Baseball cap pulled low and tight, glove affixed to jittery hand, a grinning 9-year-old positions himself to stop a ground ball from a professional baseball player. Other children ring the diamond waiting for their turn. Moms and dads watch intently, yelling encouragement. All eyes and ears are on the leaders, whose instruction is sound and well received. Later, the same instructors speak of something far different from how to hit or catchthey tell how Jesus Christ has made a difference in their lives. With the respect of the participants and parents earned through several hoursmaybe a full dayof sports instruction, their story is gladly heard.
A few kids say they want to know Jesus, too. Some moms and dads have their interest piqued. "Maybe we should take the kids back to church, honey," a father says to a mother as they drive away. "God sure has made a difference in those players lives. Joey seemed really interested. We ought to think about this some more."
Whether baseball, soccer, basketball or another game, sports is a sturdy bridge across which to share the gospel, and a sports clinic is one of many effective means of evangelism. Churches are using this tool to share the gospel, then link interested people to the local church.
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Christian athletes can use their position to share the source of the inner peace that helps them achieve success, their relationship with Christ.
Mary Lou Retton, a gold medal-winning gymnast in the 1984 Olympics, will be using her unique platform by hosting a new TV show called "Mary Lous Flip-Flop Shop." Retton was featured in a North American Mission Board commercial portraying Jesus Christ as "the only perfect 10." The popular spot is part of the Celebrate Jesus 2000 evangelistic campaign.
"My Christianity was something I really kept inside," Retton said. "I didnt realize until doing that commercial that I was not only called to be a Christian, but I was called to share it with everybody now."
"Mary Lous Flip-Flop Shop," designed to teach preschoolers the joys of physical activity, singing and learning biblical values, will air on FamilyNet winter 2000. Call 817-737-4011 or log onto familynettv.com for times in your area.
"I want parents to feel comfortable knowing they can leave their children watching Mary Lou," said Retton. "And were going to get the kids up and moving! The show will create a foundation for kidsteach them the values of honesty and truthfulness." In addition to the new show, Broadway Books has also just released Mary Lou Rettons Gateways to Happiness: 7 Ways to a More Peaceful, More Prosperous, More Satisfying Life. She says of the book: "One of my gateways is faith. I talk openly about my Christianity."
Rodger Oswald of Church Sports International has organized evangelistic sports clinics all over the world.
"Churches agreed that prior to, during and after the clinic, these events provide a tangible way to involve church members in the process of evangelization," Oswald says.
A key element in sports clinics is the non-threatening, relational approach. "A sports camp puts flesh to the gospel," says Tim Conrad of Uncharted Waters. "The ministry that takes place between a Christian coach and a young athlete clearly demonstrates the good news that Christ is alive and touching the lives of those who do not know Him through the actions of those who do."
Oswald offers six reasons why a church should consider hosting a sports clinic.
It uses an event that ties to a popular pastime (1 Corinthians 9:24). Many young people want to improve as athletes; consequently they will come.
It creates a safe, non-threatening environment where people want to be and provides an opportunity for individual or group proclamation of the gospel.
Sports instruction opens the door to telling stories about personal faith. In other words, the skill, attitude or trait under discussion lends itself to spiritual application.
The personal attention of the teachers builds relationships through which the gospel can be favorably received.
Transitioning from the physical to the spiritual moves Christian principles from theory to application.
Building relationships paves the way for effective follow-up.
Says Oswald: "The bottom line is that the believer is sent into the world. Why not go using something the world understands and appreciates in order to present to them something that is imperishable [eternal life] as opposed to the perishable reward of a trophy (1 Corinthians 9:25)?
"There was a fifth-grader named April, from my kids school, who signed up for softball," Janet recalls. "Because of my acquaintance with her family at the elementary school, I knew they were Mormon. Needless to say, I was so excited that she signed up for camp and felt that I could make a difference in her life, because I was heading up the softball program for camp."
As camp approached, Janet became worriedonly four girls were signed up for softball and that part of the camp would have to be canceled. Janet had to try to convince April to play another sport. "My main focus had become not losing April. I had my Sunday school class and my Bible study group praying for her. I called her, and she didnt really want to do another sport. I convinced her to stay because I said I thought it was really important for her to be there and I couldnt wait to get to know her better." April decided to try the tennis camp. "The camp theme was Undefeated and the players learned that living a life in Christ is more important than being undefeated in a sport. A life in Christ means you are 1-0-0one win, no losses and no tiesbecause only with Christ are you undefeated."
April listened intently each time Janet taught. During the last lesson, Uncharted Waters leader Tim Conrad shared the gospel. "The whole time of prayer, I was praying for April that God would reach her," Janet said. "After the prayer, Tim told the kids how important it is to make public their decision for Christ, and there, sitting up in the front row, was April! She raised her hand and her smile beamed from ear to ear. Another amazing thing was that April had a sister there, Debra, and she also accepted Christ. Now their entire family regularly attends church, and were praying for their extended family who are still Mormons. And it all started with a sports clinic."
"Jesus said that He would build His church. Why not participate in that building process using the brick and mortar of our society placed strategically on the cornerstone of Christ? The phenomenon of sports is endemic in our society and can be a powerful tool for the church."
Sports clinics can take many forms but most are one-day or half-day events featuring respected and talented instructors. It is not necessary to feature professional athletes, though they often attract more people. Some tips for a successful clinic, according to Oswald:
1. Be well organized. Many clinics falter at this point. Start planning early. Putting on a clinic requires administrative skill. Select a clinic coordinator who will recruit captains for various aspects of the effort, such as prayer, facilities and equipment, refreshments, promotion, registration, clinicians, first aid and medical related needs.
2. Plan a balanced, detailed schedule. Elements you will want to include: registration, opening greeting/instructions/prayer, large group instruction or demonstration, skills/teaching stations (with rotating schedule), drills and practice, team time, breaks, meal (if appropriate), spiritual content, competition, evaluation.
3. Budget. Be detailed and thorough.
4. Determine what type of clinic you will have. Oswald writes, "Is it going to be primarily demonstration, where the expertise of a high profile athlete is utilized? Is it going to be an instructional clinic where there is a combination of demonstration with some application that practices what is demonstrated or taught? Is it going to be an instructional clinic with a lot of participation? Or, is it going to be a clinic that has some instruction, some participation and includes competition? Certainly the facilities, equipment, clinicians and the number of participants will have a great deal to do with the type of clinic. Remem-ber that the clinic format often dictates what type of resources are needed as well as the number of participants who can be involved."
Oswald says there are two critical factors to keep in mind in all clinics. One is to provide opportunity for each participant to improve as an athlete. In other words, have quality instruction that the athlete can genuinely benefit from. Do not use the clinic merely as a means to attract people for outreach. The second is strategic planning of spiritual content. How will spiritual information be communicated and by whom?
Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams, the hottest quarterback in the National Football League, prints his own trading cards. But its not an ego thing.
The cards tell the story of Warner turning his life over to Christ. He carries them around so hell have something meaningful to hand out to fans who ask for his autograph.
His new life in Christ is intertwined with his dramatic rags-to-riches football career. The NFLs most valuable player became the Super Bowl MVP as he led his team to victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Warner became a Christian five years ago, shortly after tragedy touched his life. The parents of his girlfriend Brenda, now his wife, were killed when a tornado demolished their home in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Kurt watched as Brenda, a Christian, responded to the tragedy with poise and grace rather than self-pity. He also knew how she had dealt with a crippling accident suffered by her son, Zachary, nine years earlier, when the baby was dropped on his head. Brenda sat in a rocking chair next to Zacharys hospital crib for 17 days, watching as he suffered seizures. She quoted Bible verses and asked God to perform a miracle. Although legally blind and brain-damaged, Zachary is now a fifth-grader who can read, gets around fairly well, and takes mainstream and special education classes.
Three months after the deaths of Brendas parents, Kurt became a Christian. Two months after that he proposed to Brenda, and he has adopted Zachary and Brendas daughter Jesse.
Kurt got involved in a Bible study and began to "understand what was really important in life," he told Crosswalk.com. "I had my life and my faith, and they were two separate things. But as I began to grow in my relationship with God, I began to understand how they fit together." The Warners host a weekly Bible study during football season.
His long road to gridiron success was filled with setbacks and bad breaks. He warmed the bench for four years at the University of Northern Iowa. Finally getting a chance as a fifth-year senior, he led the Panthers to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals and was named the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
But he was passed over in the NFL draft and rejected by the Canadian Football League. Warner took a job stocking shelves for minimum wage at a supermarket while he worked out at a college practice field during the day.
A year later he was playing again, but in small-time Arena football, an indoor game using eight players on a side and a 50-yard field. An injury cost him a tryout with the Chicago Bears in 1997.
Soon he took a step up. He was signed by the Rams and sent to the Amsterdam (Netherlands) Admirals of NFL Europe, where in the spring of 1998 he led the league in passing yardage and touchdowns.
The Rams hired Warner for the 1998 season, but he played in only one game. He was left unprotected in the expansion draft, but the new Cleveland Browns didnt want him, either. He was still with the Rams in 1999, but the team signed a superstar quarterback prospect putting Warner in jeopardy.
The rookie got hurt, and Warner stepped up. To the surprise of almost everyone, he threw a record 41 touchdown passes, led the league in completion percentage, and took the Rams to the best record in their conference, 13-3. In five months he had gone from being an anonymous bench-sitter to a Pro Bowl selection and was named the NFLs most valuable player.
Kurt is now a celebrity but says he owes his success to his faith in Christ. He declined an appearance on the David Letterman Show to spend his wedding anniversary with Brenda. He has his own cereal, Warners Krunch Time, and the proceeds go to Camp Barnabas, a Christian camp in Purdy, Missouri, for children with special needs.
Warner told his story at a Billy Graham event in St. Louis last fall. "Who am I? I am a devout Christian man," he told the crowd of 40,000. "I am not a football player. That is what I do. When I throw a touchdown pass now, my thoughts are on how I can use this success on the field as a platform to glorify and praise my Lord Jesus Christ. People often ask the secret of my success as a football player. It has nothing to do with how I work out in the off-season, or my diet. The secret of my success is simply Jesus Christ."
Harper San Francisco and Zondervan have co-published Kurt Warner: My Story of Faith, Football and the Miracle Season recounting the 28-year-olds meteoric rise from third-string nobody to league MVP. This story was compiled by the editors of Religion Today.
5. Follow up. What a waste it would be to have a large group of people attend an evangelistic sports clinic and not follow up on each one. Entire families have been reached by following up with participants. The clinic is just the first step in developing relationships with people who may have had no other contact with church.
6. Dont be afraid to seek help. Many churches and other ministries have offered effective evangelistic sports clinics and are willing to share their expertise. Many parachurch ministries are structured to work with local churches to hold clinics. (See "Finding the right playbook for you"--below)
Success stories abound from evangelistic sports clinics. Tim Conrad tells of a church sports camp where a girl gave her life to Christ. "Her family members were all non-Christians," he says. "Over the next year the parents brought the children to church and came to Christ as well. They are now active in the church."
Pastors report that dozens of children and parents accept Christ at clinics, while other churches use clinics as a first-touch that later might lead to direct evangelism.
Helpful resources are easy to find.
First, go to www.sportsoutreach.org. There youll find a long list of categorized sports ministries. For specific instruction on how to conduct a sports clinic, click on the "Planning Guides" section on the home page, go to the "Clinics" sub-head and click on "Sports Instructional Clinics." Finding the right playbook for you Following are the names and contacts of parachurch groups that can help with sports clinics.
A veteran of sports evangelism, Victor Lee is the producer and columnist for The Sports Channel of Crosswalk.com and is helping plan a sports clinic manual for NAMB.
Following are the names and contacts of parachurch groups that can help with sports clinics.