Sports ministry is an exciting new outreach opportunity for churches throughout Canada. Nearly half of all Canadians over age five participate in organized sports or leisure activities. And many more are getting involved as volunteers, officials and coaches. In my social circles, I hear about sports ministry every other day. To be honest, I don’t know if all of the hype and attention is a good thing.

Some people might see the numbers and think: “Wow, we should be doing outreach through sports!” It’s true. Christian sports ministries offer an excellent means to connect with people who would never make their way to church or even to a weeknight kids’ club. But we also need Christian athletes who are willing to live out their faith in secular leagues, sharing Jesus with those they meet on the field.

Sports create opportunities for people to come together as athletes, officials, coaches or spectators. Parents who stand on the sidelines of their children’s match week after week grow to become friends. People who speak different languages can bring out a ball and immediately connect with one another. Sports break down the barriers that people naturally put up around themselves.

It’s not enough, however, for churches merely to start another sports ministry program. Too often we think that if people come to our event or attend our program we have succeeded. But true success goes beyond participation to building relationships. As Christians, we need to be willing to engage people, even when their lives are messy. We need to be there not just for the athlete, but for the person.