About 5 miles into the bike, God reminded me this was HIS race. I saw a stranded cyclist and he had a flat. I intended to throw him a tube and CO2 then I would jump back into MY race to get MY personal best. That cyclist told me he didn’t know how to change a flat. My personal best didn’t mean much to me after hearing that. It took me about ten minutes to change that flat (loooong story). During that time, I learned this was that guy’s first triathlon. He didn’t know to carry a flat repair kit. He didn’t know how to even change his tire. I was so excited this triathlete was going to finish his first triathlon! I remember how excited I was after I completed my first! Now he was going to be able to do it! He would be able to finish.

Once we were back on the bike, I made a friendly deal in my head that I wouldn’t let him pass me on the bike and he didn’t! On the run, I was wearing Vibram 5 fingers (the barefoot alternative running shoe). This was my first time doing a trail run in the shoes and it was a bad idea. Every time my foot hit the ground, it felt like the rocks were piercing my feet. The last half mile I began to pray for God to give me the strength to finish. Two minutes later, I heard a voice coming from behind me calling my name. It was the stranded cyclist! He said, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you! Let’s finish this race together!” I told him about the pains and he paced me the last half mile! God had given me exactly what I needed in this race.

Several people had come up to me and thanked me for changing that guys tire. One person said I was an inspiration. Me? The recovering alcoholic…an inspiration?! I know God is working in my life when that happens! I do feel a little guilty though. I think I got the bigger blessing out of the whole deal. I had a front row seat at God working in my life!

 A very special Thank You to Hassan Peterson for sharing this testimony.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. - Romans 8:18

A little while ago I was out on a long training run. It wasn't a particularly pretty day and I wasn't exactly looking forward to the run ahead of me. About four miles in, it started to drizzle. A mile later, it was raining. I found myself looking around realizing that I was the only one around, running, in the rain. My mind started to harp on how miserable it was and how much longer I had to go; How I could probably just take a shortcut and go home. Then I felt God speak to me.

What if it rains on race day? Sure, I can pray for beautiful weather on race day, and I can praise Him if that's what He gives me. But what if it rains? Does God not want me to race? Do I sit out because I'm not prepared for it? Does my attitude toward the weather have an effect on my performance? Does my attitude have an effect on the people around me?

It was as clear as someone standing right beside me saying "if you train in the rain, you'll be ready when it rains." For the rest of the run I absolutely worshipped. Every drop was a blessing. If the weather is beautiful, God is good. If it's terrible, God is still good. The same thing reigns true in every area of my life. When everything is going great I will praise Him with everything I have. When everything feels like it's falling apart - God is still good and deserves just as much praise!

Basic Principle #3: “Men not Methods”

Every coach knows the same training plan does not work for everyone. Events on a training plan are unique to the athlete, the race, the sport, the situation. Likewise, events on God’s plan differ based on the individuals, the resources, the situation, etc.

Look at how He healed blind men: He touched their eyes, He made mud with His spit, He simply sent them on their way seeing. Or how He called His followers: He told the woman at the well to go call her husband, He told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree, He told the rich young ruler to sell all he had, He simply told Matthew “follow me.”

God uses different approaches and procedures for different times, places and people. That is, He uses Men (or women)…not Methods. Fortunately and unfortunately that means that what is working really well for the Huddle in the next state may not work so well for you – for it may work phenomenally!

So how do we find out what He wants for you and your Huddle? Ask Him. And take the time to listen. “If you seek Me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13).

Endurance sports are not called “lifestyle sports” for nothing! If you think about it, we all pattern our lives around our sport(s). We have a job, a family, our sports – and because we’re good Christians, we have church stuff. We’re BUSY…and so are the endurance athletes we’re trying to reach for Christ. 

Basic Principle #1: “The ministry starts with the Body.”

The “ministry” is not only to those OUTSIDE the body of Christ, but also to those INSIDE it. “Come and see,” Jesus invited. In order for us to be inviting to those “outside” there needs to be something DIFFERENT on the inside!

As we all know, lives don’t (usually) change instantaneously when Jesus takes up residence in us: change requires intentional Bible study, prayer, quality time with other believers and sometimes very long, deep struggles with life itself. It often takes someone pouring into us. Hence a foundational part of “ministry” is pouring into other believers, “iron sharpening iron” and “encouraging one another.”

Jesus is a great example of this: He didn’t evangelize the world – He poured into 12 men for three years. Those men, then fully equipped with the knowledge and experiences Jesus had led them into and with the Holy Spirit, then went out and changed the world!

Following Jesus’ example, a very important part of our ministry as leaders in this body of believers is pouring life, love and knowledge into our “disciples,” in this case, our Huddles. And of course, encouraging them to do the same with someone else – inside or outside of the Body.

To quote A.W. Tozer, “Our Lord said ‘Go ye,’ but He also said, ‘Tarry ye,’ and the tarrying had to come before the going” (Of God and Men, p.37).

Not long ago, God in His sovereignty saw fit to divert two athletes from their happy rut of racing and enjoying successful careers to seminary in a southern state neither will ever call “home.” However, as a result, they had the opportunity to spend months studying and experimenting on “how to reach endurance athletes for Christ.” Some of their findings were quite surprising.

Stay tuned to this blog (http://fcaeequipping.blogspot.com/) and/or the Huddle Leaders’ Yahoo Group to see what God has made available to FCA Endurance teammates!

You can also read the 50-page summary of their findings and observations here (http://donnadouglass.com/FCAE/Ethnography.pdf). I’d recommend starting with the conclusion (p.26) and the interview results (p.40).

In His grip –

Donna (for FCA-E’s Comm Team)

FCA Endurance’s first Ministry Training Conference was a huge blessing! From February 27-March 1, thirty-eight Christian endurance athletes gathered at a retreat center in South Carolina to sharpen their skills in sharing Jesus through endurance sports.

This conference was directed and taught by Teammates Slick and Donna Douglass, who are each seminary students with plenty of in-the-field endurance ministry experience. They did an amazing job of blending general endurance ministry information with practical sharing instruction and coaching. Of course, being an FCA Endurance event, there was also some great fellowship and physical training (photo bottom right: getting ready for a run) as well! The conference concluded with a worship service on Sunday, where attendees were able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.

SC Teammate Deb Hunter had this to share after the event, “Just have to tell you that the time I spent this last weekend at the Retreat was the best investment!!! I hope to remember and USE the strategic evangelism tools that I learned every time I get the opportunity. You (Donna) and Slick really simplified that for us and this morning I reviewed again the notes I took. My heart's desire is to live my life "on purpose"! You two are a total inspiration to me and I'm so glad to get to know you better!”

This conference/training was designed to be the first in our pilot program of equipping experiences, which will ultimately be part of a comprehensive program being developed as a part of our strategic plan. More details will be coming regarding this in the coming month(s).

As we celebrate the blessing of this conference, we give God the glory for a great event and pray that our efforts result in an abundant harvest. We also thank Slick and Donna for their HUGE investment in building this curriculum and putting together this conference. Lastly, we thank everyone who attended and served at this event. Your participation was a blessing, and your commitment to presenting Jesus through endurance sports is inspiring!