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STARTING A FELLOWSHIP
BEFORE YOU START
You must know from the beginning that your interest in using golf to further the work of Jesus Christ in the world is shared by players around the world.
Every resource, every interest, every talent that we have been given should be returned to God for His glory. For you, golf is one of those interests (and maybe one of those talents). Now that you desire to use golf
to bring the message of Christ to other golfers, you can draw on some of the proven scriptural principles for starting any ministry.
Before you start building a ministry, however, you must let God build you:
Let God search your heart.
The Psalmist called upon the Father to search him and know him, to reveal deceit in him—and then to purify him. By surrendering to God, you open yourself to His
absolute leading in your life, and in the ministry to which He has called you.
Pray.
Engage in conversation with God from the very beginning. Tell Him your desire to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ (it is His desire as well). Ask Him if
golf is the means you should use. If He leads you to begin a fellowship group, ask Him to instill a vision for this group in you.
Secure a small group for mutual support.
Do not be afraid to begin small. Bring 1-3 people alongside, people whom you know will be positive from the beginning, and pray and plan together. All living,
thriving things began small. This is because there is essential preparation involved in the growth process. By meeting with this small group, God will use each of you to prepare one another to carry out the vision
He has instilled in you.
Determine what resources are available to you.
Each member of your small team, and other believers with whom you come in contact, offer unique, God-given talents and resources to your group. Take the time to
find out about each other, so you can plan a ministry that will be properly supported by the people available to you.
LOOK AT EXISTING MODELS
Around the world, Links Fellowship groups have established a number of different models for fellowship and outreach. For instance, some groups are built using the
Links name and ideas right up front; other groups are ministries founded before they ever knew that Links existed. There is no perfect model—there is the vision God has given you and your desire to fulfill it. Here,
however, are some examples of how Links Fellowship groups (and other golf-related ministry groups) have established themselves through the years:
Bible studies.
Many local groups begin with Bible studies. Often these studies use course facilities for their meetings. These generally occur weekly and typically range from five
to twenty-five people. Teaching at these studies may be shared by members of the core group of regular attenders, or one person may regularly lead the group. Many groups select books for study (there are many
golf-related devotional books on the market today). Prayer should be an integral part of the Bible study, particularly prayer for outreach activities in which the group may be involved.
Golf outings or retreats.
Many groups conduct (and some were even founded on) golf outings. These events feature a special location for golf, coupled with a series of meetings to fellowship
and study God’s Word together. Often, a speaker is brought in to conduct the teaching times. For some groups, such outings happen quarterly, for other groups annually.
Tournaments.
Tournaments have proven to be the most common form of outreach for Links Fellowships. Many groups sponsor regular (quarterly, semi-annually, annually) tournaments,
encouraging members to invite their outside friends. These tournaments include a round of golf with competitive prizes, but the standout feature is typically a dinner gathering with a speaker who shares the
message of Christ.
Participation in other ministries.
It has become a regular part of some groups to reach out to other ministries or groups in their area. This often occurs in one of two forms:
- fundraising: donating to a needy group, such as a youth ministry or hospital
- volunteerism: helping with FCA camps, junior golf programs, College Golf Fellowship, or other local ministries
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LINKS PLAYERS INTERNATIONAL
We are pleased that you have been able to make initial contact with us at Links Players International. It is our stated mission to Link golfers around the world in
Christ. We do this by supplying resources, consultation and contacts for those who are reaching out to others through golf. By staying in touch with Links Players, we can support one another in a number of ways.
We can exchange contacts.
At Links Players, we often receive inquiries from golfers interested to know if there is a Links Fellowship in their area. When you stay in contact with us about
the progress of your group, we can place you in touch with people in your region who are interested in Links Fellowship activities.
We can provide resources.
In this age of mass marketing and fulfillment services, at Links Players we do all of our own fulfillment of requests for outreach material. This allows us to know
what groups are active around the country and what types of events they are sponsoring.
We currently are able to provide the following resources:
- Tracts. These small scorecard-size pamphlets provide testimonies from professional golfers. Our current subjects include Tom Lehman, Casey Martin, and
Masters Champions Bernhard Langer, and Larry Mize.
- Videos.
Our videos also feature professionals who give testimony to the work of Christ in their lives. These pros include Langer and Mize U.S. Open champions Scott Simpson and Betsy King.
- Study books.
The perfect introductory book for any Links Fellowship is the Links Players Handbook, by Jim Sheard and Steve Arnold. This small workbook is a six-week Bible study covering foundations of faith and fellowship.
- Bible studies. We have published a growing list of 8-week Bible studies as pdf files on our Web site (click here). Additionally, each Friday’s daily devotion is available as a one-page pdf printout with
questions for study (click here).
We can recommend speakers.
If you are interested in bringing in speakers for special events, we often can give you recommendations for speakers who may be available in your area. Our
speaker contacts include a wide range of sports professionals, chaplains, ministers and others who have been warmly received at events like yours.
We can provide encouragement and consultation.
We have an 800 number for a number of reasons, of course, but the main reason is to keep in touch with you. If you have a question about the development of your
Links Fellowship Group, or if you just want to bounce an idea off someone, feel free to call us at Links Players, 1-800-90LINKS.
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