CMA to host 'Biker Sunday' Event

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Bikers can be Christians as well, and the public sometimes stereotypes bikers in a negative way. So this Sunday, West Park Church of the Nazarene, located at 1728 S. Horton St., is hosting Biker Sunday in hopes of breaking down those stereotypes.

The event will start at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, with refreshments like coffee and doughnuts to be served at that time. At 10:30 a.m., Sunday's church service will start.

Jeff Michael, a biker and member of West Park, will be addressing the congregation.

"Part of the purpose of the event is to break down stereotypes in how typical church people view a biker to be and how bikers view churches," Michael said. "Sometimes, the old adage of bikers is still around. People have a low opinion of them, sometimes. You see the long hair and leather and think this person is violent or up to no good."

Michael said as of Thursday he doesn't know exactly what he'll be preaching about. "I've got two or three themes kinda going right now. I'll have several different ones kind of in mind, and as I look around and see the crowd, if there's a lot of people there who I don't think know the Lord, then I'll kind of lead them to Him.

"But if I see if there's a lot of the church congregation there, I tend to hit the judgment pretty hard. You know, not judging people by the way they look."

Biker Sunday is conducted annually at West Park church. It's the first one in 2008, and there will be three or four others conducted at different churches through the year, Michael said.

"We're trying to get more of them scheduled," Michael said. "A lot of people ride motorcycles, but aren't bikers. There's a difference there."

Michael is also chaplain for the Fort Scott Christian Motorcycle Association, an outreach group that takes the word of God to the motorcycling community.

"The CMA's goal is to go where the bikers are, to meet them where they are like rallies," Michael said.

You don't have to be a biker to attend the event. It's open to the general public.