He's recently become involved in a ministry at our church that takes kids from our church's local neighborhood and plays outdoor games with them and then there's a snack and a short gospel message. This past Saturday, despite it being the first really December feeling day, there were a slew of kids ready to head to Byrd park to play. Kids whose parents hail from South Sudan, Nepal, Malawi, and various South American countries intermingled with kids and folks from the oh so Suburban West End of Richmond.
(Henry and Sloan do pushups. Apparently it was someone's 11th birthday. So they did 11 push ups.)
For the first time, the kids and I decided to join Sloan. He thought it'd be fun for Henry and I wanted to see him as it was his turn to give the message. He talked about what Christmas really means and that God coming to earth was the greatest gift of all and then he read the birth of Jesus from the Jesus Storybook Bible.
There were lots of things I loved about XGames. For one, it was the opportunity to see heaven on earth. Adults and kids from multiple nations, tongues and tribes coming together in Jesus' name. Laughing, playing tug of war, running, doing push ups and climbing walls.
I also loved how it was so simple. In the western church, we tend to think that kids won't show up to church if we don't have printed Tshirts, pyrotechnics, and cookies made in the shape of astronauts. Our supplies here were simple: a big rope, some footballs and frisbees, a cooler of water, and a group of adults who wanted to be love to a gaggle of under-served kids. We cheered for one another, competed against one another, and high fived one another. And then my adorable husband got to tell these kids of the never ending love of someone else who cheers for them: Jesus.
