Asking the Clergy: How do you advise families whose kids have sports events on Sabbath?

Pastor Remo Madsen, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Levittown:

Youth sports can create a lot of conflict for families, forcing them to make choices between the team and the church. We offer two services on Sunday morning and ask them to come to one or the other, or to as much of one as they can make.

Several children come in their soccer clothes. We encourage them to wear their uniforms, and I even comment on them during the children's sermon time. We really try to encourage them both in their school activities and in their church attendance.

For those who have to make a choice, since it's not every Sunday, we try to be supportive. We encourage coaches who attend our services to try to avoid the sacred hour at our church or others.

It can get a bit tricky because you don't want to create within the child a negative sense about religion because he or she misses a favorite activity. It really is a balancing act for the family and the child. I believe you should laud them for their willingness to come and take part in all or part of the service.

Jimmy Jack, senior pastor, Freedom Chapel International Worship Center, Amityville:

Our Freedom Chapel theme is "Fulfilling Your Purpose - Embracing Your Destiny." Therefore, we encourage all of our church families and their children to become high achievers in their education and athletic forums, as well as their spiritual gifts and calling.

When after-school and curricular activities conflict with our Sunday church service, we challenge our families to balance their school activities to be the exception of the rule, not the norm. When this exception happens, we provide a CD or DVD from our church service to meet their spiritual needs.

We also offer two additional church services during the week for those who have conflicting activities on Sunday.

The Rev. Peter F. Casparian, Christ Church Oyster Bay:

I think this is a prevailing issue for many communities. Soccer teams, traveling hockey teams, lacrosse teams, makeup practices, football games, all of those youth sports, whether they are school-related or independent teams, seem to have forgotten that there are religious groups that hold to a sabbath.

I don't think that anyone is going back to the days depicted in the 1981 Academy Award-winning movie "Chariots of Fire," where the evangelical Christian athlete refused to run an Olympic race on the Sabbath.

It would seem that our society would be better off if certain times were reserved for religious services. There seems to be a complete disregard for Sunday services. The Roman Catholic Church instituted Saturday night services. There are smaller churches that still have Sunday-only worship.

Sports should have some regard for families who worship Sunday mornings. I've done a good deal of my ministry in the South, especially Kentucky. The strength of the church has kept Sunday morning free in the South.

Our kids are so overscheduled, that a Sabbath Sunday without sports and other youth activities would seem to be a break. I wonder if our congregants have any time together as a family that is not intruded upon by other activities. Are we teaching our children that religion is secondary or even tertiary? Let's preserve some time for worship and honoring God in our society.

Rabbi Ian Jacknis, South Huntington Jewish Center, Melville:

We try to be understanding if they have to come a little late or leave a little early, especially for the holidays.

It also depends upon what the activity is. Every part of the child's life is important and should be supported. Sports help with values and self-esteem. But, religion and attending services are important to their sense of community, their values and education. We don't want to give that up, either.

We want to try to minimize the conflicts. The more the school districts can do to help is very much appreciated. I don't know if I have a solution. The organizers and schools have to have a little more understanding and maybe offer some leniency.

If it was me as a parent, my kids just couldn't go to a lot of things they had to go to. It is hard when you're a minority and want the majority to be understanding. The Sabbath is what it is. The holiday is what it is.