Coaching Boys

I had the chance this morning to be a part of our new Grace Adventure Club. During the sermon I headed out with some of our coaches and our 3rd-6th grade boys to play and then huddle. At the first service we played Bump, a basketball-type game. I won the first round! But I'm glad to concede that Zach was the champion of the world. At the second service we played kick ball. My team kicked-butt and won by 2!

During the huddle we started a journey through the Gospel of Mark. So today we talked a bit about good news and how the word, Gospel, means good news. We looked at how Jesus is good news (Mark 1:1). We went around the huddle and talked about what we are thankful for and prayed after the brief talk.

It's a pretty cool model. If I were that age I'd love it. In fact, at the second service we could barely get the boys in for communion--and it was blazing hot outside. (My son was late for church this morning and happened to be walking to the building when he saw me headed to the court to play. He asked what I was doing and so I grabbed him and made him one of the coaches. It was fun to have my own boy--although a 25 year old boy--out playing with us!)

It's very rewarding to see our men out hanging with the boys. It's also cool to have some of the guys taking the lead in planning the activity and the huddle talk.

We are now in the process of putting together a team of mentors for our 3rd-6th grade girls and hope to have their side of the Grace Adventure Club up and running by July. But I still managed to kick and inside the park homerun!

At that point we'll do a shift of sorts. We will be giving our nursery-2nd grade ministry the name: Grace Kids Club. Our ministry to 3rd-6th grade boys and girls will carry on the name Grace Adventure Club. Cool logos, T-shirts, and hats to come!

A couple of learnings for me personally--it's hot out right now! and I'm a bit old to be running bases in such heat!