Grace Church is located on the outskirts of the greater Akron area in Fairlawn, Ohio. While the church thrives even through the pandemic, the city of Akron and its inhabitants have the odds stacked against it. Being the most dangerous city in Ohio, and the 7th most dangerous in the nation; with 1 in every 4 people living in poverty, the city is crying out for help. Grace Church has developed a unique outreach to impact the lives of kids and families growing up in Akron through the name of Christ Jesus. The mission is called GameDay Sports. With the help of volunteers from the congregation, and other organizations in the community, Gameday puts on weekend opportunities for kids to come play sports (specifically basketball) where they aim to present the gospel to children, and through the children to their parents. The idea is that a parent coming to watch their child play witnesses a volunteer pray with their child and build a personal relationship with them, and then begins to ask questions. Soon the child may come to accept Christ and ask their parent to accompany them to Church, at this point whole families are being reached. Along with the experience for children, struggling parents can receive aid in many different, and creative ways. The ministry has a mission of Be Known, Be Long, and Be Strong. Be Known means that they want each child athlete to be understood, discovered, affirmed, and celebrated in unique and meaningful ways. Be Long is about wanting each child athlete to be loved, included, accepted, and respected as a contributing member of their team. Be Strong conveys the desire for each child athlete to be challenged and inspired in what it means to be athletically, relationally, and spiritually strong.
In the past few years, this ministry has already brought hundreds of kids to accept Christ, and with plans to expand the ministry with the construction of a multipurpose gymnasium on Church property it will continue to grow. Grace Church has found a societally relevant, transformative, and engaging experience to reach not just one demographic but whole families, it will be exciting to see the progress in the coming years.
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