On Tuesday we visited Beacon, a neighborhood faith community that invites people of all ages to grow together through arts, learning, and faith. In their words:

Beacon represents a fascinating new chapter of a long history and unique presence on Cumberland Street in Kensington. Beacon Presbyterian Church was founded in 1871 and experienced a dramatic ebb and flow of members, prosperity, and programming over its 140 year ministry. In 2010 it became apparent that the conventional model of ministry was no longer having the same effect it had in the past, and a discernment collaborative with Broad Street Ministry and the Presbytery of Philadelphia was formed.
BSM is a faith community in center city Philadelphia that practices radical hospitality, cherishes the arts, and works for a more just world through civic engagement. The Presbytery of Philadelphia is an organization that walks alongside and supports churches as agents of transformation in particular communities.
Both are also invested in cultivating leaders with an appetite for risk-taking, and so Rebecca Blake and Karen Rohrer, who are also on staff at BSM, were commissioned to grow a faith community that creatively proclaims the gospel. In 2011 Beacon Presbyterian Church was dissolved and Beacon opened, beginning a new phase of growth with different ways of doing ministry that honor the significant legacy of BPC but also strive to be innovative in meeting the needs of the neighborhood.

Co-Directors Karen Rohrer & Rebecca Blake, with their team of worship leaders, support staff and volunteers, have spent the past couple of years transforming the church at 2364 E Cumberland Street. One aspect of that transformation has been reconfiguring the pews to fit their story-sharing-based worship model.

This has meant splitting the existing pews into sections and putting them on wheels. We love this — they’ve used the existing furniture in the church but creatively altered it to fit their needs. This process left behind middle sections of the past pews, some with legs and some without. This is where we come in.

We stepped in to reclaim the leftover bits of pew for reuse. We took 14 benches and side legs — pictured above leaning against the wall — as well as 10 supporting legs, like the one attached to the pew above.

Big pews on a small truck! Luckily our shop is just around the corner from Beacon, so we safely transported the pews in a few short trips.As you can see, the side legs we have for the pews aren’t your traditional pew ends. But we like being able to see how they once fit together. Plus, they’re modular — great for a big project, if you’ve got the space. $100 for a ~7′ pew with two legs; prices for pieces and different lengths vary. We’re happy to talk through your reuse ideas with you, just stop by the shop!

One pew has already found a temporary home with our friends Jason and Vanessa, as part of an ongoing renovation. We can’t wait to see it completed! And we can’t wait to see how you use the rest of the pew collection.

PS — If you are looking for a place to worship this Sunday, Beacon will be moving up into their newly renovated sanctuary. Join them there at 10am for a special Easter service.