'Skate Church" ministers to inline crowd as well as 'boarders'

PORTLAND -- Skate Church, an outreach of Central Bible Church, no longer caters to only skateboarders; it now dedicates a night for inline Skate Church.

Skate Church started approximately six years ago at Central Bible, 8815 N.E. Glisan St., and took off, becoming a popular youth outreach.

Many kids come to Skate Church because it is one of the few places to skate when it rains. But some kids also come to listen to God's Word. If skaters leave before the mandatory Bible session, they cannot come back until they participate in a Bible study.

Jon Collins, this year's Skate Church intern, said, "We really try to emphasize the 'church' part of Skate Church."

Originally, Skate Church opened with both skateboard and inline skating, but because of a lack of staff to handle the need, the inline branch survived only a year.

Today, inline Skate Church, which Collins calls "the little brother of Skate Church," as well as skateboarding Skate Church, is open year round, with the exception of Christmas break and several holidays observed by nearby Multnomah Bible College. Last summer, Collins opened the
warehouse every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and talked with the 20 to 25 skaters.

"There was a real need, and God was telling me to stay," Collins said.

As the weather worsens during the school year, attendance peaks to 55.

Collins commented that this year's Skate Church staff "is on so many different levels of skating, and so are the kids. It's easier for a kid who's falling down to relate to an adult (who) is also falling down."

Collins said that although Skate Church has a strong biblical message, the staff focuses on building relationships with the skater to effectively talk to them about Jesus Christ.

Drawing more attention to the inline branch, Collins explained, will draw more staff. The church will be better able to meet the kids' needs.

"There is a huge inline culture in Portland," Collins said. "And it would be great to get a lot more people involved."