On Oct. 5, St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Seemsville will celebrate a very special moment in its history.

Around this date 150 years ago, regular worship services began.

"[The year] 1864 is recognized by the national United Church of Christ as [its] founding date," said Daniel Spengler, St. Peter's vice president of consistory and chairman of the anniversary committee.

To help celebrate this milestone, the church had organized different and fun events, such as a Pennsylvania Dutch and English service Aug. 17 where members wore old-fashioned attire, and enjoyed a special jazz service featuring Kevin O'Connell and his Dixie Land Band Aug. 31.

Next, on Oct. 5, after a special music and communion service, a banquet at the Northampton Community Center will include the opening of a time capsule, an unveiling of a quilt and a surprise guest appearance of someone close to the church and its members.

For most pastors, a calling is what brings him or her into the church as a leader. This was also true for the Rev. Lamar Handwerk.

But this happened later in his life. With a wife and children, a 30-year-old nervous but determined Handwerk began courses at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem. Four and a half years later, he was ordained.

When asked why he wanted to become a pastor, Handwerk had one simple answer: "Because God wanted me to.

"I felt the call to be a minister when I was 15 when I went to church camp," he said. One Sunday, he and a friend had to conduct the church service because the guest pastor could not preach due to a snow storm. As Handwerk continued the service and proceeded to give a prayer over the offering plates, he began to literally hear that calling.

"I got this warm, warm feeling. It's the weirdest darn thing. I heard this soft voice [say], 'Handwerk, it's time.'"

Handwerk is beginning his 13th year as St. Peter's pastor. Within those 13 years, he recalls, are major change he's seen in his congregation.

"When I first came, people weren't talking to each other. They weren't even looking at each other. […] And to see them loosen up and warm up…somehow it's all changed. It's a working of the Holy Spirit. […] The growth in everybody…that's what I guess [has changed for the better]," Handwerk said.

Handwerk attributes his growing church to the relaxed, friendly, active and open-minded congregation.

"A perfect example would be a gay minister," he said. "That was a big issue here years ago. A lot of churches were upset a gay minister came. They didn't realize that they've been having gay ministers all the time, but the gay ministers were never out of the closet. And so you wrestle with what that has to do with God. If I believe that God called me and said, 'Handwerk, it's time,' why couldn't he do that to someone who's of a different sexual orientation than me? If two people can love each other like I love my wife, is that bad? Christ said, 'We're all one in Christ Jesus. You're neither Jew nor Greek nor Gentile nor slave.' We're all one in Christ Jesus, and what he taught us was to love one another," Handwerk said.

Visitors coming to St. Peter's will see a completely packed church on any given Sunday with friendly smiling people.

"This is a very welcoming congregation, very friendly, very down-to-earth," Handwerk said.

Spengler also thinks the packed church is because of a longing that many individuals experience in their lives.

"There are a lot of people out there that, I think, when […] they start having kids or start getting older, [are] looking for something more in life than just working. And I think we offer for them, maybe, a refuge," he said.

"When this church becomes work," Handwerk said, "I'm quitting."

St. Peter's United Church of Christ is located at 8142 Valley View Road in Northampton. Their church service starts at 10:15 a.m. every Sunday.