Kingdom Athletics – “Every Athlete A Disciple”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
Kingdom Athletics primary goal is to honor God and make “Every Athlete A Disciple.” Kingdom education is not just for the classroom and extends to Kingdom athletics on the court/field. Athletics provide an excellent opportunity for discipleship as students learn many important life lessons on sacrifice, self-discipline, perseverance and community. At Cambridge Christian School, we use athletics to prepare young people for life as Christian leaders who choose character before career, wisdom beyond scholarship, service before self, and strive to follow God’s will for their lives by implementing Biblical principles in our instruction and setting godly examples. Kingdom Athletics involves having an Athletic Department staff and coaches who always do their best for the Lord- “And whatever you do, do it heartily unto the Lord, and not to me” (Col. 3:23). It should be the desire of every coach to use interscholastic sports as a means of developing champions for Christ. Kingdom Coaches are to:
- Foster opportunities for intentional discipleship
- Build relationships with players and parents (rules without relationship yields rebellion)
- Encourage good citizenship and academics
- Teach the team concept, coupled with strong competition
- Present teams prepared to play
- Do all these things with the primary goal of bringing honor to the Lord Jesus
Excellent Kingdom Athletic departments encourage coaches to establish intentional discipleship plans which incorporate the following key elements:
God’s Plan of Salvation is as simple as A, B, C
Admit
- “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
- Pray: Lord, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior.
Believe
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
- Pray: Lord, I believe that Jesus died and shed His blood for my sins.
- I believe this in my heart and not just my head.
Call
- “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
- Pray: Lord, I call upon you to save me from my sins. I confess and repent of my sins. I know that your Son Jesus paid my debt on the cross-a debt that I could never pay despite all my good works-and I thankfully accept your gift of eternal life in Heaven that his death makes possible.
Although discipleship plans may vary, Kingdom coaches should intentionally establish a plan of discipleship that includes a focus on Values, Vision and Voice:
VALUES
Values in the arena of athletics help to accomplish the mission of making disciples. We are here to help train up our student-athletes in the way they should go – Proverbs 22:6. This means that we will coach from a biblical perspective and strive to be a true reflection of Jesus Christ to our athletes. Promoting honesty, integrity, humility, loyalty, unity, and encouraging total character development of our athletes. These traits are foundational in building a “TEAM”. This will include all our coaches promoting and encouraging the success of all other programs, emphasizing the need to share multi-sport athletes and to collaborate fruitfully with students, parents, and staff to balance our students’ investment in academics and the arts. Showing good sportsmanship, respecting others always and under every circumstance is expected. This includes behavior towards coaches, teammates, officials, opposing coaches, opposing players, and fans. We expect our coaches and athletes to demonstrate respect toward teachers and parents always. Defiance and disrespect are not tolerated in a disciplined program. Creating a winning environment by displaying a positive attitude and providing daily encouragement to those under our leadership helps build strong relationships. Our student-athletes will respond better when they know we genuinely love and care for them. Finally, fostering a commitment to excellence is a key to success. Success in athletics is the result of coaches and players going the extra mile. Teams who pay the price in the off-season win championships. We must communicate great expectations, provide great instruction, emphasize great fundamentals, and demand great effort, in the context of strong relationship. Most importantly, according to God’s word, if we want to be great, we must model great servant hood to our teams.
VISION
- To honor God and exalt Jesus Christ by making “Every Athlete A Disciple”
- To foster each athlete’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ
- To produce disciplined, Christ honoring teams that strive for excellence at all levels
- To be ambassadors for Christ and CCS at home and away
- To model humility in winning and grace in losing
- To graduate student-athletes committed to the Bible, prayer, and servant leadership
VOICE
- Pursuing greatness God’s way through unity, service and sacrifice – “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity” Psalm 133:1 and “How can two walk together except they be in agreement” Amos 3:3.
To find out more about Kingdom Athletics contact Mark Butler, Director of Athletics at Cambridge Christian School, mbutler@ccslancers.com.
