What's Happening Now

Join us for worship this Christmas! We'll have 4 worship services on December 24: 2 pm - Traditional Worship, 4 pm - Family Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids Choir will sing. “Candlelight” service with glowsticks!), 5:30 pm - Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall (Worship Band. Candlelight service.), 8 pm - Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary (Choir will sing. Candlelight service.) Our Sensory Room will be open with volunteers at the 2 pm and 4 pm worship services. A limited number of sensory bags with fidgets and headphones are available at each service. Children's activity bags...

As we try to navigate life after the death of a loved one, we can feel isolated and alone. This is the space Grief Share steps into. This weekly group offers support to people grieving the death of a loved one. It’s a place where you can be around others who understand the pain of your loss and how you feel as you come to terms with it. A new session begins January 14 at 10 am.

PCTR is hosting Night to Shine sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation on February 7, 2025 and we need your help making sure our guests have a sensational time! Night to Shine is a prom night experience, centered on God’s love for people with special needs age 14 and older. We’ve got an extensive list of volunteer roles to be filled. Sign-up to help at pctr.org/nighttoshine.

We’re excited to host this year’s Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs individuals age 14 years and up, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, on February 7, 2025 from 6-9 pm. We’re even more excited to have you join us! If you’d like join us, visit pctr.org/nighttoshine (click the graphic on the left to open the full listing and view the link). Please note that our in-person event is at capacity. Details about the virtual event will be available shortly.

Learn what it means to be a member at PCTR. At the end of this 3 part class, you’ll have the opportunity to join the church as a member. Sessions will take place on Sunday afternoons at 12 pm on the following schedule: March 2, March 9, and March 16

Join us on March 2 at 6pm when PCTR’s handbell choir will join other area choirs for a unique and fun festival of music at our 25th Annual Ecumenical Handbell Festival!

If you'd like to donate an Easter lily ($12 per plant) in memory or celebration of a loved one, you can pick up a lily donation envelope in the Welcome Center or online at pctr.org/lily by 4/13

What does it mean to be a member at PCTR? Find out at our next new member gathering. At the end of this 3 part class, you’ll have the opportunity to join the church as a member. Sessions will take place on Thursdays at 6:30 pm on May 29, June 5 and June 12. Register at pctr.org/newmember

What does it mean to be a member at PCTR? Find out at our next new member gathering on July 13 and 27 at 12 pm. At the end of this 2-part class, you’ll have the opportunity to join the church as a member. Lunch is provided. Sign-up at pctr.org/new member.

Presbyterian Women is kicking off a new year and a new study! Join us at our Fall Kick-off Gathering on September 6 from 11 am - 2 pm for an opportunity to connect with other women of the church and to explore this year’s study on “Finding Resilience, Joy & Our Identity in Jesus Christ." All women are welcome! Brunch will be served. RSVP to [email protected] or in the Welcome Center.

Wear your team jersey, uniform, or school shirt and join us in worship this weekend. We’ll take a moment during the service to pray for you in this new school year. You’ll also have the chance to learn about all the new opportunities to connect to full life in Jesus at PCTR this fall. Join us at any of our weekend services: Saturday, 5 pm, Sunday 9:30 am, or Sunday 10:30 am.

We’re getting ready to launch our Homework Club for Walnut Street Elementary and we need your help! If you’re interested in being part of our organizational team, which will be coordinating the program join us on September 18 at 4pm. If you’re interested in working directly with students once the program rolls out, email us at [email protected] or call 732-349-1331

Grab a meal at Outback Steakhouse on September 18 and a percentage of each meal will be donated to support PCTR’s 2026 Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs Students 14 yrs and up sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Flyers will be available in the Welcome Center.

Let’s kick off the new season & school year on September 19th (6 pm) with an evening of food & fun! Bring the whole family for this special kick-off event!

Our Ocean Classic Concert Series will kick off the 2025-2026 season on September 21. This promises to be a unique performance featuring a brass quintet from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. It’s a great opportunity to invite friends and family to something at the church!

Margaret Cotton’s new book, “Radiance of Grace,” is launching, and you can be among the first to learn about it! Meet the author for a 10-minute introduction on the morning of 11/23. Books are available for purchase. On Jan. 4, 2026, Margaret will host a Q&A - keep your eyes open for more details!

Kids Choir is back! Kids (Grades K-5) join us on Sundays at 9:45 am starting November 23 to learn some special Christmas music. We’ll be singing in worship with us at 4 pm Christmas Eve. All are welcome!

A meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at approximately 11:45 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The purposes of the meeting will be: to receive the report of the Nominating Committee, to elect Elders and Deacons for the class of 2028, to elect the nominating committee and audit committee for 2026, to address such other business as may come before the body.

Join us after worship Sunday to celebrate and give thanks for the ministry of Josh Melson. There will be a box available to leave cards and notes. Meet Josh in the chapel after each service. His last service with us will be next week, December 7.

Children ages 1-5 and one of their favorite adults are invited to a morning of crafts, Bible stories, music, and, of course, play time! Together we’ll learn more about God’s love for us. Invite a friend! Join us on the 1st Thursday of the month!

Our annual Next Gen Student Ministry wreath sale will be December 6 and 7th. Stop by their table before or after worship to buy a wreath to decorate your door AND to get to know our youth and their leaders a little better. Hand decorated wreaths are $20.

Seniors (65+)! Join us for Senior Social at 2 pm for refreshments and a time to catch up with one another. Then join us for the Christmas Joy Concert in the Sanctuary at 4pm!

This is one of our favorite holiday traditions! This musical event features our choir and an orchestra performing holiday favorites. No ticket required. There will be an opportunity to donate to the concert series during the concert. Bring a friend and kick off the holiday season with us on December 7 at 4 pm!

Grab a gift tag from our Giving Tree in the Welcome Center and pick up a gift card from the retailer listed on it. Donated gift cards will be given to our mission partners, The Hope Center and Urban Promise, to help them support their communities through the holiday season and into the new year. Return by 12/14.

Due to inclement weather, PCTR will be closed today. All activities today, Sunday 12/14, including worship, have been canceled. If you'd like to view this weekend's worship service, you can access the recording of our 5 pm Saturday service here: 12/13 Worship. This weekend's sermon can be viewed on our YouTube Channel at 12/13 Sermon

If you'd like to donate a poinsettia in memory or celebration of a loved one this Christmas, grab an envelope in the Welcome Center or fill out a form online at pctr.org/poinsettia. Donations of $12/plant are due by December 17th. Include your name & the name of the person/people you wish to celebrate.

As we try to navigate life after the death of a loved one, we can feel isolated and alone. This is the space Grief Share steps into. This weekly group offers support to people grieving the death of a loved one. It’s a place where you can be around others who understand the pain of your loss and how you feel as you come to terms with it. A new session begins January 13 at 10 am.

Due to inclement weather, PCTR will be closed. All activities on Tuesday, 1/27, including office hours, have been canceled.

Mustard Seeds is THIS Thursday, Februrary 5 at 9:30 am. Children ages 1-5 and one of their favorite adults are invited to a morning of crafts, Bible stories, music, and, of course, play time! Together we’ll learn more about God’s love for us. Invite a friend!

Our concert choir is getting ready to start rehearsing for this spring’s concert (May 17) and we’re looking for new voices to join us! No audition, all welcome! Weekly PCTR Concert Choir rehearsals begin Thursday, February 5. Rehearsals are held at the church in the large music room, generally Thursdays from 7:30-8:30pm.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season, a time of preparation leading into Easter Sunday. Join us for worship on Wednesday, February 18 at either 12 pm or 7 pm.

On February 21, 9-11:30 am, join us at "Love, Loss, and Living," a seminar that explores the unique, yet universal experience of moving from loss to life. Christy Morford, our guide, is a Certified Grief Educator and Companion, having studied extensively with Dr. Alan Wolfelt, an internationally known author and expert on grief and loss. Christie is a member of Manasquan Presbyterian Church and a personal friend of Pastor David. She's blessed to share what she has learned through her own grief journey and through the mentorship of Dr. Wolfelt. Participants are invited to bring...

Friends, in anticipation of heavy snowfall and high winds, PCTR will be closed on Monday, February 23. Scheduled meetings and activities for PW, Adult Discipleship, and Next Gen Students have been canceled. The scheduled Deacon Executive Board meeting has moved to Zoom.

The snow may have stopped, but the cleanup continues! The church will be closed again on Tuesday, February 24. Meetings and activities scheduled for Tuesday have been canceled, including KidMin Tuesday, Grief Share, PW circles, and commission meetings.

We’re launching our next New Member Gathering! Learn what it means to be a member at PCTR. At the end of this 3-part class, you’ll have the opportunity to join the church as a member. Sessions will take place on Sundays from 12 pm to 1:30 pm on the following schedule: March 1, March 15, March 29. Lunch will be served. Register at pctr.org/newmember

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at approximately 11:45 am, following the 10:30 am service. The meeting will be held in person only in the Sanctuary. The purpose of the meeting is: to hear and see the way God has moved in and through each of us in 2025, to receive year-end reports, to present the 2026 Budget, to approve the 2026 Terms of Call for Pastor Robbie Ytterberg, to address such other business as may appropriately come...

Join us on March 8, 2026 at 6pm when PCTR’s handbell choir will join other area choirs for a unique and fun festival of music at our 25th Annual Ecumenical Handbell Festival! The concert features bell choirs from St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Beachwood), Tower Hill Presbyterian Church (Red Bank), and Presbyterian Church of Toms River and will be led by guest director Hyosang Park.

Grab your work gloves, some gardening tools, and help us spiff up the grounds at our next PCTR Clean-up Day on March 21st. We'll get started at 9 am and will wrap up by noon. There's plenty of work for everyone, no matter how green your thumb is!

It takes a lot of candy & plastic eggs to host our annual Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt-8,000 stuffed eggs to be exact! You can help make it happen by donating candy from this year’s specific list. Donations can be brought to the church between March 1-22nd. We're collecting: Skittles, Starbursts, Double Bubble Chewing Gum, Hi-Chew, Gummy Bears, and Sour Patch Kids. We’re also collecting juice boxes and snack-sized bags of chips for the hunt.

It is never too late or early to think about how you can love, protect and provide for your family and friends in the event you die or become incapacitated. In fact, your planning now is a huge gift and intentionality allows you to decide who would care for your children, discern how the assets God has entrusted to you are used, and what kind of end of life care is appropriate for you. This seminar on March 28th at 9-10:30am will help you identify the questions you need to consider and discuss with loved...

On Palm Sunday we remember the triumphant welcome of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey for Passover. Join us for worship on March 28 (5pm) or March 29 (9:30 am and 10:30 am).

If you'd like to donate an Easter lily ($12 per plant) in memory or celebration of a loved one, you can pick up a lily donation envelope in the Welcome Center or online at pctr.org/lily. Donations should be made no later than March 29.

Kids in grades K-5, come sing with us at Kids Choir! We’ll be rehearsing on Sundays at 9:45 am in the Haven starting March 1. We’ll learn a new song that we will sing in worship at 9:30 am and 10:30 am on Palm Sunday, March 29.

Has the “Ready to Die” sermon series stirred up questions for you? Join Pastor Robbie and Pastor David for a Q&A Conversation on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30 pm. Bring any of your questions and let’s see if we can learn together what God says about these challenging issues. If you want to submit a question ahead of time, email [email protected] or fill out a card in the Welcome Center.

At this solemn worship service, we remember the Last Supper and read through the scriptures detailing the final hours of Christ’s life from that Passover meal to His death on the cross. Join us for this unique and moving service on Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm. The service will be livestreamed at pctr.org/live, as well as on Facebook & YouTube.

Travel through the last hours of Jesus’ life and reflect on his death and sacrifice through this tactile, self-guided experience in our sanctuary. Stop by any time between 9 am and 1 pm on April 3 and take as long as you need to work your way through each prayer station.

Make plans to bring your kids, your grandkids, your neighbor’s kids, and your friend’s kids to hunt for eggs with us! We’ll have postcard invites you can pick up to help you invite everyone you know! On April 3, join us downtown Toms River, starting at the Iron Street parking lot. The hunt is on between 12 pm - 3pm. Jump in at any time. We’ll wind our way through town following clues for eggs and then gather at Huddy Park for games, great food, and loads of fun!

Meet us at Huddy Park on the river in downtown Toms River on Easter (4/5) at 6 am for this special early morning Easter service. Dress for the weather and bring a chair or blanket to sit on if you wish. This is a great opportunity to invite a friend to watch the sunrise over the river and attend worship with you.

We’ll have two opportunities to worship at a Contemporary Service on Easter Sunday (4/5). Join us at either 8:30 am or 10:30 am. At these services, music will be led by our band, which includes guitars, keyboard, bass, and drums. These services in Fellowship Hall will include a thought-provoking, Biblical, gospel-centered message from one of the pastors. Grab a seat in one of the rows of seats or at a table. We’ll have coloring sheets and crayons for the kids!

If you’re looking for a more traditional worship experience on Easter Sunday (4/5), we’ll be in the Sanctuary at 9:30 am. Music in our traditional service is led by our choir, and will include organ, piano and brass. The service includes a thought-provoking, biblical, gospel-centered message from one of the pastors. Grab a seat in a sanctuary pew or in the chapel. We’ll have coloring sheets & crayons for the kids!

Registration is now open for our Women’s Retreat on April 17-18. This year we’ll be taking a closer look at what it means to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. This two-day retreat will include dinner on Friday night, as well as breakfast and dinner on Saturday. Cost is $135 per person. Scholarships are available. Contact Pat Grill for information. Register online at pctr.org/womensretreat or grab a copy of the form in the Welcome Center.

Ocean Classic Concerts is pleased to host ensemble132. This unique performance featuring virtuosos chamber musicians will take place on April 19, 2026 at 4 pm.

As we try to navigate life after the death of a loved one, we can feel isolated and alone. This is the space Grief Share steps into. This weekly group offers support to people grieving the death of a loved one. It’s a place where you can be around others who understand the pain of your loss and how you feel as you come to terms with it. The next set of 13-sessions begins April 28th, meeting every Tuesday morning from 10 - 11:30 am.