UMC West was a vision of our church to offer outreach to folks who felt hurt, turned away, or disillusioned by institutional religion. When we began the ministry, we had lots of different hopes and dreams which led us to a space on Beekman Street. We entered a year lease in order to build a outreach ministry using this space. As a result of our ministry there, we met many new faces — a few even joined us on Sunday mornings! We also developed relationships with the art district and Elks Club. It was a great joy to watch this ministry blossom. However, the lease for our Beekman Street location came to an end, and after much Spirit-filled discussion and reflection, we decided not to renew. We believe that the space limited our outreach potential and thus wanted to grow beyond the walls of a building. That being said, by moving the UMC West vision outside the walls, we began a creative process to meet new people where they are rather than hoping they will come to us. All events that had been occurring at the UMC West location continue at the church, and we began designing new outreach opportunities within the community as opposed to a room. Thank you for your continued prayerful support as our UMC West leadership continues this exciting new adventure!
