Every Neighborhood Partnership is partnering with the Luis Palau National group to create a six-month series that describes our work in the city. Below is the third post in the series from the Director of Saturday Sports, Brian Semsem.
Fun and Play
Last month, German Quinonez examined the theology of place and ENP’s neighborhood development work. This month we will look at using recreation as a way for the church to build community and resilience in our kids and families.
We will break ENP’s perspective on fun and play down into three elements. The story, the scripture, and the science of play and resilience.
The Story
Every Neighborhood Partnership began as an in-school ministry. Saturday Sports was the bedrock of the ministry of fun and play. The primary focus of Saturday Sports was to provide kids living in under-resourced neighborhoods the opportunity to play, have fun and develop meaningful relationships with positive adult role models from local churches throughout the city.
Through Saturday Sports, we began to recognize the difficulties children faced with growing up and living in neighborhoods faced with adversity. We learned that adversities like high crime, concentrated poverty, gangs and other adverse childhood experiences made learning very difficult. For some kids, it was nearly impossible.
We took on the role of learners in our communities and became more intentional about how we did ministry in the neighborhoods. Today, the Lord has allowed ENP to develop a ministry network of partnerships with churches, nonprofits, businesses, universities and colleges, school districts and several departments in the City of Fresno. All of these partnerships are working together on a weekly basis, all year long, year after year.
All of this work was built on the simple ministry of fun and play. This ministry builds trusting relationships between caring adults, volunteers, and children. It also connects churches, schools, parents and other stakeholders in the community.
The Scripture
The word “play” is a scarcity in scripture. However, play is still an important part of life. References to “exercise” in the bible are equally scarce. However, physical exercise is vital to our wellbeing. Today, Saturday Sports has a Greater Vision for the vital role our ministry partners play in the wellbeing of children, families, schools, and neighborhoods. The Prophet Zechariah’s writing inspires this vision:
Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. (Zec 8:4-5 NASB)
In this verse “play” means to laugh, sport, and jest. This also includes the idea of playing instrumental music, singing, and dancing. This Greater Vision takes the Theology of Place framework and sees the local neighborhood school as a vital asset and center of the community. When a culturally diverse group of people come into relational proximity through the ministry of fun and play, the result is a multigenerational community that is deeply relational.
The Science
Play is the workhorse of human development. It is important in helping children learn and develop important life skills like resiliency. Resilience is a set of skills, abilities, and capacities that enable people to adapt. Resiliency enables coping and mastery over difficulties and challenges in life.
Often, we mistakenly think of children either as having resilience or not. However, science and research have shown that resilience is something that has a unique starting point in an individual. From that starting point, resiliency is developed through interactions in environment and relationships. This is where fun and play profoundly impact the Kingdom work that Jesus commissioned for His church.
The core building block of resilience in children is healthy, trusting relationships with adults that have a consistent presence. These relationships don’t stop with family. Research has shown that relationships with caring adults like teachers, coaches, mentors, and even Saturday Sports volunteers, are effective in helping kids build the ability to overcome tremendous obstacles in life.
In closing, Romans 8 illustrates a resilience that is rooted in a trusting and loving relationship.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Rom 8:32 NKJV)
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