A new chapter in the life of Saucon Community Bible Fellowship Church–which is based in Hellertown–began in September, when the small-but-growing congregation welcomed a new spiritual leader.
Keith Strunk became pastor of Saucon Community Bible Fellowship Church in Hellertown in September. In a recent interview he said he and his family are loving living in the Saucon Valley.
Pastor Keith Strunk and his family recently sat down with Saucon Source for an interview to talk about his new role, the church’s future, and how the larger Saucon Valley community has welcomed them in the time since their arrival.
Strunk explained that moving here from Cape May Court House, New Jersey–where he led another congregation for three years–was made easier because of the fact that he was already somewhat familiar with the Saucon Valley area.
A Poconos native, he recalled that his first apartment was actually at the Sanbrook Apartments on Black River Road in Lower Saucon Township.
For many years, Strunk worked as a paramedic in Bethlehem Township, and during that time he was often on calls in the Hellertown area.
Strunk’s wife, Terrianne, is a Bethlehem native, and like her husband was eager to return to the area after their time living near the Jersey Shore.
“Just geographically and culturally (Cape May County) wasn’t a place we saw ourselves being forever,” Keith said.
He pointed out that away from the summertime glitz and glamor of southern New Jersey’s famed coastal resort communities there is a surprising amount of transience, homelessness and substance abuse.
In contrast, “there’s a lot more of a sense of community (in the Saucon Valley),” he said.
The Strunk family moved to Hellertown not long after Keith received Saucon Community Church’s call to replace former pastor Tim Zuck– who left to plant a new church in Forks Township–and they’ve quickly assimilated.
“We love the Saucon Valley,” Keith said. “I can see me being here the rest of my life.”
The Strunks are parents to two children: a daughter Madison, 14, and a son Austin, 11, both of whom attend a cyber-charter school.
They currently live in the borough, but eventually “hope to move to the outskirts (of Hellertown),” Keith said, noting his and Austin’s shared passion for baseball and bow-hunting.
“We hope the Lord will give us a house somewhere in the Lower Saucon area,” he added.
Strunk said the congregation is also hoping for change in the form of more room to grow.
The church maintains an administrative office in the Water Street Plaza in Hellertown, but needs more space in order to expand its ministry.
“Our long-term goal is to stay in the borough of Hellertown,” he said.
Currently, Strunk said his congregation has about 100 members, but unlike many other churches in the area its core demographic skews younger, and includes many families with small children.
Weekly services are held at 9 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church of Lower Saucon, 2190 Easton Road, Bethlehem, and are followed by fellowship there.
“Anything where we have to have the whole church we do there,” Strunk said.
He explained that sharing Christ Lutheran’s sanctuary and other facilities is an arrangement that’s been working out well since it began several years ago. But it “is not necessarily a long-term solution,” he said.
Ultimately, “the church is not a building–it’s people,” he continued, but the congregation is “praying that something will open eventually in the borough.”
With additional space, the church will be able to offer more community programs, classes and fellowship opportunities.
For example, the church would like to find a new home with a multipurpose room in which it will be able to host regular activities for local teens.
Currently, groups such as its Ladies Bible Study meet at the Water Street Plaza office, and the church’s men’s group meets monthly in the banquet room at the Hellertown Diner.
The Ladies Bible Study meets every other Tuesday night, and Strunk said the next men’s group meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13 at 8 a.m. at the diner.
Volunteering is another component and a way in which Bible Fellowship members work with the members of other local churches.
For example, a number of them currently help at the food bank at New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lower Saucon Township, Strunk said.
“We probably have 8 to 10 people (that volunteer there),” he said. “Our people are really passionate about it.”
A group of church members also plans to go Christmas caroling at local senior living facilities on Dec. 21.
For those interested in attending, Saucon Community Bible Fellowship Church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church of Lower Saucon.
Strunk said he is calling his Christmas sermon series “Christmas Explained.”
“We’re going to get into what Christmas really is according to the scriptures,” he stated.
More information about the church, its programs, its other missions and its vision is available on its website, as well as on its Facebook page.
