by Jason Joyner | Feb 18, 2013 | Blog, Christian life, ministry, Mission Monday, missional, Outreach Saga
I was talking to a friend this weekend who passed on an observation from someone else.
“Church can be like football or like soccer.”
This piqued my curiosity. I am a sports fan after all. I love to watch American football, but I enjoy playing soccer more.
A football game is equipment and support heavy. All the helmets and pads. Several referees. A special kind of field with marks every ten yards. To do it right, it takes a lot of effort and resources.
Soccer can be the essence of simplicity. You need a ball and two spots for goals. That’s it.
The laws of soccer are actually very few, compared with the myriad of penalties and rules for what is acceptable in football. Try explaining to a football novice the difference between running into a kicker vs. roughing the kicker, or pass interference, or illegal formation. The wide receiver covered the tight end? What is that?
Of course kids can play a simple game of football in a park, and soccer can be done with huge stadiums and use a lot more resources. Still, the analogy holds: football is generally a lot of work to actually get to the game, while soccer can be done with a minimal of requirements.
When it comes to church, doing our Outreach Saga has convinced me that doing things simply like the soccer match is a valid way of meeting together as the body of Christ. I recognize that the big football game of Sunday morning church has its place and can do things we can’t do in our small group. However, I think both can be used to meet the needs of people around us.
Are we willing to do something small and simple to reach people, instead of always going for bigger and showier?
For now, God’s given me a soccer ball. I’m willing to play the game He’s put in front of me.
What do you think of the analogy? Does it ring true, or do you have a concern about it? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
by Jason Joyner | Aug 11, 2008 | Blog, ministry, missions, Olympics, prayer, world events
If your house is like ours, the Olympics will be on television frequently over the next few weeks. I’ve been critical on this blog about China and its human rights record and the way Christians especially are treated. However, I view the Olympics at this point as an opportunity. I am disappointed that China continues to clamp down on its people and expression, as evidenced by various news stories in the last couple of weeks, but I don’t expect a tiger to change its stripes without divine intervention.
That is the opportunity presented to all of us enjoying the Olympics. I think Christians can take this chance to really pray and intercede for China and the other nations mentioned during the Olympics. I am very globally minded, but I understand that people in general aren’t thinking about various countries around the world. Use the Olympics as inspiration to pray for countries as you see events happen. A swimmer from Zimbabwe? A Brazilian beach volleyball player? A Sudanese track star? If the Holy Spirit stirs your heart, take time to pray for these nations. A great resource is Operation World, which has a nation a day for prayer. Of course it has very good information on China. We can especially pray for China while it is highlighted over the next weeks. If Beijing wanted to showcase itself and the country to the world, let’s pray that the Light of the world will illuminate the nation and touch the needy souls.
If you want to find a particular country on Operation World, just google the country’s name along with Operation World and it should come up easily.
Take this great opportunity presented to the church, to send prayer on behalf of other countries and peoples around the world from wherever we are!
by Jason Joyner | Aug 11, 2008 | Blog, ministry, missions, Olympics, prayer, world events
If your house is like ours, the Olympics will be on television frequently over the next few weeks. I’ve been critical on this blog about China and its human rights record and the way Christians especially are treated. However, I view the Olympics at this point as an opportunity. I am disappointed that China continues to clamp down on its people and expression, as evidenced by various news stories in the last couple of weeks, but I don’t expect a tiger to change its stripes without divine intervention.
That is the opportunity presented to all of us enjoying the Olympics. I think Christians can take this chance to really pray and intercede for China and the other nations mentioned during the Olympics. I am very globally minded, but I understand that people in general aren’t thinking about various countries around the world. Use the Olympics as inspiration to pray for countries as you see events happen. A swimmer from Zimbabwe? A Brazilian beach volleyball player? A Sudanese track star? If the Holy Spirit stirs your heart, take time to pray for these nations. A great resource is Operation World, which has a nation a day for prayer. Of course it has very good information on China. We can especially pray for China while it is highlighted over the next weeks. If Beijing wanted to showcase itself and the country to the world, let’s pray that the Light of the world will illuminate the nation and touch the needy souls.
If you want to find a particular country on Operation World, just google the country’s name along with Operation World and it should come up easily.
Take this great opportunity presented to the church, to send prayer on behalf of other countries and peoples around the world from wherever we are!
by Jason Joyner | Jan 17, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
Alright, time to wrap this one up. And yes, this is posted on Friday with a Wednesday date.
Did anyone guess what major area of society was left? Has anyone heard a little something about an election this year?
The final sphere of influence listed is Government. This is a no-brainer that it is an area that seriously needs positive influence. Since it leads and guides society in so many ways, it is imperative that Christians are willing to get the training to serve in such an important area.
I personally would want to see believers going into these areas to serve to truly act according to the mind of Christ as listed in Philippians 2. I get very tired of politicians who loudly shout of the evils of unrighteousness and tear down opponents in the process, even for a “good” cause. I am not the authority here, but I would rather see a politician or public servant who is humble, who works with people rather than against people, and find ways to make the best impact on culture without polarizing everything. Maybe the best example of this type of influencer would be William Wilberforce (though he could be polarizing when needed).
So that is it for discussing the Seven Spheres of Influence. I hope that we will see more Christians moving out into areas of culture intentionally, to make a difference through Spirit-led, Biblical principles. From Act One to International Justice Mission to Business Men’s Fellowship and many more examples, there are people working to make a change in our nation and in the world. Everyone is called to do something. We can even have Christians making godly highways. Or…something like that (just checking to see if Mark is paying attention).
by Jason Joyner | Jan 17, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
Alright, time to wrap this one up. And yes, this is posted on Friday with a Wednesday date.
Did anyone guess what major area of society was left? Has anyone heard a little something about an election this year?
The final sphere of influence listed is Government. This is a no-brainer that it is an area that seriously needs positive influence. Since it leads and guides society in so many ways, it is imperative that Christians are willing to get the training to serve in such an important area.
I personally would want to see believers going into these areas to serve to truly act according to the mind of Christ as listed in Philippians 2. I get very tired of politicians who loudly shout of the evils of unrighteousness and tear down opponents in the process, even for a “good” cause. I am not the authority here, but I would rather see a politician or public servant who is humble, who works with people rather than against people, and find ways to make the best impact on culture without polarizing everything. Maybe the best example of this type of influencer would be William Wilberforce (though he could be polarizing when needed).
So that is it for discussing the Seven Spheres of Influence. I hope that we will see more Christians moving out into areas of culture intentionally, to make a difference through Spirit-led, Biblical principles. From Act One to International Justice Mission to Business Men’s Fellowship and many more examples, there are people working to make a change in our nation and in the world. Everyone is called to do something. We can even have Christians making godly highways. Or…something like that (just checking to see if Mark is paying attention).
by Jason Joyner | Jan 16, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
(So no one noticed that this post is listed as Tuesday, yet it is coming out late Wednesday, right? Good.)
The series of Seven Spheres of Influence has the Media for a prayer emphasis on Tuesdays. I’m sure that many people would say that Christians should have a presence in the media. Then I’m sure that an equal number of people would say that we don’t need another Fox News or Rush Limbaugh. I’d say that both are true.
I don’t have anything against Fox News. Rush? Another story. But Christians in journalism and the media shouldn’t be shrill junkets that can’t speak credibly. Being called into the media as a mission field means that it will take great wisdom to speak truth. I would love to see reporters who can speak critically of things that deserve it, even within the church. Of course it will be nice to have people who come from a Biblical worldview when speaking of issues that deal with faith, but they really need integrity to speak accurately even when “our” position may be in the wrong.
One more day. Any guesses what we’ve missed?
