2) Saying that watching a football game rather than going to Youth Group is saying that football is more important than Christ is a hard thing for me to swallow. There are times that I choose to do events that I love rather than go to Christian events that are offered at the same time. Sometimes I am choosing them and setting up idols in my life of that of Christ. Sometimes, it is just a choice that I have made that I believe will be a good thing in my life.

Just food for thought.

I’m not saying any youth group who canceled made the wrong decision, only that my conviction was that we should still have it. However, as you mentioned, we did alter the evening a bit by getting together early (YG starts at 6:30, the game started at 5:45) and watched it instead of our normal opening game/activity time. Around 7:15, though, we turned it off and went with our normal lesson and discussion, and turned it back on when we were finished. The students knew that was the plan ahead of time and the 5 that showed up (as opposed to the 30-40 that usually come) were there because they were not interested in football. The others wanted to see the entire game without turning it off, so they didn’t come, which is fine — that’s their choice.

Thanks for posting your thoughts, Tom! Good discussion to have and think through.