5789 stpaulsqtown@gmail.com www.stpaulsqtown.org

Pastor: Rev. David Heckler

We believe in sharing God’s love in joyful service. Come and see. All are welcome. St. Paul’s United Church of Christ 104 Green Street Sellersville, PA 18960 215-257-7268

Pastor: Rev. Trudy Irving secretary@stpaulsucc.net www.stpaulsucc.net

Sunday Worship 10:15 in Sanctuary Springfield Mennonite Church 1905 Pleasant View Road Coopersburg PA 18036 267-999-1404

Pastor: Rev. Joseph Wames pastorjoe@springfieldmennonite.org www.springfieldmennonite.org

Join us at 10:15a Sunday Mornings for a Blended Worship Service, Multi-generational, loving congregation. Biblically and Doctrinally Sound.

Trinity Lutheran Church 102 N. Hellertown Avenue Quakertown, PA 18951 (215) 536.4345 www.trinityquakertown.org

Pastor: Dayle Malloy

9 a.m. Traditional service, 11 a.m. Contemporary Service, 10: 15 a.m. Sunday School, Handicap accessible, Family Friendly, Dynamic Music Ministry, Living God’s Love for All

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

Be Leary of Low HOA Fees

When you move into a house in a homeowners’ association (HOA) neighborhood, you might want the fees they charge to be as low as possible. Buying a home is a significant expense, and you might want to reduce costs where you can.

But are low HOA fees a good idea? You might assume smaller bills are better, which will be the case in many situations. But when it comes to homeowners’ associations, there are more downsides than you might imagine.

What is an HOA fee?

The homeowners association charges fees to owners within the neighborhood they are responsible for. The association maintains the common areas in the development, which costs money. HOA fees will almost always be present when buying a condo or townhouse.

If there are better facilities like a pool or gym, these expenses will be higher. If you buy a home within one of these communities, you will want to determine the HOA fees for the development before making an offer.

Lower HOA fees can attract potential homebuyers and current owners, but saving money isn’t always the best option.

The cons of low HOA fees

There are many situations where cheaper isn’t better, like if you are buying something that you need to last a long time or for safety equipment. But with HOA fees, it might not be as clear whether paying less to the association is a good idea.

These are some downsides to low fees:

• Less maintenance

The HOA can cut maintenance to reduce costs for a while, and residents might like this choice. But without regular maintenance, problems can be worse and more expensive when they are dealt with.

Small maintenance tasks can prevent bigger problems and improve the community for residents. It is better to make minor updates than wait until there is no other option and major infrastructure repairs must be made. This will take longer and cost more.

• Property values

If there isn’t enough maintenance in the community, it can negatively affect house prices. If this has been going on for a long time, there’s a greater chance that the condition will put off buyers and make selling a home more difficult, leading to lower values.

Potential buyers will notice the low maintenance levels when they arrive in the community. This reduced curb appeal will affect their initial impression of the home, and they are likely to see the property in a worse light. This will make it more likely they won’t decide to make an offer.

• Emergency costs

If fees are low, there is unlikely to be much money saved for emergencies. So when something does inevitably happen, a special assessment is more likely.

A special assessment is a way to pay for unexpected expenses, and an HOA that has low fees could rely on this to fund costs. It is better to have consistent fees than pay a surprise bill.

When buying a condo, one of the most essential questions will be understanding the amount in the reserves and whether a special assessment is on the horizon.

• Inflation

Prices gradually rise, so standards and maintenance could slip if the HOA isn’t increasing fees appropriately. The HOA can’t suddenly increase fees by any amount they like either, with restrictions in the governing documents, and there could be state limits as well.

• Minimum Standards

There are state and federal regulations for minimum standards within an HOA. If the association doesn’t follow its legal duty, there could be additional costs to homeowners.

The Pros of Low HOA Fees

The only real advantage of low fees is happy homeowners. Nobody likes paying bills.

The board of the HOA will be more popular with residents, but this won’t last forever. If there isn’t enough money to cover maintenance costs, the association might rely on reserve funds, but this will run out.

With low fees, it will become impossible to maintain the common areas, and special assessments are likely to be more frequent. The community will get worse, and property values will suffer.

Avoid low HOA fees sue Deily has been a realtor for 35 years, resiDes in the uPPer bucks county area anD enJoys serving her clients in bucks, lehigh, anD montgomery counties contact her at suesellshouses@gmail com

While you might want to save money on paying the HOA, it is a cost that is essential to maintain the community and your property’s value. Though owning a home isn’t cheap, with mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, and maintenance costs, choosing a home in a community that doesn’t charge enough could give you more problems.

Before you decide to buy a home within an HOA, check what their fees are. And if they seem low, it is better to continue searching for your next home.