YMCA - A Better Picture of Discipleship? on Threads This Week

An article I wrote called “YMCA - A Better Picture of Discipleship?” is re-running this week on the Threads website. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Threads is a great group of people doing great work - reaching young adults and helping churches minister to them as well.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

I’m sitting in the ‘Coffee Nook’ of the local YMCA like I do every Friday night. We arrive at about 5 p.m., and after my eldest son runs off to his soccer practice, and I get my other two kids to their respective childcare spots, I usually grab a cup of Java and find a comfortable place in this ‘kids free zone’ haven they have carved out near the lobby. I plug my headphones in, throw my iTunes Party Shuffle on, and settle in to spend some quiet time preparing for our Sunday morning up/rooted teaching times.

Tonight as I was paused for a minute (trying to get someone who had a clue to let me know if their WiFi was working), I took notice around me at something that I hadn’t really paid much attention to before: all around me passed people of various ethnicities and ages—all here for different reasons. For some, the Y holds a place where they can unwind after a long day’s work. For others, it is a place to meet up with friends for a game of racquetball or basketball. Some come to pursue greater health in their lives. Still others hang out at the soccer fields or around the pool—visiting with friends and acquaintances they will likely not see apart from this weekly practice pilgrimage. Others come, like me, to find a quiet spot to enjoy a semi-decent cup of flavored coffee and read a book, the day’s news, or tie-up some loose ends for work.

I think the reason all of this struck me in particular tonight of all nights is that it dawned on me how diverse the YMCA is compared with the church where I gather each week to worship with my fellow spiritual travelers. The similarities are many…

Read the full article here: “YMCA - A Better Picture of Discipleship?” (Threads)

Posted 04.02.2009

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