Fellowship Programs

September 2024 – Deeply Rooted in Tradition

September 1, 2024June 2, 2023By
September 2024 – Deeply Rooted in Tradition

Tailgates and Touchdowns Football Celebration

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Introduction

Tailgating is a beloved American tradition best described as a season-long party on college football Saturdays in the fall. It is a firmly established autumn ritual that has become the ultimate family reunion, and everyone is invited. Hallmarks of an epic tailgate party are great food, legendary teams, and cherished traditions.

In The Official Tailgating Cookbook by Southern Living, Rebecca Kracke Gordon writes, “Everyone wants to be invited to be a part of something grand, spectacular, and rooted in tradition. My policy has always been all-inclusive when it comes to tailgating over plates of barbecues and platters of fried chicken, whether it’s shared with friends or even strangers.”

Women want the same thing—a place of connection, belonging, and community. They love words like authentic, transparent, and relevant. They want to gather with people who genuinely love them. They want to eat together and tell stories that make them laugh until they cry.

Dust off the lawn chairs, fire up the grill and invite women to gather in the Corps parking lot for a tailgate party. Consider asking the entire Corps family to celebrate the end of summer and kick off the fall season.

Program Ideas

Go all out and create a party atmosphere in the corps parking lot. Work with your local football program to use mascots, tunnels, and jerseys, to create an epic tailgate party. Encourage participants to show team spirit by wearing their team colors. Party supply stores have tailgate accessories too. Think of tailgating as hosting a picnic in the parking lot behind your car. Bring everything needed to make it work, including food, drinks, chairs, canopy, grill, napkins, music, and games.

Tailgating is all about sharing and sampling. Provide essential tailgate foods such as grilled hotdogs and hamburgers but invite women to bring their favorite tailgate side dishes and desserts. Since tailgating is a community thing, could you encourage them to bring enough to share?

Tailgating is a great place to introduce new people to the corps. If you live in a college town, join the festivities on campus, and host your tailgate party. Give away free food and distribute information about the corps.

Share “The 10 Commandments of College Football Fandom” as a fun way to kick off the tailgate festivities. www.southernliving.com/culture/10-commandments-of-college-football-fandom

Devotion:

It’s easy to identify a super fan during football season. There’s no question about her allegiance. She’s the girl dressed in team colors with matching jewelry and lipstick. Her car is decked out with car flags, pom-poms, and a university tag. Don’t let the cheeky smile behind the lipstick fool you. She can go from delightful to diehard at the drop of a hat when her team fumbles the ball.

Our scripture today says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Do you see the little three-letter word in the second half of the sentence? The word ALL means that every single aspect of our lives should bring glory to God. Our eating. Our drinking. Our coming and going. And yes, cheering for our favorite team should bring glory to God.

Tim Tebow is an American football player who openly expresses his Christian faith by kneeling for prayer during games. Tebow played college football in Florida, becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy and leading his team to two BCS National Championship victories. After his collegiate career, he held the Southeastern Conference’s records for career passing efficiency and rushing touchdowns, ALL for the glory of God.

His propensity for kneeling on football fields to offer prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving to God has earned him the trademark title of “Tebowing.”

Have you ever considered how you could bring glory to God in your daily living?

  • Going to work for the glory of God.
  • Interacting with colleagues for the glory of God.
  • Sharing Facebook posts for the glory of God.
  • Driving in rush hour traffic for the glory of God.
  • Eating and drinking for the glory of God.
  • Cheering on your favorite team for the glory of God.

I invite you to do some “Tebowing” and pray that God might help you bring Him glory in everything you do.

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