I have attended Third for over 30 years. Since churches are made up of people, there are no perfect…read morechurches, including Third. I have seen a lot in my decades there, some bad, most good, and some amazing.
This is a church which actively supports the community that surrounds it, offering groceries and meals, at no cost, to those who need them. Third is also a founding member of Family Promise of Greater Rochester - formerly RAIHN - which seeks to make a dent in homelessness by offering emergency housing, housing assistance, job assistance and more. In the beginning, the emergency housing rotated between several faith communities, with Third providing overnight accommodations for a week at a time in our Education Wing, staffed by volunteers. Please visit https://www.fpgroc.org/ for more information. The East Avenue Grocery Run has raised over $450,000 dollars that go straight to local food pantries and hunger support programs (https://www.groceryrun.org/) All these outreach programs are either partially or fully funded by Third members through their financial contributions. I have participated in these programs and seen, up close and personal, how they touch people's lives in many different ways.
I cannot possibly put into this review all that this church has meant to me, but I will say that spiritual growth is always a goal, as are congregational care, children's ministry, music ministry, and of course, outreach. My three boys, who were raised in this church, gained so much from it, and make me proud as adults who care about others and are community-minded. And lest you think otherwise, I am simply a member of the congregation and nobody important, with neither power nor position in the church. There are many like me, and you are welcome to come visit and learn about Third for yourself.