Wesley Chapel @ Covington First UMC Opens to Community

By Claudia Minge and Sallie Paschal

Covington First UMC is known for our outreach and hospitality to the community. Each month we open our doors to 17 different local nonprofits, civic groups, scouts, and other organizations so they might have a place to meet, plan, grow and serve our community.

Along with the ministries here at Covington First, our preschool, food pantry, and community groups, our education building, fellowship hall, food pantry, and youth house are used 6 if not 7 days a week.

At the end of 2023 we acknowledged that Wesley Chapel was a space on our campus that was underutilized. As we get calls regularly from people in the community looking for space for weddings, small memorial services, recitals, or meetings, a conversation began among some leaders in the church, exploring how the chapel can be used in the community. This committee wrote a plan that was taken to the Pastor and Board of Trustees, who extended their approval to proceed.

Committee members and Trustees worked diligently to make Wesley Chapel friendly for a variety of groups while also being appropriate for worship when it's needed on Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings.

The work done at Wesley Chapel was generously funded by donors who believe in opening our doors to the community and was completed by the committee and members of the Trustees.

Thank you for your prayers for this exciting new ministry at our church. As always, our goal here at Covington First UMC is to welcome guests to our campus and to ensure the next generation of this community will have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are proud to share that Wesley Chapel @ Covington First United Methodist Church is officially available for weddings, vow renewals, recitals, memorial services, and meetings.

Claudia Minge is Covington First's Church Facilitator and Sallie Paschal is the contact and coordinator for the use of Wesley Chapel​. Both are happy to share more with fellow United Methodists as they learn from and appreciate our connection.