Friday, May 23, 2008

http://servingthepeopleofsport.net/

This is the web site for the Serving the People of Sport Council, of the International Sport Coalition. It is a world-wide network of people and ministries who work directly with people in sport. They describe their Vision and Mission in this way:

Definitions and purpose
Purpose: We serve the sportsperson with unconditional love, helping them to grow to whole life maturity in Christ by:
helping the sportsperson to see sport and faith as integral parts of their lives;
walking with the people of sport in loving, nurturing and mentoring relationships;
releasing the people of sport into God’s authentic call on their lives;
Long term goal
Our long term goal is to:
Cultivate whole life ministry to the people of sport in each sport, in each country and people group worldwide.
Nurture a worldwide network to strategize, to resource and to serve the total wellness of the people of sport for transformation of their lives, their sport and their communities.
Encourage integration of faith in sport by developing broader training and materials addressing the spiritual issues of sport people in sport and life.
Help the church to understand how to minister to the heart of the sportsperson.
To present sportspeople mature in Christ, equipped to demonstrate their spiritual walk in sport and life.
The People of Sport
We define the people of sport as those who see the world and themselves primarily through their experiences as performance-based sports people. This is a mindset, which is not based on age, gender or current competence in sport
[1].
For those familiar with the Sport in Ministry map [devised by Lowrie McCown], the target group is quadrants 2 and 4.
The people of sport, therefore, includes sports players, coaches, officials and administrators and other sport professionals who are part of the world of sport. The sportsperson’s family members are also included.
“Serving”
“Serving” the people of sport means:
Establishing long-term relationships that put the needs of the people of sport ahead of the desires and agendas of those sports ministries and their organizations who work with them.
Modeling God’s unconditional love for the people of sport so that they learn to base their self-worth on Christ’s performance on the cross, not on their current performance in sport or in their spiritual activities.
Nurturing such a love for Christ among the people of sport that they grow into the full stature of Christ and their lifestyle reflects his Lordship in all areas of their personality and performance.
Walking with them through all the experiences of sport so that they encounter Christ in the world of sport and develop a biblical world view of it.
Helping them with the practical needs they have to fulfil, their obligations and opportunities in the world of sport.
Releasing them into the ministry God has called them in serving Jesus in the church, in sport, and in the world at large.


This site has a wealth of information, insights and a growing set of resources which could be of help to you and your developing ministry with people of sport. The resources page has materials in 9 languages, even English! Check it out. http://servingthepeopleofsport.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=12

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