TS: In what ways can Christians influence the sports community for Christ other than actually playing sports professionally?
BH: In addition to my job with Sports Spectrum Radio, I also have the privilege of serving as a team chaplain with our Arena Football League team and our American Hockey League team. I am not an ordained minister but I have always loved ministry to men and of course sports. God has brought the two together to allow me to serve these players in His Name. I would encourage believers to look for ways to serve the athletes in their community. Maybe offering a home cooked meal to athletes at the collegiate or even pro level if there happens to be a minor league franchise in your area. You could certainly check with team chaplains to find out if this would be a possibility. Care baskets is another way. And of course by inviting them to church. They could sit with your family and then enjoy Sunday dinner with you. One other way that I hope to begin with franchises next season is to have each player and coach prayed for by name by someone in the local church. This of course would be for believing athletes and those who do not believe. Hopefully a team chaplain or FCA-(Fellowship of Christian Athletes) or AIA-(Athletes in Action) member could facilitate such an effort keeping the prayer warriors updated on the individuals prayer needs.
TS: Thank you so much!
BH: Thanks for the opportunity. Really good questions. Certainly issues we deal with in sports on a daily basis. Lord bless as you serve Him faithfully each day!
Sports really can have positive aspects that can far outweigh the negatives. Yes, we have to choose wisely and carefully, using the Bible as our guide, but we can also use sports as a way to share the gospel. I see it all the time in Sports Spectrum magazine, when I see Christians who just happen to be top athletes sharing their stories. The world of sports, if used wisely, can be a great evangelistic tool.
1. M. Dyreson, Preface to an upcoming book
Article comments
1 - bhw
Tim, the answer to the following question is cut off. See the last line of the answer.
TS: You mentioned the positive aspects of sports. Could you describe some of them that you see in the world of sports?
2 - Aaman
Some completions:There are baseball “homeplates” where chaplains put together an event where players can sha
can shake their booty and make it real
can shape virtual universes in the palm of their hands, and then destroy them by snapping their fingers
can share tales of finding pennies in the gutter and saving these pennies until they saved enough to buy a baseball bat
can shampoo their hair and feel good before, and after the game
:)