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9-10-06 -- Introducing Skateboarders to Jesus
Taking Outreach for a Ride
When Brad Jones joined the staff of Oakwood Forest Christian Church (Kingsport, Tennessee) as youth minister, only a half-dozen kids attended youth group or participated in activities. "Most of them enjoyed skateboarding," says Jones. "I skated a little when I was younger, and thought it could be a good way to build relationships."
Jones began skating with the teens at venues around Kingsport, making friends and eventually inviting them to church. "They recognized me and talked to me," he says, "but none of them wanted to visit our youth group."
To build on these relationships, Jones built skate ramps in a facility owned by the church. Five kids showed up the first week. A month later 15 came by to hang out and skate. Two weeks after that the group doubled to 30, and "from there, it just exploded," he says.
Today, the church owns and maintains a 10,000-square-foot skate park, full of ramps built by Jones and the kids. One hundred teens show up each week for either the Monday night junior high or Tuesday night senior high "Skate Church." Each evening the fun begins at 6:30 and ends at 8:30. Volunteers circle through the crowds of teens, talking and getting to know each one. The Skate Church staff coordinates a careful check-in process as each child arrives, and Jones says the kids can recite the "no helmet, no ride" rule from memory.
In addition to plenty of time for skating, the evening includes a free meal (Jones and his team work with local pizza and barbecue restaurants that provide discounts for large groups) and a 20-minute Bible talk. "Our main goal with this time is to slowly introduce Jesus—who he is, what he said, and how that can give us hope," says Jones.
Oakwood also has a "regular" youth group with a full schedule of programming, but Skate Church remains an important outreach for the church. Jones hopes to expand to three or four nights a week this fall, with one night just for elementary students. "Skateboarding is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. right now, and the fastest among middle school and grade-school kids," he says. "Skate Church is one way to communicate to teenagers that we care about them and they have a place to belong."
www.oakwoodforestchristian.com/newskatechurch
A Small-Group Solution
Small groups of young couples try a variety of ways to solve the child care
problem; some group members rotate babysitting duties, while others chip in and pay teenagers to look after the kids during the meeting. Each solution can lead to other problems.
Jeff Glenn, small groups director at Central Christian Church (Wichita, Kansas), visited a group and noticed the hostess missing the entire study to care for the group’s 13 preschool children. "On my way home, I thought there must be a better way," he says. "God gave me the idea to develop small-group nannies."
Central invites people who love kids to adopt a small group and become the group’s "nanny." (Despite the ministry’s name, the ministry is open to both men and women.) The church gives each volunteer a "nanny pack" full of crayons, coloring books, craft supplies, modeling clay, and other goodies.
The church also provides nannies with Bible lessons based on the ages of the children. "These volunteers are much more than babysitters," Glenn says. "They not only play with the kids, but lead fun, memorable times of learning about God. We want this to be a time the kids look forward to all week."
In addition, Central invited honor students from two local high schools to participate in the program by serving with nannies of larger groups. "The students receive community service hours for their time, they have the opportunity to learn from experienced teachers, and the nannies of our big groups get some additional help," says Glenn.
www.ccc.org
Eternal Hope for Chronic Pain
Caryn Coon lives with multiple sclerosis; Lora Hiti faces chronic illness caused by a respiratory infection. But together they lead a ministry of encouragement to a dozen others with long-term physical struggles.
The two ladies partnered together to lead the Chronic Illness Ministry at Indian Creek Christian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana) in 1999. Dissatisfied with the attitudes among some secular support groups, Coon and Hiti decided to direct the group’s focus in positive ways. "Instead of bashing the rest of the world for not understanding our lives, we want our attitude to be like Paul’s," says Coon. "Like him, we live with thorns in our flesh, but we focus on serving God through our illnesses and bringing him glory."
The group meets monthly to read and discuss a book, scriptural meditation, or other resource. Coon and Hiti prepare discussion questions for each meeting. Group members also pray together, search Scripture for answers, and share stories. "My very favorite thing is watching longtime group members encourage new members, just the way someone once encouraged them," says Coon. "I love to see people grow."
The two ladies also plan yearly "Thorn in the Flesh" banquets and cookouts for group members and their caregivers.
Although the ministry started as a gathering for church members, the group welcomes visitors from the community. "Sometimes group members invite friends, coworkers, or neighbors," says Coon. "We’ve even seen a few people attend our group and later join the church."
www.thecreek.org
Jennifer Taylor, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD's contributing editors, lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
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