Number 3

One of the biggest kids on our Upward team is Offensive Coordinator Steve Jones. For years now, Steve has lobbied for coaches to get rid of the polo shirts and wear the jersey. Well, after years of debate and requests, Steve was presented his own jersey by our friends at Upward. Congratulations Steve! And by the way, good play calling Saturday. Big win for the Bengals!

Hall Of Fame

Spent the day at the Va Sports Hall of Fame in Portsmouth, VA with some of the guys who work in the Cool Spring Rec Center / Ministry. Going to the Hall was a great time to reflect on the days and players of old. The fellas reminisced about memories of former games that spanned a variety of generations. As well as played in the Nascar simulated driving game, shot baskets, threw speed pitch baseballs, and tossed footballs. It was a great day in downtown Portsmouth.

As I think about the Hall of Fame, I am reminded of those in scripture that God declares as Hall of Fame people - Hebrews 11. By their faith and lives, people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and other people are mentioned to provide for us a model in how we should walk by faith and live a life pleasing to God. As these athletes represent something significant to their sport, how awesome it would be for us to to be remembered for the significance of our faith.

We should strive to live a life with the anticipation of hearing God speak these words to us,"Well done thy good and faithful servant."

"Flippin" Out

Partnering with other organizations is part of our recreation ministry at Cool Spring. I have found it to be a great advantage to work with others rather than try to reinvent the wheel and brand my own stuff. One of the partnerships we have is with the Washington Wizards of the NBA. And today, I, along with Steve Rowe (adult basketball director) and Michael Curley (Upward basketball director), had lunch with head coach "Flip" Saunders. We, along with others, were able to hear about the pre-season preparations, game day decisions, and outlook for the this season. Check out the Wizards at www.washingtonwizards.com for more insight.

We have been working with the Wizards over the past year to provide NBA basketball action for our men's adult league and Upward children's league. Through this partnership we have been able to develop deeper relationships/friendships with those playing in our adult league. Often we have people playing that are not connected to Cool Spring and this provides an avenue of getting to know them better on a personal level. They love basketball and we love getting to know them. For the Upward league, it provides a family outing event and excitement for a young player. From the lights, to the introductions, the court, and the big players, the kids get to see it up front and personal. It's a way for us to minister to them while generating dreams for some.

Looking for partnerships that help enhance your recreation ministry is important. Knowing what your mission is, and finding a good partner, will aid you going deeper with your ministry. Look around and see who can help you do that.

Who's Included?

Who's included? Who's in our group? Who's on our radar? Who's not connecting with us?

Over the last few weeks I have heard the challenge from Gary Baker-Acts 2 class teacher- and others (as well as myself in a recent sermon) to engage people and connect with them for the purpose of sharing the Christ changing life with them. While I agree with this, the above questions often haunt me.

Several years ago Donald McGavran introduced the concept called "homogeneous principle." This prinicple stated that people were willing to come together based on their similarities. While McGavran identified a correct principle, we have to be cautious in our approach to it. If we are not careful in using this approach, we will find ourselves creating relationships and programs in order to reach ourselves. There is another approach to how we connect with people - the Medici effect. The Medici effect happens when you are at a place of multiple cultural intersections, where learning and innovation are heightened. It's being with people that are different from us in their backgrounds and worldviews that requires us to grow in the discipline of personal development.

A recreation ministry, or church, should seek to place itself in the heart of the Medici effect. For it's in this place where we find ourselves wrestling with the question of whether or not we are intentionally including people in our lives that make us uncomfortable. Are we spending time with people and pouring ourselves into others that may challenge our thinking, who don't fit our conventions, who are marginalzed and considered misfits with certain lables? Certainly the homogeneous principle makes life easier. It allows us to connect in a comfortable manner with people we typically want to be involved with. But throughout the life of Christ, we find the Medici effect. He engaged them in an expression of love and genuine conern for them physically and spiritually.

So, even as I reflect, who's in your group? Who's on your radar? Who's not connecting with you becuase of a homogeneous approach? Are you allowing Christ's love and power to take you out of your comfort zones in order to meet with others?

Values Kids Learn

In response of yesterdays post on "Why Kids Drop Out," here is a list of "Values Kids Learn Through Sports."

1. Appreciation for an active lifestyle
2. Positive self-concept through mastering skills
3. Teamwork
4. Social Skills
5. Leadership
6. Responsibility
7. How to handle success and disappointment
8. Fair play and sportsmanship
9. Respect for others

Dropping Out

Currently I am looking at some materials regarding the role of parents in youth sports for a discussion topic I am leading in an upcoming event. I found these statements relating to "Why Kids Drop Out" from a study by the University of Michigan.

Dropout Rates in Youth Sport = 70% drop out by age 14 and 50% drop out by age 12

1. Too much criticism from coaches
2. Lack of fun
3. Overemphasis on winning
4. Lack of playing time
5. Injuries
6. Conflicts with other activities

While I could comment on each of these points, it is worth reviewing the sport activity your child may be in and how it is carried out from the moment they hit the playing surface to the connection they have with a coach.

Are the youth of today being pushed to the point of drop out?

The Right People

In Jim Collins book, Why the Mighty Have Fallen, he points out several areas in which great companies over the last few years have begun to slide or even fallen from that which made them great. One of the reasons is not having the right people in the correct positions.

Having the right people in the right positions is critical to any ministry or job. To often we find holes that need to be filled and we simply fill them. Creating potential problems for the organization and the person. In a sense, we plan for failure.

In our recreation ministry we are dependant on volunteers and people. We have positions available at the Rec Desk, League Programs, Fitness Teachers, and our Upward Sports Leagues. Each of these examples requires that the right people are filling the right position. We need people who understand hospitality, administration, communication, and relational ministry with others. When seeking new volunteers it is important to lay out key positions for those interested and make sure there is a fit. Knowing the persons ability and giftedness helps assist in proper placement.

You may have some holes needing to be filled. Do not be tempted to fill them so you can say they are filled. Fillings are temporary and eventually you will be forced to deal with the harder issue: did the right person find the best fit? ,if you have found the right person, put them to work. Nothing stifles a person ready to exercise their skills and gifts than waiting for something to do.

FYI - We are looking for people to partner with us in recreation. We need coaches, ref's, and rec desk volunteers. Let me hear from you!