On June 2-3, the men of the Sterling, Kan., RPC hosted their second annual “Lord of Life and Links” golf outing. An invitation was extended to the men of the Midwest Presbytery and other local congregations in Sterling.

About 20 men attended the weekend affair, with ages ranging from 25 to 65. Men from other presbyteries also attended. Several families from the congregation hosted the out-of-towners. The outing was Pastor Derek Miller’s idea. “Several people in Sterling were interested in golf, and we saw it as an opportunity for men in the presbytery to have some time off, relaxation, and fellowship.”

The outing began on Friday morning with a talk from Pastor Marty Wilsey, from the Salt & Light (Longmont, Colo.) RPC. The theme was “Ready for the Black Tees.” Pastor Wilsey linked the Christian life to golf, encouraging his listeners to step up to the Christian life and the challenges it brings. The “black tees” in the title refers to the farthest place from which you can tee off in golf, the distance from which the professionals start. Whether they started from the black tees in the weekend’s events or not, every man was encouraged to do so in the Christian life.

After lunch, the men set out to the Paradise Pastures golf club, just east of Sterling, for a friendly 18-hole round. They were divided into groups of four and played using the “scramble” or “best ball” format. After this non-competitive round, the group went back to enjoy a steak dinner and another talk from Pastor Wilsey. The next morning, after breakfast and a morning devotional, the men set off again for a second round, this time of a more competitive nature.

The winning team was made up of Joe Griffo, Brandon Kane, Bill McFarland, and Bill Kilgore, with a combined score of three under. For this victory, each member received a package of golf products. All participants of the outing received a t-shirt.

Pastor Miller said that he plans to make some changes next year. He said that a participant suggested, and he agrees, that they play on a different course next summer, or perhaps play on two different courses.

“I thought it went very well,” Pastor Miller said. “I got a lot of good feedback from the men, and I think it fulfilled the goal to have a time of relaxing fellowship.”

The next tournament will be held June 8-9, 2007.