The NOT SO Distant Future

Today is Wednesday, December 11th. We are only two weeks away from Christmas and believe it or not, this 39 year old man has his fingers crossed for a White Christmas. I love snow! As a child, one of my favorite things to do was to play in it. I loved to go sledding with friends. I loved to build snowmen with my dad. I loved to throw snowballs at my sister and I loved to make snow angels and other fun creations in the freshly fallen white stuff. In fact, one of the things I love most about snow is that even if only for a few short hours, it creates a blank landscape. No blemishes, it hides all the ugly. It erases the "less than". It makes one giant canvas for any artist, big or small to create his or her masterpiece. Lately, I feel like thats how it is with FCA in Cincinnati. We have been provided with a blank landscape; a giant canvas with which to create something truly glorious. I can imagine us looking back 3-5 years from now in awe of all that God has done in and through this ministry. I have no doubt there will be dozens of huddles: multi-sport huddles, team huddles, coaches huddles, etc.. There will be camps (plural) in Cincinnati and through these camps, athletes will come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. There will be programs and events taking place around the city that are helping to grow and disciple coaches and athletes alike. Most importantly, there will be hundreds of men and women serving in the ministry. They will be paid staff: directors, reps, ambassadors. They will be board members, character coaches, camp staff, huddle leaders, etc. TEAM FCA will have grown exponentially and more importantly, the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN will have grown exponentially. How? By coaches and athletes, staff and volunteers telling others about Christ. Christ, the One who like a fresh fallen snow makes us pure; without blemish. The One who covers our imperfections; hides all the ugly and erases the "less than". Praise be to God in advance for all that He is going to do through FCA in the days, weeks, months and years to come!

Thanks to our board chairman, John Meeker, my son Benjamin and I got to go down to the UC Bearcats Men's Basketball Game last night at 5/3 Arena. The picture above is the view from our seats (pretty nice huh?). The game was awesome! This team is energized and a lot of fun to watch! They played their hearts out from the first whistle to the final buzzer. Coach John Brannen and his staff certainly have this team playing an exciting brand of basketball! The bearcats won the game easily, but it wasn't the final score (or the free food...YUM!) that got me most excited. It was something that happened before the game; actually is was several things that happened before the game that got me the most excited and filled me with hope. It was the coaches, who I happen to know because they attend our Monday morning bible study, saying hello and giving my son and I high fives and hugs. It was the player who came and sat with us during warm-ups to share what God was doing in his life. It was the UC Athletics Executive, who is also an FCA board member, that came and sat next to my son and talked "basketball" with him for 15 minutes. These were the things that got me the most excited! You see (UC), I am just crazy enough to believe that God is MOVING on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. I am even crazier to believe that the work that God is wanting to do may just be starting through this basketball team. After all, it is the Men's Basketball Conference Room where a dozen coaches, UC Athletics employees and campus ministry workers meet every Monday to study God's Word together and to pray for one another! I have served in the local church for 17 years, but the thing I love most about the FCA is that we meet people where they are at: on the field, on the court, and in the classroom. I can't wait to see what God is going to do on the campus of UC. The other night at dinner, my kids were talking about how 'Friday' is their favorite day of the week. One of my children asked me, "Dad, what's your favorite day of the week?" To which I responded, "My favorite day of the week is Monday!" My prayer is that Mondays will continue to be the launch pad for ALL that God is wanting to do in the hearts of coaches and athletes at UC and around this city!

Last Thursday, November 7th was a special night for Cincinnati FCA! The weather that day was pretty crumby. It had rained most of the day and that night, the air had turned pretty cold, but inside the clubhouse at Ivy Hills Country Club something exciting was happening! That night, 55 people gathered to hear the vision for Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the city of Cincinnati. The crowd was a mix of former collegiate and professional athletes, school administrators, business men and women, and church staff. The two things everyone had in common were a love of sports and a love for Christ! Kraig Cabe, our Great Lakes Regional Vice President got us kicked off, sharing the history of FCA and the need for a vibrant FCA ministry in Cincinnati. Our board chairman, John Meeker and I got our chance to share with the room God's vision for the city and how each of them could partner with us. The most powerful message of the night however, came from a recently retired high school football coach. Coach Andy Olds, Varsity Football Coach at Kings High School for the past 21 years shared his path to becoming a high school coach. Coach Olds, who led the Knights to the playoffs in 14 of his 21 seasons, was quick to give God all the glory and credit for his success over the years. He was also sure to remind the room of their own need to follow Christ. In a world where coaches are increasingly consumed with wins and losses, Olds, who was no stranger to wins himself, reminded the room of what matters most. The coolest part of all of that is that last Thursday was only the beginning. I am thrilled to serve with FCA and in just a couple of years, I can imagine a scenario where a room full of coaches like Olds will be sharing their stories of life change with one another. In my mind, it is when that happens that we will know that God's vision has become a reality! Thanks to Kraig, Andy, John, the FCA Staff and Leadership Board and all those in attendance for an awesome night!