Church in the Park set May 6

By Sarah Naron

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – The members of the Grapeland First United Methodist Church are extending an invitation for the public to join them for the church’s annual Church in the Park event, scheduled to take place Sunday, May 6 in the Grapeland City Park beginning at 10 a.m.

“This year, we’re going to have our praise band play for the first time,” said Vicki Braun, a member of the church. “We always sing old-timey hymns.

“We have Communion if it falls on the first Sunday of the month,” she continued. “So, this year, we’ll have Communion, too.”

Casual attire is welcome, Braun said. Those interested in attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

“The kids come, and after church, we have lunch, and after that, they play on the swings and the playground equipment and run around,” she said.

In the event of inclement weather, Braun said, the event will be moved to the church’s Family Life Center.

“We’ve had it when it was cold and windy; we’ve had it when it was rainy, and we’ve had it under the portico,” she said laughingly. “This year, we’re going to have the church service out with the band up on the bandstand and then serve the lunch under the portico.”

According to Braun, the event has been hosted annually by the church for approximately 13 years.

“It’s so long ago, it’s hard to remember,” she chuckled. “2005 or 2006 was the first year. We talked about having a spring kind of event – both as an opportunity for us to enjoy the spring weather and also to have a church service that people might attend that wouldn’t necessarily come to a church to go to church.

“Over the years, we’ve had people come, and some of them have joined the church, and some of them haven’t,” Braun continued. “It’s always been a nice event for the church members, but it’s also been an opportunity for those who are looking for a church or maybe are new in the area. It’s always been kind of a dual-purpose thing.”

For more information, contact the church at 936-687-4730.

The Grapeland City Park is located on Hwy. 287 in Grapeland.

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