Amazing Race

It is New York City alphabet soup. There is the G, R, V, A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and more. These are all trains or subways that some call the veins of America’s biggest city. New Yorkers pride themselves on their knowledge of the trains in New York. Just ask them a question like: “How do you get from Astoria to the Statue of Liberty?” A true New Yorker will rattle it off. “Well, you take the N or the W, to Lexington Ave. At Lexington Ave, you can grab the R or the 5 train down to Battery Park. Wait – or you could also just walk over to the R, then take the Q express all they way downtown.”

Recently, at Sure Foundation Lutheran Church, we put our New Yorkers’ knowledge of the trains and buses to the test in the Second Annual SFLC Amazing Race. In a race modeled after the popular show The Amazing Race, the teams involved were told to obey all laws, have fun, and use only mass transit to reach four destinations throughout the city. In order to reach these destinations, the teams were required to decipher clues and conquer challenges that eventually led to the next destination. This year teams traveled to the Rockefeller Plaza, Grant Memorial, the American Museum of Natural History, and finally Central Park.

Even though teams raced for around 2 hours and 30 minutes, our first three teams finished within 5 minutes of each other. The race really did turn out to be quite amazing! The race was a success by other standards as well. Members brought friends and introduced them to their pastors. Members laughed together, raced together, and told stories at church the next day. We had really had an amazing time. We all are looking forward to the Third Annual SFLC Amazing Race next year.