MINISTRY PARK: POE MILL’S MINISTRY HUB
If you walk up the street from the skatepark, where Poe Mill once stood, you'll see two church buildings sharing a yard. That yard is called "Ministry Park."
Why are there two churches sharing a yard? Because, in the earliest days of the mill village, everyone went to church. Mill employees wanted a place of worship close by, just like their mill-owned general store and elementary school. However, they didn’t all belong to the same denomination, so they built two churches—one for the Baptists and one for the Methodists. Today, the old Poe Mill Methodist Church is home to River of Life Ministries.
Fast forward about 100 years. The mill has shut down. Many in the neighborhood and surrounding areas are in need. Poinsett Highway has become a refuge for the homeless. And several ministries visit the neighborhood each week, bringing food, essential items, and the gospel.
One problem these ministries face is that they struggle to find a consistent place to set up. And that’s important. People need to know where to find help, and ministries need a stable location to serve effectively.
That’s where the idea for Ministry Park was born.
A few Christians ministering in Poe Mill put their heads, time, and energy together and came up with a plan. They used their own resources to build a pavillion in the yard between the two churches.
There’s ample space under the pavilion for worship, with the rest of the yard available for picnic tables and seating to serve meals. There’s already a playground on the property and enough green space for kids to play and people to gather.
A large shed was also built to store sound equipment, essential items, tables, chairs, Bibles, songbooks—everything needed to run a ministry. That means if you’re a ministry leader, all you have to do is show up and serve.
That’s the big idea behind Ministry Park, and that’s how it works.
For a long time, a ministry called "Tuesday Night Friends" met at the park to give out food and clothes, sing, and teach.
Today, "Nothing But Jesus Street Ministries" meets there every Saturday at 4 p.m. They usually partner with a local church group to provide food. Volunteers set up a serving line, and folks from the neighborhood and homeless community come through, receiving a meal while singing hymns and hearing a short devotional message.
Scott Wienart, who helped set up the pavilion and shed, leads "Worship in the Park" every Sunday at 4 p.m., where he serves food and teaches the Scriptures.
Additionally, the park is open for all neighborhood ministries to use any time. Grace and Peace Presbyterian has hosted many ministry events there. Park Place Church of God once ended their Christmas parade at Ministry Park, where dozens of neighbors gathered to sing carols and drink hot cocoa. Our church, Griggs, has also used the park on several occasions.
One summer, we held each of our Wednesday night services at Ministry Park. We’ve also hosted our spring block parties there for years—including one this past quarter!
One of the key figures behind the scenes is Jack Smith. No one serves quite like Jack.
Jack keeps Ministry Park running smoothly. He organizes the shed and knows where everything is. He anticipates needs for each event or ministry and comes prepared. He’s on-site at every function, welcoming people and troubleshooting any problems that arise.
Whenever Griggs uses the park, Jack is our go-to guy. He arrives early, opens the shed, and sets up tables, chairs, the grill—whatever’s needed. And he’s almost always the last to leave, making sure everything is cleaned up and put away.
Jack has a deep passion for Ministry Park. His favorite thing about it? Seeing churches and ministries from different Christian traditions come together to preach the same gospel. Having been homeless himself at one point, he has a particular heart for the homeless ministry happening in the park. He is patient with those in need, ensures they have a good experience, and has even been known to open his home to them.
When we asked Jack about his vision for the park, he didn’t hesitate— ”baptisms.” He envisions more and more people coming to Jesus and getting baptized right there in the park (which has already happened using a hose and a large silver trough).
The dream is to expand Ministry Park’s reach, creating a community center on the lot behind River of Life Ministries. This space would meet a variety of needs—ESL classes, job training, and continuing the weekly ministries indoors during the winter months.
Ideally, formal ministry would happen at the park every day, from weeknight gospel singing to Saturday kids' events. Fundraising has already begun at River of Life Ministries to make this vision a reality. If you’d like to donate or get involved, we’d be happy to connect you with Jack or River of Life.
Ministry Park is more than a space—it’s a place where the gospel is lived out, where the church comes together, and where the love of Christ meets people’s greatest needs.
