| SportQuest Celebrates Ten Years of Ministry In Belgium
The Greatest Summer EVER!
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SportQuest celebrated ten years of ministry in Belgium this summer! I am amazed and humbled when I think of all that God has done in my life and the lives of thousands of others through the work of SportQuest over the past ten years.
One life in particular, is a Belgium young man named Camielle. Last summer, in the city of Herentals, I met Camielle (the young man on  my right) while riding my bike through the city center. Praying for God to help us reach this city and to connect me to youth I could invite to our basketball clinics, Camielle and I crossed paths. Camielle was a divine appointment. Not only did Camielle start attending the basketball clinics but he brought his brother (young man on my left) and several of his friends. We shared Christ with Camielle and his brother last year but no response. This summer, during our SQ camp in Herentals, Camielle made a decision to follow Jesus! Camielle is now attending the local church we partner with and wants to join our SQ team next summer to help reach his friends with the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray for Camiele as he begins his new life.
In Belgium, over the past ten
years, God has used SQ to bring more than 500 young people into His Kingdom. With only 3,000 teenagers who profess to be a Christian in the entire country, we are believing God for more. Thank you for praying, for giving, and for your words of encouragement over this past year. We are building the Kingdom together.
Every year with SportQuest there are life changing stories, but without reservation, I can say for many on our team, this was the greatest summer ever! Read on and find out why!
Committed to finish strong!
Kent Susud
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BREAKING NEWS...The Belgians have landed!
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"Unbelievable" and "Not Possible", are just two of a multitude of expressions used to describe the reactions of fifteen SportQuest Belgian team members as they came into sight of their temporary home for the next twelve days, Lakeview Church in Indianapolis, IN.
The average protestant church in Belgium has 30-40 members, so seeing a church of 2,000 + was like "shock and awe". Walmart was by far their favorite shopping experience. In Belgium, you go to the baker to get your bread, to the butcher to get your meat, to the market to get your fruits and veggies, etc. Well, we all know what you can find at Walmart...EVERYTHING!
From July 8-19, Belgium and American athletes trained for and led our First Annual SportQuest Indy Project. It was a huge success!
The Belgian and American athletes spent almost two weeks working together to positively impact the city of Indianapolis through free basketball and soccer clinics at Garden City Elementary and various service projects. Approximately 70 children attended the clinics each day and were taught not only the sports of basketball and soccer but also what it means to "Play with Purpose."
Garden City Elementary School was the site for our week long clinics. During training camp and most days prior to the start of clinics our teams canvased several neighborhoods in the school vicinity, passing out flyers and connecting with kids. Our teams played an important role in supporting the ongoing work of our partner church, Lakeview Church, who sponsors the school by providing coats, backpacks, school supplies and other items to all 840 kids every year. Every child at Garden City is on a free meal plan which is determined by family income.
On the last day of camp we organized a special evening called SportQuest Night. Every young person who attended the camp was invited to bring their entire family to Lakeview Church where we provided free pizza, awarded prizes, certificates, shared testimonies and presented the gospel. With 150 campers and family members attending, more than 20 young people and even parents came forward to be prayed with or to give their life to Christ.
This project would not have been possible without the support of Lakeview Church. Thank you to the LC staff for hosting our team and providing the people and finances to make this project a success. |
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| Life Changing Stories
One athletes SQ experience - from small town Kentucky
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Last week staff member Kris Patel sent an e-mail to this summers alumni asking two questions. 1.) How did SQ impact your life this summer?
2.) What would you tell your friends about SQ?
Kris asked the athletes to be very brief, limiting their response to a few sentences. Not only were we surprised at the number of athletes who responded so quickly but also at the depth and length of their answers. For the next several newsletters we will include a few their responses, unedited.
 Jamie Ogles - KY
college softball player
Hey Kris, here are my answers!
1. When God gave me the leadership to travel with SportQuest to Belgium, I felt that He was challenging me. He was giving me a new adventure--a new experience--that I knew would help me grow in Him. But I was not prepared to encounter the love of God to the extent that I did. Personally, I was following God, but I was testing God. I wanted to see how far He would go with me. I knew He could help me in Belgium, but at home, I faced lots of questions and many viewed the trip as a risk. I would go to a country I'd never been to with people I'd never met. I would experience things that might put me out of my comfort zone. And then it happened. God. Love. Blessings. With every song, every meal, every prayer, every worship service, every clinic, every walk down the street, every laugh, every obstacle, God. He was there. Everywhere. All the time. I was overwhelmed. I felt absolutely consumed by God, and I could not believe how real He was! I had been to church all my life, and I have never felt so free and liberated by God. He showed me that out of my small-town-Kentucky comfort zone, He will go everywhere I go. He will lead me to places where He will meet me. My eyes are wider, and my heart is heavier for Belgium and all the amazing people I met there. Now, I realize that God wants a revival for everyone, and Belgium was my place to find it.
2. SportQuest is for anyone who wants to actively work for God. It's
for anyone who is willing to accept a challenge and a calling from God,
and it's for anyone who is willing to grow through Christ on so many
different levels. SQ is so special, because it cultivates deeper
relationships between God and His followers, and those followers with
each other. Those who are ready to learn and grow through Christ will
experience so many blessings, but those who seem more timid and
cautious will be blessed too! This organization is so amazing, because
God can use everyone with a variety of talents and personalities. The
enthusiastic, the reserved, the athletic, the not-so-athletic... all
are used to glorify Him and connect to so many wonderful kids. He
created us all differently so we can connect with others on different
levels, and I know He will use each of us to continue to witness and do
work for Him.
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| The Mission |
 In 1998, SportQuest ministries responded to a mandated mission by Jesus for all of us to go into the world and share the gospel. Driven by faith, Kent Susud, founder and director of the Indiana-based ministry, responded to the call placed on his heart to create a 501 (c) (3) non-profit in order to continue the great work God had begun in him and to carry it out until the end. SportQuest ministries, since 1998, has been able to draw athletes from the north, south, east and west of the United States to participate in a global evangelism effort to help local churches in foreign countries flourish on hallowed ground, and to disciple those who may not understand the depth of joy and life that comes with having a relationship with Jesus Christ. The evangelism outreach uses the gift of athletic ability God has given to young competitors, who are freshman in high school and up to college age, in order to help achieve the mission. Every step made by SportQuest ministries is led and influenced by God's direction, under the pretense that what is impossible with man is possible with God.
SportQuest Ministries
Purpose Statement: Motivate and equip the sports community to bridge the gap between faith and action.
Mission Statement: We invest in athletes and coaches to experience and build service based, high impact, Christ centered relationships through sport.
Vision Statement: Inspire a global movement of young people to passionately follow Jesus, invade culture, and live with eternity in mind.
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In our Next Issue we have some exciting developments to share.
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Topics
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* New SQ staff in
Moldova
* SQ prepares for
new projects in
Kenya, Poland,
Moldova and
Lubbock, TX
* Belgium update
* Scholarship
Program
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| Featured Article |
"Now, I realize that God wants a revival for everyone,
and Belgium was my place to find it."
For more on this story, read the
Life Changing Stories article
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| Contact Info |
Address: PO Box 53433
Indianapolis, IN 46253
Tele: 317-270-9495
www.sportquest.org
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| DONATE |
You make it
all possible.
Thank you so much for supporting SportQuest.
For a one time or recurring donation please send checks to P.O. Box 53433
Indy, IN 46253
If you prefer to make a donation using paypal our e-mail address is
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SportQuest is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
All donations are tax deductible.
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