What a Dill!

Because God has done a redemptive work in our hearts, we can realize that He has appointed us to represent Him in this world; 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 states:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

Jesus has redeemed us from the power of sin and death; He has declared us to be new creatures in Him. We can be bold and motivated to tell that story - the story of a sinner who has been set free. And, as we walk in Him and depend on Him, we can count on the Lord to open the door to share our faith. We can make sure that we do not participate in worldly pursuits, but that we don't become isolated from the world, so that we can have a powerful witness.

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We are called to be distinct people, as far as our display of the presence of Christ, but we are not directed to be isolated. Paul captures this sentiment in 1st Corinthians 9:
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

The popularity of pickleball has been the subject of a short feature story at the Relevant Magazine website, although the anonymous writer or writers of the article doesn't quite seem to be enamored with the sport.  The story opens by saying:

Big Pickleball is making moves. The once-blissfully obscure “sport”(?) has become inexplicably popular across multiple generations, boosted by a cadre of baby boomers who’ve somehow coaxed their Millennial and Gen Z grandchildren into suiting up too. And now, Stephen Colbert of all people is hosting a Funny or Die-produced celeb pickleball match. It’ll be called Pickled, it’ll air on CBS and it’ll follow some people playing pickleball.

An organization called USA Pickleball paints a rosier picture, stating in a June article on its website:

As more media outlets continue to pick up on the Pickleball popularity wave, USA Pickleball has found itself once again in the national television spotlight. This past week, Good Morning America has joined the queue to be the next news station to feature pickleball as one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

Good Morning America hosts Eva Pilgrim and Will Ganss took to the Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City to showcase the sport to an ever-growing audience. From young children to seniors, pickleball is an all-inclusive game that speaks to both the competitive athlete as well as recreational players alike. There is no age restriction for the sport – both for competitive or recreational play. The beauty of pickleball is that it has no limits in terms of who can be considered “good” at the game; all you need is a net, a paddle, and a pickleball to enjoy the sport.

Based on the pictures posted with the article, pickleball appears to be a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping-pong; it's played on what appears to be a smaller version of a tennis court - with paddles.  A picture on the site of the ball indicates that it looks very much like the "wiffle" ball of story and fable.

And, a church planter who has helped to launch a church in Alabama has integrated pickleball into his ministry strategy.  An article at The Baptist Paper from earlier this year stated this about Danny Lovett:

...after years of training young pastors and helping church planting teams at Tennessee Temple University and Liberty University, he ended up as a church planter himself.

He teamed up with his friend, David Wilson, and the article says: "...God gave him and Wilson a vision, and 10 years later the Church at Chelsea Westover is thriving."

It goes on to relate:

...a little over halfway through Lovett’s time there, God started planting seeds for what would become a new ministry in his next season of life — a love for pickleball.

“It’s the fastest-growing racquet sport, and Susan [his wife] and I have traveled all over the country playing,” Lovett said.

Pickleball — a cross between table tennis, tennis and badminton — is played with a fiberglass or wooden paddle, a net and a Wiffle ball. For Lovett, it offers a lot of evangelistic opportunities.

“When I introduce myself as Pastor Danny and we get to know each other and play together, I get to share the gospel,” he explained.

He and Susan give out water under a tent at pickleball tournaments. Lovett, who is in his late 50's participated in the National Senior Games in Florida a few months ago. He says, “I like to say I’m a missionary to pickleball or a pickleball chaplain..."

Lovett is no longer at the church, but has been named Pastor Emeritus; he has entered a new season, according to The Baptist Paper: 

...in this next season, as he and his wife travel in their RV, playing pickleball and sharing the gospel, their home base will be another part of their new ministry — a retreat cabin for pastors in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The cabin will hold four families. Lovett said it is meant to minister to pastors and their wives and is under the umbrella of the Jesus is Awesome Ministry he organized before his time at the Church at Chelsea Westover.

This is a great example of how things that we like or love doing can be used for the glory of God.  Danny Lovett has a church planter's heart, and he acquired a love for this sport that has been increasing in popularity.  He saw how it could be used as an opportunity to engage people in conversation about Jesus, and he is committed to doing that, seeing it as part of his personal mission.  We can also recognize that each of us is called to a personal mission - that will look differently for each individual, but we can certainly be sensitive to God's leadership for a place or places to serve. 

I did a search on "pickleball churches," and found quite a few entries. I found a link to an article at The Alabama Baptist, which reported on how First Baptist Church of Centre, Alabama has incorporated pickleball into its overall ministry.  The article states:

The church started the pickleball program at its Recreational Outreach Center in 2017.

“Pickleball has brought people from different towns and backgrounds to play,” said Freida Ellis, who founded the program with Jim and Elaine Bridges. “It has been a place to meet others and have fun together. Our church membership has grown because of having our facility open for people to come together playing a team sport that provides a friendly and Christian atmosphere.”

Here again, this is an example about how some trends in culture can be used for the glory of God. The Alabama Baptist article noted that, "With 4.8 million people now playing pickleball — a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton — it is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S." Of course, not all trends provide such an opportunity, but we can find that sports can be a neutral activity that can attract a Christian approach.