Summary of Identifying and Defining The Church

BUILDINGS OR PEOPLE - The Church (and its constituent local congregations) is not a building, sanctuary or an organization.  Rather, it is a body of believers who are Disciples of Christ.  Yet while The Church is not a building, local congregations can, and most often do, own and care for facilities that serve a local assembly of the body of Christ and its surrounding community.  Buildings are mere centers which are utilized for worship, ministry, disciple-making, fellowship and outreach.  Buildings are not, and should not, be confused with being The Church.
The Evangelical Friends (my own church tradition) have never called the facilities owned by a local congregation a church.  Historically, we (the Evangelical Friends) called these local assemblies of The Church “Weekly Meetings” and Evangelical Friends buildings were aptly called Meeting Houses where “Weekly Meetings” met to worship and hear from God.  This tradition continues today through an emerging change in terminology as now Evangelical Friends Weekly Meetings (think: Lord’s Day services, Christian Education classes and fellowship groups etc.) gather at what are commonly called Ministry Sites.  These Weekly Meetings of local congregations periodically gather regionally into Quarterly Meetings and all Quarterly Meetings come together once a year for an annual gathering called a Yearly Meeting.  None of the buildings in which these gatherings of The Church occur are called churches.

The point here should not be misunderstood in any way to convince people of Evangelical Friends terminology or organization but rather to help illustrate the core theological belief of what constitutes The Church.  The Church is a community of people, not a place, building or campus.  This is foundational to comprehending the practical theology of how The Church should be organized and function; especially in regards to Sport, Recreation and Fitness Outreach Ministries.

All of the previous discussion now sets the foundation from which many relevant Ecclesiological subtopics can be perceived.
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The next blog in this series will discuss the purpose and function of The Church and its relevance to the Sports Outreach Movement.
 
This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's book yet to be released book – Sports Ministry Fundamentals.  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 and other local church Sports, Rec & Fitness Ministers are archived at: www.csrm.org

How often have you heard a preacher say something like “we need to go into all the world and spread the kingdom of God,” or a prayer invoking God for His blessings to expand His Kingdom?  For that matter, I’m sure most reading this blog have prayed the words Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come.”  So the Kingdom of God is a reality, but in the context of this series of blogs, is the Kingdom of God to be equated with being The Church?

A discussion of the Kingdom of God is necessary when contemplating The Church and local congregations because the two are often equated with each other and the distinction between the two is often blurred.  At the very least each can be more fully comprehended when they are compared to one another.

While the Kingdom of God is related to The Church, it remains distinct from, and different than, The Church.  Consider Jesus's reply to Pilate: "My Kingdom is not of this world."  Jesus was clear, and His response to Pilate was in line with an overall theme that The Kingdom will have a future fulfillment; and sense The Church is definitely a present reality, in fact a two millennia reality, it logically follows the two cannot be one and the same.
So, while the Bible certainly teaches about the Kingdom of God, clearly this Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom in any traditional sense.  In light of this, how then should The Church envision itself, both individually and collectively?  In addition, what does it mean for local church Sports Outreach Ministry?  As described in a previous blog, there are six New Testament words used to describe Jesus's disciples, but what is most significant is the one that is not used in reference to The Church - kingdom (basileia).

The two main concepts that emerge from the six descriptive words that are related to The Church are: a) The Church is made up of individuals who are called into a personal relationship with Christ; and b) these individuals are called into a universal fellowship organized into local assemblies or congregations.  So, the main description of those who are "called out" (ecclesia) is that of a fellowship/partnership (koinonia) of followers of Christ, or what we would describe as a "community," not a kingdom (basileia)!

The Church is not called to usher in an earthly kingdom but rather become a witnessing and serving community within earthly kingdoms.   So, more than attempting to create a political system that will bring about peace and justice, we should be about creating a community in which the Kingdom of God is experienced and where all will be loved, respected, honored and treated with dignity and respect.

The bottom line for local church Sports, Recreation and Fitness Ministers is they should strive to envision, organize and implement a faith-based sports-community not a kingdom. 
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The next blog in this series will consider whether a local congregation of The Church is people, buildings or both.
 
This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's book yet to be released book – Sports Ministry Fundamentals.  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 and other local church Sports, Rec & Fitness Ministers are archived at: www.csrm.org

Simple and Organic Sports Ministry
Pray – Play – Say
 
Blog from Steve Quatro.  Fourth and final blog in this series.
 
Principle 3:  Intentionally and thoughtfully share with lost people about God.
In a “typical” church sports ministers’ training gathering, significant time is spent on this principle – that is, how to appropriately share with the participants about God.  However, in this setting, the conversations are more organic, as opposed to a “God talk” at halftime of a game.  “God talks” connected to a sports/rec activity can be very effective in setting the stage to have significant conversations with people.  When the participants may not have registered with you or your church to play in a league, it can be awkward to transition from the game to a conversation about God.  Those spiritual and eternally important conversations can happen in a simpler and more natural way.  Here are some ideas…

1. Train ALL your volunteers involved with the sports activity to be able to clearly and appropriately share the Gospel. Even the bold and experience Apostle Paul asked the Colossians to pray that he would share the message clearly; he knew he could improve.Even if a volunteer doesn’t think she/he will be the one to share the Gospel, God has a way of arranging His own timetable for significant conversations to happen.God may desire for a lost person to hear the Gospel from someone who needs to step out in faith to boldly share it.Lost people sometimes see another participant in the sports/rec activity as more credible than someone who gets paid (aka, a church staff member) to tell people about God.This is even more impacting if they have observed the volunteer competing well (see Principle 2).
2. Look for opportunities to engage in a conversation that go deeper than the game/activity just played.Seek the leading of God’s Spirit and boldly follow His leading.Sometimes God may be leading you to address the specific question a person asks and leave other topics for a later time.Consider leaving a seeker wanting to talk again instead of wishing they had never asked anything about God.
   For example, when someone asks to play again on Sunday morning you could respond with, “Oh, I would love to play again but a few years ago my life was heading in a really bad direction and I learned some things that completely turned my life around.On Sundays I get to hang out with people who helped me back then, and help keep me focused now.”
   If you stop at that point, the person will probably ask you for more information.Pray that God’s Spirit will keep bringing your comments to their mind until they ask again.Remember the suggestion above to organize ongoing activities so you have regular contact.
3. When God privileges you to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone, focus on Jesus.Start with where people are but focus on Jesus.Don’t let the cultural hot topic of the day dominate the conversation.Jesus is amazing, tell people about Him.The story in Acts 8 about the Ethiopian is a great reminder of this.Phillip starts with what the man was reading (Isaiah 53) and “told him the good news about Jesus”.
4. Trust in God’s Spirit to do the work of conversion.Be faithful, loving, and clear in your witness of the mercy and eternal life offered through Jesus.Our role is to faithfully “go, make, and teach” (Matthew 28:18-20), it is God’s job to do the work of conversion.

I have heard other sports ministers summarize the above principles this way.
Pray:  Pray intentionally and specifically for God to use your efforts to save the lost.
Play:  Play with lost people in a way that they see Christ in you.
Say:  Say something.  When God opens the door to have a spiritual conversation, be bold and loving in your witness.
I pray that God will bless you richly as you employ the bridge of sports to build relationships with people and that you have the privilege of sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus.
This is my fourth and final blog in this series titled Simple and Organic Sports Ministry.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, I would love to hear from you; Steve@sportsoutreachla.com.
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Steve Quatro is the Executive Director of Sports Outreach Los Angeles (SOLA), former Director of Operations for CSRM and author of the Book Intentional Outreach which can be ordered at:
http://www.csrm.org/store/p87/Intentional_Outreach.html

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General Descriptions of The Church
The Nicene Creed states The Church is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic.” [1] Other descriptions and distinctions made by theologians through the millennia include: visible and invisible; local and universal; militant and triumphant; organization and organism.[2]  Reflection upon these terms is helpful for determining the relationship of the Sports Ministry Movement in general, and as they relate to the specific relationship of the Sport, Recreation and Fitness Ministry of local congregations of The Universal Church.

1. The Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic
The Church being one, holy, catholic and apostolic means it is united in and through Christ, and even though there are various expressions as evidenced by a myriad of different denominations and worship traditions, The Church is still one, still united as the Body of Christ, and separated from the world in the sense it is “in the world, but not of the world.”[3]  Apostolic means the church originated from and was built upon the teaching and lives of the Apostles and current Church leadership should be able to chart its lineage back to the first apostles and to the Biblical mandates for Church leadership.
2. Visible and Invisible 
Visible and invisible means those whose faith is clearly proclaimed by their life as they publically emulate Christ and in their associating with a local congregation.  Their faith is then affirmed by their words whenever they verbally declare Christ is Lord.  The visible Church is how humankind “sees” The Church but it must be understood God sees beyond the outer forms of participating in congregational services and maintaining official memberships.  He sees into the heart and He alone knows who really is or is not in The Church.  Thus, we speak of the invisible Church which certainly includes most of those who are participating members in a local congregation, but also would include some who are only visible and known to God.[4]
3. Local and Universal
Local and universal means there are assemblies of The Universal Church worshipping and ministering the world over.
4. Militant and Triumphant 
Militant and triumphant refers to those yet living on earth who stand and advance as soldiers of Christ (militant), as well as those who have passed from this life and currently exist in heaven with Christ (triumphant).  The two will be physically united for all of eternity when God brings about His future consummation, and their temporary separation cannot cause spiritual disconnect as realized each time the militant Church takes part in a Lord’s Supper.
5. Organization and organism 
Organization and organism refers to human organized activity in cooperation with the organic work of the Holy Spirit.  Humankind organizes and administrates both local congregations and overarching denominations of The Church.  The Holy Spirit organically operates to bring those far from Christ into a personal, faithful relationship with Jesus in the fact and reality of “wherever two or more of you gather Christ is in their midst.[5]

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[1] Edmund P. Clownery, the Church (Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 1995), 72.  ISBN 0-8308-1534-1
[2] Ibid., p. 119.
[3] John 18.36;  1 Peter 2.11f.
[4] A most poignant example of this concept of the Visible and Invisible Church occurred repeatedly over the course of hundreds of years amidst the turmoil of the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Free Church struggles in Scotland.  The most succinct yet helpfully-illuminating summary of this can be found in Chapter 8 of Iain Murray’s significant book: A Scottish Christian Heritage. Iain H. Murry, A Scottish Christian Heritage (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2006), ISBN-13: 978 0 85151 930 2.
[5] Matthew 18.12.
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Next Week
Next week's blog will summarize a basic Theology of The Church and its local assemblies.  Future blogs in this series will discuss issues related to Sports Outreach Ministry, The Church and its local congregations such as: Can participating in sport be considered worship; Lord's Day issues; etc. 
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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
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FOREWORD
Sometimes I'm asked "Why all the Greek and Theology?"  Two main reasons: 1)  Understanding the Theological and Biblical Foundations are essential to envisioning, planning and implementing a local church Sports Outreach that meets the "4-Fold Evaluative Rubric:" Strategically-Relevant & Efficiently-Effective; and 2) Sports Ministers who know their theology and Bible are granted a respect by their Senior Pastors, Elders and other Church leaders.  Too often Sports Ministers are seen only as "pray & play guys."  I'm challenging all Sports Ministers to "study to show themselves approved," so local church Sports Outreach can be truly respected and esteemed within the "ecclesiastical world."  Are you up to the challenge?