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(From a history written in 2012 for the 10th anniversary)
This group started as an off-shoot from the East Caneadea Community Church which was holding Sunday services one Sunday a month. Local pastors and lay people were asked to preach. Frank Grossman was one who volunteered to preach a Sunday in June of 2001. His desire was to start up a Bible Study group and material was available at this service giving individuals oppertunity to respond.
In February of 2002 an e-mail was received from a young family who were interested in the spiritual life of their children as well as themselves. A Bible Study was started in their home. Shortly after, it was suggested that we begin a church group in the little church on the hill.
An agreement was made and we rented the church from the East Caneadea Community Church and held services each Sunday morning at 10:30. A mid-week Bible Study and prayer meeting was also started.
Our first church service was held April 14, 2002 and thirty-one dollars was collected as offering. The first major decision made was to contribute at least 10 percent for missions. A communion set was also donated. On Sunday, April 21 we had 14 in attendance. The next Sunday we had 24 in attendance.
We needed to have a checking account and to do that we had to be registered with the government and be tax exempt; with that in place we could pay our bills and contribute to other groups who needed financial support.
We had not established our missions giving and gave where we saw a need. We started out with Allegany County release time, supporting "Miss Esther." We also supported sending children to camp, and the Billy Graham "Shoe Box" ministries. We helped a needy family, a Christian School, The Salvation Army, and YFC in Allegany County. We became involved with World Vision, sending money to dig wells for fresh water and providing money to purchase over a dozen cows for the people in third world countries.
Today, each month, we support Wellspring Ministries, Youth for Christ, Bible Club Ministries (Miss Esther), Family Life radio station, and two missionary families with Wycliffe translators, Greg and Debi Davis, Dan and Sarah Eberle. We also support other mission needs in the community as needed.
A working fan was put inside the building, a window was opened to give us fresh air in the summer and let the heat out. There was also upkeep which was needed to accomodate an active group. A parking lot was put in by Gary Fiegl in 2004 at the cost of twenty-six hundred dollars, so that we did not get stuck in the mud. The front windows had glass missing and the frames were rotten, they were replaced in 2006 for three hundred-fifty dollars. The building was painted again about 2007 and paid for by the East Caneadea Community Church. A sound system was purchased to play CD's to sing our hymns with. Arrangements were made to keep the cemetery mowed and repaired.
In 2009 we repaired ten of the stones in the cemetery including some which were lying on the ground. We placed an article in the "Patriot" which they published with a photo telling about the repairs made by the church. We also sent an article to the "Patriot" about our tenth anniversary along with a photo of the church.
The cross on the steeple was just a stick and we replaced it in 2011 with a cross which lights up at night. It was installed by Robert Buckley and Ken Hagie. It is visible from several other roads. It has a timer on in for when the daylight changes. During this installation we were curious why there were two ropes to ring the bell and there was only one gong. After inspection, it was found that the second rope was attached to another metal bar which struck shortly after the initial gong, was broken. We now have the bell ringing as originally designed.
The beautiful front steps into the building had stones and as time passed they became loose, making it unsafe to walk on. This was replaced in 2012 by Robert Buckley and Ken Hagie and a friend of Bob's at a cost of one thousand dollars. It improved the safety and appearance of the building.
In 2012, there is a regular church service every Sunday morning at 10:30. We have Bible Study and a prayer meeting every Thursday evening at 7 PM in different homes which is well attended. We have a monthly picnic in the summer as a get together, and this is usually held in the back of the cemetery where it is very quiet. We preach Christ born of a virgin, crucified for our sins, and raised from the dead to give us eternal life. We seek the salvation of the lost and encourage a daily close walk with God.
On August 25, 2012 we had a ten year celebration on the church lawn. We had chicken & beef chowder with refreshment. There was opportunity to sing the Old Gospel hymns; there were games and prizes for children, and a tour of the old church and cemetery. We considered it a success in that over ninety people came, some related to the original builders of the Church.
Present were Marion Smith of Fillmore, a descendant of the Buchheister family; she is a granddaughter. There was Melissa Mills from Fillmore who is a descendant of the Schuknecht family. There was also Joan Lyon whose ancestors were actively involved and are related to the Brandes family. There are gravestones with these names on them.
To the best of our knowledge we have updated the occupants in the cemetery as the new burials are not on the available list. We have found several persons who were not placed on the present lists available.
--Frank Grossman, Pastor of the Caneadea Hills Community Church, September 2012
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