References

The following are just a few of the people who have used the ministry of CSI to assist in the development of a sports ministry in their church, parachurch ministry or mission agency.

         "CSI has been a catalyst for countless churches and individual sports ministers, helping   them to initiate, refocus and organize sports related evangelism.  The Kingdom of God has been enhanced, expanded, and empowered through the vision, resources, training and people of CSI."           "It is impossible to exaggerate the global impact of CSI! Wherever you travel in the sports ministry world you will find people benefiting from and applying the teaching that Rodger and his teams have pioneered."           "When we run into churches that need leadership in developing a sports ministry in their church, there is only one organization that comes to mind - Church Sports International!!!"          "CSI is one of the premier providers of Christ-centered training and resources in sports ministry. They set the pace for others in the filed and are a trusted ministry partner to many.  Their philosophy is solid. Their scope is global. I would recommend CSI to anyone."         "I am so grateful to God for CSI and for the impact it has made on my life and ministry. I have found no other organization that is equipping the local church so practically and effectively in sports ministry."        "Besides local pastors having been taught the basics of Sports Ministry, African Bible College and Wings of Eagles Seminary have included CSI materials as part of their curriculum.  Those graduates have been putting their knowledge to use in many ways.  Thousands have come to Christ in Malawi as a direct result of CSI."        "During the fifteen years that I have been involved in sports ministry, the training and materials by Church Sports International have helped me to sharpen my vision and have given me practical tools to use.  I have used the Higher Power Balls to share the gospel to hundreds of people, both in Europe and Asia.  The training materials by CSI are excellent in sharing the vision and training sports ministers all over the world." "Twelve years ago I met a person who exploded my understanding of the Biblical Basis for Sports Ministry in the church. Rodger Oswald led a remarkable sports ministry at Los Gatos Christian Church that involved thousands of men, women, boys and girls. The ministry included community leagues, outreaches to prisons, community-wide runs, overseas sports ministry trips, biblically trained coaches, etc. Rodger later developed the recreation and sports ministry curriculum for a Christian college. I’ve exhorted Rodger, who has a passion for the local church, to take his remarkable teaching skills to local churches to train staff and lay leadership. Rodger has made the change . . . . My note is to say any church with an existing sports program or with a desire to begin one would benefit immensely from Rodger’s seminar.” “I, along with our pastoral staff, sports ministry leaders, and team players were thoroughly impressed by the way you were able to tailor such a wealth of spiritual insight and practical information to perfectly match our needs. The workshops . . . helped us to effectively evaluate where we are and to lay a solid foundation for where we believe the Lord is taking us. While discipleship remains an integral ingredient of our focus, never before has our burden for evangelism been so strong. We have you to thank for that prodding. Numerous brothers and sisters who were limited in their understanding of sports’ potential to build the body and reach the lost have remarked that they’ve finally begun to ‘Catch the Vision.’ We have you to thank for providing the inspiration and enlightenment.” “We want to express our most sincere appreciation for the ministry of Rodger Oswald to us and the churches of greater Buenos Aires. Rodger was a tremendous resource person for those churches interested in sports ministry and we were able to take advantage of his wisdom and experience to enjoy some memorable days of ministry together.” “Our church uses sports as an evangelistic ministry tool and a way to grow people in Christ. It is my opinion that Rodger Oswald’s training of our church laity and his ability to open new doors of outreach in the community is, at this point, vital to the health of our sports outreach program. In the last ten years, we have attributed eighty percent of SVCC's church growth to our sports ministry.”