Glenwood Life Center

In an increasingly frantic and polarized world, the Glenwood Life Center will be a positive and engaging environment, from home and work, to create intentional, collaborative, and life-giving community. GLC seeks entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, coaches, practitioners, musicians, all ages, professionals, non-profits, neighbors, families... people "ready" to share their talents and passions for the benefit of others. A community, where diversity intersects with understanding, through co-working, forums, workshops, events, social and professional networking, meetups, gatherings, parties, lessons, and live performances. GLC, a communal place for Spirituality, Wellness, The Arts, and Care, will encourage a healthier North Shore and more compassionate World.

Our Story

Glenwood Presbyterian Church, a white steeple New England Colonial, closed October 2015. Its legacy included helping create the fire department located across the street and providing a faith home for many area residents tracing back to 1872, when “Glenwood Landing was then just what its name implies, a few houses and a good dock.”

The church helped start Glenwood Arts before closing. Glenwood Arts successfully engaged a larger, more diverse population of the North Shore through cooperative, creative community events and projects. Unfortunately, the existing church congregation did not have the means left to help facilitate this new venture.

The Long Island Presbytery, current owner of the church property, sought a partnership to avoid being forced to quickly sell to the highest bidder, earning some developer a quick profit, unknown future for the building and property values, and loss of a historical communal gathering place. Instead the Long Island Presbytery reached out to United Adult Ministries (UAM), a non-profit that “offers older adults hope, through expanding opportunities and practical services, to live confidently in today’s world.” UAM, originating in 1916 by eight Brooklyn women to care for mothers widowed by World War I, agreed to partner and envision new uses for the property.

The focus quickly became to repurpose the unique space, honoring its past, by resurrecting a communal refuge from home and work. A nonsectarian place to harness community talents and passions to be more inclusive, collaborative, and diverse than is possible for just a single place of faith. A commitment was made to renovate several sections of the building for immediate use and recast the old building as the “Glenwood Life Center (GLC) - A Communal Place for Spirituality, Wellness, The Arts, and Care!"