JUAN SEGUIN PROJECT
OUR STORY
Spirit of Joy has been meeting as a worshipping community since 2011 but has never had a physical location. For over seven years we searched for a place to call our home, where we could worship, serve, and love our community. At the end of 2019 we purchased the former Juan Seguin Elementary campus.
The school has a complicated history. It was the original "Mexican" school when Seguin was segregated. When Seguin became integrated it functioned first as an elementary school, and then as an early learning center. It holds historical significance for the Latino community, the neighborhood in which it is located, and a number of groups and organizations throughout our city. We want to honor that history and collaborate and combine resources and services to meet the needs of Seguin. We want our purchase of the property to be a gift to the people of our community. We want to operate as stewards who care for the buildings as a resource for the community, not merely owners who use it only for our own advantage.
THE PLAN
Our plan is to first develop the buildings west of Dolle Ave. primarily for the purpose of congregational use. Phase One of the renovation is the space to hold worship, education, and fellowship opportunities for the people of Spirit of Joy (and anyone who feels led to join us in our mission). We also hope our sanctuary space will be able to be used by groups for special events and community gatherings.
In the next phase of our project we will develop the buildings east of Dolle Ave. and use them primarily as community space. We will partner with other churches and community organizations to provide services, gathering space, and enrichment for the community at-large. We also want to develop a museum to recognize and honor the complicated history of the Juan Seguin Elementary campus.
Spirit of Joy wants to be a gift to the community of Seguin. We want to be able to bring organizations, services providers, and churches together to better meet Seguin's needs. We want to honor, respect, and lift up our history. We want to make sure that our purchase of the former Juan Seguin Elementary campus is one that honors its history and continues to serve its community.
