Tag Archives: Athletes In Action

Healing, Cru15, and Digital Strategies

Posted in Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports T.E.A.M. by

Healing: We are delighted to tell you Elizabeth is finally recovering after almost three years of headaches, dizziness, nausea Elizabeth, Aug 21, 2015and exhaustion. She will start her senior year next week and will graduate on time with her class. The U. of Pittsburgh Concussion Clinic put her on the road to recovery. The director hadn’t ever seen a patient work as diligently as Elizabeth has! Thank you for praying! God has graciously answered. Please pray she’ll continue to recover and for strength as she returns to school.
Next week Aaron starts his sophomore year in high school, Annie returns to EMU for her sophomore year and Ellie begins her senior year at OSU. Erica started her job as a social worker and recently became engaged! Andrew continues work in NYC as a value-added arbitrage of web traffic (don’t ask—I don’t know what it means either), and Emily is working and pursuing certification to teach English in Korea.

CRU15, cru640x360CRU15:  Last month, Rick and I attended our biennial staff conference along with 5,000 other staff members from Cru ministries all over the U.S. It was a wonderful time of connecting, worshiping God, hearing challenging messages from godly men and women and learning about exciting new strategies to reach the world with the gospel. The theme “Together” focused on ethnic oneness and partnering with others to spread the gospel.  Here is a five-minute update we saw at Cru15 about several Cru ministries:

Ministry Update Cru15

AIA’s Ultimate Training Camp is featured in the third segment. It was our first partnership with Cru City, and it was held at AIA’s Total Athlete Complex in Xenia, OH, where Rick serves. We’ll share more in subsequent newsletters.  Ultimate Training Camp is featured in the third segment. It was our first partnership with Cru City, and it was held at AIA’s Total Athlete Complex in Xenia, OH, where Rick serves. We’ll share more in subsequent newsletters.

Digital Strategies: In June, we introduced AIA’s new digital strategy to more effectively reach those we minister to. Our reasoning: 1 Corinthians 9:23, “for the sake of the gospel!” We must reach the current and future generations where they live! The most exciting part is you can literally join us in sharing the gospel and life-change stories.
Check out the digital/social media platforms on the left. If you are on Facebook, please like our ministry page and start following Athletes in Action’s Ao1 page. You can partner with us by sharing AIA’s ministry with people in your network.

Thank you to everyone who helped us attend CRU15!
For those who still want to help, go to https://give.cru.org/0530568

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  August 2015 to  print a hard copy newsletter.

 

Concussions, graduations, teenagers, and dependence

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Family Life

Concussion, Therapy, College Graduations, Teenagers, Dependence. These words sum up the Rogers family experience.

June 2015 Word MapConcussion & Therapy: While Elizabeth is better, she has significant retraining for her brain ahead. The journey will be very difficult, but doable according to the doctors.

College Graduations: We rejoiced to see Erica graduate from OSU and Emily from Tiffin U., both magna cum laude. Emily is working to obtain a TESOL certification to teach English in South Korea and Erica started with Franklin Co. Social Services the week after graduation!

Teenagers: For most of you, no further explanation is needed. Life is full of school and social activities, and of course, driving almost everywhere.

Dependence on the Lord: We (Rick & Karen) have been living a Romans 5 experience, teaching us that suffering produces good results in us when we will choose to trust the Lord through it. Suffering leads to endurance and on to proven character, resulting in hope, thus preparing us for future service.

Ministry Life

Karen: She continues to write and edit written, and an ever-increasing amount of digital content for AIA. She has been discipling and coaching a group of interns who will be sent into the harvest field with AIA this fall.

Rick: He moved in a new leadership role focusing on digital communications. In order to reach those under 40 with the gospel or pursue/equip those in the sports world, you must do it digitally. If you don’t exist on websites, social media or email, you don’t exist! When people have questions, they find answers through “Google” or through relationships on social media. Digital communication is the 21st century equivalent to the Gutenberg Press in fulfilling the Great Commission. Rick is co-managing content for AIA’s athletesinaction.org, Facebook and Twitter pages and administrating AIA’s Team Blogs.

You are a vital part of this ministry, and we are grateful! The best news of all is our partnership can grow significantly in the coming years. Stay tuned!

Your prayers and support allow us to serve!  Thanks!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:   Jun 2015 to  print a hard copy newsletter.

Once we know…

Posted in AIA Global Sports, Hard Copy Newsletter by

Have you ever experienced meeting someone who expressed compassion or care without any strings attached? Your world,June 2014, Darvin sharing gospel at least for a brief period, might have been transformed. Imagine further that this person traveled thousands of miles to meet you. How would you feel? If you’re like me, you would be wondering what was going on.

Amanda, Kristen, and Gabriel found themselves expressing compassion to a young man recently in Puerto Rico. As he realized they were expressing true compassion, everything changed. Kelsey and Grant were also sharing with four young men, and by the end of the conversation two of them accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

June 2014, Amanda, Kristen, GabrielThese students were part of AIA’s Extreme Challenge project to Puerto Rico – one of 15 missions projects currently underway or recently completed. They are experiencing what it means to be connected to Christ and live out 2 Corinthians 4:6; For God who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” Just as Christ has pursued them, they are now pursuing June 2014, Kelsey and Grant
others because of Christ’s love in their lives. The lives of these student athletes have been transformed as well, and they are experiencing an authentic relationship with Christ!  You can click on either image her them tell their story.

These are two of countless encounters for over 400 athletes/coaches serving in 30 countries around the world on at least 35 projects, touching thousands of lives. Together we and you are assisting them by training them on how to share what God is doing through their projects this summer for others to see. See more about these stories at “Fishers of Men” or visit AIA’s Team Blogs.

Your prayers and support allow us to serve with them!  Thanks!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  June 2014  to  print a hard copy newsletter.

It’s all about showing up!

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For the last three years, Dawn has had roomGirls basketall lay up in her life for only basketball, her boyfriend, and school. Basketball has been good to her by providing an education. Not as much can be said for the boyfriend. Livia, an AIA staff member, has been an athletic trainer at Dawn’s college for the last two years. During that time, Livia has cared for Dawn and her teammates physically, emotionally and spiritually while building relationships with the team and conducting Bible studies.

Dawn has been attending the Bible study the whole time it has been available, but she was only going through the motions. Livia decided it was time to share her Girls basketball dribblingtestimony and the gospel with Dawn before she graduated, so they scheduled lunch together. As they sat down to eat, before Livia could even begin, Dawn blurted out, “I need to have Jesus in my life.” Livia could hardly believe what she was hearing. It turns out that Dawn and her boyfriend were driving on a highway through a bad snow storm when their car spun out right in front of an 18-wheeler; but through God’s grace, the truck completely missed their car. A few more inches and they would have been hit by a 35,000 pound truck. God gave Dawn a glimpse of her own mortality, and because Livia had been sharing the love of Christ with her, Dawn knew exactly whom she needed to talk to. Livia then had the privilege to share the gospel with her, and Dawn prayed to receive Christ.

God is always at work, and we all have theAIA Hoops privilege of being His messengers. I get to assist Livia and others on her team with their operations and communications. You help make that possible with your prayers and gifts. (The names have been changed to provide privacy.)

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:   March 2014 to  print a hard copy newsletter.

For the least of these… / March 2013 Newsletter

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Stories from Global Sports East Africa Jan 2013 Golf Project

One of the team’s most vivid memories is from  a one-hole golf course outside Nairobi, Kenya where 30 The least of these, Kibera Slum children from the Kibera slum received golf instruction and hope.  Despite living in the slum, they gained hope because Athletes in Action (AIA) shared a vision for changing their lives through sports.  Golf is very popular in East Africa, and it’s a great platform for One Hole Course, little girlteaching discipline and life skills.  The children also get out on a beautiful course in the Kenyan countryside every Sunday!  Our team taught, played, laughed and shared Christ with these children, so dearly loved by God.  That day the angels sang when several placed their faith in Jesus.  Five of “the least of these” had their names added to the Lamb’s book of life.  Amen!  The day ended with a one-hole tournament with all the children cheering and following down the fairway.  What a beautiful sight to see!One Hole Course Gallery  The project also blessed the children with golf clubs through our players and donors.  It was a special time all the way to the last putt.  This is how AIA’s Global Sports is changing lives throughout the world by supporting our teams like this one in East Africa.  There’s much more.  Did you catch “Taking it to the next level“?

Smilebox_612347981You are making a difference by supporting us as we develop and manage Global Sports communications.  Thank You!  

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:   to  Mar 2013  print a hard copy newsletter.

Taking it to the next level / February 2013 Newsletter

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Several years ago, God gave What do you see, East Africaa vision for sharing His message of salvation through sports in East Africa.  Our staff responded by faith, and we witnessed the love of God at work, reconciliation and ministry in schools and health clinics changing lives in many settings, not just sports.

In January, AIA Global Sports was back in Uganda developing golf and other local ministry efforts when God decided to “take it to the next level”.  We received word that an official from the Ugandan Olympic Committee (UOC) wanted to meet.  At the meeting, the UOC representative announced Uganda wanted to invite Athletes in Action (AIA) to be the first official partner in developing their Olympic efforts over the next three years.

God has opened the door to assist Uganda in the development of their Olympic efforts in at least seven sports.  In doing this, AIA will be able to share God’s love and message of salvation with thousands of men and women.  According to AIA’s Global Sports Director,”We will help build expertise in athletes and walk along side them in the struggles they have on a day-to-day basis.”

What do you see, East Africa 2Would you please pray for our work in Uganda as well as our other 2013 Projects?  Together, we are making a difference by helping Global Sports staff and volunteers coordinate these projects and connect with those athletes, coaches and adults whom He wants to join us.

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:   to Feb 2013 print a hard copy newsletter.

This is what I want / November 2012 Newsletter

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The sun was shining brightly through the windows the morning of the 6th day of the International Coaches’ Academy.  Each day began with Team Time (a devotional).  

The discussion on this particular morning was about how we see our relationship with God.  People were invited to share their thoughts in small groups.   As you might expect, there was quite a variety.  All were great examples of God at work in their lives, but Samuel’s stood out to me.  Samuel’s focus was not on today, but where he wanted to be.  During the discussion time, he struggled to clearly communicate his desire.  He walked up to share with the group and had only a blank piece of paper.  It was clear nothing was written or drawn on it, unlike everyone else’s.  It was truly God breaking into his world.  Samuel held up his paper and said, “This is what I want:  to be pure.  I want to have a clean heart.”

This is not a desire born of man.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  But God supernaturally revealed to Samuel his own sin and need for forgiveness.

You are vital to this mission!  Your prayers and support of AIA Global Sports and our ministry makes this possible.  Together, we are helping fulfill the Great Commission as people like Samuel are reconciled to God and become conduits of His love and mercy in their parts of the world.

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