OC’12: Intentionally Connect to Your Community Through Sports

This seminar was led by Caz McCaslin who founded Upward Sports.  It is the largest Christian based sports league that reach over 500,000 students this past year.  He’s married and has 3 daughters.

In recreation, you are who you are.  Matthew 12:34 “from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”.  You find out exactly who you are when you are doing something for “fun”.

Through recreation and sports you get to be able to create common ground.  88% of the country does something recreational during the day.

More people playing sports/recreation, yet more churches are on the decline.  We have to find ways to find common ground and SPORTS is a great way to do that.

Build Common Ground:

• A – Aware
• I –  Intentional
• R – Ready.  Be ready when people show up at Church.  Accept them exactly how they are.

We have an awareness of people in need and we are ready to help them become fully devoted followers of Christ.  What we need to be is intentional about drawing people in to the body of Christ.

Sports allows us to be intentional about reaching our community.

Over 70% of those involved with Upward are not involved with Churches anywhere.

Develop Relationships

People aren’t looking for a friendly church…they’re looking for friends.

Be the Church

Moving your church members from “benefiting from” to “participating in” – that is when your church will grow

• People want to benefit from the church – what’s in it for me.

Can you imagine what would happen if you had people not just benefiting from but participating in your church.

Sports is a great way for people to “participate in”.  Sports is an intentional way.  The world is telling us that they love sports and recreation.  The church needs to listen to that and be intentional about finding ways to get people to participate in these kinds of activities.

By having sports apart of your church, you are giving people another way for them to participate in ministry.  They may not want to change diapers or sing praise and worship or even baking brownies.  But sports is right up their alley and they will participate in that.