Church Sports Outreach | Sports Ministry | Recreation Ministry

Keep This Picture in Mind

Bob Schindler — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:24:23 +0000

As I met with a Sports Minister in the Charlotte area recently, I was struck by the story he told and the picture it conveyed.

This Sports Minister got involved with Ed (not his real name) 5 years ago through an outreach softball league they both participated in. Over the years, the Sports Minister intentionally reached out to Ed in an effort to build a relationship with him. He had some success and yet didn’t see much progress spiritually in Ed. He wondered if he was having any impact but kept pursuing Ed.

This past spring – after now 5 years – Ed came to the Sports Minister with a real crisis in his marriage. Over the next couple of weeks, the Sports Minister met with Ed and his wife Sue (not her real name). Both couples even met together, during which the gospel was shared as the only foundation upon which to heal and build their marriage from here.

Both Ed and Sue trusted Christ. The Sports Minister baptized them both this summer.

This week, Sue called and said, “I want you to know what an impact you have had on our family.” She told the Sports Minister that their six-year old daughter recently drew a picture of a cross with a man on it and the title below – Jesus is my Hero. The mom made it clear this would have never happened six months ago.

Ed called from work right after his wife to talk about their neighbor, a single mom who worked full-time and had an eighteen month old son. She struggled financially. Ed and Sue helped but wondered if the church could help in some way.

The Sports Minister moved on the need. He called the softball team and told them of the situation. He called the church’s mercy ministry and told them also. Both are moving to help.

Ed told the woman, “You need to come to our church this Sunday.” She said she would.

Do you see the picture that is unfolding? First, there was 5 years of investment with little apparent impact. Then things began to happen:

- Marital crisis

- Request for help

- Help extended, especially the help of a relationship with Jesus Christ

- New life in Christ for both the husband and wife

- Marriage saved

- Children raised with godly values

- Ministry multiplied to another in need.

Lives transformed, God glorified.

This is a picture that I want to keep in mind – whenever I think about evangelism and sports ministry. Hope you will too – especially the next time you wonder if your efforts are having any impact.

Praying to God to Win the Game

Tim Briggs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:28 +0000

This article from Josh Graves was originally posted before the Super Bowl but is obviously applicable not only in pro sports but every level of sports. Here is an excerpt:

On November 28, 2010, Steven Johnson lined up as a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. On November 28, the Bills were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and they ultimately lost the game because Johnson dropped a pass late in the game, in the end zone. After the game, Johnson tweeted, “I praise you 24/7!!! And this is how you do me!!! You expect me to learn from this??? How??? I’ll never forget this!! Ever!!”

Johnson praised God 24/7, but what kind of God was he praising? It was a kind of religious transaction where he gives God the glory and God gives touchdowns. Or victories. Or Super Bowls. A fair exchange?

God ends up becoming a cosmic vending machine.

Everything is well and good until Jesus makes you fumble. But this isn’t just Johnson’s problem. This way of approaching God shows up often and the best name for it is religion. And notice who is really in charge of this arrangement. You and me. Not God.

…

To paraphrase Anne Lamott: You know you’ve created God in your own image when God roots for all the same teams you root for (I’m looking at you Yankee and Cowboy fans).

Here’s my short answer. Based on Christian scripture and practical experience, the purpose of prayer is for God to win. Not for you to win. Or your favorite team. Even if you are from Cleveland—though if anyone has a shot, God just might be rooting for you, Cleveland.

Super Bowl Debrief: Tom Brady, Gisel Bundchen, and Matthew Slater

Tim Briggs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:55:12 +0000

Here are a couple of stories that caught my eye today:

1. Tom Brady’s Disappointment–If you’ve played sports before, you’ve probably experienced this type of agony. What would you say to Tom Brady in that locker room?

Tom Brady sat facing his locker, his head down and draped in a white towel, staring at the space between his cleats.

He was in full uniform. He was in full thought. There were the plays that hadn’t been made. There were the opportunities not seized. There was the Super Bowl that had slipped away, 21-17 to the New York Giants. Again, the Giants. Again.

It was 10:04 p.m.

The minutes ticked by and Brady didn’t move. Across the Patriots’ locker room there was dejection and depression, hushed whispers and thousand-yard stares. This is the pain of almost having everything. This was the hurt of winding up with nothing. All the money these guys make, all the glory they receive, it does nothing in times like this, the losing locker room after the biggest of games.

Nobody was taking it quite like Brady though. Others slipped out of their uniforms or headed to the media interview area in full dress. Some shuffled off to the showers or patted each other on the back.

Not Brady. He just kept staring at the floor.

His longtime physical therapist, Alex Guerrero, sat in an empty locker next to him and tried to offer words of comfort. They had no impact. Brady never moved.

It was 10:12 p.m.

…

Brady began to pull at his shoulder pads. Guerrero helped slide them off. He stood again and began glancing around the mostly empty locker room. He focused on nothing in particular. His eyes were red.

He’s supposedly too cool, or that’s what rival fans say. He’s supposedly too much of a pretty boy, or that’s what they mock. Not here. The guy with everything looked empty.

2. Tom Brady’s Wife, Gisele Bundchen, blasts Pats WRs:

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker was so upset over dropping a crucial pass late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, he nearly started crying at the podium.

Welker isn’t going to get any pity from quarterback Tom Brady‘s wife, Gisele Bundchen, though.

Former New York Giants WR Amani Toomer says the Patriots aren’t giving QB Tom Brady enough help but Brady hasn’t played like a Hall of Famer in the last two Super Bowls. Toomer says he expects Giants coach Tom Coughlin to return to the team.

After her prayers for a Patriots’ championship went unanswered, Bunchen lashed out at the team’s receiving corps for failing to haul in her husband’s passes. While waiting for an elevator at Lucas Oil Stadium, Bundchen was being heckled by Giants fans when she spoke to people in her group.

“My husband can not f—— throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times,” Bundchen said in a video captured by theinsider.com, a gossip website.

3. The Faith of Matthew Slater–Slater didn’t play much in the Super Bowl other than on special teams but this is an article describing his faith:

“When I was 7 years old, my father sat me down in my room,” Matthew said. “He had his illustrated Bible for kids there, and he shared Christ with me. He told me about the relationship that he had with Christ, and some of the things Christ had done in his life. At that time, I accepted Christ.”

Winning Hearts, Not Arguments

Tim Briggs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:33:36 +0000

The Resurgence has a great post on this topic. I highly encourage you to read it. Below is an excerpt:

The goal of an apologetic encounter is not to put points on an abstract scoreboard. The apologist is not to be a gunslinger, looking for another notch to put in his Bible. The point of argument is to win people or, if any spectators are already won, to encourage them. To the degree that an argument contributes to that end, then God bless it. But in the meantime, it must be frankly stated that a lot of people who are deeply interested in apologetics need to think a lot less about winning, and a lot more about being winsome.

…

The apologist is called to win hearts, and not to score points.

The Problem With Having Sports Facilities at Your Church

Tim Briggs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Most people wouldn’t see any problem with having sports facilities as their church. Think of the many blessings it provides. It creates opportunities for ministry, right? It’s centralized and easier to manage, right? You don’t have to rely on anyone else, you control everything. Sure, it comes with headache–upkeep, hidden costs, pressure, etc. but those headaches are worth dealing with to get all of the benefits.

So, what’s the problem? Having facilities on your church campus will tend to draw other Christians to your sports program.

Of course, this is only a problem if you’re looking to use sports to reach your non-believing community with the gospel. If you’re merely running a program, then this is a positive side-effect.

Geoff Surratt on his blog today wrote about how church buildings don’t attract non-believers but other Christians and the same is true for sports ministries and facilities. Having facilities at your church is like having a billboard that says: “We do sports and we talk about God. Come!” For other Christians in the community, this looks like a “safe place” for their child to play. If you do adult sports, you’ll likely draw Christian adults looking to get away from secular leagues and play in a more positive atmosphere.

This problem is solvable but it takes a lot of work. How are you going to get non-believers to come and participate in your ministry? How are you going to get all these other Christians from outside of your church on mission? If you don’t have strategies to address these questions, your program will quickly morph into a Christian country club.

My goal today want NOT to trash churches who have sports facilities but rather to clearly state one of the challenges. Now that the U.S. is moving more fully into a post-Christian worldview, it’s going to prove to be more and more difficult to get non-believers to come to you. More and more, as church sports ministries, we are going to have to go to them.

Church Spotlight: Orchard Hill Church

Tim Briggs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:25:58 +0000

A little over a year ago, Orchard Hill Church in Pittsburgh, PA was on the brink of launching a new athletic facility which included a gym and some multi-purpose rooms. Simultaneously, and by no coincidence, they were looking to launch a sports ministry. The church built this facility to be more relevant in the community and use the space as a bridge to connect with people through sports and recreation.

Having never embarked on something like this before, they were looking for help. And where do people go when they look for help? That’s right, Google. After googling for help with sports ministry, they connected with us.

We’ve had the privilege of walking with them every step of the way as they have launched this ministry and learn how to use sports to impact people with the gospel. We have been so impressed not only with their numerical and sport growth but also with their heart to reach people. As we often tell churches–activity will not be your challenge, ministry will be. It’s difficult to experience explosive growth while still keeping a heart and intention for ministry but Orchard Hill has worked diligently at this. I’ve been amazed at how many unchurched people from the community have already plugged into their ministry.

I would encourage you to check out their sports and rec page on their website to see the types of activities they are involved in. Cindy Runco is the Sports & Recreation Ministry Director at the church and has done a great job. With a strong background in children’s ministry, as well as a long history at the church, the sports ministry has positioned itself to be successful long-term.

I asked Cindy to share a quote about her experience working with us and here’s what she said:

What an awesome privilege to work with CSO! They have have helped me to keep Sports & Rec focused on God’s glory. In an outreach ministry where the focus is sport, CSO has taught me to explore new ways to reach others through sport, their lives and God’s truth. As a result, we’re adapting ministry to reach the sports & rec community. To help accomplish this, CSO has provided me an endless amount of support resources, including private mentoring, group support and webinars! With their help, and God’s grace, we’re working on keeping Christ at the center of the ministry. I’m so encouraged by what God has done for us, our relationship with CSO, and what He will do…it is simply amazing!!!

Making the Most of Every Opportunity

Cindy Bledsoe — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:24:07 +0000

Sports ministry provides us with great opportunities to build relationships with people and an environment where they can be transformed by the gospel. Great opportunities however are many times accompanied by great obstacles, and it is no different for the sports minister.

Some obstacles that sports ministers face on a daily basis include:

The magnitude of the logistical component of running sports leagues.
Feeling the pressure of keeping or increasing the number of participants in programs.
Not feeling equipped enough in spiritual matters or to share the gospel with someone.

Any one of these obstacles are enough to derail a ministry. It is easy to see how these obstacles can keep us from all that God wants to accomplish through our ministries. They can however also serve to remind us to use God’s standard of success in ministry versus our own and to rely on Him to help us overcome the obstacles so that we may make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.

What obstacles are you facing in ministry today?

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

Off-Topic: The State of Social Media

Tim Briggs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:58:36 +0000

If you’re one of those people who are fighting social media–you should read this article. Social media is like the telephone or the TV was–you’re only going to be able to fight it for so long before it becomes a cultural phenomenon. Here are some excerpts:

Trevin Wax: Justin, what do you think is the next big shift coming in how social media is used by participants?

Justin Wise: I believe that social media will continue to integrate more deeply into the minutiae of everyday life. Social will find its way into what we eat, what we wear, where we are (and where we’re going to be), what we’re listening to. Social is and will continue to be everywhere.

When I say “social,” I really mean two things:

The ability to share
The ability to interact

…

Trevin Wax: How do you see businesses, ministries, and blogs using social media as part of their strategy?

Justin Wise: If you asked 100 different people this question, you’d get 100 different responses. In the same way that organizations adopted the telephone, they will have to adopt social. Simply put, social will continue to develop and prove itself as a viable, must-have strategy building block.

…

Trevin Wax: What role will content creation and content curation play in the next phase of social media development?

Justin Wise: I think you’ll see a further bifurcation between content creators and content curators. People will drift into one camp or the other.

Disciple-Making Through Sports

Tim Briggs — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:20:16 +0000

Ed Stetzer just wrote over on his blog about three church trends, one of which what he called the ‘Elephant in the church’–that being the lack of discipleship. Here’s what he says:

The elephant in the Christian church today is that we are not seeing robust disciple-making taking place. You are more likely to find evangelicals affirming that there is more than one way to get to heaven today than you were 15 or 20 years ago. Why? We’ve done great at getting them in the door and occupying their spiritual appetites, but we’ve done terrible at actually growing them up and grounding them in the faith.

Many churches are now rediscovering ways to push more depth from the Sunday morning stage, better ways to assimilate the crowds into small groups and discipling relationships, more organic ways to nurture spiritual formation, and stronger ways to create missional expansion in their communities and around the world.

First of all, I would agree with his assessment that this is a major concern. One of the biggest struggles I see in discipling people is how to get them to integrate their faith into every area of their life. Believers tend to segregate their lives and divide them into ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’ categories. Church-based activities, charity, and good works go into the “Christian” bucket (sacred). Everything else (work, relationships, etc.) falls into the ‘secular’ bucket. The gospel doesn’t reach into the secular category nor does it even apply.

Getting people involved in sports is a great way to help to disciple people in integrating their faith. Sports/competition often reveal what’s going on in a person’s heart. As John Wooden said, “Sports don’t build character, they reveal it.” Sports can reveal all the brokenness and idols we have in our hearts and, if properly utilized, can be used as a great way to spark spiritual conversations. Helping someone realize how to integrate their faith into their pursuit of sports can help open doors to all other areas of their life.

The Millennials (18-29): Infographic

Tim Briggs — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:44:45 +0000

This infographic is from pewinternet.org. Here are a few things I found particularly interesting:

4 out 10 have a tattoo
Just 1 in 5 are married
36% rely on their family for financial support
37% don’t have a job