A Place on Call Field Road
Park Place Christian Church sits on Call Field Road in Wichita Falls, Texas, a few minutes west of Midwestern State University. The Disciples of Christ congregation has anchored its corner of the city with a campus that, in addition to a sanctuary and classrooms, includes a community vegetable garden, a public prayer garden with a labyrinth, and a rising all-inclusive playground known as Play for All. Members and neighbors share all of it.
The church's invitation, repeated in its publications, is simple and direct: "All are Welcome Here." That sentence sets the tone for everything that follows on a Sunday morning and through the week.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday worship begins at 10:45 a.m. and is broadcast live each week for those who cannot be present in the sanctuary. The service follows a familiar Disciples pattern: gathering songs, prayers, scripture reading, a sermon, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Communion is observed at every service, and the table is open to anyone who wishes to partake, regardless of church membership or baptism.
The chancel choir, directed by Susan Cusenbary with Sandy Clampitt at the piano, supports congregational singing and offers anthems such as "Jubilate Deo," "O Come and Mourn," and "Days of Elijah." Acolytes, readers, and prayer leaders are drawn from the children of the congregation, so worship is intentionally intergenerational. Worship bags with quiet activities are offered to children, and a PrayGround, a sacred space set aside near the front with tools for tuning in, is available for children in second grade and under. After the children's sermon, those youngest worshipers may return to their families or remain in the PrayGround until the communion hymn, when they rejoin the congregation.
Round the Table Before Worship
An hour before the service, at 9:15 a.m., adults gather in the sanctuary for Round the Table, an informal approach to Sunday school. Rather than a lecture, Round the Table is built around conversation: participants read scripture together and discuss how it applies to daily life. The format is rooted in the Disciples tradition of encouraging each person to read, interpret, and share. Newcomers and longtime members sit in the same circle.
Beliefs in the Disciples Tradition
Park Place belongs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a movement sometimes described as a "New Testament Church." The congregation holds the Bible as the guide for Christian living and faith. Its teaching centers on several core convictions:
- The Bible reveals God's work in the world and frees believers from sin through Christ.
- God is revealed in scripture and in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Christ is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human, the Savior who remains present with the church.
- Public confession of belief in Christ and repentance of sins opens the way into the life of faith.
- Unity among all Christians is prized above doctrinal uniformity.
- Inclusive ministry is a hallmark: every member is considered a "minister," free to interpret scripture and to participate in the work of the church.
- Baptism is by immersion and marks entry into the universal church.
- The Lord's Supper sits at the heart of worship and is celebrated every Sunday as a remembrance of Christ.
A profession of faith in Christ is all that is required to become a member of the congregation. The church also celebrates the ordained ministry: Senior Pastor Rev. Alice Hupp marked thirty-eight years as an ordained minister in 2022, with two people from her ministries having gone on to ordained service as well.
The Mission in Their Own Words
The congregation has written its mission plainly: To Glorify God by dedicating itself to God's will, proclaiming Christ's resurrection, loving one another, praying, sharing experiences in word and deed, and being faithful stewards of what God has given. The church expects that the practice of this mission will produce personal growth and the assurance of life everlasting for all God's people.
The values listed alongside that mission are worshiping God with whole lives, studying scripture from many perspectives, sharing in one another's joys and burdens, and serving the community and the wider world.
Children, Youth, and the PrayGround
Children are a visible part of worship at Park Place. After the children's sermon, they may return to their seats or to the PrayGround. Younger ones are invited to remain there until the communion hymn, when they rejoin the sanctuary.
Faith formation continues on Sunday evenings. Elementary-aged children meet at 4:30 p.m. for Bible study and games. The group meets outdoors when weather permits and gathers on Zoom otherwise. A monthly interactive lesson and life-application activity are offered at 4:30 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month, and children participate in service projects throughout the year.
Youth in grades six through twelve have their own ministry. The youth group gathers to study, to serve, and to ask hard questions about faith, Christianity, God, and life. No topic is treated as off limits. Members of the youth group plan and lead at least one Sunday worship service per year. Mission is a centerpiece: the group takes summer mission trips outside Wichita Falls and serves the local community year-round. Game nights, pool parties, and movie nights round out the calendar.
The nursery welcomes infants and toddlers from six weeks to three years during Sunday morning Faith Formation and worship. Families are asked to bring diapers, wipes, and any food the infant needs. A child-sized restroom sits between the nursery and toddler areas.
Adults: Disciples Men, Disciples Women, and Retreats
Adults at Park Place find their fellowship in several settings. Round the Table anchors the Sunday morning hour, and two long-standing groups carry the rest of the calendar. Disciples Men is open to all men and gathers for retreats and meetings. Disciples Women is open to all women and connects with the wider NETx region for spring retreats.
The Play for All Playground
Perhaps the most distinctive outreach on the church grounds is the Play for All inclusive playground. The project grew out of a 2016 study in which the congregation asked how it could refocus its mission. Members shifted from a membership-based mindset to a mission-driven one, identifying three community outcomes. The first two - a public prayer garden and a community vegetable garden - were completed. The third, an all-inclusive playground, is now rising on the property.
The Wichita Falls area has no other public all-inclusive playground, and more than 1,700 differently abled children in the region currently have no public place designed for their play. Park Place partnered with The Upside (Advocacy and Advancement for Individuals with Down Syndrome) and other local organizations, drawing on equipment design from Landscape Structures Incorporated and Whirlix Designs. The congregation has raised funds through corporate sponsors, service clubs, foundations, grants, PayPal, and a dedicated account at Wells Fargo Bank, with sponsorship levels acknowledged on an on-site board. Construction began with a groundbreaking on September 10, 2020.
Community Garden, Labyrinth, and Outreach
The community garden on the church grounds is open to neighbors. Individuals and families lease beds for a full year at $50 for a full bed or $25 for a half bed, growing food for their own tables or to share with those in need. The garden is presented as the congregation's response to Jesus' instruction to feed the hungry from the bounty of the land.
Beside the garden sits a public prayer garden marked by a labyrinth emblem on the gate. The garden is open to anyone at any time and includes a walking labyrinth intended for prayer and meditation.
Beyond the property, the congregation partners with a long list of local ministries. Christian Action efforts have supported Interfaith Ministries, Whispers of Hope, Women in Need, the MSU Mustangs Pantry, Habitat for Humanity, and the Humane Society, among others. The church has also sent help farther afield, taking part in hurricane relief in New Orleans and South Texas and tornado cleanup in Moore, Oklahoma. Several times a year, a special offering is gathered for Disciples of Christ programs such as Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, Reconciliation Ministries, and Angel Tree (Prison Fellowship). Members also volunteer with Meals on Wheels and provide meals for the homeless through an effort called Miracle on 11th Street.
The Staff and Pastoral Voice
Rev. Alice Hupp serves as Senior Pastor. She was ordained in 1984 and has served churches in Indiana and Texas. Her writing reflects on thirty-eight years of ministry, on the calls that come in the night and the saints who have shaped her along the way, and on the grace of watching two people from her ministries go into ordained service. She also writes seasonal reflections for Advent, Christmas, and Thanksgiving that the congregation reads together.
Alongside her, Sandy Clampitt serves as pianist, Susan Cusenbary as Director of Music, and Mike Moore as Director of Technology. Together they shape a worship life that keeps the chancel choir, the children's PrayGround, and the livestream all running on Sunday mornings.
Practical Details for Visitors
Park Place Christian Church gathers at 4400 Call Field Road, Wichita Falls, Texas 76308. Sunday School (Round the Table) meets at 9:15 a.m., worship begins at 10:45 a.m., and the elementary Faith Formation hour begins at 4:30 p.m. The nursery is open during the morning hours. Communion is offered at every service and is open to all. Those who cannot attend in person can watch the livestream on YouTube or listen through the church podcast. Online giving is available. The church office is open Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at (940) 692-0165 or parkplacecc@att.net.
The community garden, prayer garden, and playground are open to the public, and the congregation welcomes volunteers and partners into all three. For families looking for a Sunday school conversation rather than a lecture, for children who are invited to lead worship as acolytes and readers, and for anyone who has been told they are not welcome at the table, Park Place Christian Church keeps its doors, and its table, open.