I recently wrote about a youth sporting event to raise money and awareness for Nothing But Nets. That event took place last Saturday night. Youth from several area churches brought money from donations to help send nets to Africa.
We gathered at the Juniata Valley High School gym for an evening of basketball and volleyball (net sports). Randy opened with devotion and shared that early Christians were called “athletes of God.” The group of “athletes” who gathered in the gym Saturday night, Randy said, came for more than physical activity; they came to make a difference in someone’s life in another part of the world.
Many thanks to area youth who raised $1051!
And that number is sure to rise as donations are still coming in. Special thanks to our top two money raisers: Erica Brechbiel (from the12th Street UMC) who raised $173, and to Ben Irvin (from Faith UMC) who raised $166.
For more info on this effort to save lives in Africa, check out Nothing But Nets.
Athletes of God …
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9.24-27).