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Pickleball at Ward: More Than a Game
Pickleball has become so much more than just a game or club we host at Ward—we now refer to our Pickleball experience as a ministry. Offering this popular sport has been a gift to our community. Many who come to play a free game of Pickleball are stepping into our building for the very first time. This gives us a beautiful opportunity to extend extra-mile hospitality to our neighbors.
Ward members who attend our open court times say again and again that this is a thriving ministry—a chance to love our neighbors and help them feel at home in a church setting. Through these simple games, relationships are growing, and stories of connection and encouragement are unfolding every day.
Because of the high demand and the passion of those who long to share Jesus’ love through the sport, an exciting partnership has emerged—leading to the creation of the largest Pickleball complex in Michigan, right here in our very own parking lot. This has been a prayerful journey, and we see it as a statement of our commitment to the Northville community, a way for our neighbors to gather, connect, and thrive.
Mike, the Managing Partner of the Northville Pickleball Club, shares:
“Northville Pickleball Club is really that in name only.
What it actually is represents a collective effort of private investment, public support, government guidance and, without a doubt and most importantly, God’s grace and divine love.
Born from a simple question from a Ward parishioner, the idea to build Michigan’s largest pickleball facility came with seemingly more hurdles (funding, zoning, construction and more!) than solutions but what continually remained was the Ward Church Explorer spirit and commitment to the community.
At every roadblock, God’s supreme divinity was evident and resulted in unexpected solutions revealed, obstacles removed and success attained.
Our promise and commitment to Ward is to be protective stewards of the property, caretakers of the vision and eager teammate in service.”
We could not agree more with Mike’s words. We’ve seen God’s hand at work through every step of this project, and we are full of gratitude for this new opportunity.
Open House for Ward Church
We would love for you to pray with us, celebrate with us, and even step onto the courts with us. Please join us for Ward’s Open House at Northville Pickleball Club on Sunday, September 21 at 12:00 PM. Bring court-ready shoes if you’d like to play—or simply come and look around. We would love to see you there. More details available here.
Learn more about the Northville Pickleball Club on their website: northvillepickleball.net
Why is Ward leasing their land for a pickleball facility?
At Ward we don’t look at ourselves as just church buildings with worship services on Sundays. We want to be good neighbors and an integral part of the fabric of the local community – all week long, all year long. Our goals include serving the community, as well as being welcoming neighbors and always offering what we call “extra-mile hospitality.” And we try to use our buildings and grounds to that end. Pickleball actually ties in with a number of those values. Its appeal is cross-generational, it has become extremely popular, and it is a very social sport that lends itself to developing one-on-one relationships.
Inviting our community to our campus is nothing new at Ward Church. Throughout the week we currently host a preschool, a coffee shop and - in the winter - many walkers. Local basketball teams use our gym to practice in. It’s also used for weekly adult pickup games and drop-in pickleball on select nights. We have programs for seniors, for grief recovery, for special needs and we operate a mobile food pantry weekly from our parking lots. Our playscape is in near constant use, we offer a popular school of music along with ESL – English as a second language - classes, and every spring our halls are teeming with Northville High School students taking their AP tests. Outside we have walking trails in the woods and our ball fields have long been used by local leagues for practice and weekend tournaments. And in the summer, we operate an always-at-capacity children’s day camp. The opportunity to bring a Pickleball facility to our campus fits with our mission and values that Ward has been living out for over 60 years.
...But what’s the big attraction with pickleball?
So why pickleball? Its appeal is cross-generational. It’s easy to learn, inexpensive, and is a very social sport. According to experts – pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, with an estimated 36+ million players. We think pickleball fits right into our desire to be a good neighbor, with a healthy dose of friendly hospitality thrown in for good measure.
For anyone who might not be familiar with it, Pickleball is sort of a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
It’s played on a court with a net, a paddle and plastic ball; sort of like a wiffleball but sturdier.
It is – according to experts – the fastest growing sport in America.
There were estimated to be over 36 million pickleball players as of 2022.
About 14% of Americans played pickleball at least once in 2022.
And over 8.5 million people played eight times or more.
It’s been suggested that the popularity of the sport is because it’s easy to play, has a low cost of entry, and the fact that it is a very social sport.
Early on, its appeal was mostly to middle-aged and older people, it is now becoming more popular among younger adults as well.
The 18-34 age bracket is the single largest segment.
Players 55 and up are the second largest segment.
Timeline
On April 22, Ward submitted the formal request to Northville Township to amend the way that our property is currently zoned – called our PUD, or Planned Unit Development. At that point Northville notified the surrounding neighbors. There was a public open hearing on May 28th and Northville Township approved the request for a zoning amendment. If all goes as planned, ground will be broken this fall and pickleball play will begin by the fall of 2025.
FAQ's
Ward Church is partnering with the Northville Pickleball Club to build and operate a new public pickleball facility right on our campus. This initiative will offer a dedicated space for community engagement and recreational play.
No, Ward Church has not sold any land. Instead, we are leasing the site for the facility and will receive monthly payments from the lease.
Construction is expected to take around eight months from start to finish. The primary construction phase will begin in March 2025, with completion anticipated in late fall.
Not at all. The facility will feature only indoor courts, and sound tests indicate that there will be no significant noise beyond our campus’s daily activity levels.
Absolutely! The facility is open to the public, meaning anyone can reserve a court or drop in to play. It’s a wonderful resource for both church members and the community.
No, Ward Church has partnered with two local residents, Mike Schmitt and Mike Kowalczyk, who are leading the Northville Pickleball Club. They’re providing the financial resources to develop and operate the facility.
There will be multiple options to play, with prices starting as low as $6.25 per session. The facility aims to be Michigan’s premier pickleball destination, catering to both seasoned players and beginners.
No, the construction will not affect our existing sports fields in any way.
No, it will operate from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily.
Ward’s team has worked closely with the Northville Pickleball Club’s architects to ensure that the building’s design complements our church campus. It will feature custom brickwork that matches our church and architectural elements like gables to blend in seamlessly. Northville Township has also set strict guidelines to ensure the facility fits beautifully within the community, complete with landscaping and additional trees.
