I’m sitting here, church expansion plans spread about me.  County loitering codes lying atop that.  An invitation to a “party” atop that.  Various pictures of two men handing out said invitations to said events scatter atop the whole mess.  Blurred pictures of students from my son’s middle school trying to avoid those men on a small county maintained access road.  These kids, literally spilling themselves into the road, off the sidewalks where these two men stand.  The men wear picture identification cards.  They are not issued by the city or the county like other solicitors because they have a “not for profit” or “church” status and are not required to do so.  The identification cards are similar to the ones worn by their teachers, and yet no fingerprinting, no background check was required to obtain it, and it gives them a look of authority.  The parties they invite kids to have inflatable slides and boxing rings, video games, loud music, skateboarders, stunt bikers, and such.  They even had a biker come up from L.A.  his name was J-Dog.  When J-Dog speaks to the kids, the adults make sure no one leaves.  The kids are wary of them now. 

They are from the local Assembly of God church.  The church changed their name a few years back.  Several of them in the area did.  Did you know that Assemblies of God churches are the same people that run the famed “Jesus Camp”?  They do not answer phone inquiries from parents or emails.  This summer when the daycare that operates on the local elementary school campus was closed for renovations, the church sent fliers home in the schools newsletter offering “Summer Camp”.  The district investigated whether the principal had broken any district rules in allowing this to happen, but didn’t get back with answers to parents.  The church did not allow parents to view curriculum, but assured us that it was “character building”.  They also offer a basketball program every winter.

We are now aware that the district stands to make a chunk of money off the church since the church is offering to buy some of the unused playing fields at the elementary school for a proposed expansion.  The district does not want to rock the boat.  There will be a lighted spire that will raise some 78 feet into the sky in a residential area.  The church with its congregation of 310 have proposed a renovation that will cause the destruction of several protected trees and will make room for the congregation to expand to 900.  The parking could never accommodate that and the area we are in could never handle that sort of congestion.  According to their own parking analysis they project that members will arrive 4 to a car, and that using the schools available parking, their parking, and the park and recreation parking across the street that there will be no problems with parking.   This does not however deal with traffic congestion.  Traffic congestion is already a problem with the elementary school.

Back to the kids and the side walk.  These kids are begging for help.  Even though the loitering code could protect them, only the owners of the property near the sidewalk can call the police to enforce it.  The school won’t because of the money this church will bring them, but they say it is because of the first amendment.  The County Library above the sign won’t call because they are not visually in line with the library they are down a flight of stairs.  (Though the library allows the kids to come inside and wait for their parents to come pick them up, and will ask the adults to leave when they show up on the property). 

The old principal of the middle school used to approach them.  He would make them leave.  They used to tell him that they HAD to witness to these teenagers because they were inherently sinful.  They went away for a while, now they’re back. 

They are building Six Flags Over Jesus, complete with rides and attractions, the schools are accepting the fees, the government hides behind the first amendment, guilt is the ticket, and the kids are locked in at the gate.  Who is going to protect them?  I guess I will have to use my first amendment
rights to do so.