Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones. Positive images? Great role models? Not exactly. Each of these men is a high-profile professional athlete who has recently been in the news as a result of bad character or wrong choices. It is exactly this kind of behavior that causes many Christians to shun sports altogether. Admittedly, there are many disturbing aspects of our contemporary sports culture: bench-clearing brawls, trash talking, taunting, strutting, cheating, drug use and abuse, promiscuity and god-like worship by adoring fans. However, that does not mean that sports cannot be an effective tool for ministry.

In 1991, while interviewing for a teaching and coaching position at Northland, I was challenged in my thinking about athletics by Jim Phillips, who was NBBC’s Athletic Director at that time. Coach Phillips had sent me an extremely thorough coaching questionnaire which caused me to seriously examine why I was involved in athletics. Was it just for personal enjoyment since I could no longer participate as a player? Was it just a “power and prestige thing”, having control over a group of guys and gaining recognition from their accomplishments? Was I just motivated to “give back to the game” and provide an opportunity for others that I had enjoyed through high school and college? I wasn’t really sure why I was spending all of the extra time after school and on weekends, but it seemed to be only for my own personal benefit. My thinking certainly needed to change.

It was through that process that I began to realize the tremendous tool that sports can be for touching lives. Since that time we have seen sports used as a tool for evangelism as well as for discipleship. We have seen souls saved at summer sports camps, through local church sports outreaches and even after some game competition against secular colleges. The universal language of sports has opened many doors on our athletic team mission trips and we have seen people trust Christ on the mission field. The mission trips have also been a tool for making an impact in the discipleship process of our own athletes. Discipleship has also taken place during the season through practice sessions and game competition, team devotions and prayer time, ministry service opportunities as we travel, and in the one-on-one counseling opportunities a coach has with his or her team members.

Many of these situations have encouraged us to “train the next generation of coaches” through offering a Sports Ministry major program of study at Northland. While Sports Ministry is a relatively new program at Northland, the concept certainly is not. It was a significant idea for ministry outreach even as far back as 1889. When James Naismith applied to be a student at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA, one of the questions on his application was, “What is the work of a YMCA Physical Director?”. He answered, “To win men for the Master through the gym”. In December 1891, Dr. Naismith created the game of basketball. Naismith’s invention came during that winter when his supervisor asked him to come up with an indoor game to attract young men during the harsh New England winters – in order to share the gospel on a year-round basis. (Garner, p.2)

Historically and culturally our country has passed through a number of phases in relationship to sports and recreation activities. In the early days there was a time period of opposition toward such activities. This era was characterized by a “work ethic” mindset and there was little time for frivolous activities such as sports. Many religious groups even supported a ban on some sports and recreational activities. Gradually however, social groups, including churches, began a period of acceptance. This era was characterized by a “tolerance” mindset which began to recognize that there were some small benefits socially, physically and spiritually to these activities. Our culture now has moved into a new time period of promotion. The mindset has become “leisure oriented” and there is aggressive challenge to be involved weekly, if not daily, in some kind of physical activity. Our society has become leisure-oriented, competitive driven, materially focused, and spiritually-starved. If we do not recognize this cultural shift and take advantage of the tool of sports and recreation, we will miss out on many opportunities to reach people where they are. This is where sports ministry comes in.

Sports ministry can be done through organizing youth sports leagues, summer sports camps, one-day sports tournaments, men’s adult recreation leagues or ladies fitness fellowships. These are activities where community families can be invited to participate. Each of these events provides an opportunity to build relationships through which the gospel can be shared. While traditional methods of door-to-door outreach should not necessarily be eliminated, that type of contact is being more frequently met with cynicism and skepticism, if the door is even opened at all. It is difficult to reach new people without first developing a relationship with them. Ministering to people through a sporting activity is a great way to break down many barriers.

Rodger Oswald of Church Sports International states, “. . . nowhere does Scripture mandate or forbid the use of leisure, recreation, and/or sports. In fact, modern society is demonstrating that redeemed man within the context of a well-organized recreation and sports ministry (usually within a local church) can be an extremely effective tool for communicating Jesus Christ, seeing people come to faith, assimilating them into the local church, and assisting them in their spiritual growth”. (Garner, p.27)

Our goal through the Sports Ministry program at Northland is to help all our students (not just our athletes) see the value of sports as a ministry tool. We are excited about training the next generation of coaches and leaders of sports ministry. While sports and recreation activities are considered “unconventional tools” for ministry and are often misunderstood by those not familiar with them, they are nonetheless very effective tools to build relationships with this current culture.

Dennis Scott graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College in 1980 with a B.S. degree in Bible/Secondary Education (Math). In 1989, he received the M.S.S. (Master of Sport Science) degree from the United States Sports Academy and completed the Academy’s coaching certification program. Coach Scott and his wife Corinne came to Northland in 1991 after serving for 11 years at Grace Baptist Church and Heritage Hall Christian School in Muncie, IN. Currently Coach Scott is serving as the Director of Sports Ministries at Northland Baptist Bible College. He is also currently pursuing his doctorate degree and is enrolled in the doctoral program at the United States Sports Academy.

References made to: Recreation and Sports Ministry: Impacting Postmodern Culture; John Garner (general editor). Broadman & Holman Publishers; Nashville, TN; 2003