A Sporting Chance

Jeb was a big, athletic man who never attended church. As a young adult, he was invited to play on our church's softball team, and teammates introduced him to Jesus as his Savior! Now, years later, Jeb is a dynamic Christian witness, a faithful Sunday School teacher and a deacon. Because of Jeb and others like him, I'm a firm believer in using sports as a Christian outreach. 

A church gym or ball field isn't required to share Christ through sports. When we planted a church, Steve simply met a few young men at a school gym weekly for basketball. Friends brought friends. Christ was shared. Eternity was impacted. 

If you decide to use sports for outreach in your church, fit them to your church's interests, facilities, leadership, and community assets.

Need a few ideas to get started?
Form teams for men, women, teens or children. Even better, target specific groups, i.e. co-ed young adults, men "over 40," college students, 3rd & 4th graders. Try tournaments for ultimate frisbee, 3-on-3 basketball, table tennis, volleyball, bowling, broomball, fishing, kite flying or golf. Hope Community Church, Brownsburg IN, even has a monthly skeet-shooting group! 

I was shocked to discover the most effective outreach for our young singles Sunday School class was our co-ed softball team. Our church planned a four-week season of high school flag football. Each team included prospective members, and new teens were reached.

Hope Community Church, Brownsburg IN, impacts the 4 to 9 year olds in their community with a league created by Pastor Jim Bohrer called "Son Shine Soccer." Two years ago, their first season involved 15 children and five workers. 

This past fall's season had three divisions, 16 teams, 108 children and 64 adult and youth volunteers. Using fun, sportsmanship and weekly upbeat devotionals as an unapologetic witness, Son Shine Soccer's goal is to draw families to Christ.

Upward Basketball, like Son Shine Soccer, teaches children basic skills and sportsmanship, and Jesus is shared each week. This program greatly helped our church to reach young families. 

The awards ceremony always reaped many new Christians and active church members, both parent and child. Sunnycrest Baptist Church, Marion IN (Jeff Timmons, Associate Pastor of Outreach and Recreation) uses Upward to touch 535 in basketball and cheerleading and 300 in soccer. 

If your church has a gym, consider opening it for walkers in your community. It becomes an outreach as church members informally get to know guests. Display banners with athletic-type Scriptures (i.e. I Timothy 4:8) to be a witness as well.

Northside Baptist, Indianapolis, (Dr. Mark Hearn, Pastor) offers children's skate nights open to their community. With an investment in skates and enthusiastic volunteers, they touch young lives with Christian music, a safe place to hang out, and an invitation to worship. 

Most importantly, intentionally include outsiders, invite them to church, and actively witness on and off the field. There's a Jeb in your town just waiting for an invitation. Isn't it amazing that our great God can use something as simple as sports to open doors and save souls?

Fresh Ideas© are shared by Diana Matheus Davis. Diane has enjoyed being a pastor's wife for over three decades, including a church plant, small and large churches. Her husband, Dr. Stephen P. Davis, is the State Executive Director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. Diana writes a regular article in the Indiana Baptist newspaper and has written articles for several Baptist magazines. She also enjoys leading women's conferences and freelance writing. Email her at jesuslivesindiana@hotmail.com.