A Day of Baseball
Today's looking to be a great day with our baseball ministry. We leave in a few minutes to head over to the park where we play (any millionaires out there who'd like to build us our own "field of dreams"??). The really cool thing about today is that we've got a double-header, so to speak, planned. This morning we'll be playing at the Cytadel Park...our normal practice area, where we'll hopefully see some big numbers (numbers are VERY important when each represents a heart!) because of the beautiful day we've got today. And then this evening we're going to head over to some friends from Genesis who have been advertising a baseball "exhibition" for the kids in their neighborhood.
I don't know how many times I've said it both to you all and to my friends/colleagues here, but I'm here to tell you that baseball just flat out works right now in Poland. It's sprouting up all over the country...new coaches are being trained, new teams formed, and even some fields being built. And this is what makes it the perfect time to begin baseball ministries! You've got to get in while the pickins' good (or something like that...did I even say that right???). The longer we wait to develop this type of ministry, the less appeal it will have to kids and parents because of it being old news.
Of course therein lies a whole series of prayer motives for us all to consider. The biggest of these is leadership...and further, national leadership. You've got to have coaches and other volunteers to build a baseball program (or any program for that matter). The training is free, thanks to Little League International. But the motivation is seemingly pretty hard to come by. And while missionaries are great to put to work, they are not what's needed to build continuity and longevity into any ministry. Nationals, the Poles, are required.
You can be praying with us that our national friends will get the itch to get further and deeper involved. They are needed both for the sport AND especially for the ministry aspect. Pray for all of our focus. Pray that this will be used as a tool to bring these kids and their folks closer to Christ. I know I've said this before, even recently, but I do need to continue to remind myself and you all about that so we can be vigilant in prayer for these things. I love playing and coaching...but that's not the heart of what we're doing.
It's a beautiful day and we're about ready to go. Man...what a job!
I don't know how many times I've said it both to you all and to my friends/colleagues here, but I'm here to tell you that baseball just flat out works right now in Poland. It's sprouting up all over the country...new coaches are being trained, new teams formed, and even some fields being built. And this is what makes it the perfect time to begin baseball ministries! You've got to get in while the pickins' good (or something like that...did I even say that right???). The longer we wait to develop this type of ministry, the less appeal it will have to kids and parents because of it being old news.
Of course therein lies a whole series of prayer motives for us all to consider. The biggest of these is leadership...and further, national leadership. You've got to have coaches and other volunteers to build a baseball program (or any program for that matter). The training is free, thanks to Little League International. But the motivation is seemingly pretty hard to come by. And while missionaries are great to put to work, they are not what's needed to build continuity and longevity into any ministry. Nationals, the Poles, are required.
You can be praying with us that our national friends will get the itch to get further and deeper involved. They are needed both for the sport AND especially for the ministry aspect. Pray for all of our focus. Pray that this will be used as a tool to bring these kids and their folks closer to Christ. I know I've said this before, even recently, but I do need to continue to remind myself and you all about that so we can be vigilant in prayer for these things. I love playing and coaching...but that's not the heart of what we're doing.
It's a beautiful day and we're about ready to go. Man...what a job!
posted by Michael Shattuck at
2:01 AM
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