About Us
We at Arise Community Chapel are grateful to be a part of the opportunity to further God’s kingdom in the Cressona/Schuylkill Haven Pennsylvania area. God blessed us with a small chapel on the corner of Wilson and Schuylkill Street in the Cressona Borough that we will use for His glory. This chapel was formerly referred to as Grace and Truth Chapel and was a part of the Pottsville Assembly of the Brethren. In June of 2022 we were given the opportunity to move forward with starting the process of the transfer of ownership which took place on September 20, 2022.
Our vision is to impact the community by sharing Jesus’s love through vacation bible school, community meals, bible studies, kid’s clubs, and Sunday morning services. We also hope to join in volunteer work with the already locally active food pantries and other charities that are making a difference in our local community.
With the remodel project mostly finished, we are currently holding Sunday morning services at 9:30AM. Come join us for worship! We look forward to seeing you!
Our Team
Joe Martin – Elder
Joe Martin serves as an Elder on our Leadership Team at Arise Community Chapel. We are grateful for his dedication to serving as Treasurer, and carefully keeping a detailed eye on the finances of Arise Community Chapel.
In addition to his Elder role on the leadership team, Joe is an owner-operator truck driver transporting masonry and landscape supplies on his flatbed trailer. He enjoys the outdoors and taking his boys hunting and fishing. He also enjoys helping to coach his son’s little league baseball team.
Joe and his wife Kendra are parents to three sons Karson, Josiah, and Kadin and one daughter Kaylie. Their values as a family are shared with those around them as they actively help their neighbors and enjoy engaging in church and community activities.
Joe’s goal in life is to serve Jesus faithfully wherever He calls him, desiring to be a good husband to his wife and a good father to his kids.
Jason Zimmerman – Lead Pastor
Pastor Jason fills the role of Lead Pastor at Arise Community Chapel. Jason and his wife Sara are the parents of 4 wonderful children – Kyla, Kaden, Tyrell, and Tanisha. Jason and his family have been involved in the Schuylkill Haven/Cressona community since 2007 when they purchased the local business know as Martin’s Farm House.
Jason values building personal relationships with his family, friends, and those in his community. He strives to build the kingdom of God as he shows Jesus to everyone around him in his everyday life. Jason enjoys preaching, teaching, encouraging and mentoring. One of his life mottos is “Be who you needed when you were younger”.
Guy Petershiem – Elder
Guy Petershiem serves as an Elder on the leadership team at Arise Community Chapel. He also serves an important role as our secretary. He does an excellent job of taking and documenting the minutes from our leadership team meetings. He also enjoys his role as head worship leader for Arise Community Chapel. He does a good job of playing his guitar while leading the congregation in worship.
He is the owner of Caribou Construction, a small construction company that does remolding and general construction projects.
Guy along with his wife Shania are the happy new parents to their first child Bodie. Their godly values are evident by the way they reach out and care for those around them. Guys passion in life is to show Jesus to the communities of Cressona and Schuylkill Haven and anyone who walks through the chapel doors. He also wants to model Christ to anyone that crosses paths with him or his family on a daily basis.
Church Remodel Project
The chapel seems to be a solid building but has been neglected of regular maintenance for about 15-20 years. We are looking to restore the chapel with a lot of volunteer help from our sending church family at Family Harvest in Fredricksburg, Pa.
We are looking at an estimated cost of about $150,000 for the remodel/restoration project. This will include new drywall, insulation, concrete foundation and excavation work, handicap access, new roofing and siding, facia, and spouting. New doors and windows will be needed as well as, a new heating/cooling system, electrical work, painting, and flooring. With the building being closed for all those years and moisture in the basement there is a significant mold problem that will need remediation as well.
