New Partnerships & Exciting News

Hey everyone! We've had quite a few exciting developments the last couple days. Here's a note from Rob Shields, founder and Executive Director of Sports That Serve, giving you all an update on what God's been doing in our ministry lately. Enjoy!

The past several days have been very exciting for our ministry. Yesterday I spoke with the heads of Cherokee Gives Back and Children’s Hope Chest on a conference call to discuss how our organizations could partner together. While I am always cautious about another organization’s eagerness to join forces for monetary gain, Children’s Hope Chest comes very highly recommended from my friend and mentor, Lyston Peebles of Cherokee Gives Back. The conference call merely started what I’m sure will be an ongoing conversation with Hope Chest, and it’s my hope that we can further the impact of Sports That Serve by teaming up with an organization like it.

But the most exciting outcome of the call came later that night, as I was able to have dinner with Lyston and a new addition to the Cherokee staff, Scott Steele. Scott spent 11 years living in the Dominican Republic and has a huge heart for the poor. He was excited to hear more about what Sports That Serve is doing, and as always, I was ready to ramble about our ministry. It was so encouraging to be able to sit down with two men that I respect and get to discuss ways we can expand upon what we have started in the past year.

Tomorrow I will be meeting with my friend Andy Andrews, former Mrs. D’s All Star and local accountant, who will be taking a look at our “books” and offering helpful advice for how to manage ministry finances in the coming year. This will be a huge help for me, as finances are not my favorite pastime.

We have also begun to receive response to our first wave of fundraising letters that were sent out last week. Asking for support has been a valuable lesson in learning how to walk by faith for me personally, especially considering my circumstances. I will be starting a part time job in early September that will not cover all of my expenses, so I am stepping out in faith and trusting that the Lord will provide the additional money I will require in the coming months. While this can be an unnerving thought at times, I am actually really excited to have it work this way. I would much rather take a leap of faith and rely on the Lord to provide than to have already raised all the money I need for the coming year. I have seen the Lord honor my circumstances when I have chosen to take similar leaps in the past, and I am confident He will do it again.

Please pray specifically that the Lord would continue to open doors for Sports That Serve and provide in His timing.

-Rob