Mission and Basketball

Back at 3Generate 2024, a group from Grangewood Methodist Church in Nottingham attended a Dragons' Den session and pitched an idea that has helped bring churched and unchurched young people together through a basketball hoop.

At 3Generate, church youth groups had the opportunity to pitch to the "Methodist Dragons" from the Evangelism and Growth team for up to £200 of funding for a missional event or activity. The young people attending from Grangewood had already discussed what they thought would encourage others to come to church.

Their plan was to hold events where local young people could come and play basketball alongside young church members, giving them the chance to get to know one another and perhaps share their faith with those who might not otherwise encounter it. The Dragons were impressed and decided they were in!

The basketball hoop was installed and, although the planned events did not happen straight away, the young people loved it.

"Initially, I just thought, 'Well, at least they're enjoying it!'" said Jessica Bullet, Community and Church Pioneer.

"After one youth session, the young people played basketball for another two hours and invited some of their friends to come and join them.  I went over and they introduced me to their friends. I said, 'You know your friends can come to church any time when you are here to play basketball, don't you?'

"Eden is a community garden church that's part of Grangewood but its own New Place for New People. Two weeks later,  three of their friends turned up there. The next week, five more young people arrived for a church garden party. The following week, six of them came to the next youth session. Week after week, more of their friends joined in.

"Over my 12 years working at this church, I have learnt that evangelism isn't about going out onto the streets and shouting about God. A random poster for an evangelistic event or service is rarely going to bring someone in off the street. Honest and genuine relationships are where gentle evangelism works best.

"God is at work in these young people who are inviting their friends into their safe space. And God is at work through the Methodist Church and the 3Generate team, empowering young people to live out their faith all year round in a way that helps them feel connected to the Methodist Church as a whole, as well as to their own local church.

"For the churched young people, I hope it gives them confidence in their ability to evangelise, to share their faith, and to feel a real part of our church community. For the newly churched young people, I hope it gives them a long-term home or, if not, plants a seed they can take with them: an example of community in action, where they are welcomed with love and encouragement."