Organizational Principles for Local Church Sports Outreach - Rationale for 3-Tier Paradigm6/30/2015 The 3-Tier Paradigm
This series of blogs are excerpts from Dr. Linville’s yet to be released book. They will explain and outline the 3-Tier Paradigm introduced in his book. The 3-Tier Paradigm is the organizational structure upon which Dr. Linville’s series of Sports Outreach Ministry books are based and serves as the guiding light for how the association of Church Sports & Recreation Ministries (CSRM) executes its equipping of local churches. This blog will outline the rationale for the 3-Tier Paradigm Rationale for CSRM’s 3-Tier Paradigm CSRM exists to: “equip local churches to change lives through sports outreach.” The equipping is designed to mobilize, equip, empower and enable churches for Evangelistic-disciplemaking. CSRM’s Vision is: “A changed Life.” A changed life is defined as a person who has become a life-long, dedicated-disciple of Jesus Christ. A changed life assumes new disciples will emulate Christ in all they do, manifested through a biblically-based lifestyle that includes significant and regular participation in a local church. This new Christ-centered ethic transforms new disciples in their character and impacts every area and role of their life… spouse, parent, church, employee/employer, citizen etc. CSRM’s Mission to equip local churches, accomplishes CSRM’s Vision and is enabled by, manifested in, and communicated through, a tri-fold organizational structure of training curriculum encapsulated in a: 3-Tier Paradigm. CSRM’s 3-Tier Paradigm
Unless CSRM, or for that matter, any church, Christian ministry, organization or academic institution is founded upon solid Theological Truths, it cannot properly envision its distinctive reason for existence, nor can it organize itself on biblically-based, Philosophical Principles. And, unless, it is rooted in orthodox theology and biblical philosophy, its Methodological Models will be flawed, and thus will, at the very least, not meet the 4-Fold Evaluation Assessment of being: Relevant, Strategic, Effective or Efficient. At worst, such models may in fact be unbiblical. Thus, the rationale of the 3-Tier Paradigm is to envision, organize and expedite a Sports Outreach Ministry which is truly: a) Christo-centric and honoring; b) Evangelistic-disciplemaking focused; c) Biblically-based; d) Strategically-relevant; and e) Effectively-efficient. Next week’s blog will be an overview of Level #1Theological Truths which will provide both the “why” Sports Outreach Ministry exists and also its ethical foundations and circumference. This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's book Christmanship and a 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 Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports, sports theology and ethics written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org The 3-Tier Paradigm
This is the first in a series of blogs that are excerpts from Dr. Linville’s yet to be released book. They will explain and outline the 3-Tier Paradigm introduced in his book. The 3-Tier Paradigm is the organizational structure upon which Dr. Linville’s series of Sports Outreach Ministry books are based and serves as the guiding light for how the association of Church Sports & Recreation Ministries (CSRM) executes its equipping of local churches. The outline of these blogs includes:
Next week’s blog will provide the rationale for the 3-Tier Paradigm and make a case for why this organizational structure for rooting Local Church Sports Outreach Methodological Models in Biblically based Theological Truths & Philosophical Principles is so important. 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 Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports, sports theology and ethics written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org Sunday Sport
Review This is the 7th and final installment concerning Sunday Sports in the context of Local Church Sports Ministry. This series of blogs has articulated a brief overview of some of the theological, philosophical and methodological issues related to determining if and how disciples of Jesus are to engage in sport on Sunday. This last blog reaches a final conclusion and offers a few specific suggestions for application of the biblical rules and principles.[1] Conclusion The bottom line is yes, disciples of Jesus can participate in sporting/recreational activities on the Lord’s Day and yes, local congregations can (and at times should) sponsor sporting/recreational activities on the Lord’s Day. However, this should not be misunderstood to indicate any and all sporting activities are: a) theologically sound or biblically defensible nor b) are all biblically-defensible Sunday sport activities always wise or advisable (“all things are lawful but not all things are helpful…but not all things build up.)” 1 Corinthians 10.23 Theologically Sound and Biblically Defensible Sunday Sport Activities Any Sunday sporting and/or recreational activities that enhance the life, health and relationships of disciples of Jesus can, and should be, participated in with the following parameters:
[1] Please consult my published book: Christmanship, for a much more full and detailed theological foundation in regards to Lord’s Day issues as they relate to Sunday Sport, and also to my yet to be published book which deals with the Sunday sport issue from a biblically-based, philosophical-principle perspective. Both provide the needed depth for a thorough study and understanding of this topic. [2] The phrase “traditional worship services” is not used here to differentiate between “traditional and contemporary” worship styles but rather to describe all typical Sunday morning services for the purpose of differentiating from typical Sunday morning worship, and also to affirm what athletes do in and through their sporting endeavors is also a worship of God. Sunday Sport
Review This is the 6th installment concerning Sunday Sports in the context of Local Church Sports Ministry. The first five blogs articulated the following: a) the 3 Sabbath mandates to “honor the day; b) the 3 Lord’s Day principles to fulfill the day; c) the five crucial reasons for regular participation and committed involvement in a local congregation; d) revealed two unintended consequences of evangelistic efforts through sport on Sunday; and e) how the theology of salvation (soteriology) provides a key insight into whether or not Sunday sport evangelistic efforts are actually effective. This blog provides an overview of one specific historical view of Sunday Sport. The Story of Eric Liddell Eric Liddell is recognized for two significant reasons: a) he won a gold and bronze medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics; and b) he was a heroic missionary to China who died in a Japanese internment camp during World War 2, but he is most remembered because of his principled stance of honoring the Lord’s Day by not competing in Sunday Sport. A popular version of his story, told through the movie Chariots of Fire, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981. The movie was quite remarkable in many ways. It was written by a self-avowed atheist; told the story of 3 Olympians (an Agnostic; a Jew; a Christian); and was funded by a Muslim! The three featured athletes told the story of how one ran for personal reasons; one ran to prove his faith (Judaism); and the third (Liddell) chose not to run to prove his faith, but the movie missed many vital facts… While the movie faithfully represents Liddell winning gold in the 400, and his choosing not to run in the 100 because the heats for the event occurred on a “Lord’s Day,” it does not tell the “rest of the story.” First, he also won bronze in the 200 but more significantly, he forfeited two other medals as the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 400 were also run on a Sunday. It also does not accurately communicate the extended amount of time (a year or more) Liddell had to withstand pressures from friends, family and even British Royalty, to forgo his choice to honor the Lord’s Day by not competing. [1] Relevance to Local Church Sunday Sport and Evangelistic-Disciplemaking Endeavors The overwhelming rationale for Christians competing in, and local congregations sponsoring sport on Sunday, is for the purposes of evangelism. Well-intentioned and rightly-motivated followers of Christ often argue their participation in and/or sponsorship of, Sunday sport is for the purpose of expanding the Kingdom of Christ. The fallacy of this argument is keenly seen when Liddell’s story is compared with a modern-day athlete’s example. Jonathan Edwards is also a gold medal Olympian who originally modeled his life after Liddell, including not competing on the Lord’s Day. Yet Edwards became convinced (at least partially by some within the Sports Ministry Movement!) that he could “expand his platform” by competing on the Lord’s Day. Here’s the question? Whose platform is wider, deeper and more respected today? I wonder if there will be a movie made 50 years in the future which heralds the heroic stance Edwards took in competing on the Lord’s Day. Today, 90 years after Liddell chose to honor the Lord’s Day by not running, his platform continues to grow. Summary of the Historic Perspective Concerning Sunday Sport Christian athletes and local church Sports Outreach Ministries are not responsible for their platforms. We are only responsible for our faithful obedience to, and love for Jesus Christ. God alone is responsible for our platforms. Let us focus on being faithful to His commands and trust our “platforms” to Him. Next week’s blog will summarize the issue of Sunday Sport in the local church and provide a few specific recommendations. This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's book: Christmanship. 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 Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports, sports theology and ethics written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org [1] Please consult my book Christmanship for a much more detailed retelling of this amazing story. It includes the results of research and interviews I conducted with Liddell’s family, friends, other researchers and even those who were interned in the Japanese prisoner of war camp with him. The book dedicates an entire chapter to this theological topic of the Lord’s Day and sport. |
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