Eve Meyers, 32, of Meridian remembers a time when the plot of land at 8th Avenue and 15th Street was nothing more than a few bushes and shrubs.

    Meyers is a mother of six, ages 3 through 13 years old, and recent development of the area has given her some peace of mind.

    “I used to let them go play over there in the project complex over there, but some of the kids over there are just a little bit too rough for me,” she said. “I’d rather for them to be in a secure place so I can keep an eye on them and watch them.”

    The new Playground for Jesus, a basketball court, small playground and pavilion built only in the past few months, will now afford Meyers just what she’s looking for: a safe place for her children to play. 

    On Saturday, the First Baptist Church of Meridian held an all-day celebration for the Playground for Jesus, filling the air with the sounds of basketball and children playing, and also Christian rap and rock. 

    More than 250 people attended the event, which also featured live music from Evangel Temple Church and Da Minista, a Christian rap musician, among other live Christian music singers. Highland Baptist Church provided inflatable bounce play areas for the event.

    Free hot dogs, chips and drinks were also given out in addition to free snow cones provided by Sno-Biz. Face painting and basketball competitions were among other entertainment; Meyers’ oldest son, 13-year-old Santonio, took first place in the 3-point shot contest. 

    The Playground for Jesus is the result of an idea by Trey Long, who teaches a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church. Long is quick not to take full credit, saying the playground surpasses just the church.

    “About six months ago, our church challenged us to get out of the walls of the church,” Long said.

    After visiting the area, which he said was used by prostitutes at night, Long said the idea just came to him.

    “For some odd reason it got placed on my heart to build a playground,” he said. “So I got some of the other guys from the class to come down here and asked them what they thought, and they said, ‘let’s do it.'”

    Long began planning fund-raising events to get money together for the playground, but none of them ever happened. After sending an e-mail asking for just $10, donations started pouring in.

    “After about 2 months, (about) $60,000 came to my mailbox,” Long said. “I feel like God wanted this here.”

    Donations came from around the United States, and the world, including California, New York, Alaska and Peru.

    As the plans started becoming reality, parts of the playground started coming together as well.

    Long said that Trey Cooper of Denco Concrete and Construction coordinated laying the cement and building the pavilion, and Landry Adkins donated the children’s play set. Partridge Ornamental Works donated a “Playground for Jesus” sign above the park’s entrance.

    “I’m just overwhelmed by all this really,” Long said.

    The Wesley House Community Center lies across the street from the Playground for Jesus. Ginger Stevens, the executive director of Wesley House, recalled picking up syringes along the old fence and seeing people engaging in sexual activity.  

    She worked with Long in the playground’s inception, giving the Sunday school teacher a tour of the area after he asked her for a needs list before he ever had the idea.

    “The next morning, a quarter to seven, I get this phone call,” Stevens said. “(Lyons) said, ‘Ms. Ginger, listen to what God has put on my heart. I have been on a million mission trips to Honduras, but it always ends up on a court with a ball talking about Jesus Christ.'”

    Stevens said she had faith that something would happen to let the community take back the neighborhood, knowing one day it would happen.

    “When Trey showed up, that was the time,” she said.

    For the churches and people in this community, fighting urban decay comes from the heart, and spreading Christian love by giving is easy.