New Church Fellowship & Development

The Glenwood Administrative Commission (GAC) was created to assist the Glenwood Presbyterian Church, in October 2015, to officially close. Respecting the last members’ request to keep the neighborhood church from being torn down to become several houses, the GAC continued its work by dreaming, praying, and discerning. They approached United Adult Ministries (UAM), www.unitedadultministries.org
about partnering with the Presbytery of Long Island to repurpose the church building, instead of selling the property.  The hope of the GAC and UAM was to maintain a “Presbyterian presence” in the community.

By hosting events, community meet and greets, themed open houses, and workshops, the GAC and UAM began listening to the North Shore community. It became clear there was a need for affordable and easily accessible space to facilitate collaborative community for entrepreneurs and community groups. After several months of cleaning and repairing parts of the building the GAC and UAM began renting space to community members began to host their own workshops, events, and community groups in GLC’s common spaces.

The GAC and UAM remained faithful to their call to maintain a Presbyterian presence within Glenwood Landing and began laying ground work to plant a new worshiping community.  However, being in a context known for its disdain for organized religion, they knew they could not simply begin with worship.  Relationships had to be grown, trust built, a true sense of community fostered before they could invite people to worship.

Thus, they created Glenwood Life Center (GLC), www.glenwoodlifecenter.org – a communal place for…

Spirituality – rooted in good hope for all people, a place to grow in awareness of the love of God for every person and for creation.

Understanding – to cast a vision of “shalom,” while exploring together culture, cooperation, appreciation for diversity

Wellness – a place to cultivate physical and mental healing, recovery, and wholeness

The Arts – a place that showcases, fosters, and appreciates the arts through a variety of mediums, in which local artists and the wider public can interact

Over the past two years, beginning the third year, the GAC and UAM have worked tirelessly to increase awareness and use of GLC.  What has developed is more than the GAC or UAM ever anticipated this quickly. Where once a decrepit empty church building stood is now, the inviting, freshly painted, and bursting at the seams, Glenwood Life Center.  On any night of the week the lights of the GLC burn brightly as the community gathers, transforming and resurrecting the once desolate building, slowly restoring its legacy.

Because Glenwood Life Center has spent years developing trust and good will in the community it has become a place where evangelism happens.  As people from all over the North Shore attend events at GLC opportunities regularly arise for conversations around faith, spirituality, God, church, Jesus, hope, and life.  Most recently, the Reverend Kally Elliott has become the Curator of Spirituality and Faith Formation at GLC and makes a point to attend events and engage people in conversations about faith.

After a visit by Brian Clark, 1001 NWC coach for Bryce Elliott (director of Glenwood Life Center), it became clear it was time to begin a worship gathering at GLC.  The GAC began reconfiguring so that it could be fully supportive of Glenwood Table, a new Christ-centered worshiping community led by lead missionary, Bryce Elliott and the Reverend Kally Elliott. Because the larger community helps sustain GLC through paid-events and rented office spaces, Glenwood Table can grow organically without the pressure of having to rent space.  Glenwood Table will be one of many, many things happening at GLC and will have opportunities to collaborate creatively with the entire GLC community.