By Vernon M.
Herron
Photography by William
C. Youngblood
What is tailgating? I know
it is associated with fun, food and fashion; often I hear it in connection and
conversation with the Charlotte’s Panthers football games; my church, the
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC has a Tailgate Fellowship
just before its Homecoming/Revival each year. But I never knew the etymology of
the word, TAILGATING.
What is obvious is that
tailgating is associated with warm temperature and parking-lot fun. While Yale,
Rutgers and Princeton all claim to be the birthplace of tailgate culture, it
is nothing more than an “outdoor party.”
Originally, tailgating was
a board or a gate at the back of a car, truck, station wagon designed to be
moved or swung open or removed on hinges for loading or unloading. Tailgating
prevents one from driving too closely behind another vehicle because the meal was
originally served on the tailgate. Thus, tailgating is to picnic near one’s automobile
or in a parking lot before an event whether it is for sports, religious or
otherwise.
My church has a tailgate
fellowship in its parking lots and Conference Center just before the annual
Homecoming Sunday and the beginning of Revival. This story was first covered in
blog 74 under the subject, “Utilizing a Unique Strategy for Spiritual Growth
and Development.” It consisted of an array of circle prayers, food (without
alcohol), fun and fellowship. It should be noted that this is not a fund-raising
event. Rather, each of the 100 ministries is asked to sponsor a social setting
for its membership to enhance spiritual growth and development. The goal of
this process is to seek an understanding and expansion of knowing what it means
to be a Christian.
The three major membership
engagements prior to the Revival/Bible Study are the Jericho Walk, the Tailgate
Fellowship and an Automobile, Truck and Motor Bike Classic Show. For a
description of each, see blog 74.
Scenes from the 2012 Tailgate Fellowship
As previously noted, people
are now motivated toward spiritual oneness, which renews/revives the
church. This is strategizing for
spiritual growth and development. As a result, we noted:
Mass attendance in Bible Study
Souls added to the church family
Growth in church fellowship
“Not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and thy truth’s
sake.” Psalm 115:1