CRANBERRY TWP — A nondenominational church that started out in 2001 with 30 members now welcomes 1,500 worshippers per weekend.

Lead pastor Matt Kaltenberger said attendance at Grace Community Church on Mystic Pine Trail has increased from 250 worshippers per weekend to the current 1,500 in just the last three years. He said the church continues to pick up 10 to 20 visitors every weekend and 60 to 100 new members every quarter.

The church has four full-time pastors and a staff of 12 who work at the facility during business hours.

Kaltenberger said the church was formed to accommodate people who have "been burned" by traditional church and are looking for Christian love and acceptance.

"Our motto is 'church for those who have given up on church,'" Kaltenberger said.

Kaltenberger, 38, explained the atmosphere at the church is very relaxed and casual in aesthetics and presentation. A café in the church allows casually clad worshippers to sip a cappuccino during the contemporary service, which includes live music.

"Even though you're sitting in a large congregation, you feel like you're sitting around a coffee table in the living room," he said.

Kaltenberger said the church does very little formal advertising, instead relying on word-of-mouth in the community.

"There is a spirit of excitement here every time we open the door," Kaltenberger said. "People leave and tell their friends."

He said sticking with the church's original goal of welcoming the disenfranchised remains in place at Grace Community.

"The realness has been with us since day one and we never lost that," Kaltenberger said.

Joslynn Tatterson, Grace Community's director of guest connections, said she and her husband had been "church hopping" to find a community atmosphere since moving to the area about a year ago.

She said the immediate sense of belonging and casual atmosphere at Grace Community's Thanksgiving Eve service made her feel she had found her spiritual home.

"The volunteers really strive to make the atmosphere welcoming," Tatterson said. "I think it's that social norm people grasp onto."

Regarding worship services, Kaltenberger said services are biblically based and culturally relevant. Pastors focus on conveying the truth and love found in the Bible as well as how it relates to modern life.

"The Bible has every answer to every question you face today," said Kaltenberger, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

The church also serves its membership through "real-life small groups" that cater to people in various situations and stages in the journey through life. Kaltenberger said groups related to parenting, books of the Bible, marriage enrichment and family life are a few of the many real-life groups active at the church.

He said groups can meet at the church, in homes or at remote locations like restaurants.

Tatterson belongs to a young adult group of 30 members that meets at Panera Bread every Sunday evening. She said the group delves more deeply into the sermon subject offered that weekend in the interest of keeping the message relevant all week long.

Tatterson said members and regular worshippers at Grace Community are encouraged to join a real-life group.

"We would love to see 50 percent of our congregation involved in real-life opportunities," Tatterson said.

The church also maintains its casual approach when it comes to financial support from the congregation. Kaltenberger said the church does not engage in capital campaigns like traditional churches. Members are simply asked to prayerfully consider how much they want to help.

"I think that's something that's really refreshing to people," Kaltenberger said. "And God has provided."

Regarding mission, church leaders follow what they refer to as a "GPS system," which is an acronym for Grow closer to God, Pursue relationships with others and Service to the world.

He said the GPS system tells worshippers where they are in their spiritual life and in which direction they need to go next.

"We try to encourage people to get outside the church and serve," Kaltenberger said. "We believe change comes from you and I outside our own backyard."

One large undertaking carried out by Grace Community is the annual one-day service project. This year's project occurred on Sept. 12, when 800 volunteers from the church descended on Cranberry Township to complete several individual and township-related service projects.Kaltenberger said those organizing the project approached Cranberry officials to ask who needs help, and they received a laundry list of projects that could be undertaken."In America, the church is often known for taking from the community," Kaltenberger said. "We want to be known as the church that gives back to the community."The day of service saw residents bringing nonperishable food to various sites throughout the township, and as a result, more than 30 carloads of food arrived at Gleaner's Food Bank that evening. The church even provided the food bank with volunteers to help sort and shelve the food.One challenge facing Grace Community Church is the size of its 15,000-square-foot facility. Based on growth trends, Kaltenberger estimates needing at least twice that in the future.The church tried to purchase the Bladerunners ice arena earlier this year, but was turned down by Marshall Township supervisors because the building was not in a zone that permitted a church.Kaltenberger said church leaders now are looking for land where a new, larger and more modern facility could be built. He said until a suitable site is found, the church will rely on multiple worship and meeting sites, additional services each weekend and some online avenues to accommodate growth.Tatterson said all continue to be invited to Grace Community Church, where worshippers will feel they fit in."When you walk in, the people are so welcoming," he said.Grace Community Church can be reached at 724-779-7997 or by logging onto www.graceincranberry.org.