here's my plan:
This next year I am proposing to go to the local hockey rink maybe once a month on Sunday mornings instead of going to our church. Many of the people my age have kids in hockey and though their faith in God is strong they don't attend our church during the winter months. Unfortunately many of them have gotten a pretty bad rep cause they don't attend. So I am going to approach the various local hockey teams and volunteer my services as a driver, towel washer, equipment fixer, or hey maybe i could work with some goalies and see if I could pass along some of my extensive knowledge (tee hee). Any who I thought about floating this past the powers that be at the church and see what they think. But first I wonder what you think...
UPDATE...(Monday, December 19th)
so yeah i was talking to one of the coaches and he was saying that he might need a goalie coach. so i might have a natural in. The way i figure it if one of the parents/kids/coaches invites me to be there it might just be more legit in the eyes of 'the man.' so keep crossin them toes for me...
More...(Wednesday, December 21st)
so yeah i floated the idea with the other two pastors here. This brought about an intense discussion. I brought the topic up as a way to defend what I feel is the disturbing priority we have placed on attendance on our ideas of ecclesiology. I suggested that the very reason the idea of missing a Sunday or two each month (or even every other month) would not fly points to our focus on getting the sheep counted. Lorne suggested that maybe if after the game I was to meet with some of these parents and families and maybe do a Bible study it could be more legitimate. His idea might be good one but to me that still is counting the sheep. I'm not sure if we should totally get away from counting the sheep but I think it may have become a too important in determining our ecclesiology. To me the hockey on Sunday thing would obviously be more than just on Sundays it would likely mean that i would need to involve myself in more than just Sunday otherwise there woudl be no authenticity in my missional approach to being at the rink on Sunday. And that is just it- for me this is a question of being missional I think. I'll be the first to admit that i am not sure that I am totally thinking this one out properly or not but... Really i don't just wanna do this to stir the fecal matter either so on tip toes we tread... Any insight?
5 comments:
Sir Burton!! This idea has been hashed out on many occasion over some greasy bacon and a clear cup of coffee. You know I am all for it. Powers that be may be a hurdle to high a short guy mit stubby legs can hurdle but do it man I like it.
md
Hockey/Church...what if people swear at you at Church. Worse yet, what if people don't like the way you wash the towels, what if people notice the visors keep falling apart even though you fixed them, what if people notice the goalies goals against average goes up. They might start to be critical and lose their edification...wait, it's starting to sound more like Church all the time!
Go for it man!
I think it's a stellar plan! I know the idea would float in our church, here's hoping the powers that be in your church feel the same. Seems to me that if our 'worship' stands in the way of our 'being Jesus' to the world we need to re-evaluate our 'worship'.
Since its very likely that hockey parents are more committed to being at the rink than in church (for some reason kids like sports better than sunday school), I propose you ask some of them what feelings they would have about such a mission. TO me, the hockey rink has more potential, for a community minded church, to connect people with something in common. In addition, on any given sunday I suspect it may be an actual blessing to sit through a hockey game rather than perservere through the standard .... at church. If it goes through, could you try to expand the mission to the Flames so we can go to a few games on congregational funds? I know i'd be blessed (I'm filled with the spirit when the fire shoots out of the things above the ice when the flames score)
I'll see what I can do about the Flames tickets. It might be kinda cool to do offering like a 50/50 draw.
Really i probably wouldn't be at the rink on any Sunday if I didn't have some sort of previous connection...
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