Player Prayer at the Blitz

I had a great time at the recent NBL Basketball Blitz. I spent the weekend with some longtime friends who now live in the host city of Coffs Harbour. Bruce is a Sports Doctor and Sue runs her own interior design business. They were good enough to join me for a number of the games scheduled over the weekend.

The Basketball Commissioner for the NBL had asked some of the chaplains to set up a voluntary prayer meeting or Bible Study for any players that might be interested “sometime” during the blitz. However, when we tried to actually schedule a meeting with the organizers we were informed that the players were too busy with other functions to try to schedule in something else.

Nevertheless, there seemed to be player interest in such a meeting even it were only for half an hour, so we decided to meet after the final game and before the cocktail party at the players hotel. I spread the word to any of the Christian players that I knew of during the final day and actually discovered that there were more Christians than I realized who were playing professional basketball.

As is turned out we had the commissioner, two chaplains, and nine players at the meeting. Two other Christians we know of were not at the Blitz and at the cocktail party I had several others identify themselves…and ask me to be sure to invite them to the next meeting of this nature. All up, there are approximately 15 believers among the 150 (?) players in the NBL. That is a whopping 10% (huge by Australian standards). And we are praying that more will join our ranks this year.

Most of the players are the only Christians on their team…and several of the teams don’t have chaplains…so we are encouraging people to pray specifically for good support for the players and a developing fellowship among them.

Upcoming Events

Want to get the word out about three big events on the horizon...in order of occurence...

8-9 September...Blitz

NBL Professional Basketball Blitz in Coffs Harbour this year. Three chaplains will be involved in setting up an official prayer meeting for the function.

22 October...EXtreme TRaining Arvo (EXTRA) Sunday...1:00-5:00 pm...

Extreme competition demands extreme training...for "we wrestle not against not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness". A training opportunity for elite and professional athletes hosted by their high profile peers to better equip them to use their sports success as a platform for the gospel. Last year we had 15 sportspeople at our inaugral training session, this year we are planning for many more as the word gets out.

18 November 2006 (Saturday)...Sydney Kings and Jason Smith Fan Day at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Come and see a top game between the Firepower Sydney Kings and the new team in the NBL--the Southern Dragons. After the game join hundreds of others to hear the Kings Captain Jason Smith share his journey story of faith in Christ. Discount tickets and game T-shirts to students are available through their schools.

For more details on these activities see our website... austaia.net (look in the "Stories" and then "News" tabs).

Grief in Goondiwindi

A couple of weeks ago now, I experienced a very sad, difficult, and extremely memorable couple of days in the small outback town of Goondiwindi, Queensland (5,000 people) as together we mourned the loss of two young rugby players in an automobile accident. The prayers of His people and God’s grace truly sustained me in this trying time and I am grateful to my prayer team and to Him.

I had specifically asked people to pray for “the Lord’s heart” in this matter—an unusual and spontaneous request (that I don’t think I have ever asked for in those words).

So, I was overwhelmed (on my second day...out on a family farm) when one victim’s grandmother came up to me and placed her hand on my chest, looked up into my eyes (with tears in her own), and said to me…”you have a good heart”.

I won’t go into details here. I have provided links below to “newspaper” accounts for more information (and photos) of the young men so that you can continue praying for their dear families.


News links regarding the Goondiwindi story…
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20193210-5003411,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,20183553-952,00.html