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You may have noticed some work being done on the southeast side of the Creekwood property. It’s not just Rusty having fun.
Creekwood UMC has contracted with the Texas Spurs Soccer Club for the Texas Spurs to build soccer fields for their own use, which Creekwood will have access to. The Creekwood Trustees had authorized this agreement before the new Leadership Board was formed, but the Leadership Board has also signed off on the agreement.
Here are some of the questions I’ve been asked:
Will it cost Creekwood UMC any money?
No. The Texas Spurs are fully paying for the construction of the fields, irrigation costs, and maintenance upfront and for the next 4 years.
Will Creekwood UMC earn any income?
Eventually. In exchange for the Texas Spurs’ investment in the land, they will be able to use it for 3 years at no fee. In year 4, they will begin paying a rental fee but still maintain exclusive “outside group” rites to field usage. In year 5, the agreement can be re-upped, renegotiated, or Creekwood UMC has the freedom to put field usage on the open market.
Did Creekwood UMC sell the land to Texas Spurs?
No. Creekwood UMC still owns the land that is being developed. Texas Spurs is cultivating it.
When does Creekwood UMC get to use the fields?
Creekwood UMC has exclusive access to the fields during Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings unless we choose to cede access. This will allow for usage during all-church events and Wednesday Night Student Ministries.
Texas Spurs has also agreed to be flexible in cases where a wedding or funeral may need to happen during practice or game times. To maintain a reverent attitude, at the request of those getting married or celebrating the eternal life of their loved ones, Texas Spurs will shift their practice locations. They will also not use the fields during special moments of worship such as Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, etc.
What is the benefit to Creekwood UMC?
We will enjoy the benefit of wide-open, groomed spaces for all-church fun and games, but I believe the more appropriate question to ask is “How will this benefit our community?”
Creekwood will gain the eventual revenue stream, but it has been in our master plan in 2014 to construct sporting fields for our community to enjoy. Even if only environmentally, it will introduce young soccer players to the idea that a church cares about them and opens up a moment for them to be curious and for us to invite them. We also believe that participation in an active lifestyle is great for the physical and mental health of young children, when not done along an obsessive and all-consuming schedule that prohibits well-roundedness. God blessed us with the property to bless our community with and it seems counter-intuitive to the Gospel mission to simply keep it to ourselves.
Also, it’ll look really pretty and if we ever have a church-wide vote that ends in a tie we’ll just go settle it with penalty kicks.
And, for something completely different…
This summer, I want to highlight our Sunday morning and weekday small groups and invite you to check them out. This week:
The NEST
The NEST meets in Room 101 on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am. It’s a group predominantly consisting of people with children, ranging from “just born” to high school. You will find people from the NEST group active in nearly every ministry of Creekwood on top of coaching on the sidelines of their kids’ team, involved in the school districts, and more. Sunday mornings are spent laughing and catching up, supporting each other through hard times, and digging into the ways in which faithfulness to Christ matters for us and the way we live in the world.
If you’d like to ask any questions or would like to visit them, contact Charlotte Smith.
Peace,
David Lessner
