Serving Wholeheartedly

Check out Ephesians 6. It talks a lot about not just our actions, but our heart motivations behind our actions. In verse 6, Paul writes about "doing the will of God from your heart" (NIV), noting that it is not enough to simply do the will of God but to do it with the right heart attitude. He follows in verse 7 with "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men". This verse is the heartbeat of our staff and volunteers with Sports That Serve. We are not working to seek the approval of man, whether individuals and organizations in America, or the small orphanage owner in Ethiopia. When we sit down together as a team and talk about where the Lord is taking our ministry and what decisions we should make to get there, we ask that the Lord would use what we are doing to His glory and not our own. We work hard at what we do. Most of us have full-time jobs that we are juggling while we are continuing to get this organization off the ground. But we are constantly reminding each other that we are not working to feel better about ourselves...we are working hard because we are serving the Lord and honoring Him in our hard work. Obviously we do not do this perfectly, but that's what we really believe is at the heart of true, pure service. We serve others because Jesus served us by giving His life for us. So our service is very directly a gift of love and gratitude back to him.

Where are you serving right now? It could be at your local church or school...or perhaps just in your home. Look for creative ways to serve and meet the needs of those around you. Look for simple, easy ways to show love. We challenge you to not only look for these opportunities to serve, but to offer these acts of service to the Lord and work not for the approval or happiness of those around you, but for God. You'll be amazed at how right and free it feels when you are offering your service to the One who truly is worthy.

Let us know how we can serve YOU and your community better. If you think you know of a way for Sports That Serve to come to your area, please let us know! Or if you'd like to serve alongside of us, we can let you know how :)

Also check out this link for a slideshow of our visit with the kids from Kinston.

Wrapping Up September

Mark your calendars:

• Kinston High School and Webb Tyndall have asked STS to return for a second camp on January 30, 2010. We are pumped to return to the school and work with the same great people we grew to love in May 2009.

• Charlotte Christian Academy has invited us to host our FIRST baseball camp in February 2010! Reid Fronk, our Baseball Director, will be arranging and organizing for this camp so contact him at reidfronk@sportsthatserve.com for more details. We are excited to see STS grow into a multi-sport camp.
  

Below is a brief description from Rob Shields about an awesome opportunity the STS staff had to serve recently in Chapel Hill…

This past Friday, STS had the privilege of working with Jimbo Perry, as he brought some inner city kids from Kinston up to Chapel Hill. STS Staff members Rob Shields, Nicole Keegan, Chris Blackmon and Cody Pate all volunteered as “Buddies”, serving as tour guides of UNC’s campus for children from Southeast Elementary School. The day started on the steps of Wilson Library with UNC Student Boy President, Jasmine Jones, and concluded at The Dean Dome, where the kids got to tour the new basketball museum. The kids were also in for a surprise, as several players from the JV Basketball Team met them at the museum and spoke with the kids about the importance of developing good study habits and working hard to achieve their goals.

For the STS Staff, it was an awesome opportunity to continue to grow our relationship with kids from the inner city of Kinston. Hanging out with those kids all afternoon served as a reminder of what we are striving to accomplish through this ministry.

I know for me personally, I was reminded how much all children are created with a need to be loved. At the beginning of the tour, I was assigned to be buddies with a 3rd grader named Shaquan. I knew I had a special kid when I noticed he had a star shaved into his hair. Initially, Shaquan kept his distance, choosing to roam around and explore on his own. While other kids were clinging to their buddies in a strange new environment, Shaquan would wander off in his own little world, eager to see what was around the next corner. As a volunteer, I was trying my best to become his friend, but it seemed he wasn’t interested. But as the afternoon wore on, I noticed a change in him. While he was still a handful to keep up with, (the kid was fast!) by the end of the day we were inseparable. So much so, that when it was time for the kids to head back to Kinston, and each child was given $5 in lunch money, Shaquan turned to another adult volunteer, pointed at me and said “I can get a cheeseburger for me, and one for him”.

Shaquan is why we do what we do. This little 3rd grade boy from inner city Kinston with the star shaved hair cut is now my real Buddy. And showing love to kids just like him is what Sports That Serve is all about.

-Rob


To see more pictures from our fun filled day at UNC, check out the web album here.


Also, if you’re interested in getting to know this awesome group of kids from Kinston, sign up to help with our camp at Kinston High on January 30th!