Across the nation, churches are inviting local kids to “ollie”, “boardslide”, and “grind” in their parking lots, then stick around to hear the gospel.
Since the original Skatechurch in Portland, Oregon, moved from a parking lot to a building in 1996, thousands of public and private skate parks have opened throughout the country. Some of them are church-owned.
One of your first steps is to determine if your insurance company will even insure the activity. “From an insurance perspective, the problem with skate parks is that they are designed for people to leave the ground,” says Dave Lantz, vice president of claims at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.
“Unfortunately, what goes up must come down,” Lantz said. “Most kids who ride skateboards aren’t professionals, so falls and injuries are inevitable.”
If you plan to open a skateboard park, suggest that the ministry take the following precautions to protect skateboarders’ safety and the vitality of your ministry:
Skateboarding can be a powerful launching pad for youth ministry, but it can carry a heavy price. Consider the cost carefully and plan ahead for safety before skating into this ministry field.
Thank you for your interest in Brotherhood Mutual. We appreciate the opportunity to provide your church or other ministry with an insurance quote and will reply to your request as soon as possible.
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