Growth in Brookwood prompts block party

Big Hurricane Baptist Church in Brookwood, near Tuscaloosa, hosted its first communitywide block party June 18. The church, located near the Mercedes manufacturing plant, wanted to provide a fun, nonthreatening church activity for families who have recently moved into the area for work.
   
The area has experienced major growth the past several years, Pastor John Scott said. The subdivision directly across the street from Big Hurricane Baptist has 30 new homes now with others under construction, resulting in 180 homes when completed. 
   
Scott said several smaller neighborhoods are also under construction with six to 10 homes each. Through visiting in these neighborhoods, Scott said he realized a majority of the families include parents in their 20s or 30s with small children.
   
Because of this growth, Big Hurricane wanted to provide an opportunity for these neighbors to get acquainted with each other and with church members. Scott said the church particularly wanted to identify unchurched families and wanted their visitors to see that “being a Christian is a joyful thing.”
   
As church members brainstormed for an activity that would help them fulfill those goals, a block party seemed the perfect answer. In his 22-year military career, Scott had been in churches that hosted block parties, and the members quickly caught the vision of what the event could accomplish in their fast-growing community.
   
Six teams distributed fliers publicizing the event to approximately 200 homes in a five-mile radius around the church. Jackie Michaels, who teaches a youth Sunday School class, said members of all ages were involved in planning. 
   
Young people participated in every aspect including visiting homes, inviting people to the event and planning the various activities. 
   
Children were involved in creating games, and senior adults who were unable to visit made phone calls inviting people to attend.
   
Scott described the event as something like a fall festival with summer activities including a moon walk, balloon toss, volleyball played with beach balls and lunch menu of hot dogs and chips. The children played outdoor games, while the adults who wanted to escape the heat visited and played other games in the fellowship hall. A sitting for a family portrait with a professional photographer was provided as a door prize.
   
During the event, children and parents received information about Vacation Bible School, as well as other information about the church.
   
About 50 members and 30 visitors participated in the block party, and the church welcomed five visitors in the worship service the following morning. Scott said he realizes it may be several weeks before the church knows the results of the block party or the visitations by the teams to various neighborhoods. 
   
One somewhat unexpected outcome of the block party, according to both Scott and Michaels, was the bond that grew among the members as they worked together to pray, plan and facilitate the event. 
   
Scott said the party focused the church on the community and provided an easy way to reach out to unchurched families.
   
With their recently completed sanctuary, which seats 250, and the former sanctuary converted into educational space, the church is ready to welcome new members, Scott said. 
   
The church also has plans to modernize the sound system and make other adjustments to the facilities to accommodate the growth their expanding community may provide.
   
Scott said the block party will become an annual event. “We want the people to know we care about them and are ready to welcome them.”