Networking with Other Sport Chaplains, Character Coaches and Sport Mentors

This week I’d like to have you consider the benefits of networking with other sport chaplains, character coaches and/or sport mentors. We’ll also suggest some ways to make such networking connections. I hope that networking with your colleagues in similar ministries becomes as valuable to you as it is to me.

Some of the benefits of networking are:

·        Gathering wisdom from one’s colleagues.

·        Learning from others’ mistakes without having to make them yourself.

·        Comparing ideas for new ministries helps us design them wisely.

·        Accountable relationships help us avoid errors and foolish decisions.

·        One can find valuable resources through his colleagues.

·        The broader one’s network is the greater one’s ministry reach is.

·        Colleagues in our network help provide new opportunities for our ministries.

·        Encouragement, challenge, vision, insight, and such gathered from others.

Some of the ways to connect with and to develop a network of colleagues are:

·        Email (It’s kind of old school now, but it’s been really effective for me for over a dozen years.)

·        Social networking (facebook, twitter, Google+, instagram, LinkedIn, etc…)

·        Blogs (Some like blogspot.com are free of charge and easy to set up.)

·        Phone (Your phone will work for phone calls, really.)

·        SMS text messages (It’s easy to network with individuals or groups via text messages.)

·        In person. (Visit another at his or her place of service. Attend conferences and other ministry events, seeking out your colleagues.)

Networking is among the simplest, most cost effective and powerful ways to develop one’s ministry among the men and women of sport. Please consider any and all the avenues at your disposal to connect with others in similar ministries and you’ll enhance them as you are enriched by them.