Community Gospel Church has a variety of ways to join us in serving the church and community. Consider joining a ministry, small group, or service committee today!
Worship
CGC has an active worship culture where expressive participation is encouraged. The worship team seeks to usher congregants into the transformative presence of the Lord during Sunday morning and evening services, youth group, and other events and services.
Table Fellowship
At CGC we are a family, and we invite you to commune with us regularly with fellowship and food. Join us the third Sunday of the month for coffee hour after morning service with other opportunities to break bread together throughout the month.
Examples: Soup Sunday, coffee hour, church picnic, Superbowl, Cookies after Candlelight, potlucks/BBQs
Children’s Church and Nursery
The CGC children’s ministry and nursery prioritizes teaching children from 0 to 11 years old sound Biblical doctrine while providing a safe, fun atmosphere. Children participate in multigenerational worship at the start of the service and return at the end of service to partake in communion. Various events are planned throughout the year for children to participate in.
Anchor Youth Group
Our Anchor Youth Group takes place at the church building (please use the backdoor) every Friday from 7 to 9 pm, for youth ages 12-19. With time for socialization, food, and games, the evening culminates with youth led worship, Bible teaching, and testimony. Anchor participates with the Fusion Youth Network, an organization made up of several area youth groups to collaborate on large, area youth events.
Campus Ministry
CGC sponsors a local chapter of BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) College Ministries whose mission is “to effectively reach and disciple college students to experience the transformative love of God.” BASIC meets on the SUNY Oneonta campus Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm and on the Hartwick College campus Monday afternoons from 12:15-1:15. In addition we offer mid-week Bible studies, adopt-a-student programs, and church scholarships to BASIC each semester.
Hospitality
The Hospitality team provides an opportunity on the 4th Sunday of the month before morning service at 9:30 am to fellowship with coffee, tea, and pastries in the back entryway. In addition, the team organizes meals, visitation, and encouragement for congregants in need.
Dance
The Tabernacle of Praise dance team of CGC uses various instruments to praise the Lord in dance. Women and men over the age of 12 learn to dance with tambourines, flags, billows, streamers and more from 7:00 to 9:00 Wednesday evenings at the church. The team joins the worship team on Sunday mornings to lead the congregation into the presence of the Lord. In addition, the team shares special offerings for Christmas, Easter, and the church picnic.
Missions
At CGC we support missionaries abroad and local outreaches. Our mission board focuses on worldwide and community crises and current events, researching organizations best equipped to help, and funding them.
Small Groups
CGC has a thriving small group community facilitating robust conversations about how to best serve the Lord and our community. With groups for men, women, seniors, young adults, teens, and more, covering topics like discipleship, Bible Study, and Christian living, all are welcome.
Sermons
Knowing that studying scripture is not reserved for pastors and teachers, every person and small group is encouraged to study the sermon topic throughout the week, discussing it and researching what the Bible says in preparation for Sunday mornings. We post devotions on our website each weekday to help guide the study.
Ministries
THERE’S A PLACE FOR YOU HERE
Church is about people meeting with God and encouraging one another. We’ve got several opportunities for you to dive in and connect with other people who are traveling along on the journey of life. There’s a place for you here. Get involved with one of these smaller communities that meet throughout the week, and watch yourself grow!
New Wine Worship Team
New Wine was started in 2021, and began leading worship at the evening service of CGC. They are composed of several talented musicians and singers, most of them under 20 years old. Their passion for worshiping the Lord is evident in every worship set they lead, which includes Friday nights at Anchor Youth Group and Sunday morning and evening worship services, along with the occasional special event round the community.
Our worship services begin with engaging music led by New Wine. The lyrics are projected on a large screen and the congregants are encouraged to sing along. Corporate singing has long been a significant shared experience for faith communities. Our dance ministry occasionally joins us Sunday mornings to help lead our congregation in praising the Lord. The team dances with flags, tambourines, and empty hands and incorporates this spontaneous form of choreography into the worship service.
It is unifying, when a diverse collection of people come together to say the same things about God. It is also personal, as individual’s experiences and expressions of worship will vary. We invite you to participate as you feel comfortable. It’s an opportunity for you to set aside other concerns and give God your attention.
Tabernacle of Praise Dance Team
TOP was started in 1997 when Amy Kropp traveled to Mexico and experienced a worship service with dancers using tambourines and flags. Amy was dramatically affected by the experience, and returned to Oneonta with a request to start her own team. The team grew to include youth as young as 4 years old to ladies in their 60s as well as young men.
While they do perform special presentations, their first function is to help lead the congregation and other believers in praising the Lord by dancing with flags, tambourines, and empty hands. Their focus is to teach others to incorporate this spontaneous form of choreography into their own worship services and then to share it and teach it to others themselves.
Anchor Youth Group
Anchor meets every Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the church building. Our youth ministry meets weekly in a safe, welcoming and relaxing environment. We strive to learn about the love of Christ and to share that love with others. We want to experience God through relationships, Bible study, and worship. We want to learn how to communicate with God as well as communicate with others about God.
BASIC
BASIC stands for “Brothers and Sisters in Christ.” We are a network of college students and churches in the Northeast that meet to enjoy life together, learn about God, and make a difference in the world. The Oneonta chapter is supported by CGC. We meet in the Hunt Union of SUNY Oneonta, downstairs on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. All students are welcome, from SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick colleges and beyond. We enjoy a time of worship, listening to the Word of the Lord, games, food, and fellowship. We hope to see you there!