Liberti Church River Wards is fundraising for the financing and renovation of our new home!
A new chapter for Liberti River Wards…
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For 20 years, Liberti Church River Wards has sought to live, speak, and serve as the very presence of Jesus in the River Wards community. It’s a bold mission statement that required individuals to view Philadelphia as a place worthy of love, reverence, and sacrifice, not a place to be consumed and then discarded.
Executing this vision called for a thoughtful strategy and a congregation willing to live uncomfortably at times. From day one, Liberti River Wards was designed to be a nomadic church, funneling the resources of the congregation towards the needs of the community, local and international ministries, and other church plants. Rather than invest in a building, Liberti River Wards sought to live generously, investing in people and relationships. Though our church remained nomadic, by God’s grace, it also flourished.
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But for the past few years, our church and its opportunities for service have evolved. The congregation is more diverse, has more children, and stretches beyond our zip code. More dramatically, the needs of our surrounding community have changed. The opioid epidemic is on our doorsteps, literacy rates are plummeting, and violent crime has been climbing steadily.
Being nomadic afforded Liberti the ability to bless so many communities and ministries outside of our region. But now is the time to invest in a much deeper, more permanent way in the River Wards. As the needs have risen, so has the desire to serve the community that God has called us to love. Unfortunately, the limitations of being a nomadic congregation has restricted how we can actively lift up those most in need. Being able to open our doors to the public only on Sunday mornings is not enough. A permanent home for Liberti River Wards would give us a space to invite people to not only worship, but also seek healing, education, warmth, and safety.
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We have been praying for ten years that God would provide a location that could be used to bring real change to the River Wards and be a consistent church in Philadelphia. The elders, deacons, deaconesses, and leadership collectively believe God has answered those prayers.
We’ve just purchased the former Portside Arts Center at Lehigh Ave & Belgrade St, and the building could not be better suited to our needs. Prayerfully but urgently, we are raising $2,000,000 for the financing and renovation of this building.
the building
2531 E Lehigh Ave is a two-story 6,800 sf building located at Lehigh & Belgrade, and it has been a landmark of community engagement throughout its former life as the Portside Arts Center. The location is at the epicenter of where our members live, but also directly among areas of all kinds of need.
A number of church members with specialties ranging from construction, real estate, and finance, have determined it to be in very good condition at a reasonable price. We’ve since closed on the property, but the building needs extensive renovations before it will be move-in ready. Then, we would outfit it further to better serve the needs of our neighbors. Some immediate needs come to mind.
Opportunities to Serve
THE NEEDS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS
Like most cities around the country, 2020 was devastating to vulnerable populations in Philadelphia. The rise in opioid distribution and abuse wreaked havoc on the already unsafe and impoverished streets of Kensington. The cracks in society that swallow up neglected people-groups widened at an alarming rate. 2021 became Philadelphia’s deadliest year on record, with more than 550 homicides and 1,250 drug related deaths. Many of those happened right here, in the River Wards.
As violence, overdoses, and homelessness have risen, so have the needs for the city's youth. The pandemic was physically and mentally isolating to Philadelphia’s children. It stunted their education and made them vulnerable to unhealthy habits online and in their communities. Gaps in education and literacy have caused the most at-risk populations to be left further behind. This is something that has been observed firsthand by members of Liberti River Wards who have spent the last decade running a youth ministry out of their own homes to serve the children in their neighborhoods. This “Homework Club” has been a lifeline to over 300 students over the past ten years, and only exists because the needs of the neighborhood became unbearable. While Homework Club provides a safe space for dozens of kids to learn and grow on Tuesday nights, this only highlights how vast the needs are the other 6 days a week.
Liberti hopes to plant roots within our own neighborhoods as well as areas of need. 2531 lehigh is among both.
Liberti River Wards is a congregation full of teachers, doctors, artists, social workers, and more who have prayed for more opportunities to host community events and services but have been restricted by our shared space situations. Given a permanent building in the community, Liberti Riverwards is committed to providing additional outlets for the youth to fill their days with positive activities, tutoring help, and social interactions. Liberti also seeks to be a refuge for other vulnerable populations that cry out for mercy and support, but have not been able to be served properly while Liberti has been nomadic. We pray for the opportunity to serve alongside our community, and believe in faith that God will use this building to create lasting change in the River Wards. Please consider giving, and giving generously to this mission.
Join Us!
If you’d like to contribute this vision of Liberti River Wards’ future, please consider giving by clicking the orange button in the corner.
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Non-Cash Gifts
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