It has been my privilege since 1984 to have been hosted innumerable times by Nelson Cook in my years in sport ministry, the most recent was in 2009 where I addressed coaches over breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
This is another of those Christian ministry movements where one person has a vision for a ministry area that had been untapped and gathered support to engender the dream and saw how God unleashed his 'touch' upon the evangelism.
There is a growing number of these 'niche' ministries that highly specialise into a people group and coaches are a vital people group in the American culture who both influence the life of high schools, colleges and professional teams, but have a huge input into the lives of their charges.
To this extent Nelson Cook's vision grew its feet and with the Lord's blessing that this ministry is now a light on the landscape and this is Nelson Cook's latest letter to his coaching personnel:
Latest letter
REALLY MADE a DIFFERENCE
In the last CF letter, we quoted Mother Teresa, when a lady watched her touching kids' lives said to her, "I wish I could do more." Mother Teresa's answer was, "It's not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do."
That statement leads to another true story of a teacher who MADE A DIFFERENCE.
Love: The One Creative Force
A college professor had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. They were asked to write an evaluation of each boy's future. In every case, the students wrote: "He hasn't got a chance."
Twenty-five years later, another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what happened to these boys. With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors, and businessmen.
The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all of the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, "How do you account for your success?" In each case, their reply came with feeling, "There was a teacher."
The teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the old but still alert lady what magic formula she had used to pull these boys out of the slums into successful achievement.
The teacher's eyes sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. "It's really very simple," she said. "I loved those boys." – Eric Butterworth
What a wonderful example of love that translates into changed lives!
Do we love what we do? Do people KNOW we love them or is it just "Christianese" lip service?
For God so loved the world … John 3 verse16; Greater love has no one than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15 verse 13.
Who is God calling YOU to lay your life down for?
Keep on fighting the good fight of faith in love by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Loving Him …
Loving You …
Loving what I do …
Nelson
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html