Founded in 1889, Village Church has a 116-year tradition of "Reaching Out and Raising Up Disciples for Jesus" in Ashville and Pickaway County. Village Church has grown through the years with a passion for reaching out to our young people through our children and youth programs and our annual Vacation Bible School. We reach out to families in need with a Free Store with back-to-school clothing and school supplies, and an ongoing support of the Ashville Food Pantry. We reach out to prisoners via the Kairos and One Community prison ministries. Finally, Village Church reaches beyond Ashville, sending missionaries to Russia, the Ukraine, Haiti, and South America. But we dreamed of more.

Founded in 1840, Hedges Chapel Church has been "United by His Love and Empowered by His Spirit" for more than 160 years in our community. This spirit has lead us to an ongoing ministry with our neighbors at Mann's Trailer Court, providing transportation to worship and assistance to families in need. Hedges Chapel provides a community After School Kid's Club, and offers back-to-school shopping for area families, as well as a Christmas Adopt-A-Child program. This spirit of giving has led us to participate in the Kairos Prison Ministry Program, the Ashville Food Pantry, and the Community Kitchen and Clothing Center. Finally, this spirit of love has enabled us to send missionaries to Haiti, Honduras, and Panama. But we dreamed of more.

In December 2003, members of Village and Hedges Chapel churches were together at a holiday party. We began sharing our own church's visions for the future. We shared the dreams we both have for new, vital community outreach programs in Ashville and beyond, and we shared our concerns about the many needs we see in our own community.

Plans are being developed for a permanent home on the corner of Main Street and Circleville Avenue in Ashville. It is our intention to use this Family Life Center as a tool to reach out to our community. The facility is designed to house activity rooms for seniors, with a kitchen nearby. The facility includes rooms for an affordable community Christian preschool, and meeting and activity areas for our youth. The plan also has areas for increased worship, family activity and classroom space. This facility will allow our new church to continue to offer exciting ministries for our neighbors in Ashville and around the world.

This is, indeed, an exciting time as Hedges Chapel and Village Church come together as Village Chapel United Methodist Church. We share in our common dreams to build our new church that is based on the traditions of our congregations and the faith of our membership. We can now unite in His love to raise the capital needed to build the Family Life Center, a tool which will allow our new church to offer current and expanded ministries. We believe that the people of Village Chapel Church are ready for this challenge, and will enter into this effort prayerfully and enthusiastically.

The vision of a Family Life Center is a tangible expression of how, when we are united in His love and empowered by His spirit, we can reach out and raise up disciples for Jesus. It is our dream to reach all people in our community with the transforming love of Jesus, and raise them into mature disciples of Christ.