It was March 20, 1977 when approximately 30 people gathered for the first time as a church. Though they came from different backgrounds and traditions, one thing they had in common was the desire to worship God freely and to see him change lives of people in this region. This first meeting was held at the Sheraton Conestoga Hotel where they rented several rooms for $25 each week.

In the earliest days of Worship Center, there were no separate meeting rooms for the children, and middle and high school students met together for their services in a motor home owned by a church family member. As the church group began to grow, so did the need for a larger facility and a pastor to lead them. Sam and Sherlyn Smucker were invited to consider returning to Lancaster to fill this role. After graduation from RHEMA Bible Training Center in May 1977, with only the promise of a new refrigerator and paying for moving expenses, the Smuckers trusted God and came to pastor this new church, The Worship Center.

In 1978, the congregation began meeting in the Lititz Recreation Center, but it wasn’t long before it was filled to capacity. Even after going to two services, people kept coming. It was a chaotic period in a good way, many times with people trying to get in for one service as others were leaving from the first! It was time for a larger building that they could call their own.

That same year, a 10-acre farm was purchased on New Holland Pike. The land was dedicated to the Lord during an open-air service. In 1980, a farmhouse on the property was relocated and construction began on the first structure shortly after that – the current auditorium. The first service held in this building was February 2, 1981.

Since that time, people from all over have come to join this church family, and the Lord has accomplished much for His kingdom through it. The facilities have expanded to meet the needs of people, and Worship Center continues its mission to help people discover their destiny by experiencing God, growing together, and serving our world.