Racquetball Faith
Recently a dear friend, Dr. Chuck Stecker, who is the founder of A Chosen Generation, (learn more at www.achosengeneration.org), wrote an article that resonated with me for a variety of reasons!
- Chuck and his family were a part of our church family at International Christian Fellowship in Rome. At that time he was known to us as Lt. Col. Chuck Stecker and he, his wife Billie and their sons Chad & Courtney were actively engaged in serving with us! We had so much fun together and to be with them on their spiritual journey has been so rewarding.
- I am an old racquetball junkie! I still have fond memories .. and a few nightmares honestly ... of my racquetball days of the 70's & 80's!
- The truth that he writes about profoundly spoke to me!
Here is an excerpt of his article.
'A few years ago, I was in New England at the church of a man who had become a very good friend. Not only was he an exceptional Pastor, but he was (and still is) a very, very good racquetball player. In the course of our time together, we discussed the faith of the next generation, as well as racquetball.
I asked him how many racquetball courts were at his club. He immediately said that there were four. I then asked him how many courts were at his club when it first opened. He looked at me with a quizzical look and said that he thought there had been as many as twelve courts at one time. I then asked him how many clubs had been closed in his area and now converted for other uses.
I said that I remembered when the big racquetball wave hit Omaha and all the clubs were built. Most of those are now closed as well. The facilities that still have racquetball courts now use them for more "practical purposes." Some are aerobic rooms with bikes. Others are converted to play areas for kids. I asked him why he thought all the clubs closed.
The answer seemed pretty simple to me.
Most guys played racquetball with their peers and not their children, so the game did not pass on to the next generation. When guys wanted to play racquetball, they always chose to play with someone more of their own caliber instead of the painstaking and time-consuming process of teaching their own kids.
The same is true of our faith.
Most men would rather deal with other men - their peers - and not take the time for their own kids.
Perhaps that is why we are now closing churches faster than we closed the racquetball clubs several years ago.
We can do without racquetball clubs. Can our kids really live without their faith?'
Profoundly spoken!
Now can this challenge be powerfully received into my heart ... and yours?
What are we doing to invest in the next generation?
Chuck's final question haunts me and I hope it calls out to you as well ...
What will we do ... seriously ... what will we do?
