Severn Church Launches Campaign for Playing Fields

A Severn church is taking its interest in sports to a new level, launching a $500,000 campaign to renovate a multipurpose field and build three softball fields on its property. 

The Grace Pointe Community Church of the Nazarene is looking to construct the Marley Park Sports Complex on Gambrills Road, and is seeking donations from its members and the public. 

The first phase of the project calls for $60,000 towards the completion of a multipurpose field, to be used for a variety of activities ranging from soccer and Easter Egg hunts. 

At least $440,000 more is needed to build three new softball fields complete with seating, lighting and scoreboards. 

Church leaders said the fields could be rented out to bring in revenue, but will be largely used to expand the ways in which the congregation can interact. 

"We want as many connection points to people as we can get," said associate pastor Brian Miller. "Having these fields will provide us more opportunities to connect." 

Grace Pointe already has an active sports program. The church has a large indoor gymnasium with several basketball rims, and it is often filled with players on weekends as part of the Upward Basketball program. There's also an Upward Cheerleading group. 

Grace Pointe is using the online fundraising platform IndieGoGo to collect donations.

To incentivize giving, many church members have promised to shave their hair off when certain fund raising levels are reached. (Miller, for instance, said he'd go bald once $26,500 is raised.)

Check out the church's video explaining the fundraising campaign.