GARFIELD HEIGHTS — Once a week for the last 20 years, St. John Lutheran Church in Garfield Heights has opened its gym to give teens a place to shoot hoops and build healthy relationships. Now, that church, which has been a blessing to so many, is asking for help in return.
A tradition is born
"This started very innocently," said Karen Dutton, Minister of Youth and Family Ministries at St. John Lutheran Church. "One of the church youths invited a friend to come, and the whole Garfield Heights freshman team showed up, and from there we didn't close our doors."
On Thursday nights, middle and high school students fill the gym.
"You know there's not a rec center around here, so it's just somewhere to hoop, have fun, (and) meet up with your friends," said high school student Richard Elamin.
Elamin has been attending the basketball program for the last three years.
"(It's) somewhere to keep teens off the street and make sure they're not getting in trouble. Somewhere to go at night," Elamin said.
Dutton has firm rules but said kids respect them. A teen's first visit to the church must be with a parent. They do not need to be members of the church or live in Garfields Heights.
"The parents have to come and fill out an information card so that we can be in communication with them if we need to," Dutton said.
Dutton keeps an attendance sheet to keep everything organized.
After signing in, guests must put their belongings, including cell phones, in storage bins that get placed in a room outside the gym.
"We just found ways to set it up to control it to keep it safe," Dutton said. "So that the kids come and have a safe place and learn respect and how to treat each other kindly. We just listen for language and make sure that they're not playing too aggressively. We know it's a contact sport!"
Dutton said while new people come and go, about two dozen players show up religiously.
She said pre-covid attendance numbers were higher.
Like playing by candlelight
While the gym gets the job done, it doesn't take an eagle's eye to notice it is starting to age.
"Like so many churches, the church is aging, the people are elderly but yet we're still doing things," Dutton said.
The wish list includes new lights in the gym. Only a handful, out of dozens, works correctly.
"It's not so bad on a day like today, but when you get in those dark winter months it's a little you're playing almost by candlelight," Dutton said.
Updating the lighting comes at a cost.
"The best estimate we had was about $29,000," Dutton said.
Fundraising efforts have been slow.
"We haven't gotten anything major where we can take a real bite out of that bill," Dutton said.
The gym also doesn't have air conditioning, so basketball nights take a break during the summer. The scoreboard and floor have also seen better days.
"I think if we brought the gym up to today's standards that it would help with the attendance... and make it more appealing for kids and families to want to be here," Dutton said.
Some of the kids said updates are needed and would be greatly appreciated, but the space itself isn't what attracted them to come to play basketball.
It's a community
"My friend Terrance in there, he had told me that it's happening, so I came and brought my mom," said high school student Jayden Nathan.
For Nathan, people are the draw. He's recruited some players and has enjoyed building teammates and friendships.
"It's like if you don't get to see them all the time, then you'll be able to at least have fun with them at a place that everybody is welcome," Nathan said.
Dutton finds joy in the church being a place kids want to be. She is hopeful gym improvement will happen soon but says a lot of help is needed.
"Just a week ago, I stopped at a stoplight down on Turney Road, and I had four of the high school boys waving feverishly at me," Dutton said. "And that had told me that, yeah, we built a relationship and it's because they've been here."
For more information on St. John Luther Church, click here.
