Help Us Reach Our Goal

Our goal as a church is to pay off the remaining balance on our mortgage before our balloon payment in July 2028 in order to free us to invest more into ministry and see more people in our community come to know and follow Jesus (Acts 1:8).

Click Here to Give

$93,730.40 / $671,000 Raised 14%

What is the Freedom Initiative?

The Freedom Initiative is our plan over the next two years to concentrate on ministry and liquidate mortgage. Our heart is to reach out and let the community know we care about them, live life alongside them, and want to be here as a good neighbor.

Jesus has commissioned us to share the gospel with the world. It became clearer in the Book of Acts that this gospel journey begins in Jerusalem (our New Salem and North Codorus Township, spreads out into the greater community or Judea, then regional reaching in areas surrounding York County and Maryland, our Samaria, and to the ends of the earth in what we call global missions.

Liquidating the mortgage is a goal to erase debt and set us free from lenders. Scripture reminds us of the undo pressure we place on ourselves when we are enslaved to a lender. But paying off the mortgage is then a debt free building. Throughout this journey we can learn how to manage our own debt and practice Biblical principles toward debt freedom.

We are intentionally reaching our community through several avenues – supporting Pastor Reggie, supporting Katallasso, developing the Creative Arts, and adding to missions and community outreach. We also want to bless the staff who work very hard.

Please join me and the staff on this journey of ministry and mortgage liquidation.

We have made the plan, now we need God to direct our path.

Please watch for dates and events coming up in the future as we journey on this Freedom Initiative.

Pastor Bob Tome
Lead Pastor

The History of Genesis Church

  • On December 3rd, 1989, a group of approximately 130 people met together in a firehall for the first service of the yet unnamed Grace Fellowship (later Genesis Church). January 11th, 1990, we officially incorporated as Grace Fellowship. January 11th, 1990, we officially incorporated as Grace Fellowship and began ministry under the leadership of Pastor Larry Katz.

    Sunday, February 4th, 1990, we began meeting in the facilities owned by West Side Baptist Church on Madison Avenue in York. During the summer of 1991, West Side sold the building to Manito, Inc. We were able to continue using the building for our Sunday and Wednesday services until August 1992.

    All along we had been looking for another place to meet, or for land on which we could build a facility of our own. As He did previously, the Lord led us to a building we could use “just in the nick of time!” The former Red Lion Middle School.

    In 1992, we were able to purchase (with cash) nearly 30 acres of land along Route 616 in York New Salem. Construction on our new building began in the middle of May 1994 and we were able to move into our new facilities on December 19th, 1994.

    It was exciting to see the Lord work in and through the ministry of Grace Fellowship. Soon after moving into the new facility, we had to hold two services on a Sunday morning to accommodate the number of congregation members attending. We had run out of rooms for Sunday School classes. Wednesday evenings, the place was being overrun with boys and girls participating in AWANA. We were bursting at the seams!

    Construction began in May of 1997 on Phase II of the facility - an educational wing which has since been remodeled into our current Student Center. Between 2004 and 2007, the Auditorium, 300 Wing, and Lower Level (Genesis Kids) were completed in phases as the Lord’s provision allowed. 

    In 2008, our beloved Pastor Larry Katz retired. Though he remained involved as our Pastor Emeritus. 

    Since then, the church body has seen a lot of change. We have had 3 lead pastors since Pastor Larry Katz, we changed our name in September 2018, yet amid all the change God has kept our focus on Him and valuing love, humility, and unity. 

    We are now blessed to have Pastor Bob Tome as our lead pastor. He has served on staff in several ministries at Genesis since 1996. Now, he continues to faithfully serve Christ in laying foundations for what God is doing and will do in the future at Genesis Church.

  • Come, my child, there is a place
    When you're lost, you will be found
    You'll be safe, and you'll belong
    You will hear the sweetest sound

    This is the place where we pray
    This is the place where we cry
    This is the place where we start
    'Til death do us part
    Where we say goodbye

    Here we leave all our pain
    Find forgiveness and grace
    Here we walk down the aisle
    Dedicate every child
    Here in this sacred place

    Break some bread, come share the wine
    At this table there is a place
    Bring your fears, take His peace
    Come and share this Holy space

    This is the place where we pray
    This is the place where we cry
    This is the place where we start
    'Til death do us part
    Where we say goodbye

    Here we leave all our pain
    Find forgiveness and grace
    Here we walk down the aisle
    Dedicate every child
    Here in this sacred place

    Holy, holy (holy, holy), holy, holy
    God Almighty, Immanuel

    This is the place where we pray
    This is the place where we cry
    This is the place where we start
    'Til death do us part
    Where we say goodbye

    Here we leave all our pain
    Find forgiveness and grace
    Here we walk down the aisle
    Dedicate every child
    Here in this sacred place

    Holy, holy, holy

    Writer(s): Bill Gaither, Gloria L Gaither, Gordon Mote