"One whole theory of Australian society suggests that the Australian sense of identity and self respect came into being, not to the scream of bullets on the beaches of Gallipoli, but to the roar of the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The theory goes that having been robbed of a decent battlefield in our fight for independence, we had to make do with the sporting field."

Rupert Murdoch:
On Pay TV

Sport "absolutely overpowers" movies or any other kind of activity as a draw for subscribers to cable and satellite TV. "We intend…to use sports as a battering ram and a lead offering in all our pay TV operations."

SMH 18 July 1998
"Church Sunday Schools in Crisis"

The article leads in by saying "Declining church attendances, due to competition from other activities including (fill the gap?) namely sport, and on an encouraging note, we learn that "there are also new ways of approaching the religious instruction of children - namely kids clubs - sounding the death knell of the traditional Sunday School."

Two days later, the SMH carries the headline:
"Soccer outscores Sunday School, so its time for a new approach"

The minister is quoted as saying, "In April, our members always drop dramatically because the soccer trials start. We've started slotting in our special services around the semi-finals.

But all is not gloom and doom. The denominational Children's ministry consultant stated that "It's not a give up time. It's more of a turnaround and a rethink about what's going to be more relevant and appropriate to their lifestyle."

What can the church do when 61.5% of children participate in organised sport, while less than 3% are involved in church based ministries?

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