If you ever have the joy of taking a drive through the Piney Woods of East Texas you’ll find three things: pine trees, churches, and disc golf courses. The game of disc golf, for those who have no idea what it is, is similar to golf. Just replace the clubs and balls with frisbees and the holes in the ground with baskets, and you’ve got disc golf. I was introduced to the game by my brother-in-law in high school and was immediately hooked. I got to go out to the course, play 18 rounds and, if I had someone with me, have a pretty decent conversation.
Once I got to college I kept playing, and often with many people. I found that the more I dove into my faith the more these conversations during games became more about our Lord. This became even more noticeable when a FOCUS missionary and I would go play together. Our conversations turned from small talk into talking about how to live the truth of the Gospel more in our daily lives. We then would invite more people to come and play with us (no matter what skill level they were), and we found that these conversations were very fruitful. They would at least give me food for thought, and it would allow me to get to know my friends on a deeper level.
In Texas it is common for churches to have their very own disc golf courses. Once I was playing a round of disc golf on a Protestant church’s campus, and I met the man who was building the course. It was the pastor himself! I asked him about the course layout and about his desire to build a disc golf course. What struck me was what moved him to build it. He told me, “I wanted to build something so that people would get out and do something together. Whether that’s families coming out here and playing a round together or young people coming to play and have fruitful conversations together. It gives someone the opportunity to come out into creation and clear their mind of the troubles of the world.” I was stunned. This pastor was on the same page as me, and wanted to build up a community for people through the game of disc golf, with the hope that they would come to his church.
The creativity of this pastor is just one example of creatively inviting people into the truth of the Gospel. Each person, as a disciple of Christ, has something to reveal about God through his gifts given him. Sharing those gifts with others is an innovative way to invite people into a relationship with God. Whether that be disc golf, camping, or pickleball! It all starts with a simple invitation to someone. Going deeper in conversation through recreation can help someone to grow in their relationship with God. Allow God to use you as his disciple through your gifts to reveal his love for his children.
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Photo by Br. Jerome Masters, O.P. (used with permission)
