Out of a desire for you to understand more of what we do we decided to invite the people on the field to tell you themselves. In these blogs you will hear from the hands and feet of our ministry as they tell you how their story intersects with CEDE Sports.
Meet Russell Dulin..
Russell serves as the Minister of Recreation at Hopewell Baptist Church in Monroe, NC.
Q: How did you get connected with CEDE?
A: I was contacted by a CEDE Sports mentor many years ago while I was still a full-time public school teacher and part-time recreation ministry director about the possibility of meeting to discuss the recreation ministry. It wasn’t until I left teaching to lead the recreation ministry full-time that my schedule would allow us to meet. Since 2015 I have met with this mentor from CEDE Sports on a monthly basis discussing various topics of recreation ministry.
Q: What has been the impact of your involvement with CEDE?
A: CEDE Sports has provided a mentorship that serves both me and the ministry. My education and training was in education, not ministry. They took me from a mentality of athletic director to recreation minister. Helping to focus my priority on ministry first, sports second. Using the CEDE Sports online materials, book studies and monthly conversations has helped me stay focused on the opportunities we have to bridge the gap between the church and community using sports. Sharing the Gospel through sports is an effective way of ministering to people that may not necessarily hear to Gospel in a traditional church setting. CEDE has also helped me set yearly goals and cast vision for the ministry moving forward. Having goals and vision keep me from become complacent or stagnant in the ministry.
Q: Why would someone in sports, Rec and fitness get involved with CEDE?
A: I have had times in the ministry where I get bogged down in the logistics of recreation ministry; uniforms, schedules, coaches and referees. CEDE Sports provide online materials and resources to help with coach’s training. I didn’t have to move from education to ministry and “re-create the wheel”. Those online resources were quick and easy to adapt to my specific recreation ministry, which freed me up to focus on the ministry part of recreation. Meeting monthly with CEDE has kept me accountable. Their focus, is for me to focus on ministry first, sport second. Beyond the connection I have with my mentor, CEDE Sports has also given me the opportunity to connect with other recreation ministries, locally and nationally, through their website and the annual REACH Gathering conference.
