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Effectiveness of Sports Outreach & the 4th Sports Outreach Continuum: Mega-event / Process Evangelism - Part #2

3/26/2015

Is Sports Outreach Working?

Many within the Sports Outreach Movement are becoming increasingly concerned about what they believed to be a most effective strategy. Simply stated, Sports Outreach has not delivered its promised results of accomplishing the Great Commission. This series of blogs addresses the underlying reasons for the decline through the lens of the Sports Outreach Ministry Continuums of Tension. Previous blogs articulated insights based on continuums 1-3. This week’s focus is on…

Sports Outreach Ministry 4th Continuum: Mega-event / Process-Relational Ministry

Mega-event ministry is defined by a series of words and phrases: a) large; b) “one-off” activities; c) relatively impersonal; d) media driven. Large meaning the mega-event is designed to reach a large number of people. “One-off” communicates the mega-event is a one week, one day or even a one hour event. Impersonal connotes the use of audio, visual and/or written media that is offered for individuals to interact with on their own time. Impersonal can also refer to an elite athlete or coach “proclaiming their faith” to a large gathering of people that they have little or no personal relationship with. Media driven assumes the outreach is impersonal.

Strengths of Mega-event Evangelistic Endeavors

There are three main strengths of the Mega-event strategy: a) large numbers; b) excitement; c) marketability.

There is no denying mega-events draw the attention of many people and mass media blitzes (television, radio, print, social) reach large numbers of people, or at least have the possibility of reaching large groups of people. However, I have personally witnessed and have heard from many other close friends the disappointment of seeing carefully crafted and expensive evangelistic magazines, brochures and tracts discarded in trash bins… or worse, just cast aside shortly after they were received. While spiritual results of these efforts won’t be fully known until heaven, we can be sure the thousands of trashed brochures had little if any positive impact and, if the visual reactions of countless recipients are any indication, the magazine or tract they received were actually resented and had a very negative impact!

A second concern about large numbers is becoming increasingly apparent. Tim Tebow can still draw a crowd but the crowd he attracts today is far different than attended such mega-events 40-50 or even 10 years ago. Whether it’s because secular media has painted Christians in such a negative light or so many “celebrity Christians” have brought such embarrassment to the name of Christ through their public and private scandals, the results are the same. Only Christians care to hear the testimonies of high profile athletes and coaches. More disturbing is the millennial generation’s skepticism about so called Christian athletes’ proclamations of faith. The new generation actually wishes such “famous” athletes would stop “pontificating” and quietly live out their faith!

It is true that when a local church or sports-related para-ministry hosts a mega-event they create a “buzz” which enables a great marketing opportunity. The positives of this should be appreciated and maximized, but the long term effectiveness of the event is minimal, if it is the full extent of the ministry’s evangelistic efforts.

Deficiencies of Mega-event Evangelistic Endeavors

There are also three main deficiencies within the Mega-event strategy: a) impersonal; b) lack of sustainable ministry; c) the afore mentioned cynicism, all of which will be discussed in next week’s blog.
Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org and http://www.csrm.org/blog201112-2.html This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's yet to be released book. All rights reserved. For any reproduction right, including copying, computer reproduction, etc. contact:

Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International C/O The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N. w. Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org

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Is Sports Outreach Effective - Viewed through the 4th Sports Outreach Continuum - Part #1

3/18/2015

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Is Sports Outreach Working?
The Sports Outreach Movement emerged in the mid-20th Century, and was touted as a most strategic tool for Evangelism, Discipleship and church growth. Most Sports Outreach Ministers believe it to be the most strategic tool the church can employ to accomplish the Great Commission, but many church leaders are beginning to wonder whether it has delivered its promised results. They are asking…has the Sports Outreach Movement lived up to its hype? For all the hoopla, has the Sports Outreach Movement been a significant force for evangelism? If so, then why hasn’t the church grown these past 70 years? It’s also worth asking…if Sports Outreach is so effective why does it seem to be on the decline? A few sobering trends:

Many churches are phasing out their Sports Ministries and laying off their Sports Ministers
Sports related Para-ministries such as FCA, AIA and Baseball Chapel have come under huge attacks from friend and foe including two recently published books highly criticize Sports Outreach Ministries
- Shirl Hoffman’s “Good Game”
- Thomas Krattenmaker’s “Onward Christian Athletes”
Para-Ministries report fewer churches using their resources, attending conferences, buying their products
Many Universities are curtailing their Sports Outreach degrees and curriculum

There is no hard data on the decline of Sports Outreach Movement as this is a vastly under researched field, however, these trends are verified by Sports Ministry leaders who are growing increasingly concerned. While the bad news is, these facts and trends may well be true and valid, the good news is there are insights which can help to explain some of the facts and trends. In addition, there are answers which can empower the Sports Outreach Movement to new levels of effectiveness and efficiency…that is, for those willing to face facts and remain open to change how they perceive and implement Sports Ministry.

This series of blogs continues to address the topic of Sports Outreach Effectiveness as evaluated through an exposition and discussion of the Six Sports Outreach Continuums of Tension which are impacting the current trends in Sports Outreach Ministry.

These continuums are:

Christianity - Sportianity
Christmanship - Gamesmanship
Para-ministry - Local Church
Mega-Event – Process/Relational
Celtic - Roman Evangelism
Formal Training - Informal Training

Previous blogs have discussed continuums 1-3. The current series will discuss the fourth continuum.

Overview of the 4th Continuum – Mega-event – Process/Relational Ministry Models
Definitions are needed. Mega-event ministry is defined by a series of words and phrases: a) large; b) “one-off” events; c) relatively impersonal; d) media driven. Large meaning the mega-event is designed to reach a large number of people. “One-off” communicates the mega-event is a one week, one day or even a one hour event. Impersonal connotes the use of audio, visual and/or written media that is offered for individuals to interact with on their own time. Impersonal can also refer to an elite athlete or coach “proclaiming their faith” to a large gathering of people that they have little or no personal relationship with. Media driven assumes the outreach is impersonal.

Process/relational is also defined by a series of words and phrases: a) one-on-one or small group; b) continual, long-term activities for the initiation and continuation of personal relationships; c) intensely personal; d) people driven. The process/relational philosophy of sports outreach assumes the evangelistic-disciplemaking activities are based in long-term, repeatable activities that create an environment and culture that empowers the building of personal relationship between disciples of Christ and those far from Christ.

Next Blogs
The next series of blogs will take a look at both these approaches and will offer a proposal that a) both are needed and b) how the Sports Outreach Movement can integrate the different philosophies for maximum ministry effectiveness and resource efficiency.

Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org and http://www.csrm.org/blog201112-2.html This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's yet to be released book. All rights reserved. For any reproduction right, including copying, computer reproduction, etc. contact:

Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International C/O The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N. w. Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org

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Is Sport Outreach Effective - A New Model

3/11/2015

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Is Sports Outreach Effective?

This is the last in a series of blogs addressing the question: Is Sports Outreach Effective through the lens of the third Sports Outreach Continuum…

Sports Outreach Continuum of Tension #3:

Local Church Sports Outreach – Para-Sports Ministry

What follows is written to begin a conversation that will eventually lead to a better Sports Outreach Model. It is not intended to be intentionally offensive or hurtful. All truth seekers are invited to continue.

Summary of the Proposal
The last blog ended by asking the Local Church Sports Ministry and sports related Para-Ministry worlds to come together for the ultimate purpose of being more effective in expanding and enhancing the Kingdom of Christ. I provided a few brief examples of how these two expressions of The Church could maximize their “evangelistic-disciplemaking” efforts, making them more effective, efficient, relevant and strategic. There are however, and unfortunately, obstacles that block such collaborative efforts.

Assessing the Obstacles
Most sports ministries are led by former athletes and coaches. All athletes and coaches are by nature competitive. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone when I suggest the biggest obstacle to collaborative efforts has to do with personal and corporate competition! This “intra-mural” competition has two primary driving forces: a) resourcing; b) prestige and perhaps a third more insidious obstacle – ego!

Resourcing is a primary obstacle in the sense all sports ministries need to fund themselves and, for the most part, all ministries seek those funds from the same basic funding sources but prestige may be even more primal. Almost every sports related ministry communicates their vision/mission through the stories of elite athletes and coaches they claim to have impacted or influenced and this often causes angst in the hearts of many athletes and coaches…

The call came from a friend who was a university football coach. His team had experienced recent success on the football field (after years of success in developing true student athletes who were being discipled in Christ). Within weeks of each other, three sports-based, para-ministries arrived in the coach’s office to “serve” him and his team. He felt pressured by each of the para-ministries to associate with their ministry. He was further troubled by a sense of loyalty he felt to a local congregation’s sports outreach ministry that had been present in his life and the life of his team for many years. He honored and respected each of the para-ministries but was seeking guidance on how to navigate the competitive waters of the various sports ministries. He confided in me, he was a little put off by the fact the various ministries had never made contact with him during the years his team hadn’t won many games and wished they could all work together. It saddened him to realize how much “prestige” had to do with being associated with some sport ministries.

Assessing the Reality
Most local congregations don’t have the expertise and/or experience to effectively engage the sports world (although this has dramatically changed in the last couple of decades). Most local churches are in need of, and would be blessed by, the resources, networks and overall assets many sports-related, para-ministries could bring them. To their shame, it would appear the only time local congregations call on their para-ministry brethren is when they want an elite sports figure to speak at their church!

Conversely, most sports-based, para-ministries lack the very resources (facilities, volunteer base, networks etc.) that are so prevalent in local congregations. Moreover, they lack the ability to provide long-term disciplemaking opportunities found in local churches. To their shame, it would appear para-ministries only call on a local congregation when they want financial support, or when they look for the church to “disciple” those who filled out a card to receive Christ at a recent “mega-event.”

A Clarion Call
I humbly call on local congregations of the worldwide Church to humbly go to any and all of the sports-based, para-ministries they know of… humbly asking for their expertise and help in making their evangelistic-disciplemaking relevant and strategic. I would hope they would willingly offer their full support in all collaborative Kingdom work including the offer of co-funding a jointly supported and supervised staff person.

I also humbly call on all sports-based, para-ministries to humbly go to local congregations… humbly asking to base their ministry in and through the church which would include significant and regular personal participation in the church themselves, encouraging the elite athletes they were reaching to participate in the church with them, and also working to mobilize, train and equip local church members to do the sports outreach work of which they are experts in.

Multiplication not just addition
The impact of local churches and para-ministries, willing to lay down their “but we’ve always done it that way” modes of operation and truly become seamless in their unified Kingdom efforts would totally revolutionize the Sports Outreach Movement. The world would never be the same. Rather than adding a convert to Christ here and there, the Kingdom would be catalytically changed through the multiplication of Sports Outreach leaders who will “produce, reproducing, reproducers!”

Effectively Efficient & Strategically Relevant
In the final analysis, the Sports Outreach Movement can become increasingly effective whenever local congregations of the worldwide Church and sports-based, para-ministries truly partner. Until they do, we are wasting a most profound opportunity to be strategically relevant and effectively efficient.

Next week a new series of blogs will begin based on:

The 4th Sports-Outreach-Ministry Continuum: Process-Relational or Mega-Event.
Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org and http://www.csrm.org/blog201112-2.html This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's yet to be released book. All rights reserved. For any reproduction right, including copying, computer reproduction, etc. contact:

Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International C/O The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N. w. Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org

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A New Model For Sports Outreach Effectiveness

3/5/2015

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Is Sports Outreach Effective?

This is the 12th in a series of blogs addressing the question: Is Sports Outreach Effective, and continues the conversation on the third Sports Outreach Ministry Continuum. What follows is written to begin a conversation, not to be intentionally offensive or hurtful. All truth seekers are invited to continue.

Sports Outreach Continuum of Tension #3:

Local Church Sports Outreach – Para-Sports Ministry

Three blogs ago I identified the insidious dilemma facing the Sport Outreach Movement in regards to a Level #1 Theological Truth concerning evangelism. I stated sport related Para-Ministries and Local Church Sports Ministries often have a significant difference in evangelistic philosophy. The last two blogs explained through brief historical overviews how this divergent Level #2 Philosophical Principle led to decidedly different Level #3 Methodological Models. This blog explains and outlines the profound relevance of this variance in approach to “evangelistic-disciplemaking and more importantly makes an audacious proposal!

Relevance of the Local Church – Para-Ministry Sports Outreach Continuum
The sad reality is most Churches don’t evangelize and most sports related Para-Ministries don’t produce fully mature disciples intimately involved with a local church. Generalities to be sure, but generalities based in reality.

Yes, too often, churches either don’t know how to evangelize or, even worse, don’t believe evangelism should be a priority. Most churches are embarrassed to report the overwhelming cause for church growth comes from “transferal growth”…new members transferring from other churches. Church growth is rarely from “conversion growth”…new members who have converted to the faith. However, churches that do make evangelism a priority, and strategically incorporate Sports Outreach into their mission endeavors, reap huge dividends from church conversion growth and successfully produce fully mature believers in Christ when their methodologies are based on the Level #2 Philosophical Principle of “evangelistic-disciplemaking.”

Conversely, sports related Para-Ministries often don’t emphasize church membership as an important part of their outreach or essential to true discipleship when they focus on evangelism rather than “evangelistic-disciplemaking.” Furthermore, Sports Chaplains are often restricted by the parameters given them by the teams and clubs they serve. In their disciplemaking efforts, anything remotely in conflict with a “win at all costs” mentality is not welcomed in a team chapel service. In addition, the athletes they reach out to often don’t want to hear about a discipleship with Christ if it requires making sacrifices in their career such as church membership and participation. Regardless of the reasons, the end results are dismal. Local Church Ministries have a dismal record of reaching those far from Christ and Para-Ministries have significant problems in connecting elite athletes to a local church to enhance their chances of becoming true Disciples of Christ.

The objective of both the Local Church and the Para-Ministry would be greatly enhanced by a change in their Level #2 Philosophical Principle to: “evangelistic-disciplemaking” endeavors out of which could emerge ground-breaking new Level #3 Methodological Models. Certainly, both would agree the goal is to strive for full spiritual maturity in each person they minister to, but the question is…are they, by themselves, with their current approaches, able to accomplish this in efficient and effective manners?

So the relevance of the Local Church - Para-Ministry Continuum is…that it suggests a different Level #2 Philosophical Principle is needed. Such a change in philosophy would then demand a reconsideration of the Level #3 Methodological Model. Both philosophies have merit and strengths that when partnered with the others merits and strengths a catalytic new era could become reality.

Imagine what might happen if…

Rather than FCA having to hire staff for each college and high school huddle, one FCA staff could mobilize, train and equip hundreds of Local Church huddle volunteers who would become the natural conduit of young athletes into a lifetime association with a local congregation.

What transformative power could be unleashed if local churches sought out the expertise of AIA and were willing to be mentored by AIA staff on how to reach, build and send college student athletes?

What could be accomplished if Baseball Chapel and Hockey Ministries International mobilized local churches to be the primary means of outreach to their local minor league teams?

Think how the kingdom could be enhanced and expanded if Ambassadors in Football empowered Local Churches to envision and operate summer sports camps and year round soccer leagues?

How revolutionary would it be if Local Churches started to hire Para-Ministers on their staff? The potential is staggering. The empowerment of laypeople and the natural linking of individuals far from Christ to local assemblies of The Church would result in unbelievable gains for the kingdom!

In The Final Analysis

In the final analysis, what is most important is to determine what strategy has the best chance for producing mature Disciples of Christ. The way seems clear: Local Church sports outreach partnering with sports related Para-Ministries will produce effective, efficient, relevant and strategic of which the world has never yet seen?

There is one final blog in this series…a look at the obstacles for why such partnerships don’t occur.
Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org and http://www.csrm.org/blog201112-2.html This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's yet to be released book. All rights reserved. For any reproduction right, including copying, computer reproduction, etc. contact:

Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International C/O The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N. w. Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org

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Effectiveness of Sports Outreach & the 4th Sports Outreach Continuum: Mega-event / Process Evangelism - Part #2

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Is Sport Outreach Effective - A New Model

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Effectiveness of Sports Outreach & the 4th Sports Outreach Continuum: Mega-event / Process Evangelism - Part #2

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