The Welcome Church
A Church Without Walls
About Us
The Welcome Church is the worshiping community that grew out The Welcome Center, a place of healing and hospitality founded by The Reverend Violet Cucciniello Little in January of 2007 and hosted by the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. In January, 2012, The Welcome Church was officially recognized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as a congregation under development serving people in poverty.In addition to Pastors Little (ELCA) and Steinnegal (PCUSA), our volunteer clergy team includes a number of faith leaders from the Episcopal, UCC, and other traditions. All are welcome to be part of this dynamic ministry.
Please Join Us:
Tea and Talk: A weekly Monday gathering at Arch Street United Methodist Church, corner of Broad and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, from 12:30-2:00 for tea and conversation. Whether it's Donald serving as D.J. or someone like Greg stepping in to play the piano, our Monday teatimes are often filled with music, laughter, and always homemade cookies!
Prayer, Bible Study, and Holy Communion:Each Tuesday from 12:00 to 3:30, we gather at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2111 Sansom Street for fellowship, knitting, art, Bible Study, prayer, and communion with Bible Study beginning at 1:30. Though we are not a lunch program, we do set up a table for food to be shared with everyone. Everything from Lou's famous soups, Barry's tuna salad,
Fran's famous egg salad and Mike's chicken legs help to make our "we are not a lunch program" Tuesdays a miracle of true abundance. To view a video made by members of The Welcome Church community on abundance, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7shvB6eOnSg
Chef Lou and his soups made with love and our table of abundance.
Pictured below is an afghan being sewn together with each block knit by a different member of our community. A symbol of how we are knit together as one human family.
Church on Logan: Our twice monthly outdoor service of Word and Sacrament at Aviator Park, across from the Franklin Institute at 3:00 meets the first and last Sunday of each month regardless of weather. Each service is followed by coffee hour in the park, hosted by various congregations. Everyone is welcomed to the table at the invitation of the One who simply said, "Take and eat..." Coffee hour hosts are always needed and a wonderful continuation of our Sunday worship. For more information on hosting a Welcome Church coffee hour, contact Pastor Schaunel Steinnegal at rvschaunel@aol.com.
Pictured are our communion bowl, altar bearing the sacrament and surrounded by coffee hour offerings, and a beautiful burst of flowers on the Parkway serving as our springtime "altar flowers."