Today sports challenge the participation of families in church activities. Since 2005, Valley Christian Reformed Church in Binghamton, N.Y., has attracted hundreds of Pee Wee football players and their families to a Fall Festival held at the church on Sunday afternoon after the morning service. The church is across the street from school football fields where the games are played.
The festival features games, crafts, lots of free food, free balloons, a clown, animals, and bounce houses. Christian music plays on a P.A. system, and the church collects donations for a worthy cause such as a local food pantry.
Many of the youths from the church attend the football games, handing out balloons and inviting people to the festival. It’s a wonderful way for the church to work together, and several families have been drawn to the church because of this experience, say Ron and Janet Crawford, who helped organize the event.
