When my three sons were very young, we got into community youth football. In our case, it was managed by AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization). For over a decade, I coached around 25 youth teams.
One of the peculiarities of AYSO’s philosophy is that they insist that everyone plays – and they mean everyone. No matter how experienced or new, no matter how fast or slow, no matter how coordinated or clumsy, everyone plays. The goal was for each child to spend a lot of time on the field and learn to love the game.
Through hundreds of hours coaching teams, leading practices, and attending games, I have learned some incredible lessons. Surprisingly, many of them expand well on the subject of evangelism. Here are some of the best lessons I learned from youth soccer. I hope they will help you mobilize your entire church for the work of evangelism.
1. Everyone should play.
I followed the rules and made sure every kid on the team played and tried different positions on the field. I quickly realized that this approach was the best way to play the game. The kids got better and the team got stronger.
When it comes to evangelism, every follower of Jesus should be on the ground and engaged in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). No one should be left on the sidelines for the entire game. We are all called to shine as a light in a dark world. Each of us is meant to be the salt that makes people thirsty for the living water of Jesus (Matt. 5:13-16). We can all explain why we live with the hope of Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). Pastors and church leaders must commit to training, equipping and sending every Christian into the world ready to tell the amazing and revolutionary story of Jesus.
2. Practice is essential.
Kids who know they’ll never step on the field during a game don’t train hard. They usually pick daisies and dream. But when they know that next Saturday they will be there and that their teammates are counting on them, everything changes.
If we teach believers—young and old, longtime Christians and new followers—that they are expected to share their faith as a normal part of their lives, they will want to be trained and equipped. They will even want to practice telling their story. It is the call of church leaders to convince every Christian that he is a vital part of the team, then prepare him for the game.
3. Playing together makes us better.
I have been amazed, season after season, to see players who had no football experience learn the rules and flow of the game and become an important part of the team. I also saw the other children welcoming them, helping them learn the game and even cheering and encouraging them.
The same thing happens when we view everyone in our church as part of God’s missionary people. There should not be just a few enthusiastic evangelists, and the rest just look at them and occasionally congratulate them. We work together in the work of evangelism and when we believe this, we help each other develop the skills and passion needed to engage in evangelism.
4. The lineup reveals the All-Stars.
A player’s mother pulled me aside after the first practice of the year. Her son had never participated in any sports and seemed very shy and withdrawn. She quietly assured me that she and her husband did not expect their son to take the field during the game.
But within a few weeks, he learned the basics of the game. Soon after, his teammates gave him a nickname and he liked it. At the start of the season, he contributed greatly to the team. By the end of the season, he was an animal. This kid was a true football diamond. Who knew?
As you bring everyone in your church out with the good news of Jesus, you will encounter gospel animals that would never have been turned loose if you had let them stay away. There are people in your church who will become stars in outreach as you engage and train them.
5. Playing breeds a love of the game.
Staying away doesn’t make passion grow. Watching others play will not foster a deep, lasting love for the game or an understanding of what actually happens on the field. This is true in football and evangelism.
If we want people to stop being afraid of evangelism, we must equip and inspire them to do it. If we want people to love the gospel and walk in deep devotion to our Savior, we must help them experience the power of the Spirit that is unleashed as we enter into God’s mission where they play, work and live.
6. Playing with everyone leads to victory.
All coaches were required to make all kids play, but many of them disagreed with that and didn’t really understand why all kids should play. The teams that had the vision and happily embraced the goal of helping kids love the game seemed to be the strongest teams with the best results.
When a church hears the biblical message that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Matt. 9:37) and commits to mobilizing every believer to engage in meaningful sharing of their Faith, there is a victory much greater than winning a sporting victory. event. The everlasting impact of a Church liberated by the Gospel is the ultimate victory. The first step in mobilizing the entire Church for evangelism is accepting the truth that every Christian is called and expected to participate in the work of the Great Commission. When we believe this, we begin to take the necessary steps to equip and mobilize all people for the work of the gospel.
If you want free resources to help every person in your church engage in the work of the gospel, visit OrganicOutreach.org. You can also call Organic Outreach International at 831-655-1328, and we will help you get your church members on the field and playing in unison.
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