Located in the heart of Toronto s bustling east-end Beach, Kew Beach United mirrors its neighbourhood. Aside from its dearth of parking a constant challenge as Beach residents jostle for space with visitors there s the large, aging building and the diverse congregation. Turning that dedication into willingness and a plan for meeting new challenges, however, took two years of interim ministry and careful planning. It entered a new phase late last fall as three new full-time staff were covenanted and the congregation continues to recreate its place in a changing community.
Process can be boring.
And in the church, process can replace action. If we want to grow, all of us have to come to the plate. Growth, however, is anticipated in more than simply numbers. The congregation also hosts a regular Thursday neighbourhood lunch as part of the Beach Drop-in network, a broad interfaith group that counts Bellefair United, Kingston Road United and the Beach Hebrew Institute among its members, along with Baptist, Anglican, Mennonite and Roman Catholic churches. As programs got rolling last fall, there was also new life in the Kew Neighbourhood Centre, which offered activities such as yoga, meditation and bridge lessons in the church.