|
|
|
Churches and sport
- find out what other churches have been up to
Cockerton outdoor activity centre
 Five years ago members of Cockerton Methodist and St Mary's Church in
Darlington formed Cockerton Outdoor Activity Club (COAC) and now run a busy
year round programme of activities including white water canoeing, rock
climbing, gorge walking, archery and fell walking. Local people, whether
involved with the churches or not, are invited to take part in the full
range of COAC activities in order to experience a unique brand of
challenging 'fellowship with a difference'.
 COAC is able to maintain a spiritual element to all its work through the
strong support of the parent churches. There is prayer before, and sometimes
during, events and various other devotional opportunities. COAC is closing
integration with various church adult and youth groups as well as regular
contact with Boys' and Girls' Brigade, local Guides, a Duke of Edinburgh's
Award group, local schools and local businesses. During 2002 COAC made
contact with over 300 local people.
Barking Elim Pentecostal Church
The church has produced successful youth teams at U/12, U/14 and U/16 level
for the last ten years under the guidance of church rep, John Hockley. All
team members are constantly encouraged to attend the Elim Youth Camp on the
Isle of Wight and youth meetings organised by the church. Several of the
boys have been on contracts with professional clubs.
St Botolph’s, Barton Seagrave
A summer ‘Sporting Chances’ outreach weekend which included youth sports,
men’s breakfast, football coaching, aerobics, line-dancing, tennis, Question
of Sport quiz and sports services resulted in two of the participants
becoming Christians. Tim Kirk is the church rep and reports that ongoing
sports ministry involves circuit training, 5-a-side football, walking
weekends and special sporting events.
Sutton Bonington Baptist Church, Loughborough
Sutton Bonington Baptist Church organised an indoor mini-Olympics and had
ten competing countries made up of village families. The teams hurled indoor
javelins, discuses and shots, as well as completing the indoor standing long
jump and triple jump. Skills activities in football, basketball, rugby and
hockey made for an action-packed afternoon. After a buffet tea the 100 or so
participants, including many non-churchgoers, listened to a challenging talk
from Bryan Mason on the More Than Gold Christian life.
 Leamington Spa Baptist Church Sports Outreach Weekend
A very full programme was organised by Christians in Sport church reps, Jan
and Nic Christie, with help from their son, Jeff and daughter, Jenny.
Young people’s events were based around a ‘crystal maze’ activity
session, which included a challenging devotional time. Adults joined them
for a sports afternoon of 5-a-side football and all-age netball, again
including a spiritual 'team talk' at half-time. The Saturday evening saw
lots of non-church folk turning up for a 'Question of Sport' and buffet at
the local tennis club which was so popular that late applications had to be
refused. The weekend was completed with a sports outreach service on the
Sunday morning.
<
back to story list
| list
all stories
|
|
