using chess in church

Hello all. This is my first post on chess.com. As a very brief history of myself, I played chess quite a bit back in my very early 20's, and since then I haven't played more than a dozen games. I suppose that I just didn't put any effort into finding someone, or somewhere to play. I am also very much the outdoor type and so staying inside concentrating on a board game of any kind was not really my thing. But I am now 60 and find my interest is growing in getting back into playing, and learning how to play. That's why I have joined here on chess.com  Without searching thru all the posts, I am looking for an easy answer to a question. Our church seems to be lacking in things for the youth to do, and so the idea of a chess club at church came to me. I was wondering if anyone has put together a chess club at church, and used the principals of the game of chess to foward the teachings of the Bible, of how to live, or how life can be improved by playing chess. I know that I am asking a very broad question, with many variables. I am so green at the game at this time, that I can't answer these questions myself. Any opinions??  rf

I used to teach chess to youths, however at schools not churches. Chess is a game of identifying problems and finding solutions, which can be applied to any aspect of life. Don't worry, the kids aren't going to be very good in the beginning so you can get them started. Try to find a local tournament player interested in instructing to help you along. Contact the Berkeley Chess School for ideas, they've been doing it for years. www.berkeleychessschool.org

Well, chess is about a goal (checkmating your opponent's king) and reaching said goal through positional play. You can use it as a metaphor of reaching your dreams and as an embodiment of the age old saying of "look before you leap." I don't neccesarially know how chess could be talked to of the spiritual nature, but you could talk about the pieces and all the chessmen have their role to play and possibly relate that to Noah's arc or even who will meet in life. 

It teaches you how to take advantage of someone who is  unaware, just like the church takes advantage of children.

And that just like gambits are sometimes expedient in order to keep your committments to the king, it is always important to keep your promises and vows to God, even if it means that burning the first thing that steps foot in your house after you return from successfully murdering nearby tribes is your only daughter.

Don't sell yourself so short. Unless soldiering has changed in the last fifteen years, I reckon you're also proficient in maiming, incapacitating, invading and exploding stuff. All important skills for keeping the peace and making the planet a better place.

If God has put this project on your heart you should confer with Him alone with prayer supplication and thanksgiving. If you look to the world for council you will more likely encounter the accusser of the breathern.

I think chess mainly teaches us to be objective. The one lesson i have found is that sacrifices have to be made.

This is funny on so many levels, but all of them relate to the level of ignorance required to utter it in the first place.