It started with a simple observation: New Day Community Church at 3600 Nichols Road sits on 19 acres that are surrounded by hundreds of neighborhood homes, but there are no parks!
With that in mind, I started up a conversation with a friend back in January. I knew this friend worked with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) but I had no idea exactly what he did. After learning a little about his job, I asked if maybe the church and the DNR could work together to improve the New Day trail. I told him about how our church loves to share the trail with our neighbors. And I told him about how we do a Candy Trail every October and post the Stations of the Cross every Easter.
Well, long story short, the DNR secured a grant from the state of Michigan to not only improve our trail, but expand it into a system of trails and do a restoration project that will remove invasive species. Our restored prairies, woodlands, and trails are going to be a real treasure that we can share with our neighbors for years to come.
When we offer the “New Day Nature Trails” as a free gift to our neighbors, we get to be like Jesus! He gave freely, offering his very life for us on the cross. I’m so excited to care for this 19-acre slice of God’s creation and be like Jesus as we share it freely with our neighbors.
As a church, we spent the month of August getting the word out to our neighbors. We mailed about 1800 flyers and personally knocked on almost 500 doors! We shared with our neighbors the sentiment that: “You are welcome on this property” and “you are welcome in this church.” We also invited them to one of two informational meetings with the DNR. These info meetings were well-attended! We were able to have great conversations with our neighbors and discuss their questions.
In the next phase of our project, we will select a qualified restoration contractor and begin the work of clearing invasive species. The new trails will be established and new, native species planted. You can continue to use the trails throughout the restoration—but stay clear of the equipment and work while underway. We will post updates as the work progresses here: www.newdaycommunity.org/naturetrails