Back to school with a splash

In celebration of the end of summer and beginning of school, Bluff Park Baptist Church will be holding its annual Back to School Splash Bash on the front lawn of their church on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 5-7 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

“What we live by here is that we don’t do anything just for us, everything we do is for the community, so they’re invited to everything,” Pastor Tony Barber said. “A church is supposed to mirror a community, so we consider ourselves as a community church.”

Angie Barber, children’s director at Bluff Park, has been organizing the event since she began working at the church. She said last year’s event was the largest crowd the church has ever had. Still, she said she feels the church is “hidden” and hopes that these free community events will raise awareness of the church.

Tony said smaller churches such as theirs have a hard time competing with the types of events larger churches can throw. As a result, he said Bluff Park had to come up with “unique” events that larger churches weren’t doing.

The church will give out free food, such as hot dogs and snow cones, and host water activities, such as water gun fights and the 25-foot-tall Riptide Water Slide.

“Everybody loves [the water slide],” Tony said. “When the people who are supposed to pick it up are late and the event is over, [the adults] get on it.” 

Angie will concoct her special bubble solution to blow “massive bubbles,” among other children’s activities.

Bluff Park Baptist Church is located at 2211 McGwier Drive. For more information, visit bluffparkbaptist.org.