Welcome!

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We are Allentown Victory and we are glad you met us here. Thanks for taking the time, you won't be disappointed. You can get to know us a bit more through exploring this site, but we hope this site leads to an opportunity to meet you in person. Let's get started.....


  • We put it as simply as this - We are Aggressively Loving, Growing and Going!


To understand what that means a bit more, check out this short clip and description below. 


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1. We are an aggressively loving family!


We have chosen to love, and to initiate love, we are not waiting for you to love us, we are pursuing to love you first. Why? This is what God did with us, even when we didn’t think we needed it or even want it. He showed us incredible love and, amazingly, continues to love us. We want you to see God's love for you. We are an aggressively loving family.


2. We are an aggressively growing family!


There are multiple areas of growth in our life and we are NOT settled with leaving things the way they are, we are going to GROW! Why? Because although we come to God as we are, when we invite Him in our hearts, all of a sudden, we have a desire to be more like Him. We see how AMAZING God is and we grow closer to Him. We then begin to grow more like Him and quickly grow to the place we can lead others to Him. As we lead others to Him, we grow the family in more ways than one. We are an aggressively growing family. 


3. We are Going! 


We believe we are not meant to stand still in this life, but move toward the destiny and mission God has for us. We want to see those who are loving and growing "Go" and fulfill the plan and purpose in their life inside and outside the local Church. God has a mission and plan for each of us, it's time to do it, it's time to get GOING! 

Pastor Matthew Catricola

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Senior Pastor and Founder


Hello, let me introduce myself.


My name is Matthew Catricola and I am the Pastor of Allentown Victory. 


There was a time when I was looking for a good Church, and because of previous disappointments with leaders, I was looking for a ministry with a leader who had some credentials. So this is why, if you are like me, you are reading this, and I think it's wise. Now I won't tell you everything, hopefully we can meet in person and get to know each other more that way. But for now, here are a few things about me and my family. 


I was born in New York City, and lived on the border of New Jersey and New York with my parents and big brother. I was dedicated and grew up in the Church. I gave my life to Christ at the age of 4. As a child, I always remembered our life being centered around Church. I grew up learning to have to sit and listen to the services and also had the opportunity to be part of the Church orchestra (don't be impressed, I played a plastic trumpet.) My sister was then born and we moved to Allentown, PA. 


We then found a Church to go to, for a while. There were a few church splits unfortunately, and then we found a Church in Kutztown we all liked. It was at this Church that I got my first opportunity to preach when I was 16. I had a lot of stage fright up to this time, but I then realized that God's message was more important than my fear. My fear was so small compared to the message of God's love that people needed to hear. God moved powerfully in that service, and I saw a glimpse of the call of God in action in my life. I had more opportunities as a young man to speak at this Church and others. 


At the age of 17 I went to South Africa with Teen Mania for 2 months. Saw God do incredible things, such as creative miracles, and healings, and over 10,000 people made a decision to accept Jesus in their lives. Lots of stories to share here. 


I got hooked on missions at that point, after high school I went to a great Bible College in sunny, no snow, no shoveling, no heavy coats, Orange County, California. This Bible College was a great training ground for me and sharpened me as a minister. During Bible College I traveled to Mexico and India on missions. Upon graduation I was sent out to be a Missionary in Mongolia. Again all these mission trips have stories I would love to share with you in person some day. 8 months later I returned. 


Upon returning, the church and Bible College I went to collapsed due to sin in the ministry. It was at this time I searched as stated above, and found a Church in California. There I found some credible leaders that I submitted to. I stayed there and came on staff and lead multiple teams in multiple areas. It was there that I found a vision that was bigger than mine, a vision that incorporated mine in it, a biblical vision. I got stuck in a good way. With missions still (and always) in my heart, I helped in the leading of a team to El Salvador and Guatamala. I also began teaching in the Bible College there while attending a few classes to help finish up my Bachelors Degree in Theology. 


Now in the middle of my 8 years at the Church in California, I had to come back to Pennysylvania mainly because my father had 2 strokes. When I came back to California,  I worked in retail and 8 months into one of the jobs I was promoted to assistant Manager then 6 months later Manager of this retail store. I also continued to serve in the Church as an associate Pastor before being sent to Allentown.


We are excited and full of faith and vision for what God has us, and you, here to do. There is no better place to be then in the center of God's Will, and we know that its right here and right now. At Allentown Victory you will find a place to believe, a place to belong, and a place to become all that God has for you. 


Now that you have briefly met me, please continue checking out our site, and please come by, we want to meet you, and hear your story. 


If you would like to support Ps. Matthew  in the work he is  called to do, please see the Give page and choose on Pastor Matthew from the drop down menu. 




Our vision:

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  • That we have a bonfire started and spread across Allentown, the Lehigh Valley and beyond. 


What do we mean by "have a bonfire started and spread." I assure you we don't mean start a forrest wildfire-Smokey (and us) would not approve of this vision. Here is what we mean. 


I am sure you have seen, or know, or you yourself might be someone who gets very enthusiastic for a certain sports team.You can see them at the games, they will wear their teams colors, they will jump up in joy and sometimes get overly excited when their team makes good advancement and especially when they score. They will boldly tell others about who they root for any time and any place. They light up when their team is talked about and have a camaraderie with those who root for their team.


This is part of what It means to be on fire for Jesus. You’re not ashamed to say you are a Christian and not ashamed to tell others that you love God. You jump in joy and sometimes get overly excited when you see others grow and when people outside and inside the church come to know God. You feel the hurt when other Christians are hurting. You believe the best in and for people. Most of all you are in a growing relationship with God, you are getting to know Him and His word more and more each day, and it never gets boring, only more exciting. 


We want to see people get on fire for Jesus. Being a “true” Christian is not boring, it is an amazing adventure! When we begin getting a whole bunch of on fire people in one place, then together we are making a bonfire. Then as we begin to move together we will then grow and spread this bonfire into Allentown, the Lehigh Valley and beyond. 


A bonfire will not just happen, but we see this taking place through our mission which you will find when you "meet allentown victory." 


Take a look at "meetings" and we can show you where the beginning phases of this mission and vision are taking place. 


We Believe...

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1. In one true and living God, eternally existing and revealed to us as the Father, Creator of all things; the Son, Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, and the Holy Spirit.


2. In the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, death for our sins, bodily resurrection, ascension unto God, and imminent return in power and glory.


3. The Holy Scriptures are the inspired and complete revelation of God’s will concerning man’s salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.


4. That men are saved solely through faith in God’s grace as displayed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


5. In water baptism as a public declaration that a believer has died with Christ and risen with Him to walk a life of holiness and love.


6. In the unity of all true believers as members of the universal body of Christ regardless of denominational affiliation.


7. In the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of Jesus.


8. In the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

  • by the inward witness of salvation to the believer.
  • by daily guidance and the growth of Christlike character.
  • by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, an experience distinct from and following the new birth, evidenced initially by speaking with other tongues and subsequently by the manifestation of spiritual power in public testimony and service.
  • by the manifestation of the supernatural gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

9. That Jesus Christ is coming again to gather all His saints unto Himself. Those who have not accepted His redemptive work on their behalf will suffer eternal separation from the Godhead and eventually burn in the lake of fire.


10. That following His return Jesus Christ will rule and reign for one thousand years on the earth. After this there will be a new heaven and a new earth.