Tag Archives: AIA Global Sports

1 Million watched them in person!

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Source: Reuters

A million spectators attended the trials and finals of the men’s and women’s road cycling races at the 2012 Olympics.  Cycling as a sport and recreational outlet continues to grow in popularity.  In the US, it’s strongest growth is in the larger cities and in the western states, especially among 25 to 64-year-old men.  So how popular is cycling?  Who does not know Lance Armstrong?   Yet, according to a 40 year veteran AIA staffer, “cyclists are the biggest unreached group in the world of sports.”

Source: Oakley.com

Imagine how many lives might be touched with the message of God’s love if Lance Armstrong were a Christ-follower?  Be encouraged; God is moving.   He has raised up an insider to this world who is starting a ministry through AIA Global Sports.

Todd competed in the world of cycling for six years before God called him into a ministry to his fellow athletes.  He is keenly in touch with the pioneering reality surrounding God’s call to this sport.  “Cycling is a very ego-driven sport

Source: BBC

because you are out there on your own and these guys have sacrificed so much of their lives in training for this sport that it is hard for them to rely upon anyone or anything other than themselves.”  However, Todd has connections to a  small core of talented upcoming cyclists who are Christ-followers.  This is critical to have an impact in cycling.  You must start at the top with the heroes everyone is trying to emulate.

We will share more about this new ministry.  In the meantime, please pray for Todd and all those who are stepping into this pioneering ministry.

Their reaction was worth the entire trip! / October 2012 Newsletter

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It was the last day of the Ugandan Girls basketball project and they were helping at the Peace for Children Africa (PCA) orphanage.  The PCA was one of the places the project served between the scheduled basketball-related outreaches.  You can catch more about the project at “What about right now?” and “AIA 2012 Ugandan Project“.  The orphans were excited to thank the team by showcasing their singing, dancing and acrobatic skills.  They were outstanding!  Afterward, our team gathered to give the kids one last gift.  Each child was invited by name to receive a backpack as the team sang “Mighty to Save”.  For us, this is not a big deal, but to them, it was huge because their reaction was worth the entire trip!  You could tell they were not expecting anything.

You may know the saying”We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” Faith is what saves us and it’s  always connected with good works.  This is why AIA’s Global Sports includes as much physical aid as possible for projects.  The gospel message comes in many forms, and compassion aid is a critical part of our projects.  AIA Global Sports is very mindful that sports activity is a doorway through which the life-changing message of the gospel moves.  Why use sports?   Nelson Mandela said it the best, “Sport has the power to change the world.  It has the power to inspire in a way that little else does. ”  Want to know more about AIA compassion aid? Click here.  Thanks, Katie for your help!

Please review our prayer page and support needs links and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  Oct 2012 to print a hard copy newsletter.

Uniquely Impacting the World / August 2012 Newsletter

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“I realized how dramatically sport can facilitate growth and change. It’s a tool God provided me that had the capacity to help me uniquely make a difference in the world.”  (Jessica)

Right now, a team of collegiate women basketball players is spreading fire seeds in the spiritual darkness of Europe, specifically in the  Czech Republic.  They are participating in pre-season conditioning, on-the-court drills, and scrimmages with professional women players from the Czech Republic.  They will have Bible studies and a great deal of hang out time together.  You can join this team over the week by lifting them, and all those they interact with, in prayer.  You can follow the team’s blog here.

Your prayers will have a vital role, not just in the lives of the Czech players and coaches attending the project, but also in the lives of girls who comprise the AIA mission team.  Don’t take my word for it;  take a minute to hear from Jessica and others who shared from the 2010 project there.

God has a unique plan for each of those attending the 2012 project, just as you saw in this short snippet from two years ago.  God is truly working in the most difficult parts of the world to reconcile this world to Himself again.  See the bigger picture at Breaking through the Spiritual Darkness.

Thanks for your partnership in our ministry with AIA’s Global Sports Teams.  My role includes facilitating communications and logistical support for projects just like this one around the world.

Please review our prayer page and support needs links and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  August 2012 to print a hard copy newsletter.