Enjoying KidsGames, photo via assistnews.net

Life athletes president addresses children at GHANA KidsGames

In view of the on-going 26th MTN Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Ghana 2008, the Ghana Bible Society (GBC) in collaboration with the International Sports Coalition (ISC) under “The Ultimate Goal (TUG)” program, has held a one-day sports and values based program for children, dubbed “KidsGames” at the Azuma Nelson Sports Complex in Accra, reports Daniel Abugah, special to ASSIST News Service.

Speaking to the children who numbered about 2000, on the “Importance of Relationships”, the president of Life Athletes, USA, Mr. Chris Godfrey, advised them to be good friends and maintain healthy relationships among themselves while they endeavor to abstain from premarital sex. He noted that the key to happiness in life is relationship; first, with God and then with one another.

He referred to what the Apostle Paul in the Bible said about the relationship between Christ and the church, where he maintained that relationship with the opposite sex was significant, but cautioned that the only place allowed for sex was in marriage.

“Some people say sex is not a big deal but it is, because, sex touches upon the most important things in life, such as, marriage, family, and even heaven itself. We cannot play with it without being conscious of the consequences”, Mr. Godfrey said in a follow up interview. He spoke against the promotion of condom use among the youth, saying while it does not give absolute protection; it makes young people rather more sexually active “because sex affects us emotionally, physically and spiritually”.

He observed that the KidsGames offers an opportunity for the children to meet and make friends, learn about God and how to pray, work as a team, share gifts among themselves, and how to make informed choices.

Present at the event was also Mr. Cassie Carstens, president of the International Sports Leadership School in South Africa and co-convener of the International Sports Coalition. He spoke with ASSIST News Service in an interview where he highlighted on the history and significance of the KidsGames concept, which currently operates in 200 countries worldwide. He mentioned that it was when the organizers during the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer tournament in 1999 saw that there was no such special event for children that they then decided to come out with the initiative.

“The vision of KidsGames is to bring new life and meaning of the gospel to the church. Kids love sports and we help them to play purposefully by learning the Bible in a playful way. The Bible stories which they learn become real and part of them”, he stated.

Mr. Carstens observed that the church worldwide had not been able to minister the gospel effectively to children because it failed to communicate in their “language” (through games). He said KidsGames capitalizes on major sports events like CAN 2008 to bring the kids together, but it was also an all-year round event which takes place around the world.

“Last year we had it in India and there were more than 2 million kids in attendance. We are speaking the language of millions of kids who have a common passion in games. It is a new Sunday school on a Monday, which brings the children together to have relationship with Jesus and among themselves”, Mr. Carstens maintained.

According to him, the impact of KidsGames on the lives of the children in particular and the respective countries in general has so far been overwhelming. “We will need a month to tell the success story. Last year in Madagascar after we had gone there and 200,000 kids participated in the games the government later got interested in the program, saying that if we could bring together such number of kids within a short time then the program should be integrated into their school curriculum.

And following that the Education, Sports, and Environment Ministries in that country got involved and adopted our program into their school regular curriculum and as a government policy”, Mr. Carstens revealed.

In Egypt KidsGames has become an effective unifying force between the Evangelical and the Orthodox churches. “They are brought together each time through KidsGames”. Mr. Carstens mentioned that the program had played a significant role also in the South Africa peace and reconciliation process.

“I believe the problem of the church is the dichotomy: we live different life on Sunday and another one on Monday, where we do our business and play politics. But as a Christian your Christianity should evolve your whole life. KidsGames helps people to see holistic change in their lives”.

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[02/08/2008]

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