The Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministries (CSRM)
  • HOME
  • Partner with CSRM
    • How to Partner
    • GLOBAL NETWORK PARTNERS
    • MINISTRY PARTNERS
  • SERVICES
    • CONFERENCES
    • CONSULTING
    • CERTIFICATION
    • CONNECTIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • THE AGON INSTITUTE
    • BLOG
    • Book reviews
    • STORE
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY PRESS >
      • Become an OVP Sponsor
      • OVP Proposal Submission
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY FLIX
    • DEVOTIONALS
  • DONATE
  • ABOUT US
    • HISTORY AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • LEADERSHIP
    • International Ministry
    • Leedy Scholarship Fund
    • JOBS >
      • VIEW SPORTS MINISTRY JOBS
      • VIEW CSRM JOBS
    • News & Updates
    • CONTACT US
    • Privacy Policy
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • RETURN POLICY
  • STORE
  • Login
  • HOME
  • Partner with CSRM
    • How to Partner
    • GLOBAL NETWORK PARTNERS
    • MINISTRY PARTNERS
  • SERVICES
    • CONFERENCES
    • CONSULTING
    • CERTIFICATION
    • CONNECTIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • THE AGON INSTITUTE
    • BLOG
    • Book reviews
    • STORE
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY PRESS >
      • Become an OVP Sponsor
      • OVP Proposal Submission
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY FLIX
    • DEVOTIONALS
  • DONATE
  • ABOUT US
    • HISTORY AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • LEADERSHIP
    • International Ministry
    • Leedy Scholarship Fund
    • JOBS >
      • VIEW SPORTS MINISTRY JOBS
      • VIEW CSRM JOBS
    • News & Updates
    • CONTACT US
    • Privacy Policy
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • RETURN POLICY
  • STORE
  • Login
Picture

BLOG

Designed to Equip the Local Church for:
Strategically Relevant, Effective and Efficient
"Evangelistic-Disciplemaking" Sports Outreach

Local Church Sports Outreach Syndromes #4 - "The King of the Hill Syndrome"

12/30/2015

Comments

 
 
Local Church Sports Outreach Ministry Syndromes #4 – King of the Hill
This set of blogs revisits and updates a series of articles that address common obstacles faced by many Local Church Sports & Recreation Ministers.  The articles first appeared in CSRM’s Journal “The Sports Minister” and were excerpts from Dr. Linville’s Manual: “Initiating A Sports Ministry in the Local Church.”  The end goal of the series is to help identify, define and explain various “syndromes” that can short circuit a successful and effective Sports Outreach in a Local Church.
 
The “King of the Hill Syndrome”
Due to the great visibility of the Sports Outreach Ministry and because Sports Outreach provides relationships with the greater community, Sports Ministers often gain more notoriety than other church staff members.  While this has definite advantages for the church, it often creates some interesting situations for the church and staff.
 
The Most Readily Known Person
The most readily known person in most churches is the Senior/Lead Pastor.  However, in many churches with large and established Sports Outreach Ministries, this is not the case.  Sometimes it is the Sports Ministry itself which is well known, but often the most recognizable person from the church is the Sports Minister.  This is especially true if the Sports Minister has been at the church longer than a more recently hired Senior Pastor.  The dilemma which can result from this is a battle of egos.  In the worst case scenario this pits the Senior Pastor against the Sports Pastor and vice versa.  Instead of uniting against the true adversary, the two battle each other.  If both parties recognize the potential benefits which a truly unified relationship can accomplish, the church and its ministries will flourish.  If not, someone will soon be looking for a new church to serve.
 
Similar Problems
Similar problems can occur between the Sports Minister and other church staff members.  Sports Ministry for churches is a fairly recent phenomenon and as a result, the sports ministry is what makes news.  The reality of this hits when local media; community journals; denominational newsletters and other news agencies all highlight what they consider a novel new church endeavor - Sports Ministry.  While the Vacation Bible School of a church may be phenomenal, the local paper will not run a feature story on it, because it is no different than the other 500 Vacation Bible Schools in town.  This notoriety has its own way of finding the Sports Minister and thus there is often a jealousy on the part of other staff members.  Sports Ministers must be sensitive to this and never make the assumption that their ministry is any more important than any other staff person, and conversely other staff members need to rejoice that their church will reap the benefits of having a high profile ministry.  Eventually that high profile ministry will positively impact each of the other ministries through the adding of new people and resources to the church community.
 
What’s a Sports Minister To Do?
Nothing can replace active, authentic relationships and clear, pro-active communications with church staff, elders and members.  Sports Ministers are advised to remember “friends don’t fire friends.”  If a Sports Minister is not truly loved and appreciated by the church staff and elders, their tenure will not be long, regardless of how successful their ministry is.  A few suggestions…

  • Build solid relationships with the Senior Pastor and all other staff including working with the staff to develop a systematic integration of the Sports Outreach into the overall vision/mission of the church
  • Be demonstratively supportive and loyal to the Senior Pastor and all other staff
  • Be regularly involved in other church ministries…even volunteering when possible
  • Actively recruit sports ministry participants to become volunteers in other church ministries
  • Actively encourage sports ministry participants to take part in other church ministries
 
__________________________________________
Next week’s blog will discuss the first Local Church Sports Outreach Ministry Syndrome – “The Just When Do You Work Syndrome”
 
This blog is an excerpt from Dr. Linville's Manual - "Initiating a Sports Ministry in the Local Church" as reproduced in "The Sports Minister" Journal - Winter 2000.  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

Comments

    Categories

    All
    1 Timothy 4.6 8
    1 Timothy 4.6-8
    #3 Tier Paradigm
    5B Rubric
    Accommodation
    Answers To Difficult Questions
    Capitulation
    Certification
    Cheating
    Christmanship
    Continuums Of Tension
    Ecclesiology
    Effective
    Effectiveness
    Efficient
    Evangelism
    Evangelistic Disciplemaking
    Faith & Sport Integration
    Fitness
    Future
    Gamesmanship
    Gender Issues
    Kingdom Or Community
    Level #1 Theological
    Level #1 Theological
    Level #2 Philosophical
    Level #2 - Philosophical
    Level #3 Methodological
    Level #3 - Methodological
    Level # 3 Methodological Models
    Local Church Sports Ministry
    Lord's Day And Sport
    Mega Event
    Muscular Christianity
    Obstacles Of Church Sports
    Para Church
    Para-Church
    Para Ministries
    Para-Ministries
    Parenting Athletes
    Personal Finance
    Proclamation Platform
    Redemption
    Rejection
    Sabbath Day & Sport
    Sportianity
    Sport Ministry Syndromes
    Sportsmanship
    Sports Ministry
    Sports Ministry Continuums
    Sports Outreach
    Sunday Sport
    Theology Of The Church
    The Sacraments
    Wellness
    Wholeness
    Why Church Sports

    ARCHIVES

    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    May 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009

    CATEGORIES

    All
    1 Timothy 4.6 8
    1 Timothy 4.6-8
    #3 Tier Paradigm
    5B Rubric
    Accommodation
    Answers To Difficult Questions
    Capitulation
    Certification
    Cheating
    Christmanship
    Continuums Of Tension
    Ecclesiology
    Effective
    Effectiveness
    Efficient
    Evangelism
    Evangelistic Disciplemaking
    Faith & Sport Integration
    Fitness
    Future
    Gamesmanship
    Gender Issues
    Kingdom Or Community
    Level #1 Theological
    Level #1 Theological
    Level #2 Philosophical
    Level #2 - Philosophical
    Level #3 Methodological
    Level #3 - Methodological
    Level # 3 Methodological Models
    Local Church Sports Ministry
    Lord's Day And Sport
    Mega Event
    Muscular Christianity
    Obstacles Of Church Sports
    Para Church
    Para-Church
    Para Ministries
    Para-Ministries
    Parenting Athletes
    Personal Finance
    Proclamation Platform
    Redemption
    Rejection
    Sabbath Day & Sport
    Sportianity
    Sport Ministry Syndromes
    Sportsmanship
    Sports Ministry
    Sports Ministry Continuums
    Sports Outreach
    Sunday Sport
    Theology Of The Church
    The Sacraments
    Wellness
    Wholeness
    Why Church Sports

CURRENT NEWS
Visit Facebook for the latest news and views.
PRAYER SUPPORT AND INFORMATION
Visit Twitter for the latest updates and prayer request.
OUTREACH MINISTRY VIDEOS
Visit our new YouTube channel for new training videos for the purpose of equipping the local church to change lives through sports outreach.
CONTACT US
Your questions and comments are important to us. Please contact us  and we will answer any questions you may have!

ABOUT US
Leadership
Strategy
How to Partner
FOUR C STRATEGY
Conference
Consulting
Certification
Connections
PARTNERS
Ministry Partners
Global Network Partners
Preferred Providers
Affiliated Ministries
RESOURCES
Articles
Audio
Book Reviews
Blog 
Devotionals
Store

© Copyright 2019   |  The Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministries  |  All rights reserved. | PO Box 9110 Canton, Ohio 44711
​Website partially sponsored by:
Author David Waddell | 
www.davidwaddell.biz and
​Amazing Athletes
® Educational Sports Programs in Columbus | www.amazingathletes.com/columbus