Sports ministry
Encyclopedia
A Sports Ministry is any competitive or non-competitive "activity that takes place during leisure time with the stated purpose or intention of helping people become aware of their need for a relationship with God
, his daily role in their lives and their place in his kingdom work." Sport
is an activity that brings people together throughout the globe. Color, race, language
, religion
, age
and gender
can be temporarily forgotten on the playing field
, in the pool
or on the tennis court
.
Many sports organizations, agencies and local church
es have long known of the benefit of being involved in sport and serving sports people as a way to build a bridge to connect with their culture
s. The sports of basketball
and volleyball
both were created for this purpose.
Below is a description of the different strategies that had emerged out of the sports ministry movement.
Aims
A mini-coalition will:
· Serve sports people and sports organizations.
· Connect like-minded churches and agencies.
· Promote sports agencies.
· Help develop sports opportunities in the regions through strategic partnerships.
· Create synergy
and avoid duplication.
· Help churches/agencies to share resources and ideas.
· Ensure that every country has access to the resources for all the Strategic Programs.
· Help start new sports agencies through local cooperation.
· Identify key sports leaders that can attend the ISLS and other training opportunities.
Links to other Strategic Programs
A SRC is the channel of information and feedback between the local community and international agencies. It is a catalyst to enable and empower local communities to make the most of available resources and strengthen their network process. It links partnering international agencies to local agencies. It helps every church and agency to implement the 10 Strategic Programs of the ISC through local partnerships.
Aims
· Cultivate whole-life ministry to the people of sport in each sport, in each country and people group worldwide.
· Nurture a worldwide network to strategize, to resource and to serve the total wellness of the people of sport for transformation of their lives, their sport and their communities.
· Encourage integration of faith in sport by developing broader training and materials addressing the spiritual issues of sport people in sport and life.
· Develop mature sportspeople fully equipped to share their faith, and to demonstrate their spiritual walk in sport and life.
Links to other Strategic Programs
Service to the people of sport will be foundational for a number of the other Strategic Programs. Effective service to the people of sports will lead to many more sportspeople equipped to be channeled into Proclamation (PSP) through the various outreach strategies of Major Events and Games.
Leadership Training (ISLT) will be equipped with models, strategies and materials targeted to serve the people of sport. Church Sports (CS) will have individuals within their work who will understand the issues in serving the people of sport, further expanding the opportunities to serve the people of sport in growing toward spiritual maturity.
Aims
· The ISLT will serve the need for national and regional training.
· Share the newest training methodology and content.
· Facilitate partnerships between the regional schools.
· Train two leaders of each country at ISLS to an advanced level where they feel equipped to coordinate sports opportunities.
· Provide in the multiethnic composition of the selected leaders, the diversity of trainers and the multi-faceted South African context a unique global training environment.
· Provide opportunities for ISLS leaders from many countries to form friendships leading to cross cultural partnerships.
· Remain a laboratory of new thought and advanced training in the sports arena.
Links to other Strategic Programs
All ISLS leaders are introduced to the whole spectrum of global sports opportunities. Leaders are exposed to all 10 Strategic Programs of the ISC. The leaders are taught how to integrate these 10 Strategic Programs into a contextually relevant plan. The ISLS and ISLT equips leaders to serve all Strategic Programs in all the SRC mini-regions.
Aims
· Provide a locally organized and appropriate way to connect with all members of a community.
· Help participants develop sports, creative and leadership skills within a welcoming and loving environment.
· Facilitate the sharing of ideas, information and models across the globe, empowering all to see their unique contribution to the world.
· Create an entry point into personal faith and Sports Ministry.
· Focus on the non-cultural benefits from the many universal aspects of sport.
· Provide a fun event that excludes nobody and builds bridges to all areas of a community or city.
· Expose churches to the wider opportunities that sports provide.
Links to other Strategic Programs
The Games follow a natural flow from KidsGames through TeenGames and into EdgeGames and FamilyGames. Each is a way to introduce churches, agencies, schools, companies and communities to the broader possibilities of sports through a non-threatening and valuable event. The Games provide a means for churches to partner in preparation for hosting a major event. They provide an opportunity for top class athletes with an interest to serve children/teens/families. They provide an opportunity for talented kids/teens to express themselves and are a great community transformation option.
s. What they do and what they say is observed and heard. There are large numbers of athletes who love God and care for the poor, orphans, prisoners, AIDS victims, family issues and many other needs. Ever growing numbers share their faith on radio, television in post-match interviews on internet sites - making a local, national or international impact. The athletes who proclaim their faith in a wide variety of ways have a direct, as well as indirect witness. Often when the athlete proclaims their faith it opens opportunities for believers to share their faith with friends.
Aims
· Identify the kind of passion God has placed on each athlete’s heart.
· Identify, equip and empower athletes who are ready and willing to share their faith and serve.
· Provide opportunities for proclamation that match the athletes' passion and gifts.
· Create effective and culturally sensitive proclamation resources and tools.
· Choose and seize the best opportunities for proclamation.
· Maximize the scope of the outreach through the universal language of sport.
Links to other Strategic Programs
Each of the Strategic Programs contributes to the building and sending that result in proclamation. Proclamation by sports people is often the most visible Strategic Program. The impact is maximized with effective training and having the right people serving the people of sport and the other Strategic Programs.
Proclamation by Sports People acts as the link between athletes who wish to share their faith
and the agencies willing to produce resources. It is a further link to outreach agencies and every individual willing to share the good news though sports.
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, his daily role in their lives and their place in his kingdom work." Sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
is an activity that brings people together throughout the globe. Color, race, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, age
Age
Age may refer to:* Age , an aspect of mathematical model theory* Age , an international peer-reviewed journal operated by Springer.* The Age, a daily newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia* Agé, a god* Åge, a given name...
and gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
can be temporarily forgotten on the playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
, in the pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
or on the tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
.
Many sports organizations, agencies and local church
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
es have long known of the benefit of being involved in sport and serving sports people as a way to build a bridge to connect with their culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
s. The sports of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
both were created for this purpose.
Below is a description of the different strategies that had emerged out of the sports ministry movement.
Strategic Regional Coalition
A Strategic Regional Coalition (SRC) is the lifeblood of sports networking and training around the world, facilitating the Strategic Programs of the International Sports Coalition at a regional and mini-regional level. These areas are split into approximately 50 mini-coalitions for neighboring countries/islands. Each mini-coalition (SRC) consists of a wide variety of partners and 10 Strategic Program facilitators. Some of the partners serve as the Council members of the Strategic Program that fits their interests. A SRC functions by recruiting, partnering, facilitating and implementing the Strategic Programs of the ISC. It promotes partnering with churches, agencies and sporting organizations.Aims
A mini-coalition will:
· Serve sports people and sports organizations.
· Connect like-minded churches and agencies.
· Promote sports agencies.
· Help develop sports opportunities in the regions through strategic partnerships.
· Create synergy
Synergy
Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
and avoid duplication.
· Help churches/agencies to share resources and ideas.
· Ensure that every country has access to the resources for all the Strategic Programs.
· Help start new sports agencies through local cooperation.
· Identify key sports leaders that can attend the ISLS and other training opportunities.
Links to other Strategic Programs
A SRC is the channel of information and feedback between the local community and international agencies. It is a catalyst to enable and empower local communities to make the most of available resources and strengthen their network process. It links partnering international agencies to local agencies. It helps every church and agency to implement the 10 Strategic Programs of the ISC through local partnerships.
Serving Sport
Serving the People of Sport is focusing solely on ministry to the people of sport, who are often an unreached people group in need of a restored relationship to God. Those who are walking with God need to be encouraged through whole-life, fully integrated discipleship to become the people of God in sport and life. SPS recognizes the powerful voice sports people have in communities around the world. Our service to them must go deeper in providing leadership and encouragement to develop their faith within the sport environment so that they can demonstrate the reality of a personal faith in their lives when they are playing the game, as well as living their lives outside of sport.Aims
· Cultivate whole-life ministry to the people of sport in each sport, in each country and people group worldwide.
· Nurture a worldwide network to strategize, to resource and to serve the total wellness of the people of sport for transformation of their lives, their sport and their communities.
· Encourage integration of faith in sport by developing broader training and materials addressing the spiritual issues of sport people in sport and life.
· Develop mature sportspeople fully equipped to share their faith, and to demonstrate their spiritual walk in sport and life.
Links to other Strategic Programs
Service to the people of sport will be foundational for a number of the other Strategic Programs. Effective service to the people of sports will lead to many more sportspeople equipped to be channeled into Proclamation (PSP) through the various outreach strategies of Major Events and Games.
Leadership Training (ISLT) will be equipped with models, strategies and materials targeted to serve the people of sport. Church Sports (CS) will have individuals within their work who will understand the issues in serving the people of sport, further expanding the opportunities to serve the people of sport in growing toward spiritual maturity.
International Sports Leadership Training
The ISC Facilitation Team recognized in December 1998, that the initial pioneering phase in sports should be followed by a second phase, which makes use of previously acquired knowledge and further develops sports ethics, sports management and sports methods. To this end the International Sports Leadership School (ISLS) was formed in 1999 to train a worldwide-web-of-new-generation leadership in a thirteen-week residential course in South Africa. Now the training opportunities are extended to national and regional levels.Aims
· The ISLT will serve the need for national and regional training.
· Share the newest training methodology and content.
· Facilitate partnerships between the regional schools.
· Train two leaders of each country at ISLS to an advanced level where they feel equipped to coordinate sports opportunities.
· Provide in the multiethnic composition of the selected leaders, the diversity of trainers and the multi-faceted South African context a unique global training environment.
· Provide opportunities for ISLS leaders from many countries to form friendships leading to cross cultural partnerships.
· Remain a laboratory of new thought and advanced training in the sports arena.
Links to other Strategic Programs
All ISLS leaders are introduced to the whole spectrum of global sports opportunities. Leaders are exposed to all 10 Strategic Programs of the ISC. The leaders are taught how to integrate these 10 Strategic Programs into a contextually relevant plan. The ISLS and ISLT equips leaders to serve all Strategic Programs in all the SRC mini-regions.
Global Community Games
The four Games are community-focused sports and games events, run over multiple days or weeks, that draws agencies, churches, companies, organizations and schools together into a partnership across a city, village, island or region. Each connects creatively with children, teenagers, families or singles/university age participants. The Games began in the year 2000 and have spread in an unprecedented way across every continent on earth. The programs are designed to be run using a unique experiential education curriculum produced with the personal story of Olympic and World Cup athletes every two years. The non-event years provide the opportunity for specialized life-skills training Camps and Schools in sports, leadership, creative arts and media run at a local level.Aims
· Provide a locally organized and appropriate way to connect with all members of a community.
· Help participants develop sports, creative and leadership skills within a welcoming and loving environment.
· Facilitate the sharing of ideas, information and models across the globe, empowering all to see their unique contribution to the world.
· Create an entry point into personal faith and Sports Ministry.
· Focus on the non-cultural benefits from the many universal aspects of sport.
· Provide a fun event that excludes nobody and builds bridges to all areas of a community or city.
· Expose churches to the wider opportunities that sports provide.
Links to other Strategic Programs
The Games follow a natural flow from KidsGames through TeenGames and into EdgeGames and FamilyGames. Each is a way to introduce churches, agencies, schools, companies and communities to the broader possibilities of sports through a non-threatening and valuable event. The Games provide a means for churches to partner in preparation for hosting a major event. They provide an opportunity for top class athletes with an interest to serve children/teens/families. They provide an opportunity for talented kids/teens to express themselves and are a great community transformation option.
Proclamation by Sports People
In most societies athletes are role modelRole model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
s. What they do and what they say is observed and heard. There are large numbers of athletes who love God and care for the poor, orphans, prisoners, AIDS victims, family issues and many other needs. Ever growing numbers share their faith on radio, television in post-match interviews on internet sites - making a local, national or international impact. The athletes who proclaim their faith in a wide variety of ways have a direct, as well as indirect witness. Often when the athlete proclaims their faith it opens opportunities for believers to share their faith with friends.
Aims
· Identify the kind of passion God has placed on each athlete’s heart.
· Identify, equip and empower athletes who are ready and willing to share their faith and serve.
· Provide opportunities for proclamation that match the athletes' passion and gifts.
· Create effective and culturally sensitive proclamation resources and tools.
· Choose and seize the best opportunities for proclamation.
· Maximize the scope of the outreach through the universal language of sport.
Links to other Strategic Programs
Each of the Strategic Programs contributes to the building and sending that result in proclamation. Proclamation by sports people is often the most visible Strategic Program. The impact is maximized with effective training and having the right people serving the people of sport and the other Strategic Programs.
Proclamation by Sports People acts as the link between athletes who wish to share their faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and the agencies willing to produce resources. It is a further link to outreach agencies and every individual willing to share the good news though sports.