Container village

Aug 22, 2015 children property youth

In the not too distant future, some large blue and white containers are going to be delivered to UMC – in fact, they may already have been delivered by the time you read this. (If so, you will see them on the bottom field, below the lower parking lot, be sure to take a look before you leave today). For many years, the Sunday School have asked the leaders to look into some options around having their own space for classes on a Sunday. At the moment, the Sunday School meets in the So-High Preschool. While it is a lovely space, it is getting a little small and it is not their own space. (And keeping Sunday children away from the pots of paint and glue set up for school on Monday can prove tricky!) The youth meet in the Upper Room, and would also love a place they could make their own. 

When the stewards met last, we discussed the possibility of investigating a 'container village' – using refurbished containers, and creating a space for Sunday School classes. The space could also be well used for much of the Khanyisa teacher training that happens during the week, and any small groups that need a place on weekdays. Only a few days after the decision to look into this option, some refurbished containers that were being used as school classrooms became available at a very reasonable rate. 

So the leaders decided to act, and the containers were bought and delivered to the field within a few days! There is still some work to be done on them – we'd like to get glass doors to enclose the sides, put some flooring down to extend each classroom onto an outside space, and we're looking into a roof covering of some sort to help deal with the summer heat. There will also need to be a toilet block built down there. While this has all happened rather quickly, it is very exciting. Even though we have a big property, enough space to fit us all in can be a challenge. It is also exciting to think that we are growing, and to see how we will grow into the space we've created. So keep your eyes on the 'container village' as it develops, and let us continue to support our youth and children's ministries.