This was originally posted on the CSRM Blog October 2016, and is featured in Dr. Linvilles Book Sports Outreach Fundamentals.
This series of blogs will describe and explain the “5-B’s” of Evangelism of The Sports Outreach Movement. This blogs continues with the sixth advantage of the second “B” - Believing
Dr. Allan Tippett, a long time professor and missiologist, identified four distinct periods (phases) that new converts to Christianity traverse on their spiritual journey: a) awareness; b) decision; c) incorporation; and d) maturity. These distinct phases are truly evidenced and maximized in local church Sports Outreach Ministries.
Period of Awareness - For Tippett, awareness was the initial process within the overall process in which an unregenerate (non-Christian) person moved from no awareness of the gospel to initial awareness of the gospel on the way to a full awareness of the gospel and all of its implications for life change.
Period of Decision - At this point in the journey – upon full awareness of the gospel and its implications - Tippett assessed people realize a decision must be made. These, now fully aware people, could either choose to make a decision for Christ or turn their backs on Christ. An affirmative decision to receive Christ as Lord and Savior ushers people into the third period of the process…
Period of Incorporation - According to Tippett it was now necessary for the new convert to begin to incorporate a new found faith into an everyday Christian life which would lead to becoming a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ.
Period of Maturity – For Tippett, a sincere incorporation of the Christian faith into one’s life would eventually lead to the fourth and last stage – full maturity.
It’s easy to coordinate Tippett’s four periods with the “5-B Rubric” of the evangelistic-disciplemaking concept. The period of awareness coincides with the first “B” – belonging – or what some may describe as pre-evangelism. Tippett’s second period – decision – easily fits within the second “B” of believing or what has sometimes been described as evangelism. Tippett’s third and fourth periods can then be aligned with the last three “B’s” or what is often referred to as discipleship. His incorporation and maturity flow easily with baptizing, behaving and becoming… a dedicated discipleship of Jesus Christ.
I recognize Tippett’s process for life change may raise a few issues along the great theological divide. This overall discussion falls under the heading of soteriology (the theology of salvation), which I considered in more detail within the book of which this chapter is an excerpt, but suffice it to say here, I believe everyone along the theological divide can resonate to a large degree with the basic tenet of Tippett’s process of change and its relevance for the “5-B Rubric.”
The belonging/believing starting point of the “5-B Rubric” provides natural conduits to the broader church. These conduits are experienced in four basic ways and will be discussed in the next blog.
You can get a copy of Sports Outreach Fundamentals in the bookstore: https://csrm.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/csrm/product.jsp?product=10&