We are coming quickly to the close of our second
season of Upward Flag Football and Cheerleading at
Unity Baptist Church, and it's hard to believe the
season's almost over. The joint Awards Night Ceremony
with Green Acres Baptist Church was held on Sunday,
October 28 at 6 p.m. at McConnell – Talbert Stadium.
Jason Anthony, a former football player from the
University of North Carolina, joined us again this
year to share the Gospel message through his
tremendous talents of humor, story-telling, and
multimedia chalk art. Jason completes his enormous
chalk drawings in only fifteen minutes, and the looks
of awe on all of the children's faces are priceless.
As the Cheerleading Commissioner, I am excited about
our 197 cheerleaders from both churches doing a joint
pom routine.
We are truly blessed in our community to have so
many Upward Sports opportunities available for our
children. My family's Upward journey began five years
ago with Upward Basketball at Second Baptist. A good
friend encouraged us to let our children participate,
and I am so glad that he did. It was such a wonderful
experience for my children to be able to participate
in a new sport, learn the fundamentals, get equal
playing time with their teammates, and to learn how to
have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ all at
the same time.
When Unity began prayerfully considering adding
Upward Sports to our ministry opportunities, I was
excited and intimidated at the same time. We are a
much smaller church, and it would require so many
people to pull it off. We decided to take a group of
six to a training session in Tampa. When we arrived,
we were still unsure if we would proceed, but by the
next day we knew without a doubt that God had called
us to provide a brand new Upward opportunity to Middle
Georgia. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Caz
McCaslin, the founder of Upward, speak, do not pass it
up. Green Acres had a team there, too, and we were
thrilled that with our churches being located on
opposite sides of town many, many children would have
the opportunity to try a new sport and have the Gospel
message presented to them.
Upward Flag Football and Cheerleading has been a
tremendous amount of work, and it has involved just
about every member of our church in addition to some
volunteer coaches from other local churches to make it
happen. Upward is truly a team effort. But God has
been so faithful to provide the coaches, referees,
concessions volunteers, greeters, and many other
positions necessary to make the season successful.
And He's provided a multitude of beautiful
children. The most exciting thing is He's had numbers
added to His kingdom. On one third- and fourth-grade
cheerleading squad alone, seven little girls have
accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior! At the start of
the season, their coaches, a mother and daughter team,
told the squad that it was their prayer that the girls
would all be good friends who cared about each other
and learned to love each other. God has certainly
answered that prayer and then some!
In our society we hear a lot about "mean
girls." I am so thrilled that these girls have
had a place to come where they are loved and accepted
and do not have to worry about their peers being mean
to them. These girls have prayed together and hugged
on each other and been genuinely happy for each other.
It just doesn't get any better than that.
For more information about Upward Sports at Unity
Baptist Church, call 922-0063.
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