Serving the community with a GEM of a park

GEMS Church, located on the outskirts of Franklin, is working to serve and nurture the community through tangible actions, and this work has taken shape over the last year through the construction and development of GEMS Park.

Located directly behind the church, the park shares the same address, which is 30466 Riverdale Drive in Franklin.

GEMS Church Senior Pastor Quinton D. Franklin described the park as “a safe space designed to strengthen family bonds and create lasting memories.”

He said, “GEMS Park is more than just a park; it’s a gathering spot that welcomes a good book-reading, a family reunion or a lively birthday party. Featuring a mini-soccer field, a playground and an outdoor volleyball space, it’s a haven for quality family time.”

He noted that the church site includes a total of approximately two acres, almost half of which is now constituted by the park. Also on the property is a historic building that was a school from 1919-57 prior to the church purchasing it. Now known as The Diamond Center, the historic building functions as a community center that seats around 50 people; the church uses it for children’s and outreach ministries and more.

“For people who would want to come and have family reunions, they can rent that facility and still have the park and stuff to be able to accommodate a large gathering of sorts,” Franklin said.

The approximately two-acre property occupied by the church, center and park is owned by the church, which was formerly known as Diamond Grove Baptist Church.

Franklin explained the meaning behind the church’s new name and how it relates directly to the new park. He started by noting that those on the roll at the church do not call themselves “members.”

“We call ourselves GEMS,” he said. “Sometimes the connotation that comes with members is that you pay your dues and you just show up when you want to. But when you’re a GEM, you bring value, and you carry value wherever you go. And so the (GEM) acronym, it stands for Grow in faith, Engage your call from God, Master ministry, and Serve the community.

“So the park is our Serve the community arm, of course,” he said.

The idea for the park came from Franklin himself.

“I’m a very community-driven person,” he said. “I want to always reach the community, and what I noticed (is), where the church is located, there aren’t a lot of things to do for people who live out there, for the children who live out there. They have to go into Franklin to get anything, really.

“And so I wanted to create a space for people to be able to come with their families, to be able to exercise, to be able to just do multiple things and it be a safe space, if that makes sense,” he continued. “And so that was really the genesis of it. I wanted to create something that wasn’t there, that was a need, if you will.”

He said the church’s leadership team got behind him and the idea.

“We were able to put the park together, and it’s still evolving,” he said. “To do the playground portion, it didn’t take long, maybe a month or so. But what we have now has transpired over the year since last July, I believe. So it’s coming together month by month as we secure different things and do different things of that nature.”

Franklin noted that the park is growing thanks to the unwavering support of GEM Church’s members and also dedicated community partners, one of which is Lowe’s in Franklin, led by its general manager, Samantha James.

James’ team at Lowe’s donated 27 trees to the park, along with six pots of sunflowers and two picnic tables to go under the park’s 20-foot pavilion.

“Their support has not only made our park more beautiful but also environmentally friendly,” Franklin said. “As we express our heartfelt gratitude to Samantha, her team and Lowe’s, our vision for GEMS Park continues to evolve.”

He noted that the church is raising funds to add a full-court basketball court.

“We already have the goals, but we need the asphalt and the striping,” he said, “and we’re in the process now of trying to put up a 40-foot pavilion, because we need a lot of covered space for shade and stuff like that.”

He explained that the posts for this second pavilion are already up.

“We just have to put the truss and the tin on top of it,” he said.

In addition to Lowe’s, Franklin said the entire church has been involved in the effort to make GEMS Park a reality.

“On the roll is about 227, but we have in attendance weekly about 82 — it just depends, it fluctuates,” he said. “But everyone who’s ever given to the ministry has helped in any kind of way to help us pay for (the park), because we bankrolled a lot of this. We’ve paid for it from the church funds because we want to give back to the community, and each year we hold a big fundraiser on Easter Sunday where we give to a specific campaign for the church, and it’s been the park for the last couple of years because we’re trying to get some things going, and we just want it to look good and be a place that lasts for a while.”

Anyone interested in contributing financially to the continuing efforts to develop the park can either write a check to GEMS Church and send it to 30466 Riverdale Drive, Franklin, VA 23851, or they can visit www.thegemschurch.org and click on the “GIVE” tab to find multiple options to donate online. The “Givelify” option allows for large donations.

Summing up the spirit and idea behind the park, Franklin said, “Our ultimate goal is to create a space that serves the generations to come, mirroring our love and commitment to our community.”

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