About UBF Church of State College Our History: University Bible Fellowship (UBF) is a non-denominational student-oriented ministry founded in 1961 Kwangju, Korea. UBF began when an American Presbyterian missionary (Sarah Barry) met a Korean pastor (Samuel Lee) and began an evangelistic outreach to Korean university students in the difficult years following the Korean War. They decided to focus their ministry on university students, because students are the future leaders of society. In the mid 1960's, UBF became independent of the Presbyterian mission and expanded its outreach to university campuses in Seoul and other major Korean cities. The ministry emphasized inductive Bible study and discipleship. UBF members came to believe, based on the words of Jesus in Matthew Acts 1:8 and elsewhere, that God had called them to preach the gospel throughout the world. UBF began to pray to send self-supporting missionaries to other nations. In the early 1970's, nurses trained as missionaries went to West Germany and began student outreach in Köln, Bonn and other cities. By the late 1970's, missionaries had come to several American cities, and the headquarters were moved from Seoul to Chicago.

University Bible Fellowship Church of State College was begun by Joseph L and Sharon L. Schafer in 1992 when this family moved to Pennsylvania and began to hold student-oriented worship services and Bible studies in their home. In 1995, they were joined by the family of Dr. David and Jennifer Lemmon. Since that time, additional families and persons have committed themselves to our ministry. We believe that God has called us to preach the gospel and raise disciples at Penn State and other local campuses. This belief is not based on any special, private revelation from God but from the general teachings and commands of Jesus, the training that God has given us, and the special opportunities and circumstances by which he has brought us together in this community.

Local chapters of UBF strive to be financially independent, self-supporting and legally autonomous, but maintain spiritual solidarity with the parent organization through shared beliefs, purposes and activities. By 2006, our church had grown to a size and scope where it became advantageous to incorporate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and transact business as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity separate from the UBF parent organization. We continue to maintain close ties with our UBF parent organization and with other local UBF chapters throughout the mid-Atlantic region (Washington, Baltimore, New York, New Brunswick, Shippensburg, Richmond, Raleigh, etc.) and support UBF missions throughout the United States and overseas.

What we believe:

We believe that there is one God in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth and all other things in the universe; that He is the Sovereign Ruler of all things; that the Sovereign God reveals Himself.
We believe that the Bible is inspired by God; that it is the truth; that it is the final authority in faith and practice.
We believe that since the fall of Adam, all people have been under the bondage and power of sin and are deserving of the judgment and wrath of God.
We believe that Jesus Christ, who is God and man, through his atoning, sacrificial death on the cross for our sins and his resurrection, is the only way of salvation; he alone saves us from sin and judgment and purifies us from the contamination of the world caused by sin.
We believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
We believe that regeneration is by the work of the Holy Spirit, and that it is necessary if one is to enter the kingdom of God. We believe that God sent his Holy Spirit to empower his church to witness to Jesus to the ends of the earth.
We believe that we are made righteous by grace alone, through faith alone.
We believe that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all believers to lead them.
We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ and that all Christians are members of it.
We believe that Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Disclaimer: The human phraseology in this statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truths set forth are held to be essential to a true Gospel ministry. No claim is made that it contains all truths in the Bible, only that it covers orthodox fundamental matters.

What we do: This church is a local chapter of University Bible Fellowship (UBF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) religious organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Local chapters of UBF strive to be financially independent, self-supporting and legally autonomous, but maintain spiritual solidarity with the parent organization through shared beliefs, purposes and activities.

Worship. Every Sunday at 11:00 am, 318 South Atherton Street.

Bible study. We promote inductive, textual study of the Old and New Testaments by individuals, on a one-to-one basis and in small-group meetings. We encourage all of our members to diligently study the Bible and apply its teachings to their lives.

Fellowship. Weekly fellowship meetings, individual and group Bible studies, prayer meetings and fellowship meals are frequently held at the home of the Pastor and other members.

Campus outreach. Many of our members are students and staff at Penn State and at South Hills School of Business and Technology. We extend personal invitations to students and staff from these campuses to study the Bible, worship with us and participate in our activities.

Community outreach. Despite our name and our close connections to college campuses, we function as a church in the local community and operate year-round regardless of the academic calendar. We invite anyone to worship and study the Bible with us.

Missions. As a missional church, we believe that the primary reason for our existence is to carry out the Great Commission that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." Under this command, we are compelled to bring others to faith in Christ at home and abroad, to raise committed disciples, and to plant Christian churches and ministries all over the world that can be native-run, self-sustaining and self-reproducing. We believe that every Christian is called to be a missionary. To date, UBF has sent out more than 1,000 self-supporting permanent missionaries to over 90 nations. Our goal is to send out a total of 100,000 permanent missionaries worldwide by 2010.

Conferences and retreats. We hold conferences and retreats at least twice a year. These conferences include in-depth Bible study, lectures, performances, prayer, fellowship and recreational activities.

Leadership training and development. Leadership of a church is not the sole responsibility of its pastor. We desire all members of the church to develop their talents and gifts in teaching, evangelism, discipleship, missions, artistic performance, administration and service.

Personal development. Our church has always placed a high value on education and the arts. We continually encourage our members to read good books, acquire good study skills, adopt healthy lifestyles, express themselves artistically and use whatever talents and abilities they have in creative ways to glorify God and serve his kingdom.

Marriage and families. Marriage is a lifelong, holy union between one man and one woman ordained by God with wide implications for the community and society. We are committed to upholding Biblical standards and practices in marriage. We pray to establish and strengthen Christian families by promoting personal commitment and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Child and youth ministry. Worship service and Sunday school for pre-teens is held at the Pastor's home every Sunday. As our church grows, we plan to expand our youth ministry to include special activities for middle school and high school students.

Charitable giving. Jesus Christ has commanded us to take care of the needy (Mt 25:31-40). Guided by the Holy Spirit, we give to educational, charitable and relief organizations in a manner consistent with Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, other applicable laws and Revenue rulings.

Relationship to other churches and groups. The Body of Christ is not confined to any particular sect or denomination, and we want to support the gospel work through all Bible-believing churches, groups and individuals. We want to discourage the practice of "church-hopping" and believe that Christians grow best when they commit themselves to full participation in a fellowship of believers, whatever that fellowship may be.

Sunday Worship Service: 11:00am
318 South Atherton Street
State College, PA 16801
Refreshments usually follow the service.