Summer Is for Playgrounds

The Study Center has provided Freedom Fellowships with many blessings. During the pandemic, the parking lot served as an impromptu spot to host Central Teaching (honks to that)! In the last year, the building has been used for teachings, study, worship, parties, and more.

This summer, the Study Center will be adding a new amenity: a playground!

Freedom Fellowships announced plans to construct a playground at the Study Center at the FST Retreat in February. Elder Neil Brooks said members of Freedom Fellowships donated enough money for the church to purchase a commercial-grade playground that will be installed in just a matter of weeks.

"We're getting a commercial unit," he said. "There were a lot of generous donors for this, so thank you to all the donors who donated."

Naturally since this investment is for kids, Neil said Freedom Fellowships’ kids helped to pick the playset they wanted after a Central Teaching this spring. Playground equipment is on order now with a lead time of 8-10 weeks, which means that is the earliest construction could begin.

As of the first week of May, Freedom Fellowships purchased the playset and hopes to install the playset by mid- to late July. Burl Covan, a member of BroYo fellowship group, will prepare the playground site. Once cement dries on the site, volunteers will be needed to help install the playset and spread mulch around the unit.

“It will be a tremendous amount of work, so we’d want as many volunteers as we can get that day,” said Chris Baker, who is a deacon in BroYo.

The playground also is being designed with expansion in mind, so play doesn’t have to stop with the new playset!

Some expansion ideas include a sandbox and playhouses for smaller kids. Additionally, a basketball court for the bigger kids and the “big kids” (such as students in Identity Project) is in the works!

Although the expansion ideas aren’t official, Chris said the playground will ultimately be used to serve a multitude of needs: a place for kids to play at Oasis during Central Teaching, a place to host mom’s group events, a place to serve the neighborhood, and a place for Freedom Fellowships’ kids to invite their friends or neighbors to play.

Chris suggested that anyone who has a burden to help with the playground construction should contact Neil Brooks or Kyle McCallum.