I just came across this blog today from Shawn Lovejoy:
Here’s my question: As churches, if we are to follow the example of Jesus, why does the majority of our ministry programming relate to religious people, or long-time Christians? Is the church as a whole guilty of being so focused on itself that it can’t meet the needs of the spiritually sick? While so much fuss is made about fast-growing churches, is anyone asking about how much of that growth is actual conversion growth? Years ago, a friend of mine once joked that the churches in his town didn’t grow; they swapped sheep. In years of ministry since, I’ve often found that to be true, even with some of the fastest-growing churches in America.
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The reason we planted Mountain Lake is because we wanted to create a safe place where we could welcome our unchurched friends; a place where they would be accepted as they were and allowed time to get to know God; then allow Him to change them.
This is not an advertisement for sports ministry however, sports can be that place for ministry that is not directed toward the believer. There are many churches out there that have created a sports ministry as a safe place for their church, not believers. Those churches, I believe, are not harnessing the power of sports. Sports is such a cultural phenomenon, it has the potential to to be the place to connect with the spiritual sick (as Shawn mentions above). Sports can be the safe place for non-Christians to feel accepted and be allowed time to grow.
