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“The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.”
– William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury
Different variations of the above quote have been attributed to Archbishop Temple. While there isn’t universal agreement about which exact words he used, the point is still the same. Jesus came to serve others and to embody God’s love, and He expected His Church to follow His example. Should your local church strive to be a comfortable place where like-minded believers can gather to worship and fellowship? Absolutely. But should your church also strive to be intentional about reaching and serving those outside the four walls of your building? Without a doubt. It’s not an either/or proposition; your church should really be about both!
If your church is ready to grow both deeper and wider, then one of the best investments you can make as a congregation is in a commercial playground facility. Why? Having some good outdoor playground equipment installed on your church property is beneficial for your own young families with children, and it’s also a great resource for engaging with those who aren’t yet members of your church family.
No matter the particular makeup of the community around your local church, you certainly want your church to be seen as a welcoming place for young families. Adding an outdoor playground will immediately benefit the children of your church, and can also serve to help you attract new families and better serve folks in your extended neighborhood.
A plethora of studies all point to the same thing – there are lots of positive benefits that go along with providing children with a well-designed facility for outdoor play. Among other things, a church playground serves to get kids’ faces out of their screens, lets them enjoy some fresh air and sunshine, promotes the development of essential motor skills, and gives them a safe environment for having some plain old fun. And giving kids one more reason to look forward to coming to church is a good thing!
Church playgrounds are a fantastic place for kids to develop and groom essential social skills, and hopefully, even make a new friend. Playground equipment for churches can help teach the importance of teamwork, empathy, and patience – like when a child must wait their turn before being able to use a favorite play feature. And learning to interact with peers in a healthy manner is a skill that will serve children well all the way through adulthood!
From our experience at Carolina Recreation & Design, we don’t know of a local church in NC, SC, VA, or TN that wouldn’t like to attract more young families. Honestly, this is a goal (and a challenge) for pretty much every church in America. Have you decided that attracting families with children is going to be a central priority for your church? If so, then making the decision to have a new playground installed is a wonderful strategy. In addition, if your church has any plans to launch a church daycare or preschool at any point in the future, then having your own playground facility onsite isn’t just an option – it’s an absolute necessity!
A commercial playground is an inviting feature to have installed on any property, and that includes church properties, too. A prominently located playground can really add to the overall curb appeal of your church. It sends a positive message about your church to all who may walk, bike, or drive by; it lets folks know that your church sees children as a priority. It also communicates how much your church values the importance of things like recreation, fellowship, and good, clean fun.
The Fair View UMC of Mooresville, NC has this message posted on signage at the entrance of their playground (which Carolina Recreation & Design was happy to install for them). This is a perfect description of the kind of impact a church playground can have on your congregation. It lets folks know that they’re welcome to visit both your playground AND your church. If this resonates with the kind of message your church would like to send to your local community, then let the pros at Carolina Recreation & Design help make it happen for you!
Let’s say you’ve decided that you need a playground for your church. Where do you go from here? Here are a few tips to help you as you plan:
Consider how much outdoor space you have available, along with the particulars of your property layout. Does your land need to be graded? What natural shade do you have available? Need to add a fabric shade canopy? If you’re not sure how to go about answering questions like these, the pros at Carolina Recreation & Design are here to help.
Playground equipment that’s designed for older children won’t work well for toddlers, or vice-versa. Consider the target age range of the kids you plan to engage with your play equipment, and then plan accordingly. Are there any special needs children in your church? Either way, you’ll likely want to make your playground as accessible as possible for children of various ages and levels of ability. Choosing to add some inclusive play equipment and playground features is really a good idea for any church playground project.
What are your goals for your church playground? Is it simply about giving church and neighborhood children a safe, fun place to play, or do you also plan to be more intentional about incorporating your playground in your children’s ministry programming? If so, you’ll probably want to gain some feedback from Sunday School teachers, Vacation Bible School leaders, and other stakeholders.
Needless to say, this is another important consideration. Like most any other church project, you’re probably operating under a set budget. For this reason, you need to choose a commercial playground solution that’s practical, effective, and also falls within your project budget parameters. One good approach for many churches is to develop a long-term playground development plan which you can complete in stages. Taking a phase-based approach allows you to work with your available funds, while still being able to meet realistic timetables for each stage of project completion.
When it comes to finding and installing the right commercial playground equipment for sale, you certainly want to get the most possible ROI out of your church playground project. To that end, it really helps to have a trusted, experienced playground solution partner in your corner. Carolina Recreation & Design is here to help you find the best options to meet your needs, while also keeping your particular budget in mind.
The Carolina Recreation & Design team has helped many churches to get the exact custom playground they need. And if your church is located in NC, SC, VA, or TN, we can help you, too! Plus, we do much more than just sell great playground and recreational equipment; we also source playground safety surfacing, fabric shades, picnic shelters, and a wide range of other needed site amenities and furnishings. We’re happy to install everything we sell, and we can also help you with site design, site prep, permitting, landscaping, and more. In other words, we provide complete, turnkey solutions for churches, schools, daycares, parks, HOAs, and more!
Ready to make a positive impact on both your church and your community? Get in touch with us today, and let’s start making plans for your perfect church playground! Simply give us a call now at (704) 664-1833! Carolina Recreation & Design has all you covered!
Carolina Recreation & Design is a full-service general contracting company offering turnkey installation of recreational products for parks, schools, churches, clubs, daycares and amusement parks. We offer premium-quality commercial products that are safe, fun, and built to last.