Sports. Nothing wrong with sports. I played baseball, football, and basketball as a kid.
But...
not on Sunday.
Sunday was a day that was set apart for the Lord. We went to church on Sunday. That's what our family did.
My parents didn't bow down to the sports' god. Their priorities were in the right place.
I see so many families today putting sports before God. Actions speak louder than words. When you are on the ball field on Sunday morning instead of in church, it speaks volumes to your child. Here's what happens.
1. Parents do not make attending church a high priority for their children.
2. Their children grow up and make church less of a priority for their children.
3. Their grandchildren grow up and make it no priority for their children.
4. Their great grandchildren grow up with no concept or knowledge of God.
25% of kids who have grown up and walked away from church say they are too busy to attend. Where do you think they learned this? From their parents?
The Bible talks about the seed that is choked out by the thorns. Today we are seeing many children whose faith is being choked out by sports.
Many times, it's because parents think if they invest in their children's sports "career" from an early age, their child could grow up and play professional sports. But here's the deal...parents have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing their children play professional sports one day.
Baseball: Only about 0.5% of high school players will go on to play professionally.
Basketball: Just 0.03% of boys' high school basketball players go on to play professionally.
Football: A high school football player has about a 0.08% chance of making it to the NFL.
Then there are the traveling sports teams that take kids out of church for months on end. This happens and then parents wonder why their children grow up and walk away for the church and in many cases the faith.
Again...it all comes down to priorities. Parents will make time for what is important to their family.
As children's ministry leaders what can we do? We are in a partnership with parents to see their children grow up to love and follow Jesus. Here's some steps we can take.
Start when they are young.
I have personally found it is very difficult to get parents whose elementary kids / pre-teens are in sports on Sundays to get their priorities straight. They are so invested that they struggle with having their priorities in the right arrangement.
But I have found that parents of nursery and preschool age children are open and will listen to you when you share about having the right priorities. If you can catch them before they enter the world of sports, you will see many of them commit to having the right priorities.
One way I do this is through parent and child dedication. I have a class that parents go through before the dedication. In this class, I spend about 10 minutes explaining to parents what the dedication means. Then I spend time talking with them about having the right priorities when it comes to church attendance. I have seen fruit come from this in the lives of young parents. If you'd like to use this strategy as well, here is the link to the parent and child dedication class that I use.
Help families get their priorities in order.
I believe we have to be bold in sharing with parents about the importance of having their children in church on a consistent basis and by "consistent" I mean more than once a month.
Share Matthew 6:33 with families.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
God doesn't want to just be another part of your family's life. He wants to be the center of your family's life.
Decisions about being involved in sports on Sunday must be made. Encourage parents to make the right decision. We must remember that our kids are watching us.
Take it to the field???
There are a few churches that are being proactive and going to the ball fields on Sundays. They are handing out water bottles, sharing a Bible lesson, and praying with teams.
As I ponder this, I see two sides of the coin.
On one side, we are told (commanded actually) to go into all the world and share the Gospel. That would include ball fields. We should get outside the four walls of our church and meet people where they are. When you do this, you might reach kids and families that would never think about walking in a church building.
On the other side, we are told (commanded actually) to meet together as believers to fellowship, worship, and grow in our faith together. There is something about walking in a church building on a Sunday morning to be fed spiritually and to worship. That still rings true. It's hard to significantly grow in your faith when you are not at church with other believers. We were not meant to live the Christian life alone.
Help parents find other choices.
There are sports' leagues that don't play on Sunday. The church where I serve as children and family pastor has a sports league that plays on Saturdays. Upward sports programs are a great alternative.
So what do you think about the sports' god? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
