news article

The ROAD on The Hill launches inaugural event

January 8, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

On July 1, 2011, the church restart The ROAD out of the West Genesee United Methodist Church was born.

Over the past three and a half years we have gone through a visioning process, established a leadership team, sold a building, and have been active in ministry through our weekly ministries: Theology on Tap, Open Street Communion, and Faith and Fries. We have also made connections and built relationships within our communities through block parties, partnering with other ministries, and being active in supporting causes of justice in the city of Syracuse.

A year and a half ago we were approved by the members of the Upper New York Annual Conference to partner in ministry with Syracuse’s St. Paul’s UMC in the valley to do ministry in the former Onondaga Hill UMC building. The process then began of visioning and deciding how we would use the building to do new and innovative ministry in the Onondaga Hill area.

After a season of networking, renovations, and partnering with local businesses and ministries we are excited to announce our first event as a part of our launching of The ROAD on The Hill, a café style church at 4845 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.

On Jan. 9 we will be hosting a concert by Beautiful Mess as a fundraiser for one of the ministries we have partnered with over the past year, Faith Hope Community Center. Faith Hope has strong United Methodist roots. It was founded in 2003 as a project of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance to reduce youth violence, and was spearheaded by the Rev. Hal Garman, a former pastor at the University United Methodist Church.

Faith Hope provides a safe space for young people to learn how to condition and work out their frustration and anger in a boxing ring instead of with guns on the streets. The center provides a place for young people to go so they have an alternative to joining gangs or being involved with the violence that has become all too prevalent in their communities.

The ROAD has become an active participant at Faith Hope Community Center. We participate in workouts, we work together to speak out against injustices in the community, and we build relationships with the very people the programs at Faith Hope are helping keep out of harm’s way. Together we are building bridges to help end racism and prejudice, one person at a time.

Come and join us at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 for Beautiful Mess in concert. Your $5 donation at the door will benefit Faith Hope; those under 21 years of age are free. We will also be joined by Café Kubal, which will be there with its coffee truck.

*The Rev. Rebecca Laird is pastor at The ROAD out of the West Genesee UMC and at the Cicero UMC.