Sports Story

by Curtis Zeilstra

The team devoted most of its time to visiting churches, attending chapels and teaching basketball clinics at local schools.

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Lions Play Ball, Minister in Taiwan

Billy Hague chats with a camper at Christ's College.
--Athletic department, photo

Curt Bickley, Multnomah's men's basketball coach, and the men's basketball team left the kids of Taipei, Taiwan, very happy. The team, by hosting basketball clinics and tournaments, taught children how they can incorporate living for Christ and playing basketball.

Besides setting up clinics and interacting with kids, the team members acted as Christian role models and opened ministry possibilities with a local college. The team came home more confident and better equipped with ministry ideas.

The team devoted most of its time to visiting churches, attending chapels and teaching basketball clinics at local schools. The clinics included about 61 kids, which required different sessions of games and prizes. The MBC players coached and cheered the teams on.

Communication was hard because the kids barely spoke English.

"One of the kids' assignments was to go up to us and say a few things in English," Coach Bickley said. "It helped us interact with them. We had to keep them occupied and make it interesting."

Besides contributing to the schools, Coach Bickley and several players shared their testimonies with the kids through an interpreter.

"I basically gave them an intro to the gospel," Coach Bickley said. "I had to get their attention let them know what I believe. Matt Nelson and Scott Chase gave their testimonies as well."

Each team member needed $2,000 for plane tickets, lodging, food and expenses. Many sources contributed to funding the trip, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Multnomah concession money and families. Part of the money served as a gift for the Hovater family, a missionary family stationed in Taiwan. Prizes were donated for the clinics, too.

During the clinics, the team gave away six boxes of basketball cards, 20 jerseys, new practice uniforms, 12 new basketballs, new coaching shirts for Christ's College and Bethany Christian School and a gift of $2,000 for the Hovater family.

After experiencing firsthand the impact of urban ministry, the team discovered that missionaries are needed not only in the thick jungles and wastelands, but also in the cities and schools.

"Most of the guys at first were hesitant that any impact would be made through sports evangelism," Coach Bickley said. "Many now think they'd like a teaching or ministering position somewhere in the urban places of foreign countries."

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