In recent years, pickleball has surged in popularity across the United States, with approximately 20 million Americans participating in the sport in 2024. This is a trend that has not escaped the eyes of community organizations – particularly churches – across the country. They are increasingly bringing the game into their sanctuaries to engage their congregations and encourage friendly fellowship. As more churches introduce pickleball into their programs, they are discovering not only a fun activity but a powerful outreach tool.
The news elicited a jubilant response from 85-year-old pickleball enthusiast Kay Seamayer. She is thrilled that the First Baptist Church in Dallas is going to be open for pickleball now. Seamayer’s been playing the game for more than 10 years. After playing pickleball, he’s experienced the ways that the sport builds bridges in the community.
“You just don’t have to be competitive in everything you do,” she said. “So, settle down and help those people who want to play and just play for fun.” Her sentiments reflect the wider trend of churches utilizing this unconventional sport to promote unity and fellowship amongst parishioners.
Retiree Terrie Golwitzer took up pickleball two years ago at Adventure Christian Church. She highlights how the sport has become a vital part of her church’s community activities, bringing together individuals of varying skill levels.
Willow Creek Community Church –‐ and Willow Creek’s current pastor at its Huntley campus, Todd Katter, called it an overwhelming success. Upwards of 150 people have participated in the church-sponsored pickleball outings. Katter himself only picked up the sport a few years ago. Beyond that, he says, it serves as a powerful outreach tool for churches.
“Even if you’re not very good, you can still have fun,” Katter said. He further elaborated on the cultural shift surrounding social interactions today, stating, “There was an era where people went to Starbucks to hang out. Now, people drive through and grab a Starbucks and go play pickleball.”
One member of his congregation believes there’s more potential in pickleball than just physical fitness to build community — the Rev. Michael Graham. Knee surgery pushed back his first appearance on the court, and he hasn’t played yet. When he got a pickleball racket for his birthday, he was clearly excited and can’t wait to play! “Over probably the last four or five years, pickleball has become so important that now we have three courts,” Graham remarked about the growing infrastructure his church has developed.
Hope Community Church was one of the first churches to bring pickleball to the area. By the time it hosted its first clinic, which drew 40 participants, there was an obvious appetite for the emerging sport. Their church now hosts pickleball a few days a week, setting the stage for consistent opportunities for fellowship and recreation.
At Gilford Community Church, enthusiastic members immediately marked off the pickleball courts with velcro tape. This setup process can easily take 30 minutes to complete. The effort is well worth it as the courts can be tucked away in a matter of minutes after play. These arrangements provide the church with flexibility for their programming and at the same time meet the emerging demand for pickleball.
As Kathy Henricks, a retired real estate agent and Adventure Church member described the community, “it’s beautiful.” She recalls very clearly the confusion in her church community over the sport. “I go, ‘Why don’t we have pickleball?’” she recalled. Her question ignited a fire that turned into more structured events and a larger turnout from her fellow parishioners.
Churches of all denominations and religious backgrounds around the country are discovering that pickleball can be a powerful resource for outreach and relationship building. The sport not only gets folks moving, but it breeds relationships between different communities in increasingly diverse congregations.
