The couple graciously offered a space for a church in need.
Come one, come all to the Magnolia Market Silos! Chip and Joanna Gaines have graciously extended an invitation to the Church Under The Bridge to host its Sunday service on the lawn of the Magnolia Market at the Silos.
The church typically hosts its service under an overpass of Interstate 35 and sees 200 to 300 attendees on Sundays. But I-35 will undergo an expansion beginning in March, temporarily displacing the church, where so many have become accustomed to sitting in a folding chair and listening to a sermon.
Chip and Joanna Gaines weren’t about to let this congregation have nowhere to worship, though. They’ve offered to have pastor Jimmy Dorrell and his congregation gather on one of their properties. The arrangement will last for a year, while the highway is under construction.
This new location makes sense for the church and its members for a couple of reasons. One, it’s not far from the interstate. According to the Magnolia Market Silos website, the location is just two minutes from the highway. And two, Dorrell has known the Gaines for a long time.
“I know some of the people over at Magnolia. Way back, before she was a star on TV, Joanna Gaines would model in our style show, which was a fundraiser,” the pastor told the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Plus, this place seems pretty idyllic:
The decision to give Dorrell and his congregation a place to gather on Sundays was a no-brainer for the Gaines family. With a simple handshake, the deal was sealed.
“[A]bout a month ago, I read about how the I-35 project would impact his church,” Gaines told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “I was sitting in my office one day, day-dreaming, thinking about making a commitment, and we reached out to Jimmy. He came over to the Silos, and we agreed it would make a great fit geographically. We said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and shook hands on it. I trust him because he does what he says he’s going to do.”
This isn’t the first time the Gaines have gone out of their way to do something good for others, either. After Hurricane Harvey swept through Texas, leaving a wake of destruction in its path, Chip and Joanna pitched in to do what they do best — make a home feel like a home again. They volunteered to remodel the home of 81-year-old Doris Davis, whose home had received significant water damage.
Chip posted about the charitable project on Instagram, writing that he was, “So proud to lend a hand.”
Because when it comes to hospitality, nobody does it quite like these two!