Benefits of Sports at Church

Yes, we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 96 participants at Summer Soccer last summer. But what has become of them since?

Well, some attend Sunday School with varying degrees of regularity. But, really, not very many as a percentage of the total summer soccer participants. However, in most small Protestant congregations in the Northeast, that's very much to be expected.

However, when an opportunity that's a little different -- and respectful of the hectic pace of family life today -- appears, so do the kids from summer soccer.

Here's a short excerpt from our Christmas Pageant this year:



In that video, the still photo of the principal narrator depicts one of our Sunday School regulars -- indeed, the girl whose suggestion three years ago led to our summer soccer program. And the girl playing Mary who sings the solo is likewise a Sunday School regular. Some of the rest pictured attend Sunday School regularly, some occasionally, some rarely, and two not at all.

When you include the rest of the cast -- shepherds and animals, not yet on stage -- far fewer attend with any regularity. For some, it's their one appearance in church this year. For some, it actually was their first appearance at a church service ever.

Let me replay that last line: FOR SOME, IT ACTUALLY WAS THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE AT A CHURCH SERVICE EVER.

All but two of the participants, interestingly, were summer soccer participants. Of the two non-participants, one moved to town after summer soccer ended for the fall, and the other was brought by a Sunday School regular.