The hope of the Gospel is a universal message, and sports are arguably the universal language. Sharing the former through the latter is a powerful combination for changing lives. And for students with a heart for both, the field of sports ministry presents compelling career opportunities. Until now, there has never been a college textbook devoted to the subject. With the arrival of Sports Ministry, college and university instructors have a dedicated text for educating students on the how-to process of developing viable sports ministry programs that share the Word and positively influence the world in which we live. The book begins with a description of what sports ministry is and a historical overview of the sports ministry movement, including stories of prominent individuals and organizations past. Students will learn about the many sports ministries serving today at the local, national, and international levels, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, and Missionary Athletes International. Through each chapter’s Sports Ministry in Action and Interview With a Professional sidebars, students will get a glimpse into the lives and ministries of individuals and organizations working in sports ministry and learn about the career opportunities available in the field. The underpinnings of sports ministry are evangelism and discipleship, and to that end students will learn various methods for Gospel communication within the sports context. The book also deliberates the intersection of sports and faith, weighing the positive and negative aspects of competition and whether competitive sport is compatible with faith. Included are six principles for making decisions regarding sport participation and a three-step process for using biblical precepts to determine ethical behavior in sport. Chapters dedicated to finances, facilities, and legal considerations inform students on the corporate aspects of running a sports ministry program. These include the five main approaches for securing financial resources, a framework for planning and selecting the right facility, and strategies for mitigating risk. The final section of the book looks at the implementation of sports ministry programs locally and internationally. Four common types of local church-based events are discussed—onsite, community, jaunt event, and short-term missions—with examples of each included. Students will gain an understanding of key administrative responsibilities for organizing international missions. The cross-cultural nature of sports ministry—both locally and abroad—requires students to cultivate an awareness of and respect for other cultures to foster friendship evangelism, essential to any successful sports ministry. Sports Ministry is the definitive resource for building an effective sports ministry program. When done right, sport is a powerful platform that God will use to transform lives for His eternal purposes. With Sports Ministry, students will gain the knowledge and tools to share their faith and offer hope to others through the universal language of sport.

To win the game, you need the whole team Pastor Jim Putman, a former wrestler and coach, helped his staff build Real Life Ministries into an army of thousands. But there was a problem. Early on too many sat on the sidelines. Not enough wanted a piece of the action. His voice was faltering from so many sermons and he teetered on the edge of burnout thanks to the mixed blessing of an enormous but needy flock. So he hit his knees. Hard. God's solution surprised him. Putman and his entire leadership team stood before the congregation and gave up. They were done carrying the whole load. There were too many spiritual babies and they needed mature believers to step up. They knew there must be some raw talent hidden in the pews. God led them to use a Bible-based strategy for ministry revitalization that can help bring your church to the next level. Whether you're a burned-out leader or someone ready to tackle an active role in your congregation, Church Is a Team Sport will lead you to both personal growth and renewed spiritual strength. If you're ready to get the whole team in the game, this is the playbook that will show you how to make it happen.

How open is our culture to recreation and sports? The popular culture today is saturated with recreation and sports. The Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, X-Games, Iron Man events, the Final Four in college basketball, and the playoff series in professional basketball capture the imaginations of millions of people in America each time they are held. The questions are, according to general editor John Garner, where is the church and how is the church using these tools to reach people, and will the church see the opportunity to use recreation and sports as ministry tools?The fact is, most churches are not reaching the postmodern culture and are being ignored by an increasingly non-Christian American culture because people see no relevance to their lives. What they do see relevance in is re-creative leisure; they pursue it at break-neck speed and often at great costs. Somehow the church must learn to ¿capture the imagination¿ of a world that is passing it by. If the church can capture the imaginations of people, it can get their attention, can gain access to their minds, and can reach the heart with the message of the love of God.

Beyond an occasional sports-inspired sermon illustration, sports are generally regarded as having little relevance to the Christian faith. More often, they are viewed as a welcome and safe reprieve from politics and religion. Quietly, however, as they avoid the discerning eye of the church, sports are slowly overtaking families and overwhelming parents. Under the labels "elite," "select," and "travel," a new experience of sports has taken root in American culture demanding financial burdens, time commitments, and heightened pressures never before seen. Community leaders from various public sectors have criticized many recent trends in youth sports, but, alas, where has the church been? This new "elite" expression of youth sports is quickly building an intimidating front against the church. As church attendance declines, "elite" youth sports participation is on the rise. This book ventures into the challenging, controversial, and powerful world of youth sports. Young people participate in sports more than just about any other activity, and the church has neglected its role in providing a voice of discernment for what participating in sports should look like. Christians are desperately in need of a manifesto for helping them wrestle with the complex, exciting, and often exhausting world of youth sports.

Steve Connor, a specialist in sports ministry, shows us why sports ministry is a great idea for today's church. This is not just a book about how to get people feverishly active in all kind of sports - it is a thoughtful look at developing a carefully balanced approach as part of your church strategy. Steve shows you how to get the whole church 'onside', develop the workers and make an impact in your area. He shows the history of sports ministry and its biblical foundations. He not only tells us WHY we should do it - he then goes on to show HOW to do it and gives us different programme models to follow or adapt. Sports ministry does not just stop on the 'field of play'. Steve then shows you how to bring the activity 'indoors' by integrating people into the life of the church. Unleash the huge potential of Sports ministry in your area with 'Sports Outreach'.

A guide to developing church sport and recreation ministries. Especially relevant to churches who want to run sport programmes ahead of the 2012 Olympics. Bryan Mason contends that sport is as vital a part of the church programme as say youth work or women's ministry. Indeed, by its all encompassing nature, it reaches out to every age group. Sport is an ideal atmosphere for making friends and sharing the difference Jesus Christ makes in your life. This book provides vital information and ideas for churches wishing to make mission a central goal as 2012 approaches.