HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN MINISTRY

Written by Bob Schindler

I came across this on the 9 Marks website. I really appreciated the tone of this because I fear the church looks to the business world and their metrics too much in trying to measure ministry. Here’s the principles they listed:

1. Measuring the supernatural? Supernatural fruitfulness cannot always be measured.

2. Success equals faithfulness. One of our most important criteria for success should be whether or not a man is faithfully preaching the Word and living a life of conformity to the Word.

3. More than heads in attendance. The number of people attending a church is not the only factor to be considered, but how much members are growing in holiness, how many leaders are being raised up, how many members are leaving for the mission field, and so forth. Such factors are far richer and more complex, and are often better indicators of the faithfulness and success of a man’s ministry.

4. Success not always visible. A faithful and “successful” ministry may not present obvious and immediate fruit. Adoniram Judson didn’t see a single convert for seven years. Moreover, initial responses can prove hugely deceptive over time (Matt. 13:1-23). And how much “fruit” did the prophet Jeremiah get to see?

5. But visible fruit should be considered. God gives different gifts to different people. It is entirely possible for a man to labor faithfully at something he’s not gifted to do. In such a case, there will be little visible fruit, which should be considered in assessing his long-term plans and support. Not all Christians should ask the church to set aside a portion of their incomes to support them for full-time ministry. Visible fruit is a part of that consideration.

6. What’s the bottom line? Success in ministry primarily means faithfulness, but attempting to humbly and cautiously evaluate the fruit of a man’s ministry should play a supporting role in weighing success in ministry.

At CedeSports, measuring success is one of the issues we help Sports Ministries deal with by developing an appropriate MEASURE for success (that includes some of the factors mentioned above), an appropriate METHOD for using that measure, and an appropriate MOTIVE for the whole endeavor.  Below is a video that looks at some of those ideas.

Going for the Gold: Measuring Success in Sports Ministry from Cede Sports on Vimeo. If we can further help you in measuring the success of your ministry, please contact us.

7 Tips When Talking with Non-Believers

The list below is from the Resurgence and is focused on neighbors but most of the principles apply to non-believers in general:

1. Find a road that leads to Jesus.

In the course of conversation, be thinking of how Jesus intersects with the discussion, because Jesus intersects and touches everything in our culture: sports, music, art, politics. Look for bridges to introduce Jesus into the conversation. It should be just as casually or passionately as you talk about everything else.

2. Donʼt be weird and awkward.

“So…now, I'd like to talk with you about Jesus.” If all of a sudden you put on your “Jesus” hat and you are talking to them like a project and not a friend, then you’re entering awkward territory. Now, there will be times it becomes awkward because talking about Jesus and sin can be that way, but don’t let it be because you are socially weird.

3. Be winsome.

Included in that word is the word “win.” Be “winning” friends and the conversation by being engaging, friendly, and kind. For more on being winsome, check out Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon.

4. Counter stereotypes and caricatures of Christians.

Many urban, secular folks have a particular caricature of a Christian, which is not very flattering (judgmental, harsh, the “morality police”), although many don’t personally have any Christian friends. Be gracious and talk with them, serve them, and love them.

5. Host an open house.

When my wife and I moved into a new apartment building we hosted an open house for the whole building and went over the top with really good food and wine. Dozens of our neighbors came out and it was the foundation for future gospel-centered conversations.

6. Be honest about your struggles and failings.

We all fall short. We all struggle and fail. The credit has to be given to Jesus in your life. Many non-Christians donʼt want to talk with Christians as they will feel guilty regarding their own problems.

7. Actions also communicate.

Serve your neighbors. Serve your neighborhood. Look for opportunities without being an attention-getter. Your neighbors are watching you and just as James said, faith without works is dead.

4 Fun Basketball Dribbling Games for Young Players

These games could be used for players of all ages but would probably work best for younger players (age 10 or below) still learning the basics of dribbling.

1.  Dribble Tag: While dribbling the basketball, and without double-dribbling or traveling, players must tag other players.  Once other players have been “tagged”, they are out of the game.  All players can have a basketball in this game or just the players who are “it.”  Play this game within a specified area (half-court for example) and the winning player is the last one remaining.

2.  Red Light, Green Light: Have all the players line up on the base line with a ball.  Coach yells “green light” and players move forward as quickly as possible while dribbling the ball.  When the coach yells “red light”, the players must stop and maintain their dribble.   Send back to the start any player not dribbling in control.  The winner of the game is the first to cross the opposing end line.  Coaches can mix in a “yellow light” as well.

3.  Dribble Survivor: Specify the size of the “island” (perhaps half-court).  While staying on the “island”, players must dribble their own ball (without traveling or double-dribbling) and simultaneously try to knock other player’s balls “off the island.”  If a players ball goes outside the specified “island,” then that player is out.  Play until one player remains.  A good game for the coaches to play with the kids as well.

4.  Catch the Cows: I recently made up this game although I’m sure there are other games out there similar to this one.  Create two teams amongst the players and put the two teams on opposing base lines from each other.  Roll multiple balls onto the court (spread the balls out).  Explain to the kids that sometimes on a farm, the cows break loose from their pens and the farmers have to round up the cows and put them back in their pens.  The “cows” are the balls and the “farmers” are the players with the basket being the “pen.”  Once the whistle blows, both teams run after the balls (the cows) and have to dribble the balls (without traveling or double-dribbling) and shoot them back into their own hoop (the pen).  The winning team can be determined by how fast all the balls (cows) are shot back into the basket (pen).

I would ask you to read further to see how to make these drills even more effective in the lives of your players.

What if instead of stopping with just the drills and the skills you were trying to teach, you could move seamlessly from the drill to life and then to truth?  If you could do so, you would thereby utilize sports as the character-building microcosm of life we all recognize it to be – but often don’t fully realize.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Game:  Red Light/Green Light

Sports/Coach Comments (after the game):  What did it take to do well at this game?  (You have to dribble well but also had to be aware of the coaches commands)  So you can’t just focus on dribbling the ball, you have to also be aware of the coach.  That is not just true in this game but in basketball game as well.  When you have the ball and are dribbling in a real game, you can’t just focus on the ball.  I want you to have an ear for the other players who might be calling for the ball or for me who might be calling out a play.  If you don’t and all you worry about is dribbling, then what can happen? (someone who is open doesn’t get passed to)  At the same time, if you are only worried about other players or me and not paying attention to the ball, what can happen?  (Lose the ball) So we learn from this game the need to pay attention to both the ball and the voices of other players and the coach.

Life/Coach Comments:  This need to listen to others while we are focused on a task is true in life as well.  Let’s imagine you are playing with your friends and your mom calls out to come inside.  You don’t really hear her because you are so focused on the fun you are having with your friends.  She repeats herself but you still don’t hear her.  How would she feel?  (disrespected, upset, etc)  What is she was calling out for something important and you didn’t listen?  Could get you or someone else in trouble.  So you need to be able to have fun but also keep attentive to other important voices in life like you do on the basketball court.

Truth/Coaches Comments:  This is also true in our relationship with God.  One wonderful thing about God is that het talks to us.  Jesus said “My followers hear my voice.”  He wants to communicate with us as we go through the day just like our coach, our teammates want to communicate with us during the game.  But just like that game, we need to be attentive to his voice while we do the things we are doing.   So remember, as we play this game, you need to pay attention to the ball and to me the coach and let this remind you of the need to pay attention to the activities of your life while listening for God’s voice of instruction in those activities.

This unpacking of both the principles of the game, life and truth takes only a few minutes and doesn’t interrupt the flow of practice.  Rather it teaches a biblical worldview that integrates all of life with truth and maximizes the impact of their athletic experience. 

This method of utilizing sports, life and truth, we call 3D Devotionals.  Anyone can learn it.  To find out more about this method, check out this post.

Job Description of an Evangelist

We found this to be very helpful.  It comes via Ed Stetzer’s blog:

A preacher of the Gospel – the greatest form of evangelism is simply preaching the Gospel.

Can be male or female – this gift is given to women as well as men. The first evangelists were women instructed to tell the good news to the Apostles that Christ had risen. The Samaritan woman in John 4 was the evangelist to an entire region.

Is a gatherer – that seeks the lost and gathers them to be a part of Christ’s church.

A builder – that lays the foundations of true discipleship. They should go beyond giving an invitation and having people pray a “sinner’s prayer” and make sure that Christ is fully preached and that the foundations of repentance and faith are laid.

An equipper – the Evangelist must mentor other Evangelists as well as train believers to make disciples.

A strategist – they can devise tools and strategies that attract the lost and enable believers to share the gospel more effectively.

A pioneer – they should lead the faithful beyond the church walls into the harvest field. They are able to see outreaches turn into new church plants.

10 Characteristics of Great Teams

A repost from Brad Lomenick

1. Humble yet confident leader– Humility and authenticity starts at the top. Confidence and courage starts at the top. Everyone wants to assume that team culture is created bottom up, but at the end of the day, great teams look to a leader.

2. Skilled linchpin– Most of the time this is the quarterback for a football team. Or the point guard for a basketball team. Or the project manager on a new technology being released. Or the producer releasing a new movie. Peyton Manning, Magic Johnson, John Lasseter at Pixar. Every great team has to have at least one linchpin who is crucial to the success of the team. Most great teams have several.

3. Clear Vision and Clear Goal– think about it. Pretty much every sports team we’ve ever played on had a clear goal- win the game, win the division, win the championship. Great teams have vision that inspires and goals that are attainable.

4. A cause greater than themselves– We all desire to be part of something way bigger than us. For the Saints, they played 2 years ago for the city of New Orleans. The 1980 USA Hockey team played in the Olympics for an entire nation.

5. Constantly getting better– great teams continue to improve on a daily basis. Great teams don’t allow for mediocrity to set in. They push themselves on a daily basis, and that accountability is held by the team, not necessarily just by the leader.

6. Get it done oriented- all about action. Great teams don’t just talk about it. They make it happen. They are relentless in pushing projects across the finish line.

7. Willing to fight- Great teams fight consistently. About ideas. About direction. About strategy. And the best ideas win. Trust is crucial. And everyone on the team trusts each other enough to fight for their ideas, and argue, and debate. And leave it at that. Great teams are competitive, but equally collaborative.

8. A standard of excellence always- great teams set amazingly high standards and goals. And they aren’t wiling to settle for second best. They never coast. And are always great at the little things, which makes them great at the big things.

9. Nimble yet mature– regardless of how big or complex teams get, they always stay nimble enough to make decisions quickly and change directions on a moments notice if needed.

10. Actually like each other– team chemistry is incredibly crucial. They want to serve each other. They believe in each other. There is a cohesive spirit and a sense of unity that others take notice of immediately.

WHAT IS THE MOST PLAYED SPORT IN AMERICA? YOU MAY BE SURPRISED!

Barna.org published a fascinating article on attitudes about sports in America titled Futbol to Football: What Americans Think of Sports.  It is a good read whether you are a sports fan or not. In the article, they look at what sports we watch, have played or play, and what sports our children play.

So what sport do you think we have played or play the most in the US? Is it one of the traditional big three – football, basketball, or baseball? Or is it one of the up and coming games like soccer or lacrosse?

The answer is BASEBALL!

To be honest with you, I was a little surprised. I realize when it comes to football, this is a sport primarily for men, so this would decrease the numbers. I thought basketball would be the top sport because of what I hear of the decreasing participation in baseball. However, as participants, according to the research, here is the percent of us that have played or play the following sports:

Baseball 41%

Basketball 39%

Football 30%

Soccer 20%

As spectators, when it comes to watching sports on TV, football wins hands down, capturing 51% our attention, while baseball and basketball each have 33% of us watching. When it comes to watching our kids play,

22% of us are at the court or field to see basketball and baseball

18% of us go to the football field 

16% of us to the soccer pitch to cheer for our kids

This shows us that if we want to connect with people’s playing experiences, we might want to ask them about baseball more than football or soccer. If we want to tap into their parental sports experiences, it really is a toss up on what we bring up. How about you?  Does this  information surprise you like it did me?

Responding to Brokenness

Written by Bob Schindler, COO of CEDE SPORTS

The Reality

Get involved with people very much and you find all kinds of problems. Failing health, marital infidelity, rebellious children, embezzling employees, fractured friendships – the list seems endless.  The influence of sin is all around us. 

Our Response

People respond differently to this reality.  Some deny.  Some avoid.  My response is often to get discouraged and overwhelmed.  It seems the more I listen, the more I just see the greatness of sin.  Left alone, this perspective moves me to despair, tempting me to withdraw.

Jesus had a different response.  Matthew records one example of this response in chapter 9 starting in verse 35.  Jesus’ response, first of all, was to stay very engaged with people.  He was traveling from town to town, and Matthew tells us that, in his travels, he was teaching, preaching and healing.

Matthew doesn’t leave us there.  He tells us the origin of Jesus’ engagement.  In verse 36, we learn “when he (Jesus) saw the crowds”, he saw them as “harassed and helpless”.  Jesus’ engagement began with a perspective on the reality of the power of sin.  It didn’t stop there.  He also saw the reason for this reality.  They were “like sheep without a shepherd”. They were on their own and, on their own, they were “helpless” to deal with that which was harassing them.

Divine Provision

Jesus’ reaction to the fullness of this reality was compassion.  He was moved by their plight and gave them what they needed – himself, the Good Shepherd.

I gain something significant from Jesus’ reaction.  What people need in dealing with the impact of sin – you, me, people in sports ministry, or people outside the kingdom – is the engagement of this Shepherd.  The greater the impact of sin, the greater the need for a Great Shepherd.  The incredible truth is that Our Shepherd is far greater than the greatest sin, its power and impact. 

This perspective gives me encouragement as I think about the impact of sin.  It also gives me hope as I seek to deal with the impact of sin around me.  I hope it will uplift you also.

Are You Reluctant to Recruit?

Written by Bob Schindler, COO of CEDE SPORTS

In my job, I have the privilege to regularly sit with Sports Ministers from Local Churches and discuss their ministries. Recently, in one of those conversations, the subject of recruiting came up.

The Sports Minister and I were discussing the Ministry’s Leadership Team and one of the people rotating off.  I asked if she planned to replace this person.  She said yes and we discussed possible candidates.

One particular person was at the top of the list and, when I asked further about him, the Sports Minister said, “He is very busy – he already coaches his kids and his job is very demanding.”

I sensed her reluctance to recruit him to this position even though he was probably the most qualified for the role.

Have you ever felt that reluctance in recruiting someone to your ministry?  

I asked the Sports Minister how they would go about recruiting this person if she went ahead with the idea.  She outlined their hypothetical discussion and something clicked for me.

My Sports Minister friend didn’t want to burden this busy man down with another obligation. 

She didn’t say it directly but it seemed to me this was their perception of the role underneath the recruiting.  I brought this up and she confirmed my thoughts.

We then discussed a different perspective on recruiting – one where you are recruiting to an opportunity not an obligation, to a privilege not a burden, by invitation not by begging.

To help the Sports Minister see this opportunity and privilege, we discussed the benefits she had experienced in being a part of the Leadership Team in the past 3-4 years.  Sure it was work but she agreed it had been very transformational for her and the others.  The group experienced real community as the Leader encouraged them to share their lives as well as the work.  They also experienced personal development as they learned more about their gifts and abilities and how they fit on the team.  Finally, we talked about God’s affirmation for the team as he used them to develop the ministry.

Community.  Development.  Affirmation.  Sense of Purpose.

As we reviewed these benefits, she realized they were things everyone looks for.  She saw afresh that being a part of ministry where these are taking place is a great opportunity, a privilege she should never apologize for inviting people to take part.

So the next time you are reluctant to recruit, remember the benefits inherent in the position and the difference between inviting someone into a privileged opportunity and begging someone to take on a burdening obligation.

Why Can't We See Our Flaws?

What are your flaws? Your weaknesses? The places you struggle against sin?

Many if not most of us are unaware of those weaknesses and, as a result, miss out on the opportunity to experience the power of God we all so long to experience.

Tim Keller reminded us of this reality:

But gifts and temperament in the service of idols—and this is our normal state—always are a mixed blessing. They have a good side—they produce virtuous behavior—but they lead the person into a corresponding sin or vice as well.

As a result, people cannot see their sins because they look only at their virtues. For example, someone may say, “I’m not abrasive, I just speak very directly.” It is true that a direct-speaking person may do good because direct, blunt comments are sometimes needed. But overall the abrasiveness is ineffective, and the person’s boldness and confidence comes to some degree from pride and a lack of love. And for this reason, many (or perhaps most) Christians do not work on the supernatural graces of the spirit that are not natural to us, and that mitigate or eliminate the dark side—the besetting sins—of our nature. (For the whole article, click here.)

What is the remedy? Keller gives three prescriptions:

1. Know that your worst character flaws are the ones you can see the least.

2. Remember that you can’t learn about your biggest flaws just by being told—you must be shown.

3. Be willing to listen to corrections and critique from others.

Why is this important? Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 that the way we handle our weaknesses determines our experience of the power of God in our lives.

WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Guest Author: Dan Williams, Founder of Sports Serve

The Giant Puzzle

I felt overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of the task. This was my mental and physical state as I looked out over the scene. The task was familiar enough. Who hasn’t put a puzzle together? Every Christmas my family works on a puzzle together and it’s a great bonding experience.

But this was different.  I was in Orlando, FL attending an International Sports Leadership Conference with 100+ leaders from over 50 different countries. As a part of a full day of team building we had all broken into small teams for different activities. Now each team had been given over twenty giant puzzle pieces. The board was the size of a small ballroom. Our task was simple. Together all 100+ of us were to work together to piece the puzzle together.

A few brave leaders jumped to the center with an idea that each team appoint a leader to represent their team and to convene together to develop a plan. Soon decisions were being made. A small group began to shout commands. Each of us on our team began to look around not knowing who was in charge. It was a puzzle we collectively thought. We should just grab a piece and find where it goes.

So our group started. Still shouting from the center were others with competing commands. One person had an idea. Another had a new idea. While others like our group quietly worked to figure out where their pieces went.

Discouragement Sets In

Time passed and progress was not made. Some began running around rearranging work that had been done. Finally, collective frustration began to set in. Next came despair and some began wandering around along the edge of the puzzle. The shouting continued. I guess they felt the need to shout to capture everyone’s attention. But as soon as they opened their mouths you realized that they were just as unsure as you were about what to do. So you stopped listening.

I’ve learned over time that no two people will necessarily take away the same knowledge from the same lesson. Educators say this is due to the many differences among learners including culture, preconceptions and other variations in the learning process. This was evident as we gathered as a large group to debrief our frustrating attempt to piece the puzzle together. We had finally accomplished the task. But the reality was that most had quit and left the task to a smaller group to accomplish.

I believe it was our many differences, including culture, preconceptions and other variations that were the main hurdle in our combined attempt to complete the task. Was this the result of the curse of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-8)? It sure did feel like it.

Our Challenge

This experience reinforced to me why it is so hard to work with others. But God sure does want us to work with others. For example, in Psalm 133 the psalmist writes, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Or in I Corinthians 12:12-31 where Paul writes, “we are all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body…” And again in Ephesians 4:1-13 he writes, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Jesus also prays in John 17:20-23, “My prayer is … that all of them may be one…”

Do I have a choice of going alone? Certainly I do. But it is very apparent that when I do try and work together with others that I partake in something special.

I love reading John 6:1-15. Looking out over a mass of 5,000 people Jesus asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip’s responded, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Then enters Peter. “Here is a boy with five small barely loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Then Jesus does something amazing. He tells everyone to sit down and after giving thanks he takes the loaves and small fish and begins distributing them out to everyone. And everyone had enough to eat with plenty left over.

Blindspots

Perhaps the one voice we were not listening to that day of the giant puzzle was our Master's voice. And why is this so apparent? When faced with the enormity of the task the only one who was not paralyzed was Jesus. The different cultures and perspectives were no match for Jesus. Just like feeding 5,000 was no problem for him. What fun it must have been for those disciples on that incredible day! What fun might it have been for our group had we pulled together with God to complete the puzzle?

Recently I participated in a webinar CEDE Sports facilitated about, “How to Play Sports for the Glory of God.” When I think about this topic I remember the day of the giant puzzle and how I was paralyzed by the enormity of the task. Even Bob Schindler who moderated the webinar commented, “I don’t think there is a more heady subject than the glory of God outside of the subject of God himself.”

With a subject like this it doesn’t take long for the many differences and preconceptions to begin to be injected into the conversation. We may become discouraged, or question why we would want to stay engaged in the conversation anyway. Perhaps even quit all together because we don’t think we can contribute.

Our Only Shot at Success

Can I challenge you? Can I challenge myself? It’s about doing it with God. It’s about what we learn along the way. Let’s journey together with God to discover His perfect plan. Together, with God, let’s bring our piece of the puzzle to each other and listen for His voice of revelation.

The reality is that without God this conversation too will become our Tower of Babel. “So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.” Genesis 11:8