Nick Morgan – Sports Editor
In October of 2018, the Collegian printed an article highlighting an athlete-led ministry in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. These same students are making strides in that community and are moving toward introducing their ministry as an official non-profit organization.
Senior Austin Baker and a group of Asbury athletes set out in 2015 to show that there is mission work to be done right here in the Bluegrass State. They started Lex Sport Outreach as West Sixth Street Soccer Ministry, but the ministry has grown exponentially in just a few months, with plans for further expansion on the horizon.
Lex Sport Outreach stays busy throughout the week with four individual outreach programs. On Sundays, volunteers go to Coolavin Park on the north side of Lexington to play sports and share a message with the local kids.
On Tuesdays, members of the men’s soccer team go to Winburn Middle School to lead a soccer club, while girls from the volleyball team spend time with students in their “H.O.P.E.” club, which stands for “help other people everyday.”
And on Saturdays, you can find volunteers at the Woodhill Apartment Complex community center, organizing a pick-up league for youth in that neighborhood.
Julia Thompson, a junior on the volleyball team, heads up the H.O.P.E. program. She said, “Being a part of this ministry has been really great, and being able to love on these girls without necessarily talking about Christ, but showing His love through us, is very fruitful.”
Lex Sport Outreach plans to come under New City Church so that the church can provide insurance and use its 501C3 tax form, which allows potential donors to get a tax deduction for their contributions. There will still be a lot of work to do past that, including finding a work space, establishing a board and going through countless documents.
“Short term mission trips are good, but if you’re consistently there for someone in a lasting relationship, you’re really able to make an impact, and you’re able to see that person grow,” Baker said.
If you’d like to make a donation or inquire about merchandise, contact Noah Welch at noah.welch@asbury.edu.
