Filed under: Christianity,Christians,Indianapolis Colts,NFL,Oklahoma Sooners,christian living,coaching,faith,football,in-SP-ire,sports
Sports Illustrated has hit a home run in their latest magazine issue. Pick up the April 30, 2007 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW issue and read “Life of Reilly” (last page). It is a story of how Tony Dungy continues to allow God to use him in powerful ways! Also, there is a great article on future NFL superstar, Adrian Peterson. Don’t miss this issue!
Filed under: absolute truth,church,church leadership,church sports,emergent,emerging,evangelism,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors,postmodern,postmodernity,religion,sports evangelism,sports ministry,sports outreach,sportspastor,truth,youth ministry
Belief in absolute truth is declining at speed of light. The latest research shows that moral relativism follows a generational progression. Only twenty-two percent* of adults believe that there is such a thing as absolute truth. They believe that moral truth depends on circumstances; that it is relative to each situation. The shocking statistical award; however, belongs to American youth. Believe it or not, only six percent* of teenagers believe in absolute truth.
So what does this mean for the church today? First of all, we must accept the fact that the modern church has had such a narrow focus on only what a person believes and how they behave for so long that they have become irrelevant. Star Trek is out and Starbucks is in. People are in search of a place to belong (and caffeine). The current postmodern matrix begs for a relational methodology. We need to change our methods in order to reach a changing culture with the unchanging truth of God’s love and grace.
Allow me to offer a few practical suggestions for those who feel challenged by the statements above. As a church, begin to look for ways to create community. Put yourself in a first time visitor’s shoes and think through the various entry points into your church. If Sunday morning is the only place for a visitor to check out your church, then get moving! Plan an event specifically for the purpose of outreach to unchurched families in your area (maybe a sports outreach event). Make it clear to your church that this event is a chance for them to invite their unchurched friends, neighbors, and colleagues to a church sponsored event.
Provide a chance for a person to belong to your group first, so that you gain credibility and an opportunity to share about what you believe and how that has changed your life (how you behave). Belong, Believe, and Behave; in that order, will absolutely reach a generation that is drowning in a sea of moral relativism.
*Stats from Barna Research Group
Filed under: church leadership,church planting,evangelism,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,parachurch,pastor,pastors,postmodern,postmodernity,preaching,sportspastor
Here are my selections for reading during the month of May…what are yours?
Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary
by George Barna
Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons from Emerging Missional Church
by Mark Driscoll
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age
by Ed Stetzer
Check out the left side navigation bar for book covers and links…
Filed under: church,church leadership,evangelism,faith,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors
Internet Evangelism Day is on Sunday, April 29th!
Be sure and read all about this upcoming event at the link above…
(click on the poster to see a larger image)
Here is another baseball coaching product that I came across online today. This is another resource you can use to make your youth baseball season the best ever:
CoachDeck – Baseball
The first-ever, instructional deck of cards created to assist the millions of hard-working youth sports volunteers and parents who would like to help players learn important skills and fundamentals though fun drills and games. The drills in CoachDeck can be performed by players from 6-16 and are laid out in a fast, easy-to-understand format that allows you to conduct an extremely effective practice or clinic. Shuffle through 52 color-coded drills that teach valuable fundamentals, designed by coaches for coaches.
Check out this great website I came across today…if you are a youth baseball coach and want to make the most of your season this is a can’t miss:
Quality Coaching Baseball provides baseball instruction, baseball drills, coaching philosophy, and other information for youth baseball coaches, players, and parents who want to learn more about playing and coaching baseball.
Alex Rodriguez is making a habit this season of being the likable hero. He did it again yesterday with a three-run walk-off home-run that gave the Yankees an 8-6 victory to complete a sweep of the Cleveland Indians. A-Rod has 10 home-runs on the season to go with another league leading total – 26 RBIs. Wow!
Question: Are you happy for A-Rod? I am.
Question: Do you think the fans will turn on him in a heartbeat? I do.
Filed under: Christianity,Christians,Jesus,Jesus Christ,NBA,Orlando Magic,Scripture,christian living,church sports,evangelism,faith,in-SP-ire,outreach,pastor,pastors,sports evangelism,sports ministry,sports outreach,sportspastor
NBA Superstar Dwight Howard must believe in evangelism and “UP REACH”. At this year’s All Star Weekend (in Vegas), the young superstar used all of his 6-foot, 11 inch frame and a 38-inch vertical leap to make a statement. The statement was about more than athletic ability. Orlando’s franchise player used his creativity and freakish skills to bring praise God in this year’s slam-dunk contest. Even though he did not win the contest, the dunk of the night belonged to him. Picture this: While Howard was slamming home a one-handed alley-oop, he used his other hand to apply a sticker to the backboard, two-and-a-half feet above the rim. Most of the crowd thought that he had just slapped the backboard, but the home audience watched the replay as the camera’s zoomed in on the sticker of Howard’s smiling face and the hand-written inscription: “All things through Christ. Phil. 4:13.” While everybody else was partying, Howard was witnessing in Vegas.
Career Highlights (so far):
In his first season, Dwight Howard averaged 12 points a game and 10 rebounds per game, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double. In addition, Dwight Howard grabbed 20 rebounds in three games, becoming the youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds. His second season started with a bang as Dwight Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds in a game, becoming the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. On April 15, 2006, in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Dwight Howard pulled down a career high 26 rebounds to go with 28 points. (adapted from dwighthoward.com)
Filed under: Christianity,Christians,christian living,church,church leadership,church sports,discipleship,evangelism,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors,sports evangelism,sports ministry,sports outreach,sportspastor
I have found that unchurched parents, though often indifferent about their own spiritual status, are highly concerned about their children’s spiritual formation. Many of these families are made up of parents that attended church regularly at some point in the past and actually value the role of the church in the lives of children. When unchurched families visit a church and give the church body an opportunity to invest in the lives of their children, the parents are ministered to, as well. However, for some adults overcoming the fear involved in visiting a church for the first time can be intimidating. This is where an outreach ministry like a children’s sports camp can serve as an easier entry point for an unchurched family to check out your church. I tell my volunteers during training that we have the important task of making a good first impression of our church. As a result, many unchurched families who have had a positive experience through a church outreach event will more readily visit your church on a Sunday morning. For most unchurched families, if you reach the kids you will reach the parents.
Filed under: Bible,Christianity,Christians,Scripture,christian living,church,church leadership,evangelism,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors,preaching,sportspastor
To be effective in ministry you must have the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. When I read this statement by Swiss theologian Karl Barth, I immediately filed it in my mind as the formula for relevant ministry. I am not saying that headlines need to be discussed from the pulpit. Please understand that I cringe when a preacher uses his position of leadership as a way to influence people politically. What I am saying is that we must not only exegete Scripture; we must exegete culture, as well. In other words, ministers should have a clear understanding of society to make relevant applications of Scripture in their teaching and preaching. Understanding culture can also contribute to creativity in teaching and preaching. However, there is always the danger of being either trite or cheesy. The best way to avoid being over the top is to make sure that your message is biblically-based because the Word of God is timeless.
Filed under: Christianity,Christians,Jesus,Jesus Christ,christian living,church,church leadership,evangelism,faith,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors,religion,sportspastor
According to a survey by Church Growth, Inc., relational evangelism is the most effective method of evangelism for inviting people into a personal relationship with Christ. The survey concluded that 78% of people who place their trust in Christ do so because of the truth shared with them by a close friend or relative. I responded to the Gospel as it was shared with me by my best friend when I was just 11 years old. What is your story? That remaining 22% allows for many other valid means. Maybe you came to Christ through the preaching of the Good News, maybe at a revival or a camp. Maybe a pastor or lay leader in your church shared the Gospel with you, maybe Billy Graham. Regardless, I have a challenge for you: I encourage you to consider choosing a relational method, such as lifestyle evangelism because we live in a postmodern world that values experience over truth. For more and more people truth is relative and personal experience is the standard. If we are going to be effective in evangelism we have to communicate our standard of truth through another method, a relational one.
What is your take on lifestyle evangelism? Some people think that lifestyle evangelism is a means of avoiding the task of sharing the Gospel. If that is you, try to think of lifestyle evangelism as a relational platform from which to share the Gospel. Think of it as a means of building a relational bridge to a non-believer. What is a relational bridge, you may ask? It is intentionally finding something that you have in common with a non-believer and use it as a bridge, a connecting point, to build a friendship through that shared interest. As this relationship grows, as a Christian, you will be in a place in a non-believer’s life that you will be able to share with them when they are open to it. I believe that the most effective way to share with someone about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is through exactly that, a relationship. Lifestyle evangelism is not a cop out; it is being the Good News in order to share the Good News.
Filed under: Christianity,Christians,christian living,church,church leadership,evangelism,ministry,my-SP-ace,outreach,pastor,pastors,postmodern,postmodernity,sportspastor
A challenge for churches today is that many unchurched adults do not feel that the local church is relevant to their lives. The sad part is that in many churches this feeling is actually validated. Unchurched believers and non-believers alike do not feel that the church is capable of meeting their felt needs. This begs the question: How can the local church counter the perception that the church is out of touch with a postmodern world? The answer: Look for ways to be in touch with those that the Apostle Paul describes as outsiders (Colossians 4:5).
Distinguished professor and writer Haddon Robinson presented a relational solution to this problem in the preface of Joe Aldrich’s book, “Lifestyle Evangelism”: “Outsiders to faith are first drawn to Christians and then to Christ. Unfortunately, not all Christians attract. Like a turned magnet, some repel.” He continues, “Christians (that are) alive to God, loving, caring, laughing, sharing, involved at the point of people’s needs, present an undeniable witness for Christ in their society.”
Confronting people with the Gospel may have worked in a modern world, but in a postmodern world we must live the Gospel. People are watching to see how your relationship with God impacts your relationships with others. We are not changing the message, just the method. We need to move from rational to relational. Check back tomorrow evening for my take on relational evangelism…
