A Simple Space to Play and Connect
No School Play Day

Ever since I stepped into ministry with families, I had been hearing the same request: we just needed a simple, safe place for kids to run and play. President’s Day, with no school and plenty of restless energy at home, felt like the perfect time to open the gym for a no-school play day. I set up tables with donuts and coffee for the grownups and snacks for the kids, then rolled out the ball cart and coloring pages. There was no formal program or hidden agenda—just a space for families to be together.

Families trickled in from all over, including Canal Fulton and Copley. By the end of the morning, we had over twenty kids and nearly thirty people total. Some parents used the nursery for their littlest ones, while others brought friends along. While I handled the setup and teardown myself to keep things low-pressure for our volunteers, I was grateful when Cheryl from our sports ministry jumped in to help me wrap things up.

My favorite memory was convincing a group of moms to play tag. They started out a bit hesitant, but soon they were running and laughing, losing their “dignity” while their kids chased them around the gym. Seeing parents being silly with their children was a true gift. Meanwhile, other moms sat at the tables, forming the kinds of quiet connections that are so hard to find in the middle of a busy week.

That’s where I saw God at work. Fellowship doesn’t always look like a Sunday school class; sometimes it looks like a game of tag. It was a “front-porch” kind of event—a low-pressure first step into community. My hope is that these simple spaces will continue to give families a place to belong and, over time, draw them deeper into the life of our church.

Todd Hixebaugh,
Kids & Family Pastor