We couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening. The sun slowly sank down behind the beautiful Rocky Mountains and a gentle breeze floated across the stadium. The thermometer read a comfortable 78 degrees and at precisely 7 pm, the referee blew the whistle for kickoff!
As you looked across the field to the opposing team, only a few faithful parents were there to cheer their kids on. Our side would have looked much the same , but recently our church felt led to support a local high school. Together, we had Bulldog Backer T-shirts made and rallied 500 people from our parish to cheer the Arvada Bulldogs on! Our side was a sea of red!
But we didn't stop there. We raised $12,000 in two weeks to buy them new uniforms for the first time in 15 years, we purchased new basketballs for the girls' team, we donated backpacks and supplies for over 60 students and over 140 people signed up to tutor kids at the high school.
Why? Because sometimes the mission field starts at home. This football team had not won a game in two years, attendance was at nearly zero, their uniforms were mismatched and it seemed that no one cared.
The church is called to be a city that shines on a hill, to be a light in dark times, and with the economy, it does seem dark indeed. We are to model Christ's love and be a father to the fatherless. We decided that this was an opportunity for God's love to shine, to love the unloveable, the undesired, and so......,
we drove,
and cheered,
and clapped
and encouraged
kids we had never met before.
And guess what happened????
THE BULLDOGS WON,
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 YEARS
42-0!!!!!!
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