Empowering Communities Through Sports Camps: The Role of Short-Term Missionaries3 min read

In a world where community engagement and spiritual growth are more vital than ever, sports camps have emerged as powerful tools for transformation. This year’s camp was more than just an event—it was a movement that united children, short-term missionaries, and the wider community in a harmonious blend of sports, faith, and service. At its heart was the Lutheran conviction that God is at work in all vocations, and that every skill, conversation, and act of service can be a means of His grace.

The Impact of Sports Camps
Sports camps offer children a welcome break from traditional learning environments, creating a space to move, learn, and connect. As Pastor Christopher Bodley reflected, “This year’s sports camp was very encouraging… a wonderful spirit of unity and humility as people were working together.”

This unity is more than teamwork—it’s the Body of Christ in action. The camp becomes a place where the Gospel is lived out tangibly, where Scripture shapes how leaders encourage, correct, and build up the children. In each game and drill, children are reminded that their worth is not found in performance or winning, but in Christ.

The Role of Short-Term Missionaries
At the heart of this ministry are the short-term missionaries—approximately 45 individuals who gave their time, energy, and hearts to make the camp possible. Pastor Bodley noted, “We don’t call people volunteers, we call them short-term missionaries.”

In our theology, mission begins with God—Missio Dei—and we are invited to join Him in the work He is already doing. These missionaries embody that call, living out their faith through their vocations as coaches, mentors, and friends. Their presence isn’t about moral example alone; it’s about pointing children to the cross of Christ. Whether it’s during water breaks, after practice, or in a quiet moment of prayer, they share the good news that salvation is a gift of grace alone received through faith alone, and revealed in Scripture alone.

Activities and Engagement
This year’s lineup of activities was both diverse and dynamic—archery, flag football, cheerleading, lacrosse, pickleball, Double Dutch jump rope, and martial arts. “We want it to be an experience whereby they get a chance to exert energy, run around, have fun,” Pastor Bodley explained.

But fun is just the doorway. God works through ordinary means to bring about His extraordinary purposes. While the children learn to aim an arrow, pass a ball, or master a cheer routine, they are also learning about perseverance, teamwork, and humility—virtues that flow from a life rooted in Christ. And every day of camp, the Word of God is shared, prayers are lifted, and children hear again that they are loved by a Savior who will never leave them.

The transformative impact of sports camps lies in their ability to inspire growth, unity, and hope in Christ. Guided by the dedication of short-term missionaries, they become more than recreational programs—they become places where God’s Word is planted and nourished. As Pastor Bodley put it, “We are planting those seeds, that the Holy Spirit will remind them of the experience.”

This reflects the trust that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), that the Word of God never returns void, and that it is ultimately the Spirit’s work to bring children into a lasting relationship with Jesus. Our calling is to be faithful in sowing, trusting God with the harvest.

_{Photos by Elisa Schulz/Michigan District, LCMS}

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