I have given much thought to a recent email concerning the delicate balance between church fellowship softball play and the existence of evangelism in the Cape Cod Evangelical Church Softball league.   I believe I understand the frustration of some concerning out-reach and evangelism.   Over the years the concern for evangelism in the CCECSL has caused some very strong Christian men and woman of the CCECSL leadership to search and define this issue. The current CCECSL evangelism policy exhibits the Holy Spirit working in and through the CCECSL league rather than just the CCECSL reacting to the past misguided actions of a few.   

 

 

In Matthew 28: 16-20 we read the risen Christ’s Great Commission to his believers.  

 

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.   Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.   And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

I have included the previous scripture passage to remind us what the risen Christ said concerning evangelism.   While there is much emphasis on the “Therefore go” of this passage, I feel it truly serves the Christian and the non-Christian well when we read from the very beginning of this passage, that Jesus had prompted the eleven to go to the mountain.   Today, the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the Christian and non-Christian, leading all of us closer to Him working among the confines of even today’s busy American lifestyles.   Who among us, whether as a believing Christian or before our living for Christ, has not felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit interrupting our daily schedules?  

 

This passage concludes with “Surely I am with you always…”   What great assurance for us who desire to do the “therefore go.”   Christ assures us that he is with those who believe and those who will doubt to the very end of the age.   This passage does not say that we should leave the evangelism to Christ only.   Yes, we are called to act responsibly with responsible actions (baptizing and teaching) to “therefore go.”   The current CCECSL evangelism policy reflects an honest and responsible approach to “therefore go.”

 

Over the past 27 years, the CCECSL has engaged in several approaches to evangelism.   Since 1998, each player must attend the sponsoring team’s church 2 Sunday services before playing softball.   At the annual meeting for the 1998 season, then CCECSL President Ray Slagle invited then active player and Pastor of Osterville Baptist and also then President of the Evangelical Ministers fellowship of Cape Cod and the Islands, Mike Rowe, to address the league leadership and coaches concerning evangelism and its role in the CCECSL.  

 

Pastor Rowe spoke of the CCECSL serving Christ’s Church located on Cape Cod rather than serving the individual churches of Cape Cod.    It was then agreed upon by those in attendance that the CCECSL might better serve the Church of Cape Cod by coming along side of the church pastor’s efforts.   Working together with a pastor’s efforts of bringing the “un-churched” to church would involve the CCECSL making its own rule of accountability.   This accountability within the league would aid pastors’ efforts through bringing all players to church where they would meet the pastor and be introduced to the local church.  The pastor would then know who was on his church’s softball team.   Finally, that player could be prayed for by the leadership of the individual church.  

 

Never doubt the power of corporate prayer!

 

The leadership of the CCECSL has consistently been in approval of a player attending church 2 Sunday services before playing on the current year’s softball team.   At this year’s annual meeting in which Dennis Nazarene and Faith Baptist were voted into the CCECSL, much discussion was given to this rule with an alternative or two introduced.   After at least a half-hour’s discussion it was agreed to leave the rule as stated in 1998.  

 

The CCECSL was founded in 1981 by Charles W. Smith II who attended Forestdale Baptist Church.   The CCECSL is committed to Christian fellowship among the churches on Cape Cod, and to build and up-hold Christian relationships among the many Cape Cod Evangelical churches.   Before the CCECSL was created, no organized softball league existed on Cape Cod that served as fellowship among the churches of Cape Cod.   Many towns on Cape Cod host softball leagues for men, women and children, but none that particularly served the evangelical church community.  

 

Over the years, players from the CCECSL have played in town leagues.   These players have naturally desired to share the Christian atmosphere that can be found in a CCECSL game.   Over the past 27 years, those of us who have played in the CCECSL have experienced the noticeable evolution of our CCECSL game atmosphere.   Where there were, and at times still exist, errors in judgment of leaders and players, the CCECSL has worked hard to correct our brand of softball to more closely reflect Christ’s desires for our lives.   

 

I spoke with a CCECSL coach whose church engages in a softball outreach ministry through his church and under his pastor’s direction.   This coach spoke of personally attending 3 services on Sunday morning to insure that his players were in church.   Players from outside the church are willing to attend church to play for this team.   I had the privilege of speaking with many of these players after the season and they truly love softball and some have come to love the church where they now experience all that Christ has for them!

 

As current President of the CCECSL I am pleased to report that our CCECSL received no greater compliment then at the CCECSL night of champions.   For the first time ever our games were umpired by 2 umpires from the NSA.   These two umpires addressed the players after the championship games by stating that in all of their years of umpiring softball, from youth leagues to men and women’s leagues, they had never experienced such a positive experience of well-played and well-behaved softball players.   What a great job we have all done in exhibiting the risen Christ that lives within us to these two men!   Next week, I will enter into discussions with the NSA regional director concerning the increased presence of umpiring some of our regular season CCECSL games.   While we as a league become more exposed to professional umpiring, and thus all of us learning more of the rules of the game, we will also increase our opportunities to witness through sharing Him that resides within us.  

 

In closing I would like to offer a few ideas that I have heard over the past year in which a particular church softball team and the CCECSL may perform an outreach ministry.  

1. Placing one’s church team in a town league.
2. Join Steve Franco in his development of a one-pitch tournament for helping prison ministry.
3. Work with the CCECSL leaders to develop a ministering team to play in a town league.
4. Put the CCECSL back into the NSA World Championship tournaments.
5. The Cape Cod Old-Timers Softball league desires to play a few games with us.
6. Join in with Cedarville’s prison softball ministry.

 

Evangelism and out-reach ministry is anything but dead in the CCECSL!!   Remember the players on your team and the other team who receive such a blessing when a game is hotly contested and played with Christ’s Spirit in our hearts and worn on the sleeves of our uniforms.    Remember too the wives and children that come to the games.   What they see and hear can be a blessing to them also.   Also, remember some of us old-guys in the league.   We are now seeing our sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters playing in this league and attending church.   Praise God!!   I know of one particular grandfather from Cape Cod Baptist who grins from ear-to-ear watching his grandson play in the very league he once coached and played.   God is good!   God is always faithful!!  He never leaves us nor forsakes us!!!

 

All for the glory of God!!!!

 

The Commish!!