Skateboard kings jump for Jesus to bring ministry to boarders
Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2008, 12:05 (GMT)
The scruffy, tattooed skateboarders performing high, 360-degree turns and flying through U-shaped ramps are accustomed to stares from parents who don't know an ollie from a hippie jump.
"The way we look - the tattoos, the earrings - people automatically think, 'Who are these guys?'" says Darren Wells, cofounder of King of Kings Skateboard Ministry, part of a growing attempt to connect with a subculture of youth who feel alienated from the mainstream.
"It's funny to see peoples' faces, but this is a new era," says Wells. "We Christians are called to let this generation know about Jesus."
The King of Kings have almost a rock star status for the long-haired, scraggly-looking teens who make up the skateboarders' audiences, and they are often swarmed by packs of kids seeking their autographs.
After winning audiences through vertical climbs and flipping the boards or themselves, the skateboarders tell their own stories about how Jesus changed their lives.
Some estimates suggest that there could be 300 skateboard outreach ministries affiliated with churches throughout the United States, as well as 30 to 50 skateboard teams, such as King of Kings, that travel, sometimes internationally, to skate and preach.
Skateboarding originated on the West Coast of the United States in the 1950s, and the largest ministries are based there, part of a growing movement aimed at extreme sports that include snowboarding and surfing.
Based in Arizona, King of Kings was founded by Wells in 2002 and has been described in The New York Times as an "edgy, modern version of the old-fashioned revival meeting". Most skateboarders are individualistic, less likely to do team sports and more likely to see themselves as outsiders and loners, said Wells in an interview with Ecumenical News International.
Parents often don't know how to reach their own skateboarding children or find it difficult to accept their long hair, baggy jeans, dark T-shirts and chains for jewellery, he notes.
"We tell the kids it's OK to do their own thing, to be who they are, but we also are trying to bridge a gap, to give them a message of hope and plug them back into their parents," says Wells.
Tattoos worn by Christian skateboarders are as individualistic as the boarders themselves, Wells said. But popular tattoos are "Saved by Grace", and "Jesus is Lord".
The Christian skateboarders have a unique way of intertwining scripture with their jumps and tricks. "People ask me if I get more air because I know Jesus," said one. "Well, Isaiah 40: 31 says, 'But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.'"
ENI
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Sunday, July 20, 2008, 20:38 (BST)
i am truly thrilled and thankful , joyful there are ministries out there that love and want to reach skateboarders. i too love skateboarding and know God gave me a love for it so i can tell them about Jesus, just like these ministries. Jesus died AND rose again for them TOO. however there are some issues that seriously need to be addressed. this is written for the Christian ministers who reach out to skaters. i do not intend to judge or beunkind, but if we're truly Christian, we NEED to do things Gods way, right? the truth is tatoos are NOT biblical. no matter how much you may try to "christianize" them buy making christian graphics, etc. the bible clearly says in Leviticus 19:28 to not make any cuttings in flesh for the dead nor TATTOO any marks on you; I am the Lord. inotherwords it means not to adopt such heathen practices but rather we as Gods people are called to be separate. dont worry about thinking the skate dudes may not take you as seriously due to your lack of skate authenticity, regarding lack of tattos, long hair, etc. Just by the very act of YOU participating entusiastically in skateboarding should be good enough for them . you see if you use all those wordly carnal methods, your actually acting in the flesh, trying to do what ultimately only God can do , thru you but in the Spirit. Dont try to do Gods work in the flesh. Jesus said I will build my church (matt 16;18 ) yes we have to plant the seeds but it is ultimately God who gives the increase. this is where trying has to become trust.
when i watched the king of kings sk8 dvd, not even 5 minutes into it it showed someone getting tattoed. that sends a message to viewers that its ok to get tatoos, which obviously means their oblivious to the bible. when you REALLY become a christian, God makes changes on the inside that later manifest themselves outwarldy. (see 2 cor 5;17 ) the new person no longer craves the old sin life or the lifestyles thereof. (notice i DID NOT include skateboarding as a heathen activity. that in itself is a neutral pastime, regarldess of the traditional punky stereotypes that have plagued it. it can be used for evil or for good. ) we DONT want to send em the message that its ok to "do ur thing," including all these things the bible condemns, only we're just living that way "for Jesus" na-na-na!!! but rather we need to let God do his work in us FIRST, so that we are new creatures pleasing to God, with the true joy only God can give. that is what the kids are TRULY looking for deep down. realize it or not, worldly people may seem like there having time of there life without the Lord but deep down they usually feel "theres gotta be a better way!!!" yes the ultimate goal is to show the sk8 dudes Gods love. that does not mean giving em all junk food. but real discipleship does involve times where Gods word, when shared, creates a serious vibe. thats OK! though u may lose half the crowd, thats what happened to Jesus too when he started preaching that serious stuff. ask God to give you proper balance beteween the fun and Gods word, but NEVER at the expense of the gospel. it IS NOT, i repeat, IS NOT YOUR responsibility how they respond to the truth. we are ONLY messengers. after all we do not do this to give our selves credit, but rather GOD. even if the kids may not all respond favorably, God is still glorified thatYOU did ur job. for that, check Galatians 6;4= but let each one examine his own work and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another.
thank u
chris, millville nj
Added: Thursday, January 31, 2008, 18:35 (GMT)
I think it's fantastic that today's youth, disenchanted with mainstream culture, can remain close to Christ and express themselves in this manner. Praise God!
Kendra Martinez, Hayden Lake, USA
