Local Church Sports Manual

1. Local Church Sports Manual

2. Contents Sports Ministry Theology Ministry Manual Directory Testimonies Statistics The Why Local Church Sports Ministry Sports Ministry Map The Goal Sports Ministry Highway Sports Ministry Activity The How Appendices The What

3. Introduction Sport draws the united attention of the entire world for two sporting events. Whether in person or via media, the world gathers to witness the Olympic games and the World Cup of Soccer. It does so with a religious fervor that for many is stronger than their religious faith.

4. This manual explains Why a church should use a Sports Outreach Ministry for discipleship and evangelism. It also explains HOW to use Sports Outreach Ministry and WHATa local church do to get a Sports Outreach Ministry started and developed?

5. Sport is a Vehicle Evangelism

6. Participate 80% Watch of the world Support in sports

7. Over 2½ billions watched the World Cup of Soccer and over 3 billions watch the Olympics.

8. SPORTS Proved to be a common interest in Every Culture

9. Are not limited only for the interest of: Sports Kids Teens Youth

10. Are also interested in Sports BUT Singles All age groups Families Senior Citizens

11. Stadiumsports event 80% un-churched Which is the greater Mission field? Are both these scenarios for God’s Glory? Can they be used for proclamation? Churchcrusade 80% churched

12. The survey below shows those who came to Christ by the way of crusades and those who came through personal relationships Crusades 10% 65% Personal relationships

13. Sports Ministry Theology

14. Sports Theological Foundation Pyramid Fulfilling both the Great Commandment & the Great Commission 5 4 Use of Sporting Metaphors 3 The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit 2 Stewardship – Maximize God given Talents 1 Creation Mandate - all things God created are good

15. Principle One • Creation Mandate - all things God created are good. (Genesis 1: 31) «God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.» (Colossians 1: 16) «For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.»

16. Principle Two • Stewardship – Maximize God given Talents. This has to do with being a good Steward of what God has entrusted to you (Exodus 31:1ff) «See, I have called by name Bezalel…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood and to work in all manner of workmanship… it continues with other people and their gifts for the temple work» (Matthew 25:14ff) the parable of the talents

17. Principle Three The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. This has to do with Physical Fitness and keeping the earthly body fit • Temple of the Holy Spirit • Bodily Exercise is worth something

18. Principle Three • Temple of the Holy Spirit: (I Corinthians 3 : 16 / 6 : 19) «Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?» • (II Corinthians 6 : 16) «What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."»

19. Principle Three • (I Timothy 4:8) «For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.» • Bodily Exercise is worth something:

20. Principle Four «For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.» Use of Sport Metaphors. Paul always used Sports in a positive vein • (II Timothy 4.6-8)

21. Principle Four (I Corinthians 9: 24-27) «Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.»

22. Principle Five Fulfilling both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. This has to do with the use of Sports and Competition for Evangelism & Discipleship

23. Great Commission:( Mt 28:18ff) Use Sports to attract people to the gospel • «Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."»

24. Great Commandment: (Mt. 22:37ff ) Use Sports to train people in their love of God and people «Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."»

25. Creation Mandate Refined Creation Fall Redemption Consummation

26. Creation All things were created by God and it was good.

27. The Fall Even though all things were created good (including competition), all things have suffered due to “the fall.” As a result Sport and competition can be participated in, in ways that are evil due to the sinful nature of mankind. In essence competition and Sports are neither moral (always good) or immoral (always bad) but rather amoral (lacking intrinsic morality). The moral factor in Sports and competition is the person competing in Sport.

28. Redemption Redemption includes sharing the love of Christ with athletes who compete (redeeming individual people) and also participating in the competitive athletic world in Christ honoring ways (redeeming the world of competitive Sports).

29. Redemption First Changing the person Local churches reaching the world of Sports By: Second Changing the world of Sports teams 1 creating God honoring alternatives Sports leagues tournaments 2 Individual competitor who must participate in Sports for God-honoring purposes and in God-honoring ways.

30. Consummation It must be recognized that although local churches have the correct purpose for engaging in Sports (redeeming both the individual and the world of Sports), and attempts to engage in a God-honoring way (Christmanship rather than Gamesmanship or Sportsmanship), there will be inevitable times of failure due to the fall. At these times grace and confession must be experienced. A forgiving grace must be extended to those who fail as those who fail confess their failings (sin), and all seek to be reconciled to: God, others and self. The Church will only truly experience the perfection of competition and Sports in the final consummation.

31. Criteria for Biblically Acceptable Sports 6 - Fans 5– Participants 4 – Management & Coaching 3 – Enforcement of Governing Rules 2 – Governing Rules of Participation 1 – Sanctification and Redemptive Purpose

32. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry It must have a Redemptive Purpose or Goal 1

33. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry 2 The Governing Rules of participation must ensure Biblical principles are exercised such as: • Love for all involved • No harm to the Temple of the Holy Spirit • Fruit of the Spirit • Glory to God • Fairness • Lord’s Day Honoring

34. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry The Governing Rules must be enforced properly by game officials 3

35. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry Both the Administrative Management and the On-field Coaching must adhere to the Biblical principles and governing rules 4

36. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry Participants must always compete within the Biblical principles and governing rules 5

37. Criteria of a Biblical Outreach Ministry Fans/Spectators must always conduct themselves within the Biblical principles, governing rules and in addition only encourage the participants to do the same 5

38. Church Sports Outreach Ministry Where the Church is? Where the church came from?

39. The underlying Reason for a sports ministry: • The FEDA principle is the underlying reason for a sports ministry. The FEDA principle is as follows:  THE SPORTS MINISTRY OF THIS CHURCH EXISTS IN ORDER TO FULFILL GOD’S MANDATE TO “MAKE DISCIPLES.” 

40. We Will Do This By Providing Activities And Events That Do The Following:  Fellowship F Evangelism E Discipleship D Assimilation A

41. Fellowship F Providing opportunities for local church members to FELLOWSHIP (believer to believer and believer to unbeliever).

42. Evangelism E This fellowship will open the door for local church members to E = EVANGELISM (Lifestyle or incarnational evangelism that gives opportunity to live our faith out before people in order to have credibility when we declare our faith.

43. Discipleship D D = DISCIPLESHIP (Since Christians are in process, new believers or long-time believers need to grow in their faith.  Sports and recreation activities will give opportunity to ground new believers in the local church and help growing believers become conformed to the image of Christ.)

44. Assimilation A As FED is embraced, ultimately they should lead to A =  ASSIMILATION (Building relationships, seeing people saved and grow can end up not building a local church if we don’t build a bridge from the field of play to the place of worship.

45. 7 – Follow up and Evaluation 6 - Activity PRAYER 5 - Pre-Event Arrangements 4 - Determine the 1st Strategy 3 - Research the Church Resources 2 - Research the Target Group 1 - Identify Leader / Target Group Vision & Mission of a Sports Ministry

46. 1 - Identify Leader / Target Group Determine • Who will lead the overall Sports Ministry • Who the target group will be. While one local church may decide to first find the person and then later determine the target group based upon this person’s passions, gifts and callings, another local church may identify the target group first and seek to find a person who can best reach the selected people group. It must be understood that these two puzzle pieces work together and the Sports Outreach Ministry will be more effective and efficient when they complement one another P R A Y E R

47. 2 - Research the Target Group Researching the Target Group entails determining: Sports and Recreational preferences/tendencies/trends. Identify what Sports, activities or recreational pursuits are preferred. Opportunity to access these preferences/tendencies/trends in their community. Identify if, when and how these Sports, activities & recreational pursuits are offered. Quality of these opportunities: Identify if these opportunities are meeting the needs or if there can be any improvements made in any of the following areas: Time of day, week, month or season Facilities and equipment Structure, organization, implementation Cost P R A Y E R

48. 3 - Research the Church Resources • Survey the church to determine its resources that may include: • People who can volunteer as Sports activity leaders, coaches, athletic trainers, officials • Facilities that are owned or can be rented or used without cost • Equipment including balls, bats, goals, nets, etc. • People of influence who can secure facilities, equipment or whatever else is needed • Once a local church has researched both the community and itself, it can then begin to determine a strategy that will utilize the church’s resources to reach a need within the community. P R A Y E R

49. 4 - Determine the 1st Strategy P R A Y E R • The first strategy (program, ministry, outreach, initiatives) will naturally flow out of the confluence of the strengths of the local church and the needs of the community. • If the target group is early adolescent, urban males in Cairo. • A football (soccer) program consisting of leagues, clinics, camps and training may work. • If the target group is American, suburban, married females…etc. • An aerobics or personal fitness / personal trainer may work.

50. 4 - Determine the 1st Strategy • The first strategy (program, ministry, outreach, initiatives) will naturally flow out of the confluence of the strengths of the local church and the needs of the community. • If the target group is early adolescent, urban males in Cairo. • A football (soccer) program consisting of leagues, clinics, camps and training may work. • If the target group is American, suburban, married females…etc. • An aerobics or personal fitness / personal trainer may work. P R A Y E R