Sunday, June 20, 11am
Callejon de Alcocer 24 (a few doors from the SAPASMA)
free

Why would a church rent a huge warehouse space? Well, if you are the Community Church of San Miguel de Allende (CCSMA) you look beyond the obvious and you see the potential. You rent it, then you paint the walls and floors, you hang tapestries on the walls, move in your stained glass, your keyboard, your altar and your chairs and you convert that warehouse into a huge worship space. And that is exactly what CCSMA has done.

Prior to the pandemic, CCSMA rented space on the weekends from SmartSpace at Salida a Celaya 34, and some of the last few Sundays there had overflow crowds, with several people standing outside during the service. Then the pandemic hit. Live services had to be suspended and the lease expired. Because of non-use, the lease was not renewed, and the church began producing virtual services which were posted to YouTube.

During this time a committee was named by then Council Chair Gary Stephens to find a new location for the church to meet. Chairman Stephens named Robert Seifert to chair this new Facilities Committee, and he then joined the committee along with the then chair of the Worship and Music Committee, Luke Rich.

During the late winter of 2020, some members of the church began to feel it was safe to have outdoor services in a member’s garden, and those few who agreed began meeting for live services. But as the rainy season was drawing near, and as the pace of vaccination picked up, more and more people began attending the live service. Obviously there needed to be an indoor space for the church to begin worshipping because the garden was no longer viable with the rain about to start.

A large indoor space was needed, but spaces large enough to accommodate a growing church were in short supply, especially traditional spaces suitable for conducting worship services open to the public. So, the Committee had to think out of the box.

And thinking out of the box was exactly what they did. Local realtor Gabriel Rubiera asked if the church would consider a warehouse near SAPASMA. With a bit of trepidation, the committee agreed to look at it along with Council members Carol Weicker and Karen Johnson plus Assistant Treasurer Jeannie Schnakenberg. When they saw the facility, it was immediately apparent that the space could be made to do very well. The skylights in the tall roof lit the space with a natural glow; God’s light to shine on God’s people. With some paint and some effort, the warehouse could very quickly become not only a place to worship God, but also be useful for the outreach work of the church in the community.

In early May the church began negotiations to rent the warehouse at Callejon de Alcocer #24 just a few doors from the SAPASMA main office, which is across from Luciernaga Mall. After the lease was signed the church began adapting the former warehouse space into a place of worship. On May 23, 2021 the church held its first service in the former warehouse space, even though not everything was painted and many of the church accoutrements, including hymnals, were still in storage.

The painting has now been completed (including painting the large warehouse doors a not-to-be-missed red), the furnishings have been installed, and the hymnals have been delivered. The Community Church of San Miguel de Allende has a new space ready for the worship of God, and on Sunday June 20, 2021 the church will have a celebratory service to dedicate the new space. The large size of the space has permitted the chairs to be set up socially distanced in keeping with health guidelines.

San Miguel is invited to join CCSMA in the dedication and celebration service this coming Sunday. The prelude by Music Director Lorelei Capell will begin at 11 A.M. with the service conducted by visiting pastor and former CCSMA member, retired United Methodist minister the Rev. John Norman. The lector for the service will be Ron Stephens.

Come join CCSMA in celebration!