The 14th Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival takes place March 7-16. Several screenings will take place at La Perla Del Mar! Visit www.slofilmfest.org for more information and scheduling.

Labels: Events, Film, News

A portion of an article by April Charlton at the Times-Press-Recorder is shared below. The entire article is available here. (12/13/2008).

When Shell Beach resident Shelley Malcolm learned the Shell Beach Methodist Church on Windward Avenue was likely set to meet the fate of the wrecking ball, she knew she couldn't let it happen.

But she also knew that she alone couldn't afford to buy the church and save it from ruins, so Malcolm enlisted the help of friends Jim Murphy and Garin Sinclair to help keep the wrecking ball away.

Malcolm, her husband Doug, Murphy and Sinclair joined forces, formed a partnership and bought the church, as well as the adjoining property - the historic one-room Bellevue schoolhouse that was moved from San Luis Obispo to Shell Beach in 1947.

The church was closed and put on the market more than a year ago because of a dwindling membership, according to Methodist Church officials.

"The whole community was heartbroken over the (potential) loss of this lovely building and church," Malcolm said. "I said, 'Someone has to buy the building and do something with it.' Jim Murphy and Garin Sinclair didn’t even hesitate."

The couples will run the church and adjacent building, which is still undergoing renovations, as a business, renting out the facility to individuals and groups, to help recoup some of the monthly mortgage payments, Malcolm said.

The church can seat 100 to 150 people, and has four bathrooms. The adjoining schoolhouse can be used as a staging area for the bride and her bridal party. An adjoining patio also has been constructed between the two buildings.

Malcolm knew that they couldn't call the church by its original name - Shell Beach Methodist Church - and after some thought, she and Sinclair came up with its new name, "La Perla del Mar," which translates to "the pearl by the sea."

"It's like a pearl to us; a little jewel in Shell Beach," Malcolm said. "We just fell in love (with the name) and no one else was using it."

The neighborhood has embraced the idea of transforming the former church into a quasi-community center where people can take yoga classes, gather for church services or get married, if they choose, Malcolm said.

She also said she and her partners feel blessed to have been able to save the church and historic schoolhouse, once again opening the buildings to the community.

Already on calendar at La Perla del Mar, at 205 Windward Ave., are church services, yoga classes, acting classes, voice workshops, art shows and weddings.

Labels: News

La Perla del Mar, formerly Shell Beach Methodist Church, held its grand opening. It will be used for community events, weddings, church services, yoga classes and more.

Shelley Malcolm of Shell Beach knew that it was meant to be.

When the longtime Shell Beach Methodist Church— built in the early 1940s at Pearl Street and Windward Avenue- was put up for sale a year ago because of a declining congregation, Malcolm wanted to make sure it remained a part of the community.

"My heart broke that the congregation had gotten to that point," Malcolm said. "I asked my husband if we could buy it -do something to save it."

A developer was in the process of buying the property, planning to demolish the buildings and construct homes. When that fell through, Malcolm said her heart jumped at the second chance.

Then, while driving home from a trip to Los Angeles, Malcolm shared her hopes of transforming the church into a community venue with close friend Garin Sinclair of Arroyo Grande.

"She looked at it the next day and didn’t hesitate," Malcolm said. "We share the same value systems for just lifting up the community, and she immediately saw the site’s potential for people getting together in the spirit of good will."

Malcolm and Sinclair met with people from the community who agreed with their wish to see the building transformed, Malcolm said.

A mere six months later, the makeover into La Perla del Mar was complete. The grand opening was celebrated this past weekend.

The venue will be available for weddings, banquets, receptions and various community recreation classes, such as yoga and drama.

A small, historic one-room schoolhouse on the property has been converted into a two-bedroom cottage that can be used for wedding parties.

On Sundays, the chapel hosts a small nondenominational congregation called At the Cross.

"There is a new history beginning here," Malcolm said. "The name translates from Spanish to mean the pearl by the sea... because it is a precious place to our community."

Church is reborn as a community center
Nick Wilson & AnnMarie Cornejo, San Luis Obispo Tribune

Labels: About, News

The Shell Beach Methodist Church has been remodeled into a charming community venue, which will host weddings, meetings, church services, art shows, art classes, and much more. Closed amidst controversy over the potential loss of this charming old church, Shelly Malcolm and Garin Sinclair have fixed it up and have given it a new identity.

All are invited to come see on Saturday, Dec 15th from 11:30am to 4:00pm.

Labels: Events, News, Open House