I have to admit, I’ve only really enjoyed football for the past two or three years. Another perk of marrying my wife was marrying into her football-fan family (go Giants!). Over these last few years, our family has used football as an excuse to just simply spend time together. This weekend, maybe your ministry could use football for the same excuse, even if you don’t care for the sport.
When I think about my time in college, some of my most fond memories are from the campus ministries that I was involved with, and those fond memories are all rooted in the relationships that I built with people. Fostering growth of relationships should be a prime goal of your campus ministry, if it isn’t already. Looking back, your students will probably remember their time with somebody they met through your ministry more than they remember what your worship setlist was last week.
This year, hundreds of millions of people will gather around TV sets all around the world to watch football’s biggest game of the year. Even if you hate football, I guarantee you’ve watched at least a little bit of a Super Bowl game. The same goes for your students. In a generation yearning for deep relationships, throwing something as easy as a Super Bowl party has a great return on the investment.
Why not throw a Super Bowl party? Most of your students are going to watch it anyway. Why not get some of them together? Again, it all comes down to fostering relationships. Hosting a Super Bowl party would be a great opportunity for you and your students to get to know each other better, and for your students to get to know each other better. Also, it’s super cheap and easy to throw together. All you need is some cheap pizza, wings, and cable TV! Here are some ideas for your party:
Host a party at your pastor’s home. If it’s cool with your pastor, invite a bunch of students over to his/her home. This will allow your students to connect with another ministry role-model outside of a church service.
Host a party with another campus ministry. On my campus, we love our sister ministry, and often plan events together and attend each other’s events. By hosting a Super Bowl party with another campus ministry, you’re opening your students up to another body of believers on campus to befriend and do ministry with. This also speaks to the beauty of Christian unity on your campus.
Host a party with other campus clubs. Did somebody say “evangelism”? It’s crucial for your students to make friends with non-Christians for tons of different reasons. By working with other clubs on campus to throw a party, you’re encouraging relationships to be built between groups. This is great on so many levels.
Host a party at your house. If you don’t already, it’s a good move to invite students into your home. This allows for another level of trust and connection between you and your students.
Even if you hate football, the Super Bowl offers a great opportunity to connect with students, and for students to build relationships with each other. It’s cheap and easy, and presents a great opportunity for your students to step further out of their shells and meet some new people. What do you think? What are some other ways to use the Super Bowl for ministry?
Go Broncos!