A look at what an online Group meeting looks like for us at CSU engaging our athletes.
I was in Office Depot the other day picking up some office supplies to print this newsletter. (Paper, ink, envelopes, etc...) As I was walking through the aisles I couldn’t help but laugh when I got to the “planner” section. There were rows upon rows of different kinds of planners for 2021. I couldn’t help but think of people 12 months ago buying up planners for 2020 and looking to fill them with goals, dreams and plans for the upcoming year and decade. I wonder what those planners look like today?
2020 will go down as the most bizarre year in a generation (so far). So much has changed worldwide since the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2019. Our family has been
impacted, stores have been impacted, school has been impacted, churches have been impacted and I know you and your family have been impacted.
Our children will look back at this time with their friends and say, “Remember when school was cancelled?” I don’t know of many people who look at this past year with fond memories, things have been hard for many of us. Yet, at the same time I wanted to share some incredible ways God has been moving in the hearts of athletes through the ministry of Athletes in Action and your partnership in the Gospel.
I remember exactly where I was in the Student Center at CSU when schools started shutting down. I spent much of the morning on my Twitter feed watching MLB shut down Spring Training, the NBA shut down the season and University after University posting that school would be cancelled for the rest of the semester. It was a bizarre scene seeing in the Student Center with college students all around me (I spend a lot of time at the CSU Student Center meeting with and discipling athletes through the year) as they were hearing about needing to head home by the end of the week. Shock, confusion and uncertainty came over each face within that Student Center and unfortunately as the 2020-2021 school year started (I’m still in the Student Center on a regular basis) that look hasn’t left the faces of college students.
For all the ambiguity that COVID has brought us, there are some incredible highlights I want to share. Ill got into detail with some of these, but here is a quick snapshot of how pivoting through the COVID crisis has actually expanded the work of the Gospel in 2020:
•Allyson and I were able to start our 1st ever Broncos Couple’s Bible Study online in the Spring / Summer.
•Reza is now doing chapel for the Denver Broncos through Zoom for home and away games.
•Our CSU ministry this Fall moved from Tuesday night gatherings on campus to a Sunday morning “House Church” environment.
•Reza has been able to invest in the lives of athletes at Kansas State, University of California – Berkley, and West Point (Army).
•Because we cannot meet in person with all our athletes at CSU – we were able to launch 7 separate Discipleship Groups at CSU this Fall semester
•Reza has started investing in the lives of employees within a few Ft Collins local businesses.
•Allyson has been able to utilize her time helping enhance the internal communications of AIA helping over 800 staff from around the world stay connected through the development of an online “Staff Hub” website.
So much good has happened in the mist of so much uncertainty.
I was giving a devotional to the Colorado FCA staff (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in August and I shared specifically how OBSTACLES can become OPPORTUNITIES when we seek the Lord in the midst of them. A theme for myself through this season has been the words of Paul in the Letter to the Philippians. This letter is generally known as a “Le9er of Joy” yet it was written when Paul was in prison. He didn’t let the walls of a prison prevent him from sharing the Gospel and because he was in prison, he was forced to write leaders. The majority of our New Testament is the leaders that Paul wrote.
Think about that. If Paul was not in prison, not only would the prisoners and the prison guard not have an opportunity to hear the Gospel, we would not have the life altering words of Paul to minister to us today.
There is always OPPORTUNITY in the midst of OBSTACLES when seen through a Kingdom lens. This is what we have committed to do and I am thrilled to share with you all that is going on within the athletic culture in Colorado ministry wise.