CEDE SPORTS Stories: Noi Festival in Italy

Micheal, Nina, and Max serve as CEDE SPORTS country coordinators in Italy, particularly in Milan. They bring the wonderful news of salvation in Jesus to all people through means of Bible Study, preaching, events open to the community, and sports. Offering a welcoming environment, where people can feel included and discover God’s love for them, is fundamental to their ministry.

Two years ago, The Schaafsmas were part of a team that was formed with the leadership of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association International Field staff to plan an evangelistic event that would be called the “NOI Festival.” The festival would feature worship music and a gospel message from Franklin Graham.

Noi can mean “we” or “us.” The name is most fitting considering over 500 churches in Milan joined together for this event with the hope of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the 12,000 seat Mediolanum Forum. It started with contacting national church leaders and local pastors to hold training sessions in each church called Christian Life & Witness. The training  equipped Christians to speak of the hope they have in Jesus Christ and many of those trained served as counselors at the Noi Festival. Micheal Schaafsma was able to carry the role as Coordinator of classes and found great encouragement in hearing stories of people talking to their friends about Jesus and praying for people to attend the Noi Festival.

The festival was initially scheduled for early 2021 but delayed due to Covid restrictions. The event finally took place in October 2022 and had an amazing turn out of over 13,200 people! So many prayers were prayed and answered at this incredible event. The Schaafsmas held different roles along with others in their church to help make the event successful. Max Schaafsma was responsible for getting tickets into the hands of every person and making sure everyone fit without leaving a single seat empty! Micheal S. was responsible for coordinating the counselors and the follow-up of all the people who made decisions at the event to follow Jesus. Nina Schaafsma worked to translate so much literature, communication and music for the event with her favorite being the Kid’s bookPO, “Jesus Loves Me!”

So many were blessed richly by the event and churches are still talking about it! We ask that you would pray for the many who gave their life to Jesus, that they would connect with other Christians, and they would continue to pursue Him with their lives.

When is it Right to Argue with Referees/Officials? Part 3

Written By: Tim Briggs

Part 1 and part 2 have provided such thoughtful conversations, so let’s continue with our final part of the series and may it only continue the conversation to encourage exercising more wisdom in sports!

When is it right to argue with referees/officials? My answer was never.  As you can imagine, not everyone agrees.  I’m so thankful though for the feedback and response.  I think it’s great when people wrestle with these topics. 

Below are some reasons I’ve heard regarding appropriate times to argue with referees/officials followed by my response.  As always, I would love your feedback.

4.  What about the safety of my players?…

Should you address the official if you are truly concerned about the safety of your players?  Yes, I think so.  Of course, this “exception” to the rule could be abused.  You could argue for the safety of your players on almost any play in sports if you wanted to.  I think you could very easily address this topic with an official without arguing.

5.  Poor officiating affects players’ desire to play the sport…

This particular comment was focused on a coach who coaches kids.  I would agree with their assessment, poor officiating does affect players.  Most of the time, it affects the players because a coach is making a big deal about it (like arguing with the official)!

I addressed in part 2 that there is a place for a constructive conversation with an official about his/her job performance.  What I would like to emphasize here, especially when coaching kids, is the opportunity to leverage poor officiating and use it to teach about life.  As adults, we all know there are many things out of our control.  We all experience unfairness and deal with people who ultimately fail us.  In light of this, teach the kids this lesson through officiating.  Use it to prepare them for adulthood.

Some closing thoughts:

As I have said, there is a place to address an official during the game and after the game.  To be God-glorifying though, I don’t think it ever involves arguing.  As always, we must be sensitive to our hearts when we do this.  Ask yourself, why do I want to address the official?  Is this about glorifying God or is it about me?  Is this about wanting what’s best for the official or wanting to win?  Don’t assume you have good motives because the Biblical story tells us that we often don’t.

When is it Right to Argue with Referees/Officials? Part 2

Written By: Tim Briggs

We’ve had such great conversations surrounding this topic, so let’s continue you on with part 2 of When is it right to argue with referees/officials?  My answer in my initial post was never.  As you can imagine, not everyone agrees. I’m so thankful, though, for the feedback and response.  I think it’s great when people wrestle with these topics.

Below are some reasons I’ve heard regarding appropriate times to argue with referees/officials followed by my response. As always, I would love your feedback.

1.  It’s the job of a coach to fight for justice…

This by far has been the most popular exception to my “never” rule.  It’s also one I’ve heard in the past.

I think most coaches fool themselves when they say it’s about justice. Here’s why: Justice, by definition, has to be blind. It can’t be prejudiced or biased. If a coach really cared about justice, then he/she would not just argue with referees about calls that went against his/her team but also calls that went for his/her team? Make sense?

Say for example that you’re coaching baseball and one of your players is called “safe” at first base when clearly they are out. If you are truly about justice, then you would argue with the umpire about that call. Even at the expense of your own player, and your team’s own performance, you would just as adamantly complain about that call as you would a call that went against you.

I’ve never seen a coach come even remotely close to this. This is why I don’t think most coaches’ motivation is justice. I suppose you could call it selective justice but, again, that’s not really justice. I know from my own heart when I’ve coached that it’s not been about justice for me. It’s about how the call an ref/official/umpire makes impacts me and my chance of winning or performance.

Think about this as well–how much true injustice happens on the field/court?  Is a missed call at first base injustice?  Perhaps.  Think about the type of reactions missed calls often elicit though.  For coaches who argue with referees, do you think justice issues like poverty, sex trafficking, or abortion elicit the same reactions?  If coaches are honest, I think most would say that the level and passion to which they argue with officials is disproportionate to other issues of injustice in their lives.  And, if that’s true, then you would have to admit that there’s more to the issue than just injustice.

Theoretically, could justice be a valid reason to address an official?  Absolutely.  I don’t think it would require arguing though.  And I don’t think the anger and excitement would accompany it like often is the case when coaches argue with officials.

2.  Arguing with refs/officials is a part of the game.  It’s a strategy to improve your team’s chances of success…

I’ll agree that arguing has very much become a part of sports.  It doesn’t mean it’s right.  Can arguing with an official improve your team’s chances of winning?  Sure.  Would cheating improve your team’s chances of winning?  Would having your players take steroids improve their chances of winning?  The answer is yes on both accounts.  As you can see, this is not a good argument.

Arguing may prove to be a good strategy to win the game or even have your team perform better.  However, we need to be careful to not let pragmatics drive our coaching.  The question shouldn’t be, “does it work?”, but rather, “is it right?” As a Christian, the job of a coach is not to win but to glorify God.

3.  Shouldn’t we want the referees to do the best possible job that they can?…

Absolutely, for the glory of God an official should work hard at being the best referee he/she can be.  Should arguing be a part of helping an official reach his/her potential?  I don’t think so.  As I’ve said, I can see a place for a calm and collected conversation with an official about their job performance.  I don’t think it requires arguing though.  This type of conversation would look and sound far different than arguing.

All too often, I see players/coaches addressing a referee’s job performance after a game, calmly criticizing the calls that were made.  Rarely, is it a winning team’s player/coach having this type of conversation.  Almost always it is the losing team’s player/coach.  This tells you that it’s often not really about the job performance as it is about something else.

See Part 3 of this series when we address other exceptions that I’ve heard…

When is it Right to Argue with Referees/Officials? Part 1

Written by: Tim Briggs

Before I answer that question, let’s define some terms. When I say “argue,” I mean to complain to the referee/official about a call they’ve made. This is not just intellectual disagreement but a voiced complaint (which is usually accompanied by anger and frustration).

So, with that in mind, let me answer the question: When is it right to argue with referees/officials?

Never.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with my opinion but please do keep reading because I would love your opinion and feedback in the comments section below.

I have heard lots of explanations on why coaches think this is a necessary part of the job and all of them are flawed. Perhaps I will deal with them in a later blog post. The question I’ve always asked coaches in relation to their arguing with referees is this:

 A question I’ve always asked coaches in relation to their arguing with referees is this:

How does your arguing bring glory to God?

I have yet to hear a good answer to that question. I’m not saying that arrogantly, I’m just saying if a good answer exists to that question, it has yet to be brought to my attention. I have racked my brain trying to think of a good answer myself and I haven’t come up with one.

To understand this better, lets break down the concept of glory. What does glory mean anyway? 1 Corinthians 10:31 commands us to do everything for the glory of God (which includes sports). Bob Schindler offers this explanation of what glory is:

When it comes to God, the Scriptures show us his glory has two components:

• The inherent nature, the internal possession, the inner quality of his magnificence, his absolute unparalleled greatness – the glorious splendor of his majesty

• The outer recognition of this inherent greatness

We will call the first component – His flame. The second – His fame.

We can’t add anything to God’s internal majesty but he does call us to make him famous by what we do (His fame). We should strive in our coaching to make God famous by how we act and think.

Is there anything glorifying to God in arguing with a referee/official? When I reflect back on my own past when I’ve argued with an official, I can attest that glorifying God was not at the center of my desires. My own pride, selfishness, and idolatry was. My arguing was ultimately about ME, not about GOD. Obviously, this does not make God famous.

This is not to say that there isn’t a place for having a calm, collected conversation with a referee about rule interpretations (or even poor officiating). It’s rare, I can tell you that. The question still becomes, what is on your heart as you have this conversation? You can be calm and collected on the outside but still have sinful/idolatrous motivations. Remember, God is concerned just as much about our hearts as he is our actions.

I would love to hear from you though. Is there any way arguing can bring glory to God? What are your motivations when you have argued with a referee/official?

Keep a look out for Part 2 and 3 on this topic!

What is Your Passion?

Finding The Answer

As I have searched myself and helped others along toward the answer to this “burning” question, I find it is important to know at least three things:

1. What is passion? Or to put it another way, “What exactly are we looking for?”

2. Where does passion come from?  Or “Where do we go to find this passion?”

3. How do we get this passion?  Or once at the source “How do we take ownership of what we have found?”

To begin our search, we will start at #1 – we have to know what we are looking for.  We have to know what passion is.

But that pursuit can be a little muddied.  Here is how one business coach put it:

We often talk about passion, but we tend to use it very loosely.  We usually refer to passion in passing – it is rarely the primary focus of discussion or analysis. I am just as guilty of this. A couple of months ago, I posted a manifesto for passionate creatives and never explicitly defined what I meant by passion.  In talking with people about this manifesto, I discovered that passion has an infinite variety of meanings.

Defining Our Search

Without clear definition, we see the word “passion” thrown around more and more these days. Just search the phrase “A passion for….” and here is some of what you find:

• A passion for jazz

• A passion for pipes

• A passion for paws

Then there are companies that use this word in their motto or slogan:

• Our passion is building

• Our passion is excellence

• Our passion is engineering

It seems that almost anything can be an object of passion and we are left even more confused.

So What Is Passion?

Look up the word and you find that, in a broad sense, passion is any strong emotion.  More specifically, passion is an intense emotion, compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something.  Very specifically, some people would limit this emotion to a strong love or sexual desire.

My definition of passion is a little broader:

The emotional response to an attainable object of pleasure or desire that moves the possessor to pursue that object

There are several key words

• emotional response – Passion is not self-existing.  Passion comes from the presence of something or someone else

• attainable object of pleasure or desire – Passion comes from seeing something I can obtain, possess, interact, engage with that is pleasurable.  Hence the desire.

• that moves the possessor to pursuit – Passion is an intense and moving emotion.  Passion energizes.

In this light, there is another aspect of passion that is important to consider when you are looking for your passion.

The English word passion comes from Middle English, Old French, and Medieval Latin to describe Christ’s sufferings on the cross or any biblical accounts of these.  From there, passio in Late Latin came to be used for suffering and submission.

With this in mind, Barb Elyet says this about passion

On the surface, the word “passion” can stir emotions in us that inspire, motivate, and elevate us to live life at a higher, more exciting, fulfilling level. But just as the core of an apple cannot be separate from the apple itself, “suffering” is always at the core of passion. We cannot have one without the other.

Will Shipley, designer of Delicious Library, says this about passion –

“Passion is easy to define; you care so deeply about something that it wounds you if it’s done poorly.”

Here we find what we are looking for, this definition of passion – something we want, very deeply that moves us to pursuit and wounds us when not achieved. Wounds but not deters.  Passion may bring suffering but it also empowers us to press on – to persevere in our pursuit, as long as we see it as attainable.

Let's Talk Preseason Coaches Meetings

Guest post by Jason Miller

Preaseason meetings: A crucial aspect or a waste of time?

My wife and I have been doing Sports Ministry for over 10 years and we have always believed that coaches meetings are crucial to the ministry. One way to do this is to have a preseason coaches meeting. Believe me when I say that we have been educated many times over the years when it comes to having an effective preseason coaches meeting. I say educated because I don’t believe we failed.  Failures should be nothing more than education. I believe we were learning for the next time. So, if a preseason coaches meeting is so important, then how should it be done?

Usually, there are so many things that ministry leaders want to share with those who will be doing battle and carrying out the vision. So, you start to think “I can do this here, and I can say this at this time, and they need to know this stuff, etc.” Before long this vital time has been filled up with information and logistics, and has squeezed out mission, vision, training, passion, relationship, and equipping. Information is important. Logistics are important. However, they are not what will ultimately accomplish the mission. They are not necessarily what gives coaches what they need in order to be equipped to go to war. I have been guilty of conducting “informational preseason coaches meetings” many times, and so coaches knew where to get balls from or what key goes to what, etc. However, many of them weren’t equipped to do what really matters…to use sports to further the Kingdom of God. What did I do then to change my mindset and the mindset of what these “meetings” were supposed to accomplish?

I decided to make these “meetings” more mission and vision driven. I also decided to make these “meetings” more about training and equipping coaches to do the work that is before them. Our preseason coaches meetings were titled just that…coaches meetings. I decided to rename our “meetings” to be called our Coaches Summit. We are preparing for more than 10 weeks of “doing life together” and getting ready to do “battle” side by side. To just have a “meeting” doesn’t seem to fill anyone with excitement, purpose, passion, power, etc. To take coaches to the top of the mountain and have them look over all that is before them…to have all of us as one body, one unit, commit to fighting together for an eternal purpose…now that is more like it!  That is what I will strive for in my Coaches Summits.

At the beginning of our youth basketball season that year, I decided that we were going to begin to make our Coaches Summit look like what I talked about above. I think we took one step closer to that! I scheduled our Coaches Summit to be three hours long in the morning. I scheduled the majority of the time to be spent on mission, vision, athletic training, and our specific guidelines, while just a small portion was devoted to logistical information. I imagined all the coaches creating “Jason dolls” to stick pins in and hanging up my picture on their dart boards when they found out it was three hours long. My coaches were gracious enough to spare me from how they really felt, at least prior to the Coaches Summit, until I received an email from one of my coaches. He said that when he found out that it was going to be three hours long that he was thinking about not going. He proceeded to tell me how he thought it would be a waste of time and how it was way too long to sit there. At the end of his email, he stated that it was the best preseason coaches “meeting” he has ever been to and that he was so glad he went.

God will do amazing things whether we are a part of it or not. It is rewarding, though, to do things that allow us to be a part of His plan. When we prepare the way for God’s Holy Spirit to move, we get to experience His power!

History of REACH: CEDE SPORTS Involvement

Written by Jenny Young

In 2013, the three Foundational Partners of REACH – CEDE, CSRM, and UW Sports Ministry – sensed God’s call to come together in collaboration to serve sports, rec, and fitness ministers in local churches and inspire, affirm, connect, and equip them to further this movement.  They knew there would be obstacles and challenges to such a venture, but believed that gathering sports, rec and fitness ministers could be used by God to bring about such an impact.  From the beginning, they felt led to begin something that was so much more than a conference but was a part of this movement - a movement where theology, philosophy and methodology would spread by the power of the Holy Spirit toward the redemption of people and sports, rec and fitness.  

First of all, REACH is not the movement.  REACH is part of a movement. This is important.  We are just a part of what God is doing.  He is the Author of this movement.  We desire to cooperate with His efforts.  

This movement is made of a certain people - Sports, Rec, & Fitness (SR&F) leaders in local churches. REACH desires to catalyze the movement of God in their becoming more gospel-centered and more reproductive of disciple-makers.  At REACH, we inspire, we affirm, we equip and we connect SR&F leaders toward this end.  The Foundational Partners set the sails and then look to the Spirit to provide the wind.

The first REACH was in 2014 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, SC. Since then, local churches have been added to the Foundational Partners. In 2019,  Work Teams were added to the Leadership from the participants who would lead the gathering in planning and implementation to where there are now over 30 people involved in the leadership of REACH. 

At REACH, there are typically two main sessions and a wide variety of track sessions designed to affirm, inspire, and equip these leaders. There is also “Wrestling at REACH”  where a current issue in sports, rec, and fitness is brought up and “wrestled” with through panel presenters, table discussions, and audience participation.  Finally, at REACH, there are lots of activities to connect these leaders with each other.  

This is why the Foundational Partners think of REACH as more than a conference.  It is a chance to be with Jesus and to be with teammates. Teammates doing sports, rec, and fitness in local churches.  Teammates who are a part of a team, looking to Jesus and then to each other - for inspiration, affirmation, equipping and connecting - so that they may each play their part in the movement Jesus is authoring in the world today.

God continues to blow wind in the lives of men and women SR&F leaders through being part of this movement. 

REACH will be happening for the 8th year next week - March 28-29 in Houston, TX. CEDE SPORTS will be there as a Foundational Partner and Sponsor. To learn more about this year’s REACH you can go here - https://www.reachgathering.org 

What others are saying about REACH:

"The REACHgatherings are a time to connect with others around the globe who have similar passions to use the platform of sport to reach the world for Christ! It is a time to learn, a time to share resources, a time to be refreshed spiritually and emotionally. I always leave with great ideas, energized by being with old friends in ministry and excited to have a handful of new friends to add to my network of fellow sports ministers." 

Vickie Byler, REACH Participant 

“REACH is about being a part of a movement using SR&F ministry to point people on a journey with Jesus..being encouraged, equipped, inspired and locking arms with brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing the same challenges and celebrating the same joys in sports and recreation ministry." 

Chris Phillips, Past REACH Participant

Top 11 Mistakes Sports Ministers Make–Part 3

Written by Ken Cross

For 20 years plus CEDE SPORTS has been committed to come alongside local churches to catalyze a vigorous and effective pursuit of their mission to reach their communities through the tool of sports, recreation and fitness. One of the ways we accomplish this mission is mentoring sports ministers. 

In the process of mentoring, we often discuss best practices from other churches as well as the corollary mistakes that well meaning Sports Ministers make. This discussion also usually includes surveying them about their mistakes in ministry. 

The response has been tremendous; evidently this question touched a nerve. This blog is our third installment in the series Top 11 Mistakes Sports Ministers Make. (Please be sure to read the first two installments here and here.)

Mistake #4

Evaluating success in numbers or in comparison to the ministry down the street.

Mark Twain once wrote, “Comparison is the death of joy.” 

Chuck Swindoll said, “When the Lord makes it clear you’re to follow Him in this new direction, focus fully on Him and refuse to be distracted by comparisons with others.” 

Ken Cross says, “Either comparison will puff up or tear you down, but it will never bring contentment.”

Mistake #3

Not developing infrastructure prior to pursuing growth, especially how you pursue the development of coaches and volunteers.

We tend to be so eager to start a league we neglect the hard work of strategic preparation. This could have been the #1 mistake, we see it so often.  

My Mom worked many years in a large bank. She would always advocate for the tellers to have adequate training and even a stipend for their clothes because they are the face of the bank!

Those that God brings into your sphere of influence deserve to hear and see the gospel lived out using the tool of sports. Who is the face of the sports ministry? It is too late to develop them after the games begin. If this has happened to you, what will you do for the next season?

Mistake #2

Winning begins to eclipse everything. Sport becomes too big and ministry too small.

This mistake is especially true when your coaches are not developed by the Sports Minister. They simply play sports as they always have, WIN. They are not applying the gospel to what they are doing. 

Mistake #1
Those in the sports ministry leadership do not know why you have a sports ministry. Neglecting clear communication of this mission/vision to the coaches, players and the church.

Have you seriously asked yourself the questions concerning your mission and how you are going to move toward it? Have you written it down in a clear way and communicated it with others in a way that they know what that mission is? If you are unsure, ask your most faithful volunteer to tell you that they have heard and see if it matches the vision God has given you. 

Like the ESPN Top Ten Plays of the Day, you might not agree with the order in which these have been laid out. Curiously, I am interested in what you think the top three mistakes would be for you. Have we missed some? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Top 11 Mistakes Sports Ministers Make–Part 2

Written by Ken Cross

For 20 years plus CEDE SPORTS has been committed to come alongside local churches to catalyze a vigorous and effective pursuit of their mission to reach their communities through the tool of sports, recreation and fitness. One of the ways we accomplish this mission is mentoring sports ministers. 

In the process of mentoring, we often discuss best practices from other churches as well as the corollary mistakes that well meaning Sports Ministers make. This discussion also usually includes surveying them about their mistakes in ministry. 

The response has been tremendous; evidently this question touched a nerve. This blog is our second installment in the series Top 11 Mistakes Sports Ministers Make (Please be sure to read the first installment by clicking here).

Mistake #8

Forget about creating a leadership team, it is far too difficult. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

No doubt you have heard the saying, “If you want to go fast – go alone, if you want to go far – go with others”. That applies to the Sports Ministry, too. Have you thought of what will happen when you are no longer on the scene and you have not equipped anyone to carry on with this vital ministry? 

Mistake #7

Being so busy that you are not utilizing the relationships that are built naturally through sports for true discipleship off the field/court.

I read a book once by Bill Hull about the discipleship making pastor. He bluntly says if the church is not making disciples, the leadership of the church is in sin! The sin is not obeying the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20).

Mistake #6

Not communicating to the larger church body and staff how God is using the ministry and being surprised when they do not value it!

As a former large church pastor, former staff member, church planter, youth pastor, deacon and janitor – I got the most praise for being a church janitor because people noticed the clean floors, toilets etc. The story of sports ministry (usually the best evangelistic tool in the church if done well) must be told, especially to the entire staff. The Senior Pastor needs the stories of what God does to highlight God’s work! The Children’s Minister needs to know and notice that many unbelieving children are on the campus of the church other days besides Sunday. The value of relational ministry and the discipleship that happens must be communicated over and over. This requires that more than just you are noticing what God is doing!

Mistake #5

Using the same volunteers each season and burning them out. Then guilting/manipulating them into keep going, until they are bitter and angry and have to quit or leave the church to get a rest.  

This one needs no comments except AMEN and from some of us we need to respond with “Oh Me!”

Can you guess the top four mistakes? Keep a look out for the last blog in this series.

Top 11 Mistakes Sports Ministers Make–Part 1

Written by Ken Cross

For 20 plus years CEDE SPORTS has been committed to coming alongside local churches to catalyze a vigorous and effective pursuit of their mission to use the tool of sports to reach their communities. One of the ways we accomplish this is by mentoring sports ministers. 

In the process of mentoring, we often discuss best practices from other churches as well as the corollary mistakes that well meaning sports ministers make. This discussion also usually includes surveying them about their mistakes in ministry. 

The response has been tremendous; evidently this question touched a nerve.  In the following blogs, we will outline the “Top Ten Mistakes” we have found, arranged in ascending order from 11 to 1.

Mistake #11: Avoiding conflicts and difficult people, because deep down you think they might disappear if you ignore them, rather than apply the Gospel to the situation and lovingly confront, giving the individual an opportunity to repent and grow. This mistake includes with it the fear of looking into the mirror and confronting what might be something that you need to repent and grow from as well!

Mistake #10: Not enough prayer before rolling out the program, during the leagues, or after. Can we all agree with this one? How easy it is to simply do what we think is best, and not ask God or seek His favor.

Mistake #9: Ministries getting too comfortable with regular attendees and not aggressively seeking to reach the unreached. “We have our number, the church should be happy … but are we keeping the vision for the ministry in front of us?”   We did not start this sports ministry to reach a limited number of lost people. (Also see mistake #10 again!)

The next Blog will cover Mistakes #8 – #5. Hope this has been helpful!