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New Campus Community Center gets under way in Romania

On June 27, 2021, a long-held dream of the «Way of Faith» UMC in Cluj-Napoca came true, when there was the official celebration and blessing of the new Campus Community Center.
 
For many years, members of the young United Methodist community in Cluj-Napoca had nurtured a vision to establish a center where different NGOs and ministries with youth can work together at one place. After a time of discernment, prayers and hard work, this center could finally be opened – and it was a special joy that Bishop Patrick Streiff and his wife Heidi were present, as well.
 
During the Service of Celebration, worship was led by members of Alfa Band along with Sarah Putman, the mission partner from the USA. Superintendent Rares Calugar introduced the speakers including Anca, who shared her testimony of the vision for the center, and Pastor Horea from the Orthodox Evangelical Community, who spoke of his growing links to the United Methodist Church in Romania and how a common vision had enabled him to bring his Lord’s Army church into the community project.
 
Bishop Patrick Streiff went on to speak about ways we can share the Gospel with others and how we can be a blessing for the people who will encounter and interact with ministries and people on the Campus. He also brought his own words of blessing and encouragement over this space, God’s ministry here, and the people who will serve as God’s hands, feet, eyes, and especially ears to this community.
 
During their stay in Romania, Bishop Streiff and his wife also met with leaders of the church and some of its partner projects. They visited the building site of a Methodist community center in the nearby Roma village Comsesti and worshipped together with «Light of Light» UMC in Sibiu.
 
This project of a Community Centre marks a brave step forward for the church in Cluj as they have agreed to rent the entire Hotel Hanul Fullton, making the site available as offices, a conference venue, a worship center for three church communities, all while still keeping some rooms available as hotel accommodations to bring in much needed income. Some rooms had been rented before, already, and the «Way of Faith» UMC already met at this place. Having done this big step of faith, the local church does not only have an income-generating ministry but also a site providing a community hub for a number of NGOs and other projects while also acting as accommodation for conferences and visiting mission groups.
 
It will thus be an opportunity to put love into action in many different regards, to invite people to the journey of faith, and to open up new perspectives – particularly to teenagers and youth.
 
Source: Superintendent Rares Calugar, Cluj-Napoca/Romania