Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745 – 1813) has been attributed with saying, “Golf is an exercise which is much used by a gentleman in Scotland … a man would live 10 years the longer for using this exercise once or twice a week.”

Our hope is that the game of golf may lead to eternal life for some through the seeds that were planted by members of a recent International Sports Federation team that spent a week in Scotland sharing the gospel.

International Sports Federation (ISF) is a nonprofit organization whose home offices are located within Wildwood Baptist Church. ISF’s mission statement is, “We exist to bring the life, hope and love of Jesus to the world through sports and recreation.”

Nine men, including members of Wildwood, recently traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland, to play golf, but more importantly, to share the love of Jesus. In partnership with St. Andrews Baptist Church, local men were treated to a round of golf, dinner and a gospel message that, according to one team member, “had many men sitting on the edge of their seats and glued to what the speaker was saying.”

One of the participants reached out to an ISF team leader to express, "... it was one of the most memorable and pleasurable golfing days of my life. Everything from communication, last minute team adjustments for my brother's stressful flat tire incident, welcome arrival, surprise goody bag, golf, electric golf carts, meal and friendship was all awesome and greatly appreciated.”

“My big brother and I tend to disagree a lot about trivial things when we are together, but this golf event brought a lot more harmony and peace between us than normal. I hope my brother has received a seed of information from the event that will lead him to Christ in the near future.”

Golf is just one of the many sports ISF uses to reach the world. Visit their website, www.sportsmissions.com for details about upcoming trips. For more information, contact ISF President Cheryl Wolfinger at cheryl@sportsmissions.com.