To promote physical wellness and camaraderie, the Chesterton, Indiana Congregation in Great Lakes District held a sports clinic and a series of pickleball games at Mary Reiner Center on February 23, 2025.

Being a professional pickleball registry certified coach, deacon Jeffrey Sun helped in organizing the activity with the local congregation’s Christian Family Organizations (CFO) officers.

For the sports clinic, Sun first engaged the participants in exercises, such as dynamic stretching, footwork drills, and paddle-tap workouts. He then introduced to them pickleball—a racket or paddle game played between two (singles) or four players (doubles). To familiarize with the game and its rules, he demonstrated proper serving, dinking, volleying, and placing shots, as well as correct paddle grip, ready position, and footwork.

“Playing team sports strengthen not only our physical being but also our unity and camaraderie, which Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) members must always possess,” shared Sun. He added, “Thanks be to God for igniting passion in sports wherein we, Church members, develop self-discipline and integrity that He seeks among His people.” — With assistance from Junie Alarin