For the final Photo Story of my Comm 269 class, I focused on Victory Church in Lancaster, PA. Lancaster county is religiously large and diverse, with over 150 different Christian churches in the area. According to an Outreach 100 survey, Victory church was the 60th fastest growing church in the U.S. in 2020.
Initially, I wanted to capture the differing ways each campus worshiped depending on the size and demographic. As my story went along I began to capture the staff and how they attempt to engage with their community. Gift Donations, Child Dedication, and Growth Track meetings were just a few of the ways Victory tried to engage with its attendees and help them grow.
I also captured some of the ways Victory continued to challenge and improve its outreach. Campus Pastor Meetings occur every few months and the church replaced a Sunday Service with an untraditional original performance in an attempt to broaden its message potential.
Victory Church and its five campuses are widely attended by Christians in Lancaster, PA, and its surrounding counties. According to an Outreach 100 survey, Victory was the 60th fastest-growing church in the U.S. in 2020. (Photo/Chad Barthe)Lead Pastor Curt Seaburg, 56, begins a new sermon series called Travel Light at Greenfield Campus on Dec. 5, 2021. Curt became lead pastor in 2006 with the motto “One Church, Many Communities,” becoming a driving force for his church vision. (Photo/Chad Barthe)Pastors from all six campuses meet at Victory’s main campus in Greenfield on Nov. 17th, 2021, to discuss growth and plans for the upcoming season. The pastors include Rick Glass, 49, of Greenfield; Josh Harnish, 36, of Columbia; Brett Rush, 44, of Quarryville; Jeremiah Kleylein,39, of Lititz; Chris Smeltz, 41, of Ephrata; and Tim Zeager, 42, who overlooks the online community. (Photo/Chad Barthe)In addition to being Victory’s Columbia campus Pastor, Josh Harnish is a member of the church’s creative team. Josh performed an original skit for the Nov. 28, 2021, Sunday Service with his wife, Jaclyn, and son, Zae. This scene depicts Abraham, played by Josh, moments away from sacrificing his son Isaiah, played by Zae. (Photo/Chad BartheJoel Buffington, 56, Victory’s Community Life Pastor, speaks with an attendee at Greenfield Campus’s Dec. 5, 2021 growth track meeting. Growth Track meetings help church attendees find ways to become further involved in team and volunteer roles. (Photo/Chad Barthe)A father and son bring gift donations while attending Sunday Service at the Greenfield Campus on Dec. 5, 2021. Gifts will be given to guests at Conestoga View Nursing Home in Lancaster City, PA. (Photo/Chad BartheShyanne Corcoran poses with her three children after attending child dedication during the second service at the Greenfield Campus on Dec. 5, 2021. (Photo/Chad Barthe)Church attendees reach out their hands and pray over families during child dedication at the Greenfield Campus on Dec. 5, 2021. Including all its campuses and online viewership, over 2,000 people regularly attend Sunday Services. (Photo/Chad Barthe)