Venice United Methodist Church

The Venice United Methodist Church of Venice, California, is a member of the of the California-Pacific Conference within the United Methodist Church. It serves the Venice and Marina del Rey communities within the UMC Cal-Pac Los Angeles District.

History

The Church was founded in 1913, as the First Methodist Church of Venice.

Location

The campus is located on the southeast corner of Victoria Ave. and Lincoln Blvd., just one block north of Venice Blvd.. The church is adjacent to the Venice Center for Peace with Justice and the Arts (VCPJA, the bright yellow building).

It is accessible by the Santa Monica #2 Big Blue Bus, which stops right on our corner and the Los Angeles MTA.

Services

Venice United Methodist church celebrates worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Services are between 60 and 75 minutes long. Following the service, everyone is invited to share a bit of refreshment during our “hospitality” time in the parlor, before they carry on with their day.

The worship contains the familiar and some unfamiliar: elements of music, prayer, Scripture reading, prophetic witness, youth interpretation of Scripture, and special offerings of the gifts and talents of people from the community at large.

On the first Sunday of each month the congregation celebrates communion. To this communion table, everyone is invited into the full life of the church, without exception.

Pastor and Staff

Pastor

Reverend Thomas C. Ziegert, holds his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Delaware and his M.Div. from the Claremont School of Theology. He has completed his D.Min. coursework in Religious Education & Worship.

Staff

Office Administrator, Youth Coordinator, and Organist

Community Service

Youth Programs

During the school year they provide an after-school program for ages 11-17. VUMC also has a skateboarding team for youth ages 10 to 16 Venice Church Yard Dogs.

Assistance Programs

The congregation maintains an emergency food pantry and a people in crisis fund, for those who find themselves in momentary crisis.

Institutional Collaborations

The VUMC collaborates with other organizations and provides space, support, and encouragement for programs that nurture, guide, and provide safety for youth, feed the hungry, promote a living wage and universal health care, and promote non-violence and conflict transformation. They strive for peace with justice, responsible consumption and production practices, and ecological respect.

Some of these organizations are tenants of the VCPJA, the two story community center on the VUMC campus: Head Start, Inside Out Community Arts, City At Peace, ArtWallah, Skate Park USA, Making Change, Food Not Bombs, and Easter Seals.

External links

* [http://www.veniceumc.org/ Venice United Methodist Church]
* [http://www.veniceumc.org/vcpja/ Venice Center for Peace with Justice and the Arts]
* [http://www.veniceumc.org/cyd/ Church Yard Dogs]