Nurturing faith. Showing love. Building a community of hope.

That is the three-fold goal that Wesley United Methodist Church hopes to achieve within its own congregation, within the downtown area and throughout Muscatine, with the opening of its new Family Life Center (FLC).

With the renovation of the former Nichols Chapel Hill Funeral Home and the addition of a newly constructed gymnasium/multi-purpose room, Brooke Oehme, the 27-year-old youth and family director at the church, said that Wesley has gained 6,708 square feet of space to practice one of the basic teachings of Christianity.

“People will know that we are Christians by our love,” Oehme said. “Even though Wesley is the name written on the building, we want it to be very open to the community. I’ve been inviting other youth groups to everything we’re doing. We want a place where people can get together and develop relationships and get to know who is living up the street.”

Oehme, who also teaches religion and philosophy classes at Muscatine Community College, said that the facility will not only be used for faith-based groups and activities, but for other types of service projects, organizations and events, from local Boy Scouts and sports leagues, to community theater groups and specialized training.

The renovated funeral home has been given new life as a youth lounge, providing plenty of room for foosball, ping pong and air hockey tables, quiet spots for study and homework, and comfortable furniture that invites area youth to “hang out.”

A café area is also in the works. At this point Oehme said the facility is open to middle school and high school students every Sunday night from 6 to 8 p.m. for a free Open Gym and Youth Night and on Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. for the church’s Youth Council.

She is also working toward organizing youth programs at the FLC in affiliation with other downtown churches for teacher in-service days, open-mic nights, overnighters and other youth events that can be offered at low- or no-cost.

“There are a lot of kids who live within a one-mile radius of our churches. It’s nice for us to be able to plan things together so that no one budget has to support all these things. And yet we can reach a lot more kids that way,” she said.

Oehme quickly pointed out, that even though the facility is often used for youth programs, the facility is for people of all ages.

“We definitely want to be a place that meets community needs and not just an empty building that can be rented out. We want it to have specific goals for who uses our facility,” she said.

The newly constructed area includes an 80’ x 49’ 4” gymnasium/multipurpose room, a 30-by-12-foot stage, a vestibule, lobby, restrooms, kitchenette and janitorial and storage rooms. Equipment for basketball, volleyball and dodgeball is also available for use at the facility.

Oehme said that Wesley members can rent the facility for a deposit and other groups and individuals wishing to use the FLC are charged on a sliding scale and are asked to complete an application and comply with the facility’s child safety policy, both of which are available at the church’s main office at 400 Iowa Ave.

Soon after the facility was completed, Oehme said the calendar began to quickly fill up with reservations for its use.

The church is opening the facility to the community for a Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, Nov. 22, with entertainment provided by the church. And on Friday, Dec. 4, during Muscatine’s annual Holiday Stroll, the church will celebrate the FLC’s Grand Opening from  5 to 8 p.m., with prizes, games and performances, to let Muscatine see what they are all about.

“We want this to be a place of pride for our community in order to show our devotion to God,” Oehme said. “As Christians we should have a relationship with God, we should have a relationship with those around us, and out of both of those we should want to serve each other and I think this is a good example of that.”

Wesley United Methodist Church Family Life Center — 114 W. Fourth St. — 563-263-1596

Standard events:

What: Open Gym and Youth Night for Middle School and High School students

When: Sundays, 6-8 p.m.

Cost: Free

What: Youth Council for Middle School and High School students

When: Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m.

Special events:

What: Thanksgiving dinner — open to the community

When: Sunday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Entertainment provided by Wesley United Methodist Church

What: Grand Opening

When: Friday, Dec. 4, 5-8 p.m.

Cost: Free

Prizes, games and performances to welcome the Family Life Center into the community

More information: For rental information, contact the church office at 400 Iowa Ave., or by phone at 563-263-1631.