"Do you like Jesus...but not the church?"

Well, many of the people who are part of this new community being launched out of Arlington United Methodist Church would fundamentally agree with the question that Pastor Dan Kimball poses -- especially in terms of doctrinal disagreements among various denominations, too many administrative meetings and not enough hands-on service to the community, and more of an inward focus than an outward focus among members.

So, a little more than three years ago, a small group of friends were inspired to begin a project called Faith Renaissance to help close the gap that is often present between Jesus and organized religion.  With a desire to pattern our lives after Jesus and a willingness to open up our imaginations to what might be -- we began having conversations first with artists of many different backgrounds and then others living in our community about what a new faith community might look like.

At the top of the list was a need among Christians and non-Christians living in an extremely diverse community to begin DEVELOPING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS with one another. We also discovered, radical hospitality was a definite must that goes hand in hand with this first priority.  So, it is not uncommon to experience a table over-flowing with free-trade coffee, organic lemonade, and other tasty treats that the community provides each week.

We also learned that creatviity is a part of the very fabric of our community and this led us to create an Art Studio located on site at Arlington UMC specifically dedicated to EXPLORING THE ARTS AND SPIRITUALITY.  This also led us to re-purpose the back of the Sanctuary as a working Art Gallery, which exhibits the work of local artists on a rotating basis.  Later, it led to a partnership with the Arlington Artist's Alliance who now offers a rotating exhibit in a new gallery established for this purpose on the 2nd floor in Fellowship Hall.

We also committed ourselves to LIVING MISSIONALLY in the world with a strong focus on serving others and sharing love in tangible ways.  Wes Arthur, our interim Senior Pastor, seeks to build bridges across all generations and our Outreach Team has opened up many doors for service. 

Most of all, we long for LAUGHTER TO ABOUND in all that we do and to not take ourselves too seriously!  We have come to believe that yes, it is possible to be Christian and to have fun!

If you're interested in becoming a part of this new faith community as it is being developed, we'd love to get to know you better -- stop by the studio, join us in mission, or participate in our weekly worship gatherings on Sunday morngins at 9:00 am in the Art Gallery at the back of the Sanctuary. You won't be disappointed!

Joy in the journey,
Pastor Wes

When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was a vast waste, darkness covered the deep, and the spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water.Genesis 1:1-2