Sport, Sport Ministry & Lord's Day Issues - Part 4: Personal Faith, Relationships & Fellowship

Personal Faith
Local congregations have Worship Services, Christian Education and fellowship opportunities that meet on days other than Sunday, but it stretches the limits of credulity to suggest even a sizable minority of churches offer services to nurture a strong faith in any athlete that don’t conflict with the time of athletic trainings and practices.  Christian athletes and coaches must face the facts that church activities most always conflict with sporting commitments.  Sundays, Saturday evenings and most week night evenings are all consumed by athletic practices, conditioning and games.  As hard as it is to say…and even harder to live out…Christian sportspeople must often make a choice between sport and faith.  It is imperative for athletes and coaches to make room in their schedules for a commitment to regular, active participation with a church for the good of their own spiritual development; even if it means leaving sport.  It should be pointed out that the same principle would apply to all vocations; sport cannot be singled out.  If one’s career precludes or prohibits personal involvement in a local church, then a new career is necessitated.

Relationships and Fellowship
Another aspect of personal spiritual development is negatively impacted for want of regular participation in a local church.  One’s faith is always enhanced by and through the personal relationships with other believers.  Whether the relationships are peer based or more of a mentor to a mentee, regular fellowship is crucial to one’s spiritual journey.  Furthermore, accountability partners are a must for everybody.  This area however, is one that is easiest met on days, and at times, other than Sunday.  Times for such activities can be much easier scheduled around sporting commitments and this point should not be used to deter any sporting involvement.

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This blog is an excerpt from a future book "Surrounded by Witnesses" by Dr. Greg Linville.  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: http://www.csrm.org/blog/