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ARLINGTON — Save some money, and maybe your soul.
First United Methodist Church of Arlington has a bargain for fans who are heading to Cowboys Stadium on Sunday and hate to fork over $70 for parking.Bring $25 to the church, 313 N. Center St., and get a parking space, a free shuttle ride to a spot just off the stadium parking lot, plus coffee, doughnuts and plenty of warm greetings.And no hard sell, church members promise."It’s just a community outreach," member Ruth Ray said. "It’s a way of saying 'welcome.’ "Or, as member Bob Reams called it, "radical hospitality."The church has contracted with Stadium Parking of Arlington, a company that manages the parking lots of businesses near the stadium that want to make money off their unused spaces.Nearly 100 cars were parked at the church for last Sunday’s game. And many fans were pleasantly surprised by the free fresh-grilled hot dogs and bottled water, tucked into koozies bearing the church’s name.Reaching outIt was a blessing for Marcus Allen of Wylie, who grumbled about Jerry Jones’ parking prices. The hot dog he was working on was a bonus. "How is it? Great!" Allen said.His wife, Stephanie, said they were looking for a place to park but took a pass on some that looked unprotected."We parked here because it’s a church," she said. "We thought, 'This is probably the safest place they’ve got.’ "Sunday’s plan is part of First United’s new evangelical effort this year, One-Mile Mission, which focuses various get-to-know-us outreach efforts on an area that just reaches the stadium. Members have an Easter egg picnic every year, and this year they tried to set a Guinness record for the most covered dishes at one place.The outreach will expand next year, Associate Pastor Estee Valendy said."We’re going to encourage our members to 'go the second mile,’ " she said.Members got the parking idea from First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C., which invites Carolina Panthers fans to a combined tailgate party and worship service for home games. Most participants leave their cars at the church and walk the few blocks to the stadium.Big testSunday will be the third parking venture, and the first for a noon game — hence the coffee and doughnuts instead of hot dogs. It will be extra challenging for Stadium Parking because stadiumgoers will arrive at the church lot while much of the congregation arrives for services."We’re encouraging people to try to use a different route and not let the traffic affect their ability to come to worship on Sunday morning," Valendy said.The fourth parking event will be for the game at 3:15 Dec. 13 against San Diego.The parking idea for First United Methodist, the only church among Stadium Parking’s seven parking sites, came about through necessity, as it did for other businesses concerned about unauthorized parking. The church is within one mile of the $1.2 billion stadium."We didn’t know if people would be running over parking lots and parking illegally. With Sunday service, that makes it more of a challenge," Stadium Parking owner Sharon Smith said.Delfino Garza, who came from Laredo with his wife to the game, said it makes good business sense."The economy is such that you can’t have an empty parking lot just sitting around," he said as he boarded a shuttle bus.Valendy said the church’s share of the parking proceeds is just enough to cover expenses. But it doesn’t cover all the hassles of being near the stadium. Recently, the church rescheduled its Christmas concert, "Ring Sing and Swing," to avoid potential stadium-related traffic snarls."We have kind of kept in mind the Cowboys games and other games as we schedule our activities," Valendy said. "We’re learning to be flexible."
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