In 2011 the Peace Mennonite Church made a decision to close its doors as at formal church. In response a meeting was hosted by the Franconia Mennonite Conference to ask the question , “What do we do with this building?” The overwhelming response was to use it for something more than a church. Meanwhile Pastor Scott Roth, along with members of the Upper Perkiomen Ministerium, were beginning to have talks with the Upper Perk School District (UPSD) to solve the issues of community disconnect. The proposed solution was to develop a community center that would provide individuals a third space, a place to find assistance and a place to grow in their lives. It would be a place for students to forge relationships and grow within the community. The project for Scott Roth to tackle was now in front of him, and it would be the foundation and a springboard for further work within the community.
The Upper Perkiomen High School recommended that Scott mentor seniors in community development and he was given 11 service learning students throughout the 2012-2013 school year to renovate the former Peace Mennonite Building, now known as the Upper Perk Community Life Center. Starting in September of 2012 this team birthed an asset to the community.
This project was a joint effort between Franconia Conference, Eastern District Conference, the Upper Perk Ministerium, and the Upper Perk School District, with UENA leading the project and now managing the building and property which is also home to our Bike and Sol project.
For more information about our community center project contact Scott Roth via email: scott@urbanexpression.org