These By-laws  were developed in order to give a strong scriptural background on all aspects of the sports ministry. The sports ministry was formed in order to bring more fellowship to the body of  believers at Harvest Christian Fellowship. By getting  involved in this ministry it becomes increasingly more important that our actions, attitude and motivation honors and glorifies the Lord. The hope and prayer of this ministry is that it is Biblical and supported by Scripture. These Biblical By-laws were created to provide hope, encouragement, and guidance as we apply them in our lives on and off the playing fields. We hope that these by-laws will be an encouragement and a blessing to all. Glorifying God Our # 1 goal in this ministry is to glorify our father in heaven: 1 Cor 6:20 "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." Ps 86:9 "All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name." Fellowship With Other Believers God desires us to have fellowship with other believers: Heb 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Acts 2:44 "All the believers were together and had everything in common." Love One Another We are commanded in Scripture to Love one another: John 15:12-13  "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."   1 John 3:23"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." Encourage One Another As believers we are to encourage one another: 1Thes 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Heb 10:24 " And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Be A Good Witness This is a very important, we are commanded in scripture to share the gospel with those around us. Although we are not all called to be preachers or evangelists, we can share the Gospel by the way we live and conduct ourselves. Remember, "You may be the only Bible some people will every read." Matt 5:48 "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Phil 1:27-A "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Have An Attitude Of Humility It is part of our Christian walk to be humble in all that we do. Christ is our perfect example of humility. Even Jesus said "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many". (Mark 10:45, Matt 20:28) Phil 2:3-5 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Eph 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Forgiveness No one is perfect! We are all sinners and we all have faults and different personalities, we are not to hold a grudge against another person if they sin against us. We are commanded in Scripture to forgive each other, just as God has forgiven us. Matt 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Eph 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."Col 3:13 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Causing Someone To Stumble Not everyone struggles with the same problems or situations as someone else. We are all weak in different areas, and we don’t want to put a stumbling block in the way of another person who may be weak in an area we are not. 1 Cor 10:23-24 "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being." 1 Cor 10:32-33 "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God, even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." 2 Cor 6:3 "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited." The Tongue It is one of the smallest parts of our body, yet it can get us in the most trouble. We should stop and think before we speak, "Will these words build up and encourage another," or will they be harmful. Do these words glorify God?, Or dishonor God? I believe many of us would say much less if we really thought about these things before we spoke. James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!" James 3:10 "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." 1 Pet 3:10 "For He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit." Sharing As believers we need to share the things that God has blessed us with. Whether it be money, food, or a glove. Everything we have is God’s and has been provided by God. 1 Tim 6:18 "Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share." Heb 13:16 "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Rules Rules are established so that everyone will know how they should conduct themselves and to keep everyone safe. We need to follow the rules the ministry has adopted. Rom 13:1 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Tim 2:5 "And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." Leadership Leadership can be very rewarding, but it can is also a big responsibility. As leaders in a ministry we must be able to encourage one another and to put their needs above our own. We need to be accountable to the ministry we are involved in, to the others in leadership, and most importantly our Lord and Savior. We need to be  blameless, and above reproach, worthy of respect and able to handle the responsibilities of the ministry we are involved in. Are you called to be in leadership? James 2:1 "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism." 1 Pet 5:2-3 "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." 1 Pet 4:10 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms 2 Tim 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:16 "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." 1 Tim 3:7 "He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." Prayer We are commanded in scripture to pray for one another: 1Thes 5:17-18 "Pray continually; give thanks on all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Respect Authority The Lord has placed certain people in leadership positions. This does not mean that they are any better than any one else, or that God has favor on them. However, we must respect the decisions of those in leadership whether we agree or disagree. Leadership is not always right, but they are accountable to God for the decisions they make. Heb 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." 1 Tim 2:1-2 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." The Umpire's / Referee's / Official's Authority In athletic competition it is necessary to have an impartial mediator to be an authority over the competing teams, which in our Sports ministry is the umpire(s), officials or referees.  These men and women are not being paid they are volunteering their time to serve in this ministry, and deserve our respect and courtesy. whether we agree or disagree with their decision . Lev 19:18 "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of  your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Phil 2:14-15 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." 2 Tim 2:23-24 "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." Alcohol Tobacco And Profanity God allows us to have a free will, we are able to make our own decisions, good or bad. His Word, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, bears witness to us as to the decisions we ultimately make.The way you live your life is a choice you must make, and ultimately between you and God. Although some Christians do not struggle in these particular areas, we cannot allow these areas to in anyway to be involved or associated with this ministry. Remember, even though we are out on a public facility in the community, we are a ministry of our church body, Harvest Christian Fellowship." 1 Cor 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Pet 1:14 "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." Discipline This is an area that prayerfully will never happen, but regardless of whether it happens or not, guidelines for discipline need to be in place so that there is no confusion in case they need to be applied.The most common problem area is questioning or arguing with the umpire. Remember, God is not concerned with the outcome of a sporting event, He is more concerned with the attitude you display during and after the game Rom 12:18 "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Heb 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Prov 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." We hope these Biblical By-law’s will be a blessing to you as read through them. We will be adding new By-law’s as the lord puts them on our hearts. God Bless You, Your League Directors