Team Effort!
Posted on Sep 24, 2026 by Heather Lewis
Six years ago, an incredible team effort was started to provide a movable gaga ball pit for our youth. If you aren’t familiar with gaga ball, it’s a dodgeball-inspired game played inside a low-walled circle that you can see in many elementary school playgrounds and camps (including Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp). In September 2020 we had just started worshipping at Central Baptist Seminary and wanted to have the game available for youth hang time at Koinonia Hall, but also be able to move it to the seminary for celebrations on Sundays.
Larry Loos (his wife Janet was our secretary at the time) offered to design and build the ball pit, got the walls partially built, and then had a frightening bout with appendicitis that hospitalized him for months. In the spring of 2021, a talented crew of woodworkers brought the walls together and finished it — thank you to David Hellwege, Marty and Keegan Taylor, and BJ Fevold! The youth then painted it as a service project so that it would stay protected outside.
Thank you to Matt Brown, Ryan Konen, Brad Lewis, Bob Schluben, and many youth who assisted in moving it over the years! Gaga ball has been happily played by Salem’s kids for many celebrations since then on the Koinonia lawn, in front of the seminary, and on the lawn at Overland Park Lutheran Church.
Last week, Drew Renollet (Atonement youth director) helped me move our ball pit to its new location at Atonement, on the grassy area just north of the office entrance. Another thank you to BJ Fevold, who came that evening to secure all of the walls. I appreciate all who have made this gift something we can share, and can’t wait to share the fun together as we collaborate with all of our families!
In Christ’s love,
Heather Lewis
Director of Worship and Music