Generation Next embraces the A-League is an interesting article comparing the crowd at yesterdays football (soccer) match and the crowd at the cricket match next door.
Here’s a snippet:
Yesterday, generation next chose soccer over cricket. There were more aviator sunglasses at the SFS than on the set of Top Gun. Twenty-something women in tight shorts almost outnumbered the blokes with designer sideburns. They all marched through the gates to the techno beats of an outdoor DJ, who bleeped and tweaked alongside the main entrance.
I think this has implications for churches engaging with their culture. At CCEC Rugby Union results are always drawn to peoples attention the morning after a big game, but never the soccer. Why? Soccer is clearly (based on player numbers and attendance at games) more popular on the Central Coast, but those drawing attention to the rugby are avid rugby fans.
I think in order to engage with the culture you are reaching – you need to do more than just acknowledge their sport! I recognise that there will always be diversity in sporting tastes in different culture contexts. I also recognise that the primary message to people about sport is not to worship it, but to worship Jesus. I think my point is that we often downplay a particular cultural context because of our own tastes.
What do you think are the predominant sports among local youth and 20 somethings in your context? What do you think it looks like to engage with culture, sport and Jesus?
You say “I think in order to engage with the culture you are reaching – you need to do more than just acknowledge their sport!”
Give us your ideas on what you think “more” is? – Im interested in this stuff and greatly encouraged to immerse myself in our culture as a result of the emerging church movement.
What do you think are the predominant sports among local youth and 20 somethings in your context
Apparently the one that bores me!
But then I go to not-so-cool morning church, even though I’m a 20-something.
I don’t know Dave, yes it’s important to try and engage with culture, but I really couldn’t care less which sport results they giggle about at church. Perhaps it’s more the worldview that’s behind the culture you want to engage with. That phrase is clunky, I’m not sure if I can express what I mean coherently. Do you get where I’m going?
Hey actually, Heardy did mention soccer on Sunday morning. In fact, I’m quite sure I heard the phrase “Go the Mariners”.
Glyn did as well, I’m pretty sure.
i’m impressed it got a mention!
St ives have had the cricket on the air screen after church for the past however many weeks.
Hey grant i.ll give some ideas later… I’m typing this on my phone on the train and it’s a bit cumbersome…
Give us your ideas on what you think “more” is? – Im interested in this stuff and greatly encouraged to immerse myself in our culture as a result of the emerging church movement.
hey grant – here’s some random thoughts…
*first it needs to be acknowledged – you don’t have to like it or consider it your fav sport
*think about your programming. i’ve run a friday night youth group on the central coast for the past 10 years. I think that it’s appropriate considering our context. in the USA – there are places where it would be stupid to run a youth group on the friday night because everyone is part of the high school football (gridiron) – if not playing – watching. so i know of churches in that context that run their main program on a wednesday night and don’t bother trying to compete with the gridiron… on the friday night they have a drop in centre after the game to give Christians and their non-Christian friends an alternative places to hang out instead of a drunken party…
*play the sport. what you’re doing grant by playing for the local club is gold… i think more Christians ought to do that rather than play in “christian” teams!
*take an interest in the sport for the sake of people. in conversations etc.
*it might also include urging people to not treat soccer or any sport or anything as god, but rather to turn to Jesus
*run evangelistic or social events for the sport – more people came to informal world cup soccer watching during 2006 than would have come to “official” men’s bbqs to watch the rugby
I THINK THE KEY: you don’t want to have the church modelled on a particular culture, but rather churches need to understand the culture that they are trying to reach. I’ms speaking on a soccer camp in a month or two. I will obviously use soccer illustrations throughout – but ultimately i want these kids to worship Jesus and not soccer.
this is all pretty waffley…
have you got any ideas?