La Croix United Methodist Church hosted more than 160 youth at its annual Mud Olympics. On the same day, the church also hosted the grand opening of its Reign Forest children's center, which cost about $3 million.

The two events follow one of the church's goals to attract young people in the hopes their parents will also get interested in the church, said Gretchen Taylor, the assistant youth pastor at the church.

"These fun attractions are for kids to come know Jesus," Taylor said. "It can be hard to get kids to listen."

The Mud Olympics, which have lasted about eight years, and the Reign Forest are attractions that cater to the needs of churchgoers 18 years old and younger. The Mud Olympics, for 10- to 18-year-olds, take place behind the church where four large dirt holes were filled with water. Participants could play soccer and volleyball games and slide down tarps, slippery with mud and water flowing from a hose. Within minutes of entering the mud pits, all of those involved were covered in mud from head to toe. Nobody wins, but a Christian metaphor is applied to the mud.

"At the end of the event we pray and talk about how life can get muddy," Taylor said. "When it does, we tell them to pray."

Ten years ago, Tim Beard and his wife decided they should try to find a church for their daughter, Britney. That year they started going to La Croix United Methodist Church, Tim said, because it provided modern Christian music and a great children's ministry program.

Britney, 12, said the best part about the event was she got to do something she wouldn't have been able to do at her house: play in the mud.

Rachel Bierschwal, 13, participated in the Mud Olympics for the first time. She said she started going to the church after her best friend, Alex, first took her there a year ago. Now she goes every Sunday.

"It has a lot of cool music," Bierschwal said. "It's something for the kids and not just for the adults."

Reign Forest opens

The Reign Forest was built to provide an atmosphere for children 10 years old and younger. Shelly Nall, the director of the children's ministries program, said the idea first began seven years ago to build the forest. She said the church wanted to provide something stimulating for a new generation of church children.

"We live in the computer age," Nall said. "We want to show kids God is fun."

The forest spans two floors and has more than 10 new classrooms, which are separated according to age. The activity room has a stage and stage lights, Bible verses and large trees painted on the walls and two plastic trees spanning the height of the two floors complete the atmosphere.

Nall said the church used the rain forest as the design theme for the new program to provide an example of God's "reign" in the world and show children he is great.

"God made the rain forest," Nall said, "and he made it beautiful."

adohogne@semissourian.com

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