Kay Adkins wrote this interesting piece about golfer Scott Lehman for Baptist Press:By personal experience, teaching golf professional Scott Lehman discovered a principle that many church men's ministries are discovering as well: Where there is a common interest in an activity, there is an inroad to a man's heart.
About 10 years ago, Lehman for the first time in his life entered a Christian bookstore seeking help for his then-failing marriage. He soon noticed a book with a golf theme -- the devotional "In His Grip" by Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong. He picked it up and began reading it.
"In golf, the most important key fundamental is the grip and how your hands are placed on the club," Lehman told Baptist Press. "The book started to talk about how the key fundamental in life is living a lifestyle in His grip. God began to open my heart to the message."
Now Lehman's greatest passion is to reach other golfers through In His Grip Golf Association, a ministry he founded that uses the golf course as a mission field and golf as an evangelistic tool. In 2006 Lehman focused full time on developing the ministry. He conducts leadership training workshops teaching churches how to organize an In His Grip Invitational and how to implement a year-round golf ministry.
Also, at his Pastor's Masters Golf Retreats held at LifeWay's Ridgecrest and Glorieta Conference Centers, pastors play golf. But, more important, they attend seminars on golf-related ministry and golf-centered life lessons -- ideas they can take back and develop in their own settings.
Lehman says he presents a "reach, teach and send" message, believing that golfers can grow in the image of Christ "through Scripture passages at every hole, small group Bible studies [and] golf retreats," and then be sent out to fulfill the Great Commission. Thus far Lehman has helped about 24 churches host In His Grip invitationals, which average about 100 men per tournament.
