Current Events
Check out what has been happening at Arcade UCC!
21st Annual Fall Festival!
Arcade UCC would like to thank everyone who helped to make our Fall Festival a huge success!!! From the local businesses and community members who donated gift certificates and items for the basket raffle, to those who came the day of the event to enjoy all that the Fall Fest had to offer…THANK YOU!! It was a beautiful day filled with music, laughter, food, fun and everything Fall! We couldn’t have done it without your generosity and support!!
%20-%20Copy.jpg)
%20-%20Copy.jpg)
.jpg)
Rev. Josh Bower's
Ordination Celebration at Arcade UCC
Saturday, October 24 marked a very special occasion at Arcade United Church of Christ. A special service was held at 1 pm to recognize and celebrate the ordination of Rev. Joshua Bower. Many members of the church had traveled to Columbus, OH on September 20 to witness and be a part of the ordination service which was held at St. John’s UCC. Now it was the day to bring the celebration back home! Members of Arcade UCC, Rev. Bower’s family and friends and even Jared Page and his father from St. John’s UCC in Columbus joined in the celebration!
The Arcade UCC Choir and Far Cry filled the sanctuary with beautiful music, scripture readings were given by Jeff Mason, Debi Lutz and Rich Vogt, and the Rev. Gary Ferner gave the sermon. Even the Happy Scientist made an appearance, conducting the “Elephant Toothpaste” experiment with the youth who were present for the service.
At the end of the service, several members of the church presented Rev. Bower with some very special gifts to commemorate the occasion. The Arcade UCC church family honored Rev. Bower with a beautiful quilt created by Sharon Hawley and Kathy May, which was crafted from the various t-shirts that represented Imagine That, various VBS programs which have been held at Arcade UCC and more. The Women’s Fellowship and Workers Union each gave a monetary gift in appreciation and congratulations. Dona Roll and Ginger Comstock presented Rev. Bower with a new stole from the most recent synod.
The service was followed by a wonderfully catered luncheon with delicious food and spirit-filled fellowship. The women of the church blessed us with scrumptious desserts to top off the day as well.
Congratulations, Rev. Joshua Bower!
Josh Bower
Pastor
Greetings! My name is Josh Bower and I have served as the Pastor of Arcade United Church of Christ since 2020. In that short period of time – much of which was impacted by a global pandemic – it has been incredible to see the amazing work that God has been doing in our midst and within our greater Pioneer community. It is a joy to be able to grow and serve with the great people of Arcade UCC. My wife Nicole and I live in a home we built from the ground up in my hometown of Ellicottville, which is a good middle ground between Arcade and Little Valley, where Nicole works as a Registered Nurse for Hospice. We have two dogs named George and Ginny.
I am currently completing my Master of Divinity degree through Chicago Theological Seminary and completed my undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh – Bradford. In my free time I enjoy cooking, barbequing meat, hiking, skiing, and gardening. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about our faith community!
585-492-4530