First Christian Seeking Input From Commmunity on Potential New Rec Center
Decatur Metro | August 13, 2010Reverend Dr. James Brewer-Calvert writes in…
Greetings! I do hope this note finds you well.
You are invited to participate in an open conversation. The First Christian Church of Decatur is holding open conversations on both August 18, at 7:30PM in our Fellowship Hall, and again on Saturday, August 21 at 10AM in our Church and Community Park and Playground on Nelson Ferry Road.
This is an open conversation for both the church and the wider community to discern whether to formulate plans and collect resources to build a new community recreation center dedicated to promoting programs, which could then benefit the citizens of the Decatur community by providing excellent facilities and staff for neighborhood programs such as after-school education and tutoring, health and wellness, sport and athletics, meeting rooms, language and cultural projects, mental health and spiritual wellness services, and so forth. Currently we have a gym facility we have chosen to close for a variety of reasons, which leads us to ask you and each other, “What can we do with our land to help meet specific needs in Decatur?”
There is a valid and practical precedent for such an open conversation and an expectant hope.
In 1998, First Christian Church of Decatur hosted an open meeting to ask our neighbors, What do you think should be done with our land on Ponce and Nelson Ferry? In 1999, residents of the Ponce De Leon Heights neighborhood joined hands with the members and friends of the First Christian Church of Decatur to revitalize 1.3 acres of church property with the goal of creating a church and community park. A Playground Task Force was formed, and its 5 members met monthly for close to ten years, producing a capital fund campaign, a terrific park, and one Decatur Home Town Hero — Mr. John Hashimoto.
By 2003, we raised over $75,000 in donations, including a $5,000 grant from the Decatur Beer Festival circa 2000; $20,000 from city residents; and $50,000 from the membership of the church. The funds were pooled to plan, grade, build, and maintain a park and playground that is loved and used by an average of 200 families per week throughout the year. Somebody say, “Amen!”
Practicing hospitality is a central tenet of this congregation’s faith journey. For the Christian Church having an open door is not only an ecclesial policy, it is a way of being. Formed in 1921 and relocated from North Adams Street to downtown Decatur in 1950, First Christian Church of Decatur has a long and significant history of civic-minded ministry. We are delighted to open our doors seven days a week to host Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, local and federal Elections, music lessons and recitals, other churches, community organizations and local boards, a lawn for viewing fireworks, a park for playing and enjoying carnivals, and safe space for city-wide gatherings around spiritual and social concerns. We calculate that while our church has 100-125 worshipers on Sunday morning, we regularly welcome an average of 1,000 people per week in our facilities, including the church building and playground.
We built a gym in 1970 that was widely used by a variety of church and city groups for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, dances, aerobics, and roller skating. By 1997, the gym had fallen into disrepair for a variety of reasons, and is currently not in use. However, the congregation is ready to begin to raise the following question with our city’s citizens and one another: What can we do with our land to help meet specific needs in Decatur? Out of this open church and community conversation may emerge (1) the will and (2) the way to establish a new Church and Community Center to foster and build relationships, bodies, minds, and souls. Or, it may not! Come, listen and share and let’s discern together where the Spirit is leading us.
If you have any questions or concerns or suggestions, please contact me in person at the church, by phone at 404-378-3621, or by email at [email protected].
Shalom,
James
Tax the churches! What have they ever done for us? ++Insert sarcastrophe++
I don’t have any connection to this church but reading this letter made me happy. And that’s a good way to kick off the weekend. Peace to ya.
Our churches have been, and will continue to be one of the greatest resources for the citizens of Decatur and the surrounding area. If the information FCC seeks will ultimately lead more people to participate in their church services and as a result, bring more people towards salvation, then I fully support their efforts. What I fear will happen is that this “conversation” will force DFC to either accept changes that are not in their best interests or face intense opposition from neighbors that would never set foot inside the church.
I know that the members of FCC will be guided by the principles of the Prince of Peace. I only hope that others will do the same.
Indoor swimming pool = full-immersion baptisms…….win-win
I agree that our places of worship are a great resource for the community. I wasn’t used to that when I moved here. In other parts of the country, places of worship tend to be limited to the worship part, not that that’s a bad thing. I just wasn’t used to them being entire community centers with daycares, after school programs, sports leagues, social clubs, senior services, plus community programs. So far, FCC has my admiration for their great Xmas tree sales and round-and-round park. If they have more capacity for community service and are looking for ideas, I’ll certainly send some. Off the top of my head, the following come to mind:
–Intramural sports leagues that include tweens and teens who have outgrown Decatur Rec but aren’t chosen or can’t participate on school teams
–More after care options since the Decatur Rec and Color Wheel programs have waiting lists. A Spanish or other language immersion after care program would be an unfilled niche. Something really cool for middle school students who refuse to go to Project Real at Renfroe is another–but not sure what will satisfy that age group–music, sports, technology, not sure.
I’m with Karass. Aftercare would be a great resource and potentially a money maker. Also, basketball and volleyball for tweens who want exercise and enjoy sports but aren’t skilled or experienced enough for travelling teams or school teams.
I think the preschool and mommy and me market is pretty saturated, but I’ll wait for someone with little kids to chime in on that.
Wow, this is great. That park on the corner of Ponce and Nelson Ferry is truly amazing. I had driven by it hundreds of times but didn’t know anything about it until I had a child and that child is about 2. The park is one of the best in the city, has all kinds of cool riding toys (which is great for us because we can’t ride up and down our street, we have to go to a park to do so, and this saves us hauling toys from home, not to mention the families that can’t afford riding toys), and it’s well-maintained and open to the public. Props to FCC and I hope a lot of people attend their meeting.
This open letter really does convey a true spirit of community. It’s very generous of The First Christian Church of Decatur to seek everybody’s input into their next major endeavor.
I’d love to see the Church include programs that grab the attentions of the middle schoolers. Right now, they’re at that age where the parents feel it’s safe to let them do their own thing. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case- for the kids or the neighbors. ( There are signs in Decatur Heights that we have a couple of kids that may be on a wrong path.) It seems the best way to “up the cool factor” of after school programs would be to get high school kids involved with designing & leading them.
Brilliant–something led by older teens will seem cool to younger teens and the tweens. Excellent idea. It provides employment for older teens and a safe haven for younger teens/tweens.
I’m not much of a believer, and have a very low opinion of “organized” religion, but I have to give Reverend Brewer-Calvert and the church high marks for reaching out to the community. I look forward to hearing the results of the meetings.
By the way, DM, what does “imput” mean?
I’d love to see a vital recreation center that is used by all ages. It will be interesting to hear other neighbors comments in light of the proposed renovations of the Decatur Recreation Center — I believe we could have a “Lowcater” Recreation Center that could also easily be supported. I look forward to the conversations as this incredibly community-minded church moves forward … BTW, welcome back Rev. James Brewer-Calvert from sabbatical …..