Study

The Apostle Paul challenged Timothy with these words, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who needs not be ashamed.” (2 Timothy 2:15) The same admonition challenges us as Sport Chaplains and Mentors. Systematic study of the Scripture and our sport will combine to uniquely equip us for this most important ministry.

· Read Scripture in light of sport and team situations – Learn to see the situations related to your sport which are in the Scripture. The Bible is full of principles that relate to sport. Some of the recurring themes are: Player/Coach relationships, team dynamics, competition, sacrifice, loyalty, fear, courage and more…
o Prepare thought provoking questions for discussion - Think through a few questions that would help relate Scripture to situations in sport and the issues relevant to your players. These may be formal discussions with competitors and coaches together. They can also be times of informal discussion with an individual over a meal or during some free time.
o Apply the Bible to the needs and issues of your sport – Be sure that your study is directly related to the sport context and not simply a cute “Sunday School” story. What might sound like a dynamite devotional thought inside your mind could fall on deaf ears if it’s not well connected to the sport orientation of your audience. Let the issues and situations drive your thoughts, and then apply the Scripture to them.

Building Community

· Relax and enjoy the simple joy of communion with the people of sport – There are few joys greater in my life that spending time with coaches and athletes, especially those who love Christ as I do. It’s fun. Relax and just enjoy it. Charles Lynn says, “Let the Lord pay you. He pays in ways better than money.” Take time at several points during a season and reflect on how many people would pay any price to be where you are and to be with these people. Yours is a highly privileged position, don’t take it lightly. Enjoy every minute of it.

· Attend a church service together. Al Miller of Jamaica occasionally arranges for members of his teams to attend church together. It provides a shared experience in a fresh setting which helps teammates to further bond their relationships.

Community Building Notes

Grieve with the team as they experience loss – As important as genuine celebration is for wins, authentic grief due to a loss may be of greater value. It’s best to talk little and to mirror the posture and expression of the team leadership. Do not minimize the importance of the loss. Don’t you dare say, “It’s just a game.” You should genuinely feel the weight of each loss and experience it with them.

Write notes of encouragement to those who demonstrate their love for God – There are few opportunities for ministry better than when you “catch them doing it right.” When you see godly expression of character in a coach or a player, encourage them strongly. Here are a few ways in which you may express encouragement for a person of sport:
o A hand-written note to say, “Thank you,” or, “I noticed.”
o Take a minute to send an email message of encouragement, mentioning specifically what you perceived in the person.
o Drop a post card in the mail while you’re away on a trip.
o Send a letter of encouragement to strengthen and to inspire.
o A simple expression like, “Here’s what I see in you.”

Community

Some people of sport are already good at community; they’re usually the ones who are winning. Those that struggle to win often have a harder time getting everyone on the same page. The hallmark of Christ’s disciples is that “they love one another.” (John 13:35) Christian love is one essential element that you can bring to this team through your love of Christ and an understanding of how to build community among them.

Rejoice in the success attained by your team – It’s important that they perceive that you’re genuinely interested in them. It’s important that they see that losses hurt and wins feel great! Celebrate victories with them. Give the players and coaches lots of “attaboys” or “attagirls” when they have achieved well. Recognize the value that they have for the sport, better yet, hold that same value in your heart.

Arrange for visits to your home – This is a great opportunity to model for your players and coaches the values and principles that rule your life. In your home, they’re on your turf and your rules apply. You can model hospitality and familial love. Having players or coaches to your home for a meal is a dynamic form of ministry that is not soon forgotten.

More Prayer Ideas

• Provide opportunities for competitors and coaches to pray for each other – There are several simple ways for doing this.
  

Prepare small sheets of paper for each one to write a couple of prayer requests, then gather all the papers and redistribute them to those present for prayer through this week.

During a chapel or similar meeting, solicit prayer requests from those present and then ask for a team member to pray for each of the requests mentioned as you all pray together.

• Team Meal prayers – Many teams travel en masse’ and eat their meals in one large group. If the Head Coach values a prayer prior to meals, this may be an opportunity for you to pray for the meal and briefly for other matters of preparation for the competition. Keep it brief and to the point. They came here to eat, not to hear you pray.

More on Prayer

· Team Prayer – Many teams make room for a team prayer immediately before taking the field of competition and/or after the contest is completed. This may be an opportunity for you to lead with this and to thus serve the coach and the team. As always, let the Head Coach set the parameters of how and when to do the prayer and stick closely to his/her wishes.

· Individual Prayer with Coaches or Players – At various times, there may be opportunities to pray with individual coaches or players who find prayer to be helpful to their preparation for competition. Do your best to determine what is desired from this prayer time and focus there. Be sure to pray in direct relation to the coach or athlete’s role in this competition. Pray about issues like teamwork, leadership, communication, performance, honorable competition and personal discipline. Both Dietmar Ness and Andrew Wingfield Digby mentioned that contacting players who are injured or are otherwise struggling in their sport is a wise and effective strategy for ministry.

· Write a note or letter to inform someone of your prayers – A simple, hand-written note that assures a coach or an athlete of your prayers and even mentioning what you’re asking God for on his/her behalf is of infinite value.

Prayer

Oswald Chambers said in is devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, “Prayer is not preparation for the work of God; it is the work of God.” I have found no other spiritual discipline to be of greater value in ministry with people than prayer. Even the most secularized person, with whom I may be speaking, if I ask him/her if we can pray together, will agree. Prayer can be a most powerful tool for both your ministry of solitude and intercession for the players and coaches and for direct ministry with them as you are together.

· Pray for favor with the leaders of your sport. The coaching staff and the other leaders in your sport will determine in large part the access you will have with the rest of the coaches and the competitors of their team. If they see you favorably, you’re in. If they don’t, you have a much more difficult assignment. I often pray for favor with such leaders and trust the Lord to provide it. (See Proverbs 21:1.)

· Prayer through the Team Roster or Batting Order - Acquire a team roster and pray for your team. That roster could come from a game program or a team media guide. However you get it, take full advantage of it and pray for each team member by name. Take note of other information like hometown and family background that is often in a media guide.
o You can pray through the roster or the batting order on game day in intercession for each of the competitors and the coaching staff.
o You can pray for those on the team when you visit practice sessions. This is a great opportunity to work on memorizing uniform numbers and names as well as praying for them.