The church and sports have battled for supremacy in society since the days of the early church. The early church opposed sports because of its focus on idolatry, immorality, and dualism, which negatively influenced society. Subsequent eras brought new questions regarding Christian engagement with sport. When Christianity became the official religion in Rome in the early 4th century, a renewed priority on virtuous living emerged. This meant considering daily activities, like sports, and asking, “If I engage in this, either as a spectator or as a participant, over time, will it make me more or less godly?”
The years following the Protestant Reformation brought the most tension between church and sports. The influence of the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation forced the church to reevaluate Christian involvement in sports activities. Roman Catholics and Protestants had differences of opinion regarding playing sports on Sundays. For the Catholics, sports following the Sunday service was not only accepted but celebrated. Puritans, on the other hand, viewed Sunday as a day set aside for devotion. Sporting activities were viewed as unacceptable on the Lord’s Day. (This remains a contentious debate in the church today.)
Arguments could be made for or against Christian involvement in sports. Each perspective has validity and often results in passionate debate on the topic. However, even those in favor of sports have a hard time denying the negative influence sports has on church attendance.
In recent decades, youth sports have become a dominant force in America. The rise of year-round “travel ball” creates a tenuous relationship between families and the church. For many pastors, confrontation over sports is an ongoing battle with their congregations. Scripture is clear: faithful church attendance is expected. The writer of Hebrews teaches us attending church should be the normal behavior of every Christian (Hebrews 10:24-25). Sadly, this biblical command often fails to take root in hearts.
Today, many parents and pastors alike feel as though church is in competition with sports. And, at a practical level, it is. Remember several important factors when considering this competition. First, the love of sports will never go away. Sporting competitions can be traced to early accounts of human activity. (For instance, the sport of grappling or wrestling is described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in 2000 BC, describing a character who lived between 2800 and 3000 BC.)
Second, with the growth of technological connectivity and social media, the focus on sports will only increase, not decrease. Finally, by their very nature, sports are structured to win, because everything about sports is built around competition. If a church is going to compete successfully for the hearts and souls of sports enthusiasts, these three factors must be considered.
Successful sports teams spend time developing a gameplan. They study their opponents, develop specific plans of action, and provide tools and training to carry out the plan. The church does not have to lose in this competition with sports. With the correct strategies, a proper balance can be achieved in the lives of those for whom we are competing.
Perhaps the most effective way to address the sports “elephant in the room” is to have the hard conversation. Too often, the subject of church attendance is only addressed from the pulpit. That can be counterproductive, when those missing church (whether for sporting events or some other reason) are not there to hear it. Even if they are in attendance, they feel targeted. Perhaps a better approach is a straightforward, personal conversation.
Sports is one of the few places left in our society where hard conversations are still commonplace. If a player is not meeting expectations, a coach or teammate is likely to share some “straight talk” regarding the lackluster performance. With this mindset, sporting parents and players may be more open to a private conversation where their “performance” as church members is addressed. Be sure to cover several important topics. First, ask why this family needs to miss church for sporting events, especially youth sports. Often, the parent will steer the conversation towards the lessons sports teaches, such as quality friendship and self-discipline. What a great opportunity to explain how a healthy local church is also built around these important areas of life.
Often, families honestly do not understand how missing church negatively affects them. They see sports as a place where their child takes part in a community with common goals, develops a strong work ethic, and learns the importance of self-sacrifice for the common good of others. All of these are true, but they do not outweigh long-term consequences of sporadic church attendance. Although children may see physical and relational growth through sports, their lack of spiritual growth will be a far greater loss.
Just like in sports, several “stat lines” are directly linked to spiritual maturity. Church attendance is one of those stats. Growing in faith is directly linked to faithful church attendance. Just as a player can never be successful in sports without being faithful to practices, training, and games, the same is true of spiritual growth.
This hard conversation will make it possible for the family to see your real motives, to know they are not just “a number on a board” but a real priority to their pastor. Hard conversations lead to real results. It is important to remember this type of conversation means you are asking them to go against the norm. You may be asking them to give up close friendships or the sport they love and in which they excel.
However, if church is going to compete successfully for the hearts of its families, we must be willing to tackle this conversation! Too often, the church simply forfeits the game because they are unwilling to compete.
Yes, church can influence sports. So, let’s get started—one hard conversation at a time.
About the Writer: Greg Fawbush is athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Welch College. Learn more about athletics at Welch College: www.welch.edu/athletics.
