Superbowl

[Doris Grant]

Is you church planning any type of Superbowl party. We have had one for the past 4 years and we love it. We rent a big screen TV and have plenty of food and fun. Just wondering if you church did something similar?

Doris

[Jim Franklin]

Our church has done so in the past but have not heard what the plans are for this year. Much the same as what you describe has been our modus operandi.

[Charlene Clevenger]

We've been having one for several years. We have church at 5:00 insteat of 6:00 that night, then we go to somebody's house for the party. They have to have at least 2 TVs on the game. :) We all bring snacks to share. Last year we had a chili cook-off at the same time. I happened to win. :)

[Doris Grant]

We've been having one for several years. We have church at 5:00 insteat of 6:00 that night, then we go to somebody's house for the party. They have to have at least 2 TVs on the game. :) We all bring snacks to share. Last year we had a chili cook-off at the same time. I happened to win. :)

Two years ago we have a chili cook-off and guess what? I just happened to win too.

[Marsha Gupton]

ok girls. Share those chili recipes.

[David Cash]

My pastor has everyone over to his house that evening. I didn't go last year. Football kind of bores me, so I'll have to decide what to do this year.

David Cash

[Doug Kitchen]

Is you church planning any type of Superbowl party. We have had one for the past 4 years and we love it. We rent a big screen TV and have plenty of food and fun. Just wondering if you church did something similar?

Doris


We are participating in "souper" bowl (you can go to souperbowl.org to see what it is about). We will start with a few songs and a devotional about compassionate ministries. During the evening we will take an offering for a compassionate ministries project (probably for Katrina and Mississippi).

We will watch the game and have board games available for those who don't want to watch. Last year this format worked well - we got our regular sunday evening crowd plus a few more and raised a little money.

Doug

[Russell Metcalfe]

Does anyone besides me still have sort of vague guilt feelings for watching sports on Sunday? My father and mother would rotate in their graves . . but then this is a different day . . maybe the sundown rule-end-of-Sabbath might help me here? Especially since the Patriots might be in the mix-- thank goodness their game doesn't start this week until 7 p.m.-- Shabbat is over by then ??

Russ Metcalfe

[Pete Vecchi]

Is you church planning any type of Superbowl party?Doris

No. Our church board members don't care all that much about the Super Bowl, and those members of the church board who come to evening services generally make up about 80% of the people who normally come to Sunday evening services (not counting my family). In fact, when we brought up at a recent board meeting the possibility of either canceling the evening service on Feb. 4th or moving it up to 5:00p.m. (the game is supposed to start at like 6:18 local time, and the normal service time is 6:00p.m.), the sentiment expressed was that the Super Bowl lasts so long that we can have service and then people can still see most of the game afterwards at home if they want to watch it.

[Mark Metcalfe]

Does anyone besides me still have sort of vague guilt feelings for watching sports on Sunday? My father and mother would rotate in their graves . . but then this is a different day . . maybe the sundown rule-end-of-Sabbath might help me here? Especially since the Patriots might be in the mix-- thank goodness their game doesn't start this week until 7 p.m.-- Shabbat is over by then ??

Russ Metcalfe

I have some residual guilt, Dad, but i think it might be genetic as much as cultural. Anyway, the Superbowl is tomorrow night, as far as we are concerned.

I suppose many churches need not worry about this at all since many have canceled Sunday night services... and with Sunday night services, usually two-thirds of the Sunday morning crowd don't go to Sunday night anyway.
Our house church will be accommodating by meeting earlier in the afternoon tomorrow.

GO Patriots!!

[Doug Kitchen]

Does anyone besides me still have sort of vague guilt feelings for watching sports on Sunday? My father and mother would rotate in their graves . . but then this is a different day . . maybe the sundown rule-end-of-Sabbath might help me here? Especially since the Patriots might be in the mix-- thank goodness their game doesn't start this week until 7 p.m.-- Shabbat is over by then ??

Russ Metcalfe

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I was only allowed to listen to the Red Sox and Patriots on the radio. We didn't have a tv until I was about 10 but even after that the TV was never on on Sunday. I now generally watch games I am very interested in, whenever they on the tv with only a twinge of guilt. My parents and I now watch games together any day of the week.

the Patriots game starts in the middle of our evening service... what will I do? hmmm. Fortunately, the pats are a 4th quarter team so I'll start watching after I get home. ;)

As to your current moral dilemma, some additional rationalization:

1. I believe the Sabbath is still only Saturday. So...any tv watching on Sunday is allowed.

2. Some may consider Sunday the Sabbath. So if you don't want to offend anyone, I guess our sabbath would need to start Friday evening and last until Sunday evening.

3. The good news is that sunset is about 5pm - so you have plenty of time to get the snacks together after sunset and then watch the game!

If Indy wins, then we must have gotten the rules wrong and Tom B is being punished for our sins! ;)

Hope this helps -

Doug Kitchen (formerly from Boston)

[Bob Evans]

My mission has a superbowl party for all our men and women in rehab as well as approximently 250 homeless people. Its a real cultural experience and lots of fun.

[Pete Vecchi]

I have some residual guilt, Dad, but i think it might be genetic as much as cultural. Anyway, the Superbowl is tomorrow night, as far as we are concerned.

I suppose many churches need not worry about this at all since many have canceled Sunday night services... and with Sunday night services, usually two-thirds of the Sunday morning crowd don't go to Sunday night anyway.
Our house church will be accommodating by meeting earlier in the afternoon tomorrow.

GO Patriots!!

So what do you do when you have a small church that doesn't care that it's Super Bowl Sunday and feels that Sunday evening services are supposed to be held, even if normally no more than 5 people attend the services--and some of them even remain awake during the services--and there's the potential that the Pastor's 2 favorite teams will be in the Super Bowl?

Oh well, if the Patriots and Saints win tomorrow, this Pastor won't have to be concerned about that.

Although...

As much as I hate snow...

The current weather forcast is for accumulating snow and freezing rain possible in this area between tomorrow morning and afternoon, and if the evening service here has to be canceled due to bad road conditions, thereby forcing this Pastor to not be able to preach to 5 people -- some of them awake -- on Sunday evening, he just MAY end up with nothing else better to do between 6:00pm and 7:00pm than watching the end of the Bears-Saints game and the beginning of the Patriots-Colts game. ;)

[Russell Metcalfe]

:fav18 My mission has a superbowl party for all our men and women in rehab as well as approximently 250 homeless people. Its a real cultural experience and lots of fun.


Bob! That's great! I applaude you!:fav18

Russ

[Mike Schutz]

We will have an all-church party in our teen center. Some of us are football fans and the rest just like a party! It is one of the few truly intergenerational fellowship events we can pull off. Also, we have found it to be a safe fellowship event to invite unchurched friends, or folks who have been hanging around the fringes of the church.

Two years ago it was great because the congregation are Eagles fans and the entire pastoral staff are Patriots fans!

We have no real Sunday night all-church service. Children's choir, young adult fellowship, and small groups are the only regular Sunday evening programming we have. Most of our folks who would come out for a traditional Sunday evening service no longer drive at night.

As for any guilt feelings I have, they do not come due to heritage, as I was not raised Nazarene and had never heard of Sunday prohibitions concerning entertainment until I arrived at ENC. And my great and good pastor for many years tried to turn me into a good Nazarene, but he obviously failed. (Sorry Pastor Metcalfe.):basic05

Grace and peace

[Russell Metcalfe]

:fav17Nothing to be sorry about Mike :fav17 -- whom the Son makes free is free indeed! How's it going getting a sermon or two every week? I'm "free" now-- for the most part, that is--


Russ