Know Your
Bible
VOL. 10 July
24,
2011
NO. 29
What Constitutes
Church Sponsorship Of Social And Entertainment
Activities?
We regularly receive notices
from congregations that describe some upcoming event. Often these are programs
planned for specific groups of people, such as the teens, or the women of the
church, etc. The advertisement will detail the classes or lectures that
are scheduled and identify the speakers who will present the lessons. Our
concern is about a note usually found in smaller print near the bottom of the
announcement. Here’s an example from an ad we received just the other day:
“After the Bible lessons provided by the church, individual members will extend
hospitality to our fine young people at _______ Park . .
.”
It seems clear that many of our
well meaning brethren think that if the church does not spend any funds for an
activity, it therefore proves that the church is not supporting or sponsoring
the event. They claim that the church is not involved in that part of the
planned activities, even though they have attached their name to it and are
advertising it. Those who think so need to think
again.
Consider this extreme scenario:
Some men decide to enter a team in a beer chugging contest at a local bar.
They use their own money to buy tee shirts and have them imprinted with ‘Church
of Christ Chugging Champions’. What!?! Absolutely NOT! Even though the
participants involved are not even members of the congregation, no one wants the
church’s name associated with such an event. Do you see it? Even a reference to
such an activity tends to link the church to the
action.
Let’s make the circumstances a
little more realistic: Some men decide to enter a softball league. They use
their own money to buy tee shirts and have them imprinted with ‘Church of Christ
Softball Sluggers’. For some reason folks do not want to draw the same
conclusion this time, but the end result is the same. By allowing the church’s
name to be associated with the action, perhaps even announcing the schedule for
the team’s games, etc., the church has become involved. They are promoting the
softball team and are truly linked to it by virtue of lending their endorsement
as a sign of their
support.
Now, back away one step further.
Is the previously mentioned church (that is planning an event for young people)
really not associated with the ‘fun and games’ at the park that are announced in
the flyer they printed and mailed out? Can you see it? The fact that they have
promoted that part of the program under the name and banner of the church makes
them a sponsor of what is being done. If not, why
not?
We understand the importance of
planned activities that allow for the social and recreational involvement of the
young and old alike. But we also know that it is not the authorized work
of the church to provide for such (1 Cor. 11:22,34). Let’s be careful to truly
keep such things in the individual realm where they properly belong.
Think!
---Greg Gwin