Calvary Chapel Central Bucks Grows in God’s Grace

Photo: John Hessler (right), pastor of Calvary Chapel Central Bucks (CCCB), PA, enjoys a conversation with Rich Timmons between services. John has led the congregation for the last 24 years in response to the Lord's call to teach the Bible and plant a local Calvary Chapel.

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Story by Kathy Symborski
Photos by Tom Price unless otherwise indicated

Even though he was raised in a Methodist church with a mother who taught Sunday school, Dr. Dave Cunning admitted that he still lived much of his adult life for himself with no time for the Lord. That all changed when he became a born-again believer in 2006 after attending a memorial service at Calvary Chapel Central Bucks (CCCB) in Chalfont, PA, with his wife, Jackie.

“In 2005, if you told me I’d be sharing the Gospel or praying with my patients, I would say you were nuts,” Dave remarked. “That’s all the Lord.” Now he and Jackie pray fervently, attend and serve faithfully both in church and abroad, and have grown closer to each other since joining the Calvary Chapel family. He attested, “This is our life—a changed life is part of our testimony, not so much what we say, but what people see.”

Reneé Hessler, wife of Pastor John, greets two of their seven grandchildren. Reneé leads the vibrant woman’s ministry and has served the CCCB congregation alongside her husband since 1999.

Support for missions is a big focus. Jackie shared, “It wasn’t until we came to Calvary that we saw how they commission, pray for, and support missionaries. That gave us the encouragement to start our own [effort].” The Cunnings founded Sharing the Journey International, a surgical nonprofit that provides cleft lip and palate surgery to the poorest in the Guatemala mountains.

CCCB Senior Pastor John Hessler enthused, “We are in the middle of something exciting right now, a sense in the congregation that God is about to do something big. We see an anticipation about where we are in the world and the imminence of Christ’s return, so there is a greater desire, like never before, to bring the Gospel into our community and around the world.”

Worship director Andrew Boyer (right) leads the congregation into the presence of God. “We are in the middle of something exciting right now, a sense in the congregation that God is about to do something big,” John enthused.

Unexpected Growth

John acknowledges God has been gracious to them through the 24 years of his ministry at CCCB, but church growth since COVID-19 has taken an interesting course. “We’ve seen quite a bit of growth since reopening our doors in June 2020, both in numbers and in relationship with Christ,” John observed. “More than ever before, people come to us with no church background or from mainstream denominations—most have never heard the Bible taught as one understandable book.”

Among the saved, John has seen an increase in hunger and thirst to know more about God’s plan for their lives, about the lordship of Jesus Christ, and how to read and understand the Bible. “The Lord is using hard times to draw people to Him. They are getting serious in their walk as disciples, getting baptized, and really starting to grow.”

The congregation praises God in heartfelt worship. John explained how God is moving at CCCB: “He is bringing more people to us; they are getting serious in their walk as disciples, getting baptized, and really starting to grow.”

Win, Train, Send

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

John explained, “I’ve always associated these words—win, train, send—with Calvary Chapels. To us, it’s a way of restating the Great Commission. We win people to Jesus, train them up in Jesus, and send them out in Jesus.”

Christina Cook from CCCB prays with a man accepting Christ as his Savior at the Doylestown Art Festival in a neighboring town. Community involvement is a deliberate focus for the church in sharing the Gospel. Photo courtesy of CC Central Bucks

Winning

Winning people to Christ not only includes sermons where the Gospel and an invitation to come to Christ are shared—it’s also through community involvement. CCCB is known for its Gospel-sharing presence at local events such as the Doylestown Art Festival and the Tri-Municipal Fourth of July Parade. On the church property each October, they host Calvary Community Fest, a large community-oriented outreach.

“We are being more deliberate in how we bring the Gospel for the win,” John expounded. It’s woven through numerous opportunities for growth, from mentorship programs to counseling, ongoing Bible studies to retreats, and service projects to conferences. The church is teeming with life for men, women, youth, and young adults—even individuals with special needs.

Volunteers have a chance to catch up before the service begins. The church is teeming with life for men, women, young adults, and children—even special needs individuals.

Eleven years ago, Mark and Susan Fox felt the Lord tell them they needed to be more serious about their spiritual walks. “I served at a local Baptist church as the children’s ministry director,” Susan shared. “But when they canceled their Thanksgiving service in 2013, we attended Calvary’s Praise and Worship Thanksgiving service and enjoyed it.” In January 2014, the Foxes began full-time with CCCB. Mark added, “I was captivated by the teaching. I’d never heard the Gospel presented as consistently through that service the way John did—and still does.”

Pastor Dave Gilbert teaches the Foundations Class, an eight-week course that digs deep into the Christian faith. Many former course attendees credit this class for their rapid growth in their walk with the Lord. “The pastor leading it (Foundations Class] used a scriptural basis to respond. I appreciate that because that’s were we need to be—in truth,” said Mark Morris who has been attending CCCB since last year.

Training

CCCB features Foundations Classes to purposefully train up people in Christ. These courses teach believers how to understand the Bible, who God is, how to pray and live as a Christian, what it means to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, and how to discover and use the gifts God gives each born-again believer.

“I went to the Foundations Class when I first came,” shared Mark Morris. Even though he has been a longtime Christian, Mark had questions during the eight-week course. “The pastor used a scriptural basis to respond. I appreciate that because that’s where we need to be—in truth.” Mark and his wife, Kari, began attending CCCB in 2021 after listening online during the pandemic.

Pastor John (center) shares laughs with Ray Sieger (left) and Ray McCarty (right) at their outdoor fellowship area. CCCB’s coffee team serves up specialty coffee after each service while congregants enjoy getting to know each other.

“The verse-by-verse teaching each Sunday is what really grew my faith, my understanding,” Kari noted. The Morrises credit Pastor John’s teaching style and explanation of world events through the lens of Scripture as the catalyst drawing them closer to Christ. “John’s answers were biblical, not man’s view, and made sense. Our understanding came alive and gave us great peace,” Kari added. Mark and Kari serve in the coffee ministry. They feel this is the perfect place to greet newcomers who, like them, decided to come after viewing online. Kari teaches music at a nearby Christian school and leads worship at a Home Group fellowship.

Come Alongside

Counseling through the pastoral staff offers a “side-by-side” approach to life issues: marriage & family, personal discipling, overcoming addictions, and dealing with grief. Tim and Stephanie Rock, newlyweds since April 2022, benefitted from premarital counseling with an elder. “We met seven times for what was supposed to be an hour but often went much longer,” Tim divulged. “It dug up touchy things but helped us realize our mission and purpose as a married couple.”

Stephanie added, “Tim and I purposed in our hearts to show others you can be in a God-honoring relationship and serve the Lord together.” The Rocks greet newcomers on Sunday mornings as part of the Welcome Team and are small group leaders with the Young Adults ministry, which has seen fivefold growth over the last year.

Children’s teacher Paige Drake interacts with two girls in a class she teaches with her husband.

Home Groups Ministry

Twenty-two Home Group fellowships comprised of 15-30 people each flourish at CCCB. Believers use their gifts, operating in faith and obedience, teaching and leading small groups, mentoring, and worship.

Joe and Karen Tranchitella, married 36 years, were lifelong Catholics. Sensing God calling them to a deeper relationship with Him, they sought out a different church. Hearing the Bible preached verse by verse at CCCB, they found what they were thirsting after. “We hadn’t learned the Bible in the past,” Joe admitted. “Now we go to Sunday and Wednesday services, teach Sunday school to kindergarteners, and have home fellowship every two weeks. In each case, a different portion of the Bible, a different chapter, is being taught. It makes you go deeper in understanding your walk with Jesus Christ.” Karen attributes her growth in large part to home fellowship, which she calls “the meat and potatoes. It helps me share the Lord. I’m a nurse and that’s my marketplace. All this comes from our growth since we’ve been here.”

Becky Mandia, director of the children’s ministry, engages a group of youth before they split up into different classes. Live lyric videos, developed by congregant Mark Fox, are part of children’s worship service on Sunday mornings.

Sending

“When Jesus said to go make disciples of all nations, many associate that with something [only] missionaries or pastors do—not something they are commissioned to do,” Pastor John explained. “Each of us has the responsibility to bring the Gospel, whether across the street or around the world.” Susan Fox emphasized, “I’ve learned how to share my faith better. I took the course Sharing Jesus Without Fear. It’s just telling your story; and [no one can] argue with what God has done in your life. Now I’m involved with a local prison ministry in Bucks County teaching a Bible study twice a month.” Susan, a retired educator, also teaches children’s Sunday school weekly.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Assistant Pastor Steve Feeley (left) chats with Ray before service. Fellowship, encouragement, and greeting new visitors are dynamic elements as a Welcome Team member.

As an outflow of his deepening walk with Jesus, Mark Fox includes a Gospel of John in each package shipped from his business, saying a quick prayer over the recipient. “Over 3,000 [Gospels] have gone out over the six years since [being at CCCB]. I know God’s Word does not return void, so I am excited about those seeds,” he revealed. Mark volunteers his expertise creating live lyric videos for children’s worship Sunday mornings, and for the last three years, the Foxes have hosted a home fellowship.

Special Outreach

The Special Needs Program ministers to 20-25 individuals Sunday mornings with their own service. Four times a year, they host events where young adults enjoy an evening of social interaction and dancing. Karen Tranchitella admitted, “My feet are always sore the next day because those young adults do not let you off the dance floor—they keep you moving the whole time.” Karen volunteers with the Special Needs Ministry; she and her husband Joe teach children’s Sunday school and have attended a home fellowship for the last five years.

Kari Morris elaborated on the Special Needs Ministry: “I have never seen such a wonderfully organized ministry for special-needs young adults. There are a lot that come to church and each student has a one-on-one helper.”

Greeter Helen Smith (right) and Lara Brown encourage each other between services. CCCB offers in-person worship twice on Sunday mornings and every Wednesday evening and maintains a significant online presence.

Growth through Technology

Online viewing has shown the largest area of growth. Pastor John revealed, “Our attendance now surpasses our pre-COVID levels. There are 800 or more adults who say they attend Calvary, but our online presence is easily equivalent to those in the sanctuary. We now have two services, heading to three, while we’re praying about a new building down the road from our present location. These are exciting times for us!”

The challenge now is getting the online audience to come sit in the seats. Many are “still stuck in fear, afraid of life somehow because of COVID,” observed John. “But we believe the Word of God and the Spirit of God work together, and we will see them come,” he encouraged.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

John concluded, “We want to deepen people’s walks with Jesus, not so they become big fatheads, but that they are being trained for something: to be Christians who love the Lord Jesus Christ, go to church, and put their faith into action every day of their lives in the way that they work and live.”

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To learn more about Calvary Chapel Central Bucks, visit cccbucks.org

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Sponsor Message: Calvary Bible Institute is a one-year program designed to equip those who are called to serve the Lord in full-time ministry. Visit CBI's website to learn more about their programs at calvarybi.com

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© 2023 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.