TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. FOUNDATION ........................................................................ 3 2. VISION ..................................................................................... 4 3. SPORTS MINISTRY ............................................................... 6 4. CHURCH AND SPORTS MINISTRY ................................... 8 5. EVANGELISM THROUGH SPORTS................................. 10 6. DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH SPORTS ............................... 13 7. SPORTS PARABLES ........................................................... 15 8. COMPETITION & THE CHRISTIAN ............................... 17 9. BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY ....................................... 19 Appendix I - SPORTS MINISTRY ACTIVITIES ................. 22 Appendix II - BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY .................. 23 Appendix III - PRACTICAL SPORTS MINISTRY .............. 24
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FOUNDATION SESSION 1 In the middle of this desperate world and lost generation God has placed His people to shine brightly for Him “... so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like the stars of the universe as you hold on to the word of life.” (Phil. 2:15-16) The world does not know God. Actually we need to learn how to speak their language so that we can connect with their hearts. Two Universal Languages 1. ________________ 2. ________________
Sports Ministry Focus Areas 1. __________________ 2. __________________
Working with the local church is critical to building spiritual movements. If we are able to work adequately in partnership with the local churches we are serving the organization that has: 1. The longest ____________________, past, present and future. 2. The greatest ____________________ in this world. 3. The most and best __________________.
“… Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water and to present her to himself, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:25-27)
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VISION SESSION 2 Helen Keller was asked, “What would be worse than being born blind?” She replied, “To have sight without vision.” “True vision comes from God… If you want to be a leader, vision is not an option!!” George Barna We all need to work out our _______________ vision. This is not an option. In John Maxwell’s book Developing the Leader Within You, he says there are four vision levels of people: 1. Some people never see the vision. They are ___________. 2. Some people see it but never pursue it on their own. They are ____________. 3. Some people see it and pursue it. They are ___________. 4. Some people see it and pursue it and help others to see it. They are ___________. How do you see yourself? Which one are you? In some way we are all leaders. God has given each of us opportunities to influence those around us and lead them closer to Himself. “… he made me into a polished arrow…” Isaiah 49:2 Look Inside Yourself 1. What do you _______? (Matthew 14:23-33) 2. Where is your ______? (Matthew 22:37-38) 3. Where is your ______? (Matthew 6:25-34 and Mark 6:1-6)
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VISION SESSION 2 Look Inside Your Church/Ministry What do we have? (Matt. 14:15-21) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Look Outside in Your Neighborhood / Your Target Group Who is living in my neighborhood? Who is my target group (male, female, age)? (Matt. 9:36) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Briefly, in your own words, describe the vision God has given you. Use another piece of paper as necessary. Personally
Ministry
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SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 3 Define Sports Ministry in your own words:
Definition Definition of Sports Ministry “Sports” & “Ministry”
With sports ministry we serve: 1. ___________________ 2. ___________________ 3. ___________________
Scriptural Basis Liberty (1 Corinthians 9) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ God’s Character ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Silence (2 Timothy 3:16) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
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SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 3 Human Giftedness (1 Cor. 12:4-7, Psalm 139:13-16) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Wisdom (1 Corinthians 9:22) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Others ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Relevance ____________ Believer to Believer Believer to Unbeliever ____________ Demonstrate and Proclaim ____________ Instruction for Growth Accountability for Maturity Assimilation / To _________ a Part of Sports Ministry… Is a ________ for the church in evangelism and discipleship Can be used in conjunction with ________________________ Takes away __________ for the gospel _________________ between people and cultures Keeps people ________ and __________ in ministry Helps to prevent ______________ Makes use of both your ___________ as well as your ____________ gifts and talents Creates easy and natural __________ to explain the gospel Promotes an _______ and __________ faith
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CHURCH AND SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 4 Write out the Missions Statement of your ministry/church.
What is your purpose? 1. Upward in ___________________ (Romans 12:1, Revelation 4:11) 2. Inward in ____________________ and __________________ (Ephesians 4:11-13 & 29, 1 John 3:11) 3. Outward in ___________________ and __________________ (Luke 24:47, Matthew 28:18-20)
Biblical Evangelism No more ________________. We need to __________ to make disciples. We need to develop _______________ and ________________.
“And these things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
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CHURCH AND SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 4
The WIN-BUILD-SEND model: 1. Works together with _________________________ 2. Is key to _________________________ 3. Enables us to ___ _________________________
How can you make this WIN-BUILD-SEND model a part of your ministry?
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EVANGELISM THROUGH SPORTS SESSION 5 Read Mark 4:3-9. From these verses describe evangelism in your own words.
Beautiful verses about evangelism are found in Col. 4:2-6 and Eph. 6:18-20. These verses hold keys to effective evangelism. In Colossians: - ___________ for open doors - Proclaim it ___________ (This involves what we say, but also what we do, how we live) - Be __________ in the way you ________ towards outsiders - Make the most of __________________. In Ephesians we are to do it _______________ with boldness. Boldness ______________and _____________ God to be faithful to His Word, then step out. Clarity _____________ one of the following evangelism models:
The Romans Road (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10) The Bridge Illustration The Four Spiritual Laws (www.greatcom.org/laws/languages.html) Write out and practice sharing your own testimony
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EVANGELISM THROUGH SPORTS SESSION 5
Where are you on this diagram? Evangelism in Your Community What are five keys to evangelism in your own community? 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________
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EVANGELISM THROUGH SPORTS SESSION 5 Specific Ways to Share the Gospel Through Sports Demonstration Proclamation Sport Parables Literature distribution Drama Acts of Service Other What evangelism activities can you plan to accomplish your five evangelism keys? 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________
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DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH SPORTS SESSION 6 Definition
Discipleship as Follow-up - Three Basic Reasons 1. _______________________________ 2. _______________________________ 3. _______________________________ ____________________ are key. Every person needs three individuals in their life. 1. __________, an older man (in faith, not necessarily age) willing to build into your life - someone who is willing to share not only his strengths, but also his weaknesses. (Hebrews 13:7) 2. ___________, a soul brother - Someone who loves you but is not impressed by you and who is your peer in life. (Galatians 2:11) 3. ___________, a younger brother (in faith, not necessarily age) whose life you are building into. Look into 1 and 2 Timothy. ďƒ˜ Can you identify one or more of the following in your own life? (or think of any potential candidates?)
ďƒ˜ Specifically how does sports ministry facilitate these types of relationships? Consider: players, coaches, league directors, etc.
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DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH SPORTS SESSION 6 _______________ is simply acting out the Great Commission as Jesus A Few Examples: League Very relational, same group of people on regular basis, a lot of time to build relationships Sports Clinic/ Community Program Relational, same people on regular base, many different aspects and responsibilities, many chances to put people in positions where they can grow Sports Project Relational, intense contact, many different aspects and responsibilities, many chances to put people in positions where they can grow Identify Your Tools Take a look at the Resouce List (Appendix III). Which resources can you identify that will allow you to affectively disciple others in your life and ministry?
Remember this: “What am I doing today that will guarantee my impact for Jesus in the next generation? If I understand the New Testament correctly, there are two things God is going to take off this planet. One is His Word, and the other is His people. If you are building into people, you can be confident that will last forever… Mentoring is a ministry of multiplication. Every time you build into the life of another man (or woman), you launch a process that ideally will never end.” Howard Hendricks, Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, pp.53-54, 67
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SPORTS PARABLES SESSION 7 Just as Jesus uses parables with examples taken from daily life, we can explain spiritual truths by taking examples out of the daily life of our audience. Jesus’ parables often included circumstances or cultural elements that would have surprised, and even offended those listening. These are called __________________. Luke 15:11-32 Write Down the ‘Wow Moments’ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Ideas for Sports Parables: Skills - receiving a pass, dribbling, defense, shooting, rebounding, heading, etc. Positions – forward, goalie, striker, coach, center, blocker, pitcher, catcher, etc. Attitudes – perseverance, team work, potential, humility, selfcontrol, effort, submission, losing, competition, etc. Situations – winning, losing, defense, offense, scoring, missing shots Rules – hands, fouls, red card, substitutions, strikes, balls, outs, etc. Other - ? For other ideas and player testimonies check out: www.thegoal.com www.themedattraction.com/devotionals/ ww.beyondtheultimate.org/ www.sportsspectrum.com
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SPORTS PARABLES SESSION 7 Write a Sports Parable using the following outline. Title
Sports Example - Skill, Position, Attitude, Situation, Rule
Spiritual Principle (to be taught)
Explanation of Illustration / Demonstration
Supporting Verse
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COMPETITION & THE CHRISTIAN SESSION 8 Competition and Christianity - Are these two words mutually exclusive? As a Christian can you be a competitive athlete? Write out your initial thoughts...
What personal examples of the misuse of competition have you seen in your sporting life?
Biblical Definition of Competition Genesis 1:28 ____________________________________________ Genesis 3:17 ____________________________________________ Genesis 3:19 ____________________________________________ Ephesians 6:12 __________________________________________ 1 Peter 5:8 ______________________________________________ Philippians 3:13-14 _______________________________________
Biblical Definition of Winning & Losing Colossian 3:17 ____________________________________________ Colossians 3:23 ___________________________________________ 1 Corinthians 9:25 ________________________________________ Luke 9:24-25 _____________________________________________
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COMPETITION & THE CHRISTIAN SESSION 8 Compare by filling in this chart: Definition from the World Competition
Definition from the Bible
Winning
Losing
How do you define a Biblical Competitor according to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27?
How can applying these definitions from the chart above to help you to better represent Jesus when you participate in sports and recreational activities?
Have your definitions of winning, losing, and competition changed as a result of this study?
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BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 9 The way Nehemiah rebuilds the wall, provides us with a good model to follow in starting a sports ministry. The three keys in this are: 1. P_____________________ 2. P_____________________ 3. P_____________________ and __________________ “Remember the Lord... Our God will fight for us (4:14, 20). The wall was completed in 52 days!! (6:15)
1. First Requirement - A __________________ Vision Be in communion with God Have a passion that comes from God Have an understanding of the needs, opportunities, and resources available Be available and committed Be able to merge the vision with your church or ministry - It is important to be perceived as a partner, an integral part of the vision that the church is trying to accomplish. 2. Second Requirement - ________________ a Ministry Team Personally recruit the individuals for the team that have the vision and bring necessary skills Identify a "Sports Ministry Timothy" to build into Train the team in the complete vision, sports ministry is about ministry not about activity Develop a Prayer Team 3. Third Requirement - _________________the Vision Who should catch the Sports Ministry Vision?
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BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY SESSION 9 Leadership - pastor, staff, governing body, people of influence Ministry Team - prayer, program (evangelism committee) The Church body and other ministry staff How do they catch it? Educate - vision | ministry potential |their participation Inform - advertise & promotion Motivate - demonstrate | energy & enthusiasm 4. Fourth Requirement - ____________________ the Program Identify resources Identify your Target Group Design the program You need to carefully and prayerfully choose a program and shape it to maximize your impact. Consider the follow matrix to understanding your programs in terms of ‘On-going Ministry’, the 'Sports Ministry Pyramid', and the ‘WIN-BUILD-SEND Model’. In this way you can more easily identify the programs you should consider using in your ministry. Key questions: What is your Target Group? Which program suits best the ministry goals you want to achieve in the areas of evangelism, discipleship, and on-going ministry?
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BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY
medium
low
low
low
Resource level (time/people/ materials)
Possibilities for other strategies
high
Church involvement level
Leadership
Discipleship
medium
On-going
Personal sharing
Sports Camp League Tournament Clinic/Community Match-showing Sports Project
Group sharing
Programs
Entry level
SESSION 9
high
high
low
medium
medium
high
high
low
low
medium
high
high
Write down some initial ideas for programs here:
5. Fifth Requirement - ___________________ the Ministry Educate Motive Inform 6. Sixth Requirement - ______________ and _____________ are keys!! Evaluation Individual and Program Follow-up Program Gentle Warnings Before you can think ____________, you must think ____________. What do you see? Pray and ask God to help you to find a balance between reality and faith as you dream big for God.
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SPORTS MINISTRY ACTIVITIES APPENDIX I
Sport Ministry Activities
Competitive Team Sports basketball, baseball, football, volleyball, hockey, … Individual Competitive Sports badminton, golf, tennis, table tennis, triathlon/runs, track & field Events sports clinics, 10K or Fun Runs, Kids’ Games, picnics, field days Recreational Activities arts & crafts, board games, drama, music, puppetry Wilderness Activities backpacking, camping, fishing, hiking, “Four Wheeling” Seniors’ Activities walking/jogging, stretching/exercise pro-grams, swimming Wellness Activities aerobics/exercise, nutrition & weight control, weight training Outreach Activities leagues, sports clinics, mission teams, prison ministry Social Recreation ballroom dancing, excursions, meals, outings, movie nights Special Programs Sports Vacation Bible School, programs for the disabled Others _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ YOU ARE ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR OWN CREATIVITY!
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BUILDING SPORTS MINISTRY WORKSHEET APPENDIX II Now it's your turn!! Target Group (age and characteristics): Estimated Number of Participants: Activity or Event: Projected Date:
______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________
Overview of Plan: __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
Ministry Team Leaders Needed Name 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Experience Required
Ministry Position (Coach, Prayer Leader, etc.)
Action Points 1. Create a SCHEDULE for your activity. 2. Create a plan for doing EVANGELISM. 3. Develop some ideas to RECRUIT leaders. Consider organizing a Sports Challenge Event. 4. Develop a plan to PROMOTE your activity inside your church and out. 5. Develop a BUDGET for your activity 6. Develop a plan to FOLLOWUP after your program. 7. Other ________________ _________________
Responsible Person
Completion Date
Points of Special Attention: 1.__Prayer Team____________________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________________________________ Additional Comments:
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PRACTICAL SPORTS MINISTRY EXAMPLES APPENDIX III Kampala, Uganda A great example of how church based Sports Ministry actually works is the ministry of Richard from Sports Friends Uganda (http://sportsfriendsug.org/). Richard is the pastor of his church in Kampala and runs their Sports Ministry as a part of his youth work. Every week Richard meets around 10 guys, mostly soccer players, from his church. Each of these 10 guys is considered a ‘coach’ and works in a particular neighborhood or village. Every Saturday these coaches visit their area, and even before they arrive dozens of kids are waiting for him at the field. Many of these kids are orphans, do not go to school, and do not have a good prospects for the future. But Saturday they are always excited because it is their sports day. As soon as their coach comes they start training. The kids learn skills, enjoy themselves, and develop their personalities as they discipline their bodies. During break-times their coach sits them down and starts conversations with his players. Since he is there every Saturday, the coach knows the kids. The kids know him and really start to love and respect their coach. At first the conversations are only about ‘just stuff’, but soon the conversations grow deeper and the kids get an opportunity to share their life, the problems they face, the despair the feel, and the things they need. As they open up their coach shares his life and his personal story about how he met Jesus. Many are lead to Christ. As time goes by many of the teenagers come to visit the church, and soon the break times are used to talk about spiritual subjects and scripture so that the kids can grow in their new faith. Discipleship takes place. On another level the ministry also provides opportunity for leadership development. Slowly the kids are given their own responsibilities. One players may lead a warm-up exercise, while another one can teach the week’s bible lesson. After awhile one of the players can even run the whole training. Eventually the players have enough experience and maturity so that some of them can become coaches themselves, and then they are sent out to another neighborhood to start their own team. The ministry multiplies and disciples are being sent on their way to go share their faith in new regions of the country.
Chennai, India A local church hosted a weekend soccer tournament for 8-10 teams. Many of the player came from Hindu families, but during the weekend 75-80% or the players accepted Jesus! Follow-up was a priority so the church came up with a creative plan. Instead of encouraging the players to 'come to church' where they would struggle to adjust to the Christian culture and face sure persecution from their families, the church started weekly soccer trainings. The coach of each team in the tournament was appointed as the 'pastor-shepherd' of his players. At some point during the trainings, the coach would take time to lead his players in a Bible study or discipleship topic to strengthen them in their faith. In this way the players were able to grow and become stronger in their new faith until the day when they had to take a stand among family members for Jesus.
Quito, Ecuador A local church planter started a soccer team in a neighbourhood where he wanted to plant a church. The team played in a local league and would practice 4-5 times each week. Through the practices relationships were built, the gospel was shared, and many of the players came to faith. Also activities such as picnics, Bible studies, and activities for the children were planned to reach out to the families of the players. Eventually many of the players' wives and children came to know Jesus. The following season some of the players started their own teams and began to reach out. The teams would get together monthly for various activities, and out of this a church was formed eventually growing to more than 600 members. The soccer teams functioned similar to small groups, and many lives were changed. Note: As you have practical examples about how God has used this material in your life and in your sports ministry please share them with us in an email (info@athletesinaction.nl). Thanks! We would love to praise God with you and pass on your example to others.
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Atoomweg 10-2, 9743 AK Groningen The Netherlands info@athletesinaction.nl www.athletesinaction.nl www.aia-holland.com http://sportsministry.info/
“It is our desire to empower individuals, ministries, and churches around the world to fulfill the Great Commission by reaching their communities with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ through sports and to release them to train others.�
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