Category Archives: Hard Copy Newsletter

Greatly Helped and Deeply Loved

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Last week, 17 Albanians came to AIA’s headquarters in Xenia, Ohio: 11 Olympic athletes, the mayor of the capital city, the Albanian minister of sport, and the heads of the sports clubs from the two largest cities. They came for sports training, but they didn’t expect what else they would encounter while they were here.

In July 2022, AIA’s Global Team took a small group of staff and students to Tirana, Albania, where they held a sports camp for over 150 Albanian students. In November 2022 the Global Team went to Albania to meet with AIA national leaders from 18 Central and Eastern European countries to put on a launch event to help churches start sports ministries. Building on our existing ministry in Albania, we had the opportunity to invite this group to AIA’s campus to learn about competing as a Total Athlete: one committed to success physically, mentally and spiritually.

The consensus was that the group felt greatly helped and deeply loved. George, the head of sports for the capital city and a pro soccer player for 20 years, said, “I’ve traveled to a lot of places. I’ve never been treated like I was here, not anywhere.” Others said, “Here we’ve been treated as people; as human beings, rather than factories to get something done, accomplish a goal or make someone else happy.” The love of Christ compels us, and His love was evident!

AIA global director Bill who shared about the Total Athlete with a very engaged audience. “The Total Athlete concept created a space to help them begin to see the importance of their own souls,” Bill said. “There were great spiritual conversations, formally and informally, sometimes even into the wee hours of the night.” Four of our visitors went to church, some for the very first time. Tirana’s mayor posted on social media (to his almost 400,000 followers) multiple times during their visit, saying that AIA is a fantastic organization with great people with whom they want to partner.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  October 2023 hard copy. 

Shaped for His Purpose

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

Hailey’s Family

When Hailey D. was in college, she found her identity in running. Sport became her idol, but it was not an easy taskmaster. She thought being in control of everything in her life would make her happy, so she became very hard on herself, even on easy runs and practices. That devolved into a negative body image and disordered eating. A fellow runner invited Hailey to Athletes in Action where she learned that putting her faith in Jesus would give her a new identity in Him and that running could become a way for her to thank Him and bring Him glory. This is the first of the AIA 5 Principles.

Hailey became a student leader on her campus, discipling some of her teammates and helping them take steps of faith and obedience to Jesus. Her senior year, she realized that introducing other people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith was something she wanted to spend her life doing. So Hailey joined the staff of Athletes in Action, and I had the privilege of being her coach. She is working at Wright State University in Dayton, OH with cross country athletes and will be adding track and soccer teams this fall. She is very open with other athletes about the struggles she faced, and God opens doors for the gospel through her vulnerability. One of the girls Hailey discipled was Alicia, whom Hailey helped to begin a team Bible study. Alicia looked for someone she could mentor and began helping Kaitlyn, who became a believer two years ago, to grow in her faith. Now Alicia is encouraging Kaitlyn to step out in faith to lead someone else.

AIA exists to take the gospel where the gospel is not so we can pursue the vision of a Christ follower on every team, in every sport, in every nation. Your prayer and financial partnership is helping create spiritual movements everywhere through sports. Thank you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  September 2023 hard copy. 

Celebrations!

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In family news, on June 7, our new grandson Lincoln was born to our son Andrew and his wife, Laura. Lincoln is beginning to have some digestive problems, and their 20-month-old son Hudson continues to have many difficult health issues. I just returned from spending several weeks in Maryland helping their family, while Rick finished unpacking from our move. God answered a significant prayer during that time. Hudson has issues with motor planning, and could pull to a stand, but could not get down. After we practiced with him hundreds of times, Hudson is now able to get down safely from a standing position.

We also want to let you know WE HAVE MOVED. Our new address is: 1813 Messner Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026. We now have room for guests, so if you come to Columbus and need a place to stay, the Rogers BnB is open for business!

In ministry news, please join me in celebrating with Joel Greenfield and the Catalytic ministry team that God has provided for Joel’s financial support needs and he is officially reporting to his assignment! Joel hails from San Diego, California where he played water polo, basketball and volleyball in high school. In college at Grand Canyon University he played volleyball and majored in sports management.

Joel interned with AIA volleyball for two years before joining staff full time. During that time he was able to travel to Alaska and to South Asia to help put on basketball and volleyball camps. He will continue to serve with volleyball and with the residential academy at AIA. Joel also volunteers with men in addiction recovery and at a homeless shelter where he leads Bible studies.

During his process of finding a team of ministry partners, Joel participated in a 50-kilometer ultramarathon (31 miles) with his dad and proposed to his high school sweetheart, Alena. Through his season of coaching, Joel learned to trust God in new ways and to pray more confidently and expectantly. He frequently shared things he was meditating on from Scripture in our coaching calls because Joel loves God’s Word! He recently went to a couple of countries in South Asia where they hope to open doors for ministry. Joel and his team (including 6 believing college athletes from the US) reached out to local teens through a week-long beach volleyball camp and visited with children in an orphanage.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. 

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  July 2023 Newsletter hard copy. 

When you are a commodity…

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

A significant part of Athletes in Action’s ministry is providing sports chaplains in several professional sports and for Olympians. Many people think that elite athletes have it made because of the fame and money they enjoy, but chaplains to these athletes share a different perspective. “An athlete is viewed as a commodity, not as a person,” says Reza Zadeh, AIA chaplain for the Denver Broncos. “They don’t know who to trust because everyone’s out to get something from them.” Former Boston Celtics chaplain Bill Alexson says, “People love them for what they do, not who they are. Their careers are temporary, and when it’s all done, they’re kind of left high and dry. At chapel, they come in and give their burdens to the Lord. A lot of these guys find peace for the first time.”

“The one thing we do more than anything,” says Mike Tatlock, chaplain to the Portland NBA team, “is to help them with their emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. We bring to the table the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. That is the remedy for the things that these guys struggle with.” Chaplains offer Bible studies, retreats, chapel services and individual discipleship with players, coaches and others in the organization. Many chaplains’ wives also conduct Bible studies for the players’ and coaches’ wives and girlfriends.

When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed during the game with the Cincinnati Bengals in January, the medical team jumped into action, and so did Vincent Rey, AIA chaplain to the Bengals (and one of Karen’s coachees). He prayed with the Bills’ chaplain and then went to the locker room to support the team. “I gave out a couple dozen hugs just to let them know I’m here.” He also saw the opening for the gospel: “I had a chance to give a message to some people within the organization and management and even some of the coaches. Even though it was a hard thing to get through, I think the Lord used it to get glory throughout our nation.”

Please pray for AIA chaplains as ministers of the gospel and for major sporting events like the upcoming John Wooden Keys to Life breakfast in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four basketball championship.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. 

We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  March 2023 Newsletter hard copy. 

To Share the Heart of God

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I’d like to introduce you to Joel Greenfield, one of the new AIA staff members I am coaching as he prepares to report to his assignment with AIA volleyball. Joel grew up in California with several family members who encouraged his faith in Jesus. By the time he was in high school, sharing his faith was a passion, and so was sports. He played water polo, basketball and volleyball in high school and went on to play volleyball in college. Being cut from the team after his freshman year revealed that his sport had become an idol and he needed a reset. Now Joel helps other athletes learn to worship God through their sport, rather than worship their sport

Joel in black shirt on right working Volleyball Camp in South Asia.

In college Joel studied sports management and found that he loved coaching and also loved sharing his faith. As his involvement in ministry grew, he made the decision to invest his life in helping others know Jesus. An internship with Athletes in Action was the perfect place for him to pair his love for God with his love for sports; a place to pursue the vision of a Christ follower on every team, in every sport, in every nation.

Joel with student in South Asia.

During his internship Joel went on a volleyball mission trip to South Asia and a basketball mission trip to Alaska, coached high school volleyball and led Bible studies at a rehab facility for addicts. Then one of the graduates from rehab started going with Joel to lead a Bible study at a homeless shelter. Joel is eager to find a team of ministry partners and get back to serving with AIA volleyball full time. He says, “My sole purpose is to bring others to God. God has been teaching me consistency in prayer. He has me in a position where I MUST pray. I want to share the pain the Lord feels toward His creation. I want to share the heart of God.”

Joel in right and James from rehab study. (James in middle)

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. 

We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  February 2023 Newsletter hard copy. 

Heart, Soul, and Passion

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Last month, Kaylyn, whom I coached and who is directing AIA Softball, made her fourth trip to a middle eastern country where she partnered with Competitive Edge and SportsLife to put on a softball mission trip. They worked with the softball national team of the country they visited, which is made up of 20-55 year-old women, mostly moms. Several of these were women they have met on previous trips. The women know that the American team members love Jesus, and they are open to that idea.

During the trip, Kaylyn got to share her heart and soul, her passion, not only for softball, but also for worshiping God through her sport. Rhonda, one of the women on the middle eastern team, had a believing mother, and she herself is now asking, “Who is Jesus?” Pray that the seeds that have been planted will take root.

Another middle eastern softball player recently trusted in Jesus along with her whole family. Kaylyn was able to give her the AIA Five Principles book about how to worship God through sport. The woman responded through her tears, “I can’t get this here. It’s hard to grow in my faith when there are no resources.” Pray for her continued growth in Christ.

During a dinner shared with the middle eastern women, Kaylyn said they were asked questions like: “If what you are telling us is true, Jesus is the human example of God and He is the Messiah?” To which we were able to answer, “Yes! He is.” Pray the women would seek Jesus as their Messiah.

This year, Efrat, whom Kaylyn met on her first trip to this country in 2017, and who has been pretty closed to spiritual things, has been pondering what it means to know God personally. Sandy, their softball contact in the country, was able to share her journey of faith in Jesus and what it means to know Him personally. Pray Efrat would hunger for a personal relationship with Him.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  November 2022 newsletter hard copy. 

In and Through …

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The vision of Athletes in Action is to see God work IN the lives of athletes and THROUGH their lives to bring others to Himself. We help athletes learn to share their testimonies of God’s work in their lives, and we tell their stories too. One way we do this is through the Struggle and Triumph (S & T) Bible, which features the testimonies of athletes from around the world, a presentation of the gospel, and the AIA Five Principles.

These Bibles have been translated into Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic, and recently Amharic, which is spoken in Ethiopia. We have taken the sports Bibles to 30 countries where they’re being used to open doors to international sports federations and in ministry with athletes. Or coworker Cristobal has been able to share S & T Bibles with every player in the premier soccer league in Guatemala! The very last batch of these Bibles is going out, and new international athletes’ stories will be written for publication in a new sports Bible.

Along with some of the S & T devotions which have been translated into many languages and can be read on the Bible app, Karen wrote some of the additional material in the S & T Bible, so she jokes that she wrote the Bible

Several of our AIA coworkers were in Oregon for the World Athletics Championships over the summer where over 1900 athletes from 192 countries competed, and our staff members got to minister to them. Our coworker Tim has personal connections with some Ethiopian athletes, and he got to meet Werkuha, the silver medalist in the steeplechase event.

Tim was able to give Wehkuha S & T Bibles in her native Amharic language (which she is now studying with her teammates), connect her with our Ethiopian AIA director for discipleship when she returned home, and encourage her to reach out to Luisa, a competitor and top athlete in Albania where an AIA ministry was recently started. Werkuha befriended Luisa in the hope of sharing the love of Jesus with her. Our staff were able to provide resources, encouragement, and discipleship training to Werkuha, and she in turn is reaching out to other athletes.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  September 2022 newsletter hard copy.