InBounds Ministries

1. What were some influences that guided you toward you realizing your need
of a Savior?
Simply the Gospel itself. It was proclaimed and I responded. There were not many surrounding factors other than the presentation of the death and resurrection of our Savior as my atonement. Romans 1:16 says it best when it says that it is “the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.� I never want to get so caught up in the platform I am using for evangelism that I neglect the simple proclamation of the powerful Gospel.

2. Give a brief testimony.
I placed my faith in the finished work of Christ at the age of 12. I started becoming more serious about my walk during the latter part of high school and eventually ended up in Bible college. While there I was consistently presented the challenge to be clear in the presentation of the Gospel. I also quickly understood the need to be culturally relevant with that presentation.

3. How does your family fit into your ministry?

In doing sports ministry it allows for a lot of “play� time with my kids. I have been married for almost 14 years and have 5 kids. My wife has been incredibly supportive during the years in which I did music ministry and now in the sports outreach. I not only try to have the family involved but I also can get very stingy with my family time. There are “no cell phone� days and other things that help to focus in on family.

4. Describe your current ministry.
InBounds Ministries Inc is an evangelistic/discipleship based sports outreach. We do everything from sports devotions through the internet - to camps/clinics for players and coaches - to short-term missions. Sports are a fantastic tool because of the cultural relevance as well as the life lessons. A game is a microcosm of life. Sometimes it is good, sometimes bad. Sometimes it is fair, sometimes unfair. John Wooden made the observation that sports don’t just build character but also reveal character. It is a great platform to use for growth.
(2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work.)

5. What is the goal of your ministry?
Our gameplan is very simple: InBounds Ministries uses sports to attract a wider audience. Sports tend to be a common denominator of most cultures. Gender doesn’t matter. Race doesn’t matter. Age doesn’t matter. Sports cross those boundaries â€" as did Jesus â€" as does the Gospel!

6. How did God place this ministry on your heart?
Sports were always a major part of my identity and as I progressed in ministry I realized I was not alone in that. Therefore I started using sports as a platform for evangelism and discipleship. It is estimated that 75% of Americans are touched by sports in some way every single day. Seems like a great demographic to work with.

7. Who is involved in your ministry?
It is a ministry I started because of how God has gifted me. Yet He has brought many key people into the mix of keeping this going. I have a board that is very ministry minded and regularly meet people that plug in different ways. I try to incorporate a mix of coaches and players to help at each event.

8. Share a little bit about GEM and the trip to the Czech this summer.
Global Evangelism Ministries is an outreach with works going on all over the world. I met Roy Mason, GEM Founder, at church and we started brainstorming about ways to use the sports platform in conjunction with his outreach. In June we will be conducting basketball camps in the Czech Republic. We are going into a small town called Domazlice. There is limited evangelistic presence in this area so we are excited to help build a platform for that. You can find specific information about this outreach at www.gemonline.org.

9. Any last comment
I am just so thankful that God was willing to send His Son into the game of life to be my Substitute! (Romans 5:6)

Interview with Todd Burden of Inbound Ministries by Jamie Vaughan

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