Sports and church. We’ve wrestled through this conversation before and we’re back to tackle it again. On this episode, join Stuart Hall, Dan Scott, Ashley Bohinc, and Sarah Anderson for a follow-up conversation on the tensions between church and extracurricular activities, what identity has to do with it, and what youth leaders can do for students who find their identity in sports, band, theater, and more.

EPISODE RECAP

  • Ashley, Stuart, and Dan give updates on their perspectives and experiences on this topic since the first two episodes on the tensions between church and sports. (10:00)
  • Our identity is going to gravitate to what we are good at or where we find comfort and safety. (14:00)
  • It’s an identity issue, not a sports issue. (14:30)
  • There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer for any one kid. (24:00)
  • How can we help parents and youth leaders lead each kid individually? (34:00)
  • When what our kids’ faith looks like matters more than what it is, it’s not faith anymore, it’s theater. (36:00)
  • Transformational leaders are about mentoring kids. Transactional leaders are about monitoring kids. (37:00)
  • We want to teach our students how to think, not what to think. (42:00)
  • Sometimes we lose our identity in something and don’t even realize it until that thing is taken from us. (43:00)
  • You are loved and valued regardless of what you do or don’t do. (46:00)
  • A teenager is only as brave as the stories they tell themselves every day when they look in the mirror. (47:30)
  • We can create a safe place for students to navigate an identity crisis when it does happen to our students. (50:00)
  • It’s the identity crisis that allows God to speak to our teenagers. (51:00)

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