When it comes to sports ministry, what’s the point? You could say we play games for bragging rights, a trophy, or perhaps a nice T-shirt to show off. But after a champion is crowned, a few weeks later, the only person that can tell you who won the league is a member of the winning or the losing team.
So this begs the question: What is the point of gathering together each week to compete in a sports ministry program? We believe that sports gives us a platform to play with a purpose, and this purpose makes sports ministry so much more than just a game. The point is to develop community and to grow closer to Christ. If we lack meaning and purpose, we begin to develop a lackadaisical insight toward everything we do—sports included! We can become disillusioned, negative, and even selfish. But when we have a goal and a higher purpose in mind while we compete, we find meaning beyond ourselves and beyond the scoreboard.
With that being said, sports ministry is for the young and old, male or female, and for every ethnicity. It brings something that we all need in life—a purpose to be fulfilled. Winning is great and it builds character, but being a part of something special that builds community in Christ and glorifies God—whether we win or lose—is the true trophy. So the next time you find yourself asking, “What’s the point?”…remember that Jesus has called us to love, encourage, and edify one another, and sports gives us a platform to play with this purpose in this mind.
