We exist to connect people to full life in Jesus. Cultivating the sort of relationship with Jesus that yields full life is rooted in community –more specifically, a community that is striving to know Jesus. Below, you can find an up-to-date list of opportunities to get connected here at PCTR.
Stop by the table outside Fellowship Hall and buy a hand-decorated Christmas wreath from Next Gen: Students this weekend! Each wreath is $20 and proceeds support Next Gen Student initiatives like scholarships for this weekend’s high school service weekend with the Philly Project!
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 make a donation to the concert series during the concert.
Grab a tag off the Giving Tree in the Welcome Center and buy the gift card listed on it to help us help our mission partners! Donated gift cards (returned no later than 12/15) will be distributed to those in need by The Hope Center and Urban Promise.
If you’d like to donate a poinsettia in memory or celebration of a loved one, grab an envelope from the Welcome Center or fill out the form online at pctr.org/poinsettia. Poinsettia’s are $12 and donations must be made by December 15th.
A meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at approximately 10:20 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 2024, and to address such other business as the Nominating Committee may bring forward.
Our annual Christmas Party is loads of festive fun including fire pits, games, food trucks, lights, roaming carolers, photos with Santa and more! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to this free event! (Bring money for food trucks.)
Do you need a "silent night"? A park bench to rest on amid the holiday rush? Join us for a Contemplative Prayer workshop on Monday, December 16, at 7 pm in the Sanctuary as we consider the special nature of the relationship between us and God.
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...
Students (6th - 12th grade) let’s celebrate the New Year together! Join us on December 30 (5-8 pm) at PCTR for an evening of games and snacks!
Our Special Needs Ministry Teen & Young Adult Group meets regularly on the 2nd Friday of each month. On January 10, come ready to stretch and learn some basic martial arts moves with our friend Mr. Jason. Volunteers are encouraged to join us and share in the fun!
Students (6th - 12th grade), meet us at FunBag Cornhole on Rt 37 in Toms River for a little friendly cornhole competition to kick-off 2025!
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.
KidMin Tuesday is back starting January 14 at 4:45 pm. We pack a bunch into Tuesday afternoons with our elementary-aged friends. We start with time to play together, then we get into smaller groups to talk with our friends and leaders about Jesus. And of course, there’s snack time, too!
Can you believe there's just about a month left to Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs individuals age 14 years and up, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation! Help us through an EPIC bash by volunteering (pctr.org/nighttoshine) or donating something from our Amazon Wishlist which you can find at pctr.org/shinelist
Join us on January 25 at 11 am for presentation from NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking to learn more about the growing problem of human trafficking in our state. This is part of our Deacons efforts to better understand the problem and consider how God may be calling us to serve those at risk.
Let’s make some music together! Handbells, (6 pm) Women’s Ensemble (6 pm) and Sanctuary Choir (7 pm) will return to a regular rehearsal schedule starting this Thursday. New voices are always welcome! Kids’ choir returns January 26 at 9:45 am. Our Worship Team practices on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm.
We’ve picked out some great titles for this year’s Book Discussion Group! Bring a lunch and join us to talk over our next book, The Last Days of Night, by Graham Moore
There are 123 honored guests, plus their families, buddies, and an assortment of other volunteers headed our way on February 7th for Night to Shine, a prom for individuals with special needs sponsored by the Tim Tebow foundation. We need YOUR help in getting our spaces prom ready for them! Join us after worship on February 2 (about 12 pm) to start decorating and transforming our rooms into a spectacular winter wonderland! Can’t make it on Sunday? Connect with us in the office as volunteers are needed for other set-up times during the week and...
Need some warmth in winter? More light for the darker days, and peace from the world's hustle and bustle? Join us for our Contemplative Prayer Workshop in the Sanctuary at 7 pm on February 3. This interactive guided workshop provides a shared time for quiet prayer and private reflection as we consider various aspects of our life with God.
Join with members of the Sanctuary Choir to learn music for our Spring Concert. The concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, and will feature favorite patriotic songs accompanied by a full orchestra. Rehearsals take place on Thursday nights staring February 6 from 7:45-8:30. Singers from 6th grade and older are welcome to join us, no previous experience required! Contact Josh Melson for more information: [email protected].
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.
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at approximately 11:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall, following the 10:30am service. The purpose of the meeting is to hear and see the way God has moved in and through each of us in 2024, to present the 2025 Budget, approve the 2025 Terms of Call for Pastor Robbie Ytterberg, receive year-end reports and address such other business as may appropriately come before the body.
We’ve got plenty of wonderful opportunities to grow in groups, go and serve, and worship in 2025! If you didn't receive one, grab a January/February booklet from the Welcome Center, or check out a copy of it online at pctr.org/booklet.
Kids, grab your parents, your grandparents, and your friends! We’re going to have a blast at our Family Fun Night!
Families with children in 3rd - 5th grade interested in participating in Disciples' Communion, join us after worship at 12 pm on February 23 for our Disciples' Communion information meeting.
We’ve picked out some great titles for this year’s Book Discussion Group! Bring a lunch and join us to talk over our next book, "The Little Liar", by Mitch Alborn
Guys, join us for a two-day men’s retreat at PCTR on February 28 (6:30 - 9:30 pm) and March 1 (8 am - 12 pm). We’ll share a couple of meals together. Get to know other guys - make new friends, connect with old friends. Grow in relationship with either other and with God. This event is $25/person and you can register online at pctr.org/mensretreat
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!
Contemplative Prayer is way to connect with God through silence and stillness. Join us on Monday, March 3 at 7 pm for our next Contemplative Prayer gathering. There will be a guided outline to help you walk through the process with intention and focus.
Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season, a time to prepare for Easter Sunday. It is a time for confession and repentance. Join us for worship on Wednesday, March 5 at either 12 pm or 7 pm.
Pull up a seat around a table this Lent for Stories and Meals. This is an unique opportunity to get to know others at PCTR through a pot-luck style dinner among 6 or more. You can volunteer to be a Host and open your home, or be a Guest and bring a portion of the meal. Sign-up now as groups will be forming soon. Gatherings will take place during Lent. Stop by the Welcome Center for more info or to register or visit pctr.org/lent.
Hey kids in K-5th grade! KidMin Tuesday is back this week! In addition to our usual activities, there will also be a chance to sing with our Kid’s Choir and learn the music we’ll be singing on Palm Sunday in worship! Join us Tuesday, March 11, at 4:45 pm.
Guys, we’re heading to Bury the Hatchet (1256 Indian Head Rd, Toms River) on March 19, 7 - 9 pm for an evening of fun and friendly competition. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time ax thrower, this is a great opportunity to relax, socialize, and enjoy some fun. Register at pctr.org/ax
If you or someone in your family has served in any branch of the US Military, this one’s for you! Join us for our Veterans Breakfast on March 29, 9 am - 12 pm. Grab a postcard invite (or two or three) in the Welcome Center to share with a friend! We’ll have a great meal, an opportunity to connect with other veterans, and a chance to learn about benefits and services available to veterans. RSVP to [email protected].
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 the list in the Welcome Center between March 9-30th. Please note, we need individually wrapped, single serving sized packages of the following candy which has been selected to avoid common allergens: Skittles, Starbursts, Double Bubble Chewing Gum, Hi-Chew, Jolly Rangers, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Laffy Taffy.
Speaking of eggs...come help us stuff all those plastic eggs with candy after worship on March 30 (about 12 pm)! This is a great opportunity for volunteers of all ages to pitch in!
Grab your work gloves, some gardening tools, and help us spiff up the grounds at our next PCTR Clean-up Day on April 5th. 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!
The Ocean Classic Concert Series will welcome Keith Calmes, for a unique concert featuring classical guitar from a seasoned pro.
We want every person who joins us for worship to feel the warmth of God’s love for them through us. Our weekend hospitality team is a big part of making that happen - from greeters, to ushers, to Welcome Center hosts and parking lot attendants, our hospitality volunteers are an essential part creating a welcoming worship environment. We’re looking for some new, friendly faces to part of our team. Is that you? Stop by the Welcome Center for more info or call us in the office at 732-349-1331!
Keep up to date on what’s happening at Presbyterian Church of Toms River.