A valuable piece of land

A couple of years ago, we as a church purchased the 12 acres of land across the street from us that we held last summer’s Rodeo and Western Event on. Why is this land so valuable to us? The answer is in the fact that we are completely landlocked on our present 16 acre track of land which our facility sits on. Due to green space restrictions, we as a church have built as much as we can build. We can not build another square foot.

This is where this land across the street comes in. This 12 acre field is currently zoned agricultural. What this means is that we cannot build a building on it. However, if we can find a usage for this land that allows it to remain green, then perhaps the township might allow us to count this property as our green space that would allow us to expand our present facility.

This has resulted in the Elder Board putting together a Concept Development Team led by our Business Manager, Andrew Norton, along with Rich Wilson, who attends our church and is one of the Vice Presidents at Lancaster Bible College, to look at the possibility of making this piece of ground a top notch community recreational park. Your first reaction may be to say, “What kind of ministry value is there in that?” Actually, there is load of advantage.

First, it would allow us to meet a very real need within our community. Our community is hurting for additional sports fields, especially in the sport of soccer. If we could turn this land across the street into a recreational park that included a first rate soccer field and regulation size track among other things, we would meet a very real need in our community. Our land would be used on a regular basis bringing hundreds of people to our property. This would fulfill our purpose perfectly of “meeting people where they are and moving them to where God wants them to be!” If this land included an unbelievable kid’s play area and picnic area, we would touch people in a positive way, much like we did through the rodeo, but on a daily basis. Imagine how much more effective these touches would be if we could make this complex first rate with lights for evening activities and the works.

Second, this direction would greatly help our children’s, youth as well as our educational ministries of MorningStar Daycare and Lititz Christian School. Our current soccer field is very bad and our school track team literally practices while running around cars in our parking lot. How incredible would it be to have a first rate recreational park that not only serves our community but assists all of our ministries that involve reaching and impacting children and teens. Folks, listen, that’s a “win-win” scenario! It’s the best of both worlds.

And if that is not reason enough to be excited about this possibility, we may just be able to accomplish all of this while at the same time making it possible to do something we currently are not allowed to do and need to do…expand our facility out on to our present soccer field. Now we are talking a “win-win-win” for our church! This is a very exciting time to be part of the Grace Church family. Please be praying for our Concept Development Team and our Church Staff and Elder Board as we see how God leads and directs us.