Families today are increasingly torn between church attendance and the demands of their children’s extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, many youth sports leagues now schedule games and matches on weekends. This conflicts with services at churches that only provide one service in the morning, prohibiting families from attending church in favor of youth sports events.
This cultural shift presents significant challenges for pastors and congregations striving to uphold the importance of spiritual commitments within the family as it seeks to obey God and exalt Christ.
Is this how it must be? Are those time constraints really necessary enough to replace church as the primary focus on Sunday mornings? Does this societal change pose a problem for families and churches? Or is this simply the proverbial “tempest in a teapot” that the church is overreacting to? Let’s explore this issue further.
A Basic Answer
There is no middle ground when it comes to the spiritual health of a family. Church attendance is essential. The Bible makes it clear that gathering together with the body of believers is not merely a suggestion but a command.
Hebrews 10:25 (NASB) states, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
This is a clear mandate for believers to prioritize the fellowship and spiritual nourishment that comes from being part of a local church community. The people of God have distinct characteristics that make them the people of God. One of those is gathering together on a regular basis. And for good reason: each time we gather we celebrate “the day drawing near.“
What is that day? It’s the day Christ comes back to set everything right for us. That’s pretty important which makes church attendance more than just a religious activity. It’s a must for those who love Jesus and desire to see Him again.
For many families, however, the demands of sports and other extracurriculars seem to compete directly with this call to worship, spurring them to ignore that mandate and pulling them away from fellowship. But instead of compromising on church attendance, we need to find ways to navigate these conflicting priorities.
A Balanced Approach
Before we continue, let’s clarify. Are there exceptions to the church attendance mandate? Sure. In cases where the wage-earner has no other choice than to work a shift on Sunday morning because his boss demands it, the principle is clear:
“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8, NASB 95)
The point is clear. The wage-earner must take care of his family’s physical needs or he is “worse than an unbeliever.” In other words, he as a believer brings shame on the church because of his laziness. He makes the whole church look lazy as a representative member.
On top of this, such a person inflicts suffering on his family. They go hungry if he doesn’t work. That’s a shame in itself.
God doesn’t want His children to shame his church or be suicidal. They must take care of themselves in every way. That means they need to provide for the most basic physical needs. In this case, missing a few church services may be necessary.
But are sports leagues really necessary? This issue isn’t a matter of survival. It includes exercise and entertainment, both activities that can exist outside of Sunday morning. Proper balance means keeping priorities prioritized. Anything less is a waste of energy.
A Bold Assessment
Let’s assess the other side of the issue. Families need spiritual food to survive. If a family cannot attend church, spiritual nourishment must come from elsewhere. Physical food without spiritual food leads to an ugly conclusion:
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36–37, NASB 95)
Providing for the physical and not the spiritual sacrifices eternity for the moment.
What’s the solution? Understanding that every aspect of family life must reflect obedience to God’s Word. If the family doesn’t accomplish this, it isn’t a truly biblical, Christian family.
Parents can, and should, look for creative solutions that allow their children to participate in both spiritual and secular activities without sacrificing one for the other. In cases of necessity, where the family cannot attend because of job obligations, this might mean having a conversation with the pastor about offering a personal service or asking him if a later service might be scheduled.
However, considering how Sunday morning sports leagues fit into all this should be a slam dunk (No pun intended!). The solution is clear: find a travel sports league that doesn’t schedule games and matches on Sundays.
Parents might also consider shifting priorities, recognizing that a child’s spiritual development is more important than their athletic or academic pursuits. Nothing is longer than eternity. What happens on this earth may be important, but eternity is more important.
So What?
The reality is that the culture is not improving. It’s changing for the worse, with values often misaligned with biblical principles. The church, however, is not called to adjust to the culture but to stand as “salt and light” in the world as Christ taught us (Matthew 5:13-14).
The church is meant to influence the culture, bringing positive change and preserving what is good. This means that rather than allowing the culture to dictate how families prioritize their time, the church should help guide families toward biblical truth and better spiritual health.
Ultimately, the question isn’t whether we should choose between church and extracurriculars. It’s about how we can creatively find a way to ensure both are aligned with God’s clear vision for the family.
All of us must do our part. We must encourage our own families to do right, helping them navigate this challenge and encouraging them to keep their commitment to God and His people.
If we believe that the spiritual growth of our children is foundational, we will make the necessary adjustments and sacrifices, knowing that nothing is more important than keeping the family connected to the body of Christ. This, and only this, will knit the body together in love as it should be (Colossians 2:2) and glorify our God in Christ through the Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).
But on an even more important note, we teach our children to love Jesus even more when we celebrate His coming by attending church (Hebrews 10:25). What kind of statement do we make when we skip the very celebration that the Bible tells us reminds us of His coming?
Do we love Jesus so much we want to see Him again? Let’s not neglect assembling together as we celebrate that “day drawing near” and set a good example of true faith for our children.
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