Tony Dungy Speaks @ Baltimore City/PHS FCA Banquet & Fundraiser for Youth/Student Athletes & Coaches

ladies and gentlemen good evening good evening welcome to this very special night would you please find your table find your seats and we're going to look to get started in just a moment this is the 10th year we're beginning the 10th year of this generation of Ministry of the fellowship of Christian athletes in Baltimore City it's going to be a um it's going to be a very exciting year I think we're going to have a very exciting night and as we begin and ask you to find your seats let's first of all commit our time this evening to the Lord let's go to him in prayer our father and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you so much for His abundant Mercy to us we thank you for the grace that you have poured out Upon Our Lives and upon the world in the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you Father for the Abundant salvation that you have made that you have made this way and tonight we can join all together bound together in our commitment to your son father tonight we pray for our city we pray for Baltimore city and particularly the young people in it we pray for an open door for the gospel that many would hear it and believe we pray for commitment unto discipleship we thank you Father for the many different ones who are working in the gospel in our city in so many different Ministries and we pray that with one heart in one mind we may in a unified way hold forth the word of life and tonight father we thank you for the work of those in the fellowship of Christian athletes and we pray that in the huddles and in the schools and on the fields and at the camps that your spirit would be active and working [Music] and that many lives would be changed unto the the eternal glory of your son and so father tonight we pray that you would bless our fellowship that you would bless our conversation that you would bless this food and we give all in the in the name of and we give thanks for all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ amen enjoy the night everybody [Music] he [Music] in your house [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] turn the burning God keep your lips turn the burning keep your laps trimmed and burning keep your locks trimmed and burning the time [Music] [Applause] [Music] children or children foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] no Hallelujah [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I am worthy crazy [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hallelujah [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hallelujah [Music] foreign [Music] truly it is an honor and a privilege to be with you all this evening and I would like all to to walk I would like to welcome you all to the Baltimore City Fellowship of Christian athletes banquin my name is Kendra and I attend the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute okay we got some poly alumni in the building where I serve as the class president for the class of 24 and as the president of our Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Christian Club it is a pleasure to be able to share with you how the Lord has favored and blessed our Christian Club ever since the beginning um of us revamping our club we have gained over 35 to 40 consistent members all young people yes that's that's something to praise God for all young people who are interested in learning more about God getting to know more about his word and freely expressing their faith our Christian Club is just a safe space to uh be able to understand more and it's not a judgment there's no judgment Zone it's a place where you can be loved and where you're able to learn more about God and I'm grateful to The Fellowship of Christian athletes for funding our club and allowing for us to have food and snacks and things of that sorts so that our club can continue at this moment I'm now going to introduce Bishop Kiva Elliott to do our opening prayer clap for him good evening I want you about your headshot number your heart says we pray gracious God our Father in your wonderful name Jesus we come and we do give you thanks for this day that you've given us we thank you for this opportunity of Fellowship I Am The Fellowship of Christian athletes God we are grateful for this vehicle that you use throughout this city and far-reaching places to minister to Children and Youth we are grateful for what you're doing and we thank you for allowing us to gather together tonight that we might support this Mighty move of you God we thank you for the leadership here at the state and local level God be pleased with everything that happens in this place tonight we pray for the fellowship that it be fruitful we thank you for the food that you would blessed as we partake and that everything that happens will be pleasing in your sight we pray for your servant and your child uh coach Dungey as he comes that he would share word of wisdom that would Inspire us Enlighten us and encourage us to be together even as we face so many ills and issues in our city we realize that this vehicle is something that can move us in a positive and powerful and productive way now God be pleased with everything that happens tonight it is in your wonderful name Jesus that we pray and together we say Amen good evening ladies and gentlemen and praise the Lord and I praise the Lord turn your attention and watch the followman Carver video [Music] I remember the football team track team and swimming team and also uh have great memories of my classmates and we some of us still maintain friendship through through the years as a student here in Carver I learned how to take advantage of my environment and take advantage of my opportunities Carver helped me realize that I could learn on my own I could teach myself anything I wanted to learn and I could be anything I wanted to be best lesson I've learned in my life first of all believe in God and then believe in yourself and then try to keep your mind on what you want to be or what you want to do in the future you know as we know it's the oldest historically black trade school in Maryland it's the third oldest in the country uh took seven different facilities before it arrived here in 1954. it was established in 1925 so we're about to celebrate our our Centennial as a as an academic institution uh one of the things that we talk about is history and Legacy and so one of our projects as a team was to research some of the uh historical teams at Carver and what we realized is that Carver had won in the past in 1979 1980 2004 and 2005 and so we created a banner I had a banner made and we added those teams on 7980 2004 2005 along with 2022 because you know we are just one part of this this big story that hope that has history and hopefully continues to create history some of Baltimore's history some of baseball's history back to our city that we maybe have forgotten not taken care of not maintained not yeah you know not cared enough about the ever golden Memorial Scholarship over 20 some years looking at our membership now has dwindled and because of age and health we can't get around no more and because of that the members decided that we need to discontinue and discontinuing we had a responsibility to all the people that had donated money to the scholarship fund uh we decided that the monies that was left in the bank that we should give the Monies to the Carver Alumni Association it's only right because it says in the good book and we should give back don't forget where you come from we want to assure you that it will be um used in the way that the Edward golden Memorial Scholarship fund intends it to be used and that is to award scholarships to student athletes who are pursuing further education [Music] foreign athletic director back in 2011 after a volunteer coaching football he said to me how would you like to head baseball coaching job and and here's the scenario uh we don't have our own field we have no budget to get you to the field um all the budget has been exhausted we had to buy new safer bats and some of the some of the students some of the students are uh you're going to have to teach them baseball and I said okay you know what an opportunity not only an underdog type of a story but I said you know we're going to figure this out together this is a vocational school we need to think like business people and so we're going to treat baseball like a vocation and so we're going to solve some of these challenges together it's a little hard to go to practice because um you know we only got one here we play a Dru Hill part field five so we do have a cover van that we take for the team you get in there pack our bags go to Dru Hill Field Five we get school buses for games um practice we have to fend for ourselves to get to our field this is luxurious for us uh we unload we stretch we practice and we are welcoming Coach Lee from Douglas to speak a little bit with some of the boys that played last year on our 22 championship team and some of our rookies that are coming out and our coach is here and just to you know take a little blessing moment that's what these huddles all are all about you know what they represent and different things I come and I like to start those things and and really get you guys going because the Huddle is really all about you guys anything that gives children another Opera opportunity to be part of a community is good it's healthy but we're not forcing it kids can choose so when we give kids the opportunity to choose and then they choose God and you know Jesus and that kind of thing that's cool I'm good with that don't give up those things that connect us that make us keep us together I guess I would pray before again it just make me want to run through something I don't know why it just it's just something you know about just talking to him and asking for strength and power and protection you just really it really uh does something to your soul and that's why I thank God for it what have these coaches done with these young people to make them the best in the city if you're a disciplined athlete student athlete that means your grades are good that means you just do the work like you do the work and that just doesn't mean it's just school work you do the work to like better yourself get yourself better so I feel like being disciplined is everything and all these men put effort in young men to developing Young to you know making them feel important making them feel successful making them feel worthy none of them have to care and they do they do so much extra not because they have to there's no have to in this it's they're compelled to spiritually it matters to them to help young people be better people foreign that is a powerful video I don't know about you but I've already been blessed I've heard a wonderful youth choir sing how about you Yvette praise the Lord I'll tell you they were wonderful weren't they let's give them a round of applause Thank You choir you know tonight you're being giving a wonderful opportunity to help serve and support Baltimore Fellowship of Christian athletes and the Park Heights Saints football and cheerleading program your investment tonight you will have a major impact on the lives of the children in Baltimore City and our youth in Baltimore City we need to turn this city around get these kids going in the right direction and help them any way we can that's our responsibility but it's not just mine it's not just yours it's all of ours together tonight I have the great honor of introducing our speaker tonight Mr Stephen fitzpew who is a wonderful speaker and is with the American National Football League serving with the Denver Broncos Steve welcome thank you very much I'm not gonna be long before you I am excited to be here and I want to say welcome family welcome family because this is a family effort we all lay our hands to the plow to make great things happen I did have a chance to play in the NFL um he said Denver Broncos and I just want to make it clear I did not play with John Elway John Elway played with me so much of life is how you look at it and uh matter of fact he threw the ball so hard you're supposed to say how hard he broke my finger right there isn't that great Johnny we broke my finger but anyway I'm excited because I get to travel and speak and but my heart got us at Baltimore City on my heart and I've had the privilege of being able to serve on the board since this exception so I want you all to give a hand clap to Baltimore City FCA just do a handclap look around look around look at what is happening in this city because you are here and you all look great tonight as a matter of fact look at somebody next to you look at somebody next to you and say neighbor if you were not here I'll be the best looking thing in here see how easy it is to encourage one another 42 years ago I got some advice I was going off to college in Miami University and I wanted to I wanted to play the NFL and this guy named Oscar rone tied in for the Cleveland Browns said if you want to be successful and if you want to play in the NFL one day the first thing you do when you get to College find out who the people are who know how to pray and build relationships with them and when I got to school I took him up on his advice I asked around who's meeting for Bible study and I walked into a group called The Navigators and and I remember going in there for for Bible study I was just a young freshman and I saw a young man in there who was a little older than me uh his name was John Harbaugh and give him a hand clap it has been a privilege to be in this city to work with John to work with the fellowship of Christian athletes and see great things happen and the reason why I chose the fellowship of Christian athletes because as I travel I see one group all around the country given Jesus away to these young people and it's the fellowship of Christian athletes and the other groups do some great things but the the boots on the ground is has been with the fellowship of Christian athletes and I'm so honored to see that and experience be a part of it and I want to leave you just with a little story something happened in April of 2020 I was I wasn't expecting it I went into the doctor my wife had noticed that I had some swelling in my legs I went into the doctor and I found out that I had stage three kidney failure in fact they told me that my my index didn't rated my kidney function the GFR was only 33 the average is 60. by the summer it was 28 by the end of the year it was 20. and by 2021 I progressed to stage four kidney failure I was sliding fast my GF GFR had gone from 20 to 16 to 15 to 14. then 10 they want you to start dialysis and I knew God was going to heal me so I said I'm not going on dialysis God is going to I'm a man of faith I am a man of faith God's going to heal me and it's dropped down to eight my GFR dropped all the way down to eight and it stayed there for five months I said look at God he turned this thing around the next month it was six next month it was five January 2022 the bottom dropped out it was four I started PD home dialysis I was looking at a two to five year weight for a kidney I was on dialysis for 11 months 10 to 12 hours a night overnight and a college teammate there was a part of that same Bible study 42 years ago a college teammate who I hadn't seen in 40 years he he's a pastor in Phoenix and he's told he told his congregation God has led me to give my kidney to a teammate I haven't seen in 40 years Derek Hines donated a kidney on my behalf we weren't a match someone else got his kidney but I went from a two to five year weight I went to the top of the list and within nine days I had an offer it fell through I had another offer in in on December 20th that fell through then they said Mr Fitzhugh we got a kidney for you it's January 18th are you excited I said ask me on the 19th I've been through this two times already and the 19th I got a new kidney from a 28 year old young man a big fella the doctor apologized in advance he said I'm gonna have to cut you deep because this is a big dude this is a big kidney and just last week I started traveling and speaking again my first stop I preached to Derek Hines church just last weekend in Phoenix Arizona and not only did I get a chance to preach at his church my dad 92 years old was so excited about this man who gave a kitty to a son that when the local Pastor asked my dad that he won a prayer prayer of faith for the first time in 92 years my dad said yes and today my dad at 92 his name is in the book y'all don't feel me y'all y'all don't feel what I'm saying his name is in the book God didn't heal the way I thought he was going to heal but I learned that God uses our bruises ten days after that kidney transplant I turned 60. I got that 28 year old kidney 28 and 60 averages out to 44. I'm 44 years old today told that to somebody said your math ain't mathing is God a miracle worker yes he is and that's why we're here tonight and I'm Gonna Leave You just with one verse I remember Paul saying to the Church of Philippi he said everywhere I go people give me stuff but you're the only church that after I leave y'all still give me stuff and I'm excited about it he's I'm not excited because I gotta have it I'm not excited because I'm broke I'm not excited because I've been without now I've been all right and I've had a lot and I've been all right I'm excited because when you partner with me God credits My Success to your account and I think there's somebody here tonight just going to partner with the fellowship of Christian athletes in a great way and understand something God will credit our success to your account so be faithful and what God lays on your heart tonight enjoy your time tonight and listen intently because you are here because God brought you here on purpose amen thank you for your time please turn your attention to the screens for the video [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] welcome I'm Brandon Johnson I'm the Maryland state director for the fellowship of Christian athletes ten years ago we sat right in this room we were coming fresh off of a Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl win coach John Harbaugh was our guest speaker um both Serena and myself were fresh on staff Serena Alfred our Baltimore City metro director here in the white [Applause] Serena was a part-time rep and I was an area representative in Carroll County that was 10 years ago Serena is now full-time celebrating 10 years on FCA staff [Applause] look what God has done two quick highlights that I would like to share tonight from a state level that I'm extremely excited about one is FCA Club in League sport in 2004 I was 17 years old I was finding my identity in all the wrong things and it was through an FCA club team where I heard the gospel clearly for the very first time right now Maryland FCA is working to multiply those efforts all across the state so more coaches and athletes can experience a club or a league in their community the second thing that I'm extremely excited about right here in the state of Maryland is the advancement of all ability sport all ability sport is Ministry to coaches and athletes who happen to have a physical or cognitive disability last year FCA is an organization long stall ability sport the state of Maryland jumped in head first we launched four all ability camps Last Summer this summer in 2023 we'll have six one in Baltimore City and that will be the most in the United States as six all ability camps we're excited to step into new spaces some of those spaces will be highlighted tonight here in Baltimore city but I would just like to welcome you all to FCA and it's going to be an incredible night so welcome I'd like to thank you I'd like to welcome up Rachel Higgins and Pastor John thank you all right how's everybody doing this evening oh okay I understand it's the crab cakes and the oven fried chicken right how's everybody doing this evening Ah that's a little bit better listen hope you guys are having an amazing time listen I was inspired inspired by this young choir that came up uh these young people that came up to pray and and welcome us and everything that's been taking place so far how about Steve fitzhugh's testimony come on man how awesome God is God is doing great things and um this is going to be an amazing evening so I want you guys to kind of shake yourselves right now kind of shake it wake it up a little bit because we have some amazing speakers that are going to be coming and the first one is this young lady that my dear sister Rachel Dr Rachel haggis is going to introduce us to Rachel Higgins so good evening everybody and we're going to get right to it we have a young lady here from Morgan State University Dr Dean of Freeman Patton and she's going to come and speak to us right now coming up says she is the vice president and the director of Athletics at Morgan State University [Applause] good evening FCA Park Heights Saints Morgan State Bears in the house my Baltimore friends and family almost a year ago today I was announced as the first director of Athletics and vice president in 155 years at Morgan State University foreign it was a surprise to me that I was the first in this role but it was not a surprise to me that I reached this place in my life I learned early on in life that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I am a product of two God-fearing parents mom earned her Stripes as a middle school teacher in Baltimore in Baltimore City and Baltimore County dad retired from Baltimore City and public works and served our country in the U.S army and earned his Purple Heart in the Vietnam War I am also a product of several Lake Clifton High School parents two of which my parents include coach James money Monroe and Reverend Dr Rue Travis so there was never any question if I could be the Athletics director at Morgan State University the question was whether this was the right position and the right time for me I had just arrived at California State University Dominguez Hills for my first Athletics director job and I got a text from a friend that said Morgan or too soon I immediately responded too soon then I said well let me think about it and I stressed about it for weeks I believe in the power of Prayer so I prayed a lot but as I prayed I still worried about everything are worried about what others would think if I left Dominguez Hills I worried about if the search firm was just using me as a token woman in the search I worried about whether my mom would be disappointed if I didn't get the job and finally I had to shut out all the noise and I changed my prayer my prayers from should I go to Morgan or Lord thank you for everything that you have done for me and I pray that you put me where you need me and I will be obedient fast forward to April 25th 2022. this also this is the anniversary of my Dad's passing um two years prior to that and I called my mom because we often share stories about what he's done that day to impact our lives from heaven and so I had a story to share with my mom and she said I have one too and I said well let me tell you mine first and I said I'm coming home I was offered the job at Morgan State University as the Director of Athletics after 30 years of being away needless to say we never got to her story and so God decided where I needed to be with the help of Dad and he has planted me at Morgan State the National Treasure to impact the lives of our students in the lives of my community and I pray every day that God gives me the strength to do just that and part of that is supporting the FCA here in Baltimore City and I look forward to doing that in a long lasting relationship thank you very much [Applause] well put your hands together one time one more time for Miss Dina what an amazing testimony listen Morgan State won't be the same absolutely and when God calls you to a thing when you know that God calls you to it when God gives you that assignment you have to just step out on it and go you know and just so hopefully tonight you know when God gives you that assignment with your pen and your checkbook you just step out on it and go amen listen turn your attention to the screens we have a video that we'd like to share you share with you from Almighty Park Heights Saints foreign [Music] I first learned about Park High School my friend at church his name is Sean Smithson he's part of afca Maryland and he told me about Park Heights and asked me to go down and take a look at what God is doing at Park Heights coach Garrick and Sean and they were showing me around especially the football field and we were out there and this guy just came up put out of the gun and said hey this this area you have to carry a gun and so I was kind of shocked at first [Music] you know statistics are statistics facts are facts and we do have an issue here Prime in Baltimore City and I've lived here all my life my husband and I raised my son here in the city and we serve in the city so it's a passion of mine and unless you're here unless you're a part of it unless you're serving then you may not see the difference but it's a passion of mine so I continue to serve and come alongside those that want to serve and help us I am Jesus if we weren't down here doing what we do with these kids it'd be a lot more lost kids and be a lot more deaf it'll be a lot of more hopelessness and the reason why this this program is so successful like I said once again that the kids don't care how much you say you can't tell you sure how much you care I kept coming back because I know uh there was great opportunity to advance the gospel here and I was not afraid because I knew when God's presence is with you that he goes with you and he goes before you and he protects you listen you take care of these things it's for you to learn and study on you know you go to the kids okay Park Heights Community Center can make a difference because it is this lighthouse in this community where kids can come and they will find peace and hope here but through the gospel that we share and also tutoring them and believing in them you know that's one of the biggest thing we believe in these kids that they would do great things with their lives and they will impact this community and the more we spread that love in this community the more we will have greater impact [Music] is very important to us to make sure that we can give them all the wrap around service that we affordable and able to do the love the nurturing the food the prayer prayer is very important Prayer Changes Things and prayer changed my life way back and it changed a lot of these kids life because they participated in the prayers with us and then when we go deliver the food to the house they welcome us with prayer they think that thing you know they want can we pray for y'all too so it's it's it's such a blessing to be able to do the things we're able to do to bring hope father we thank you for this household we prayed father God I think the vision for Park Heights Community is just started just in this uh townhome but I think it's going to spread like the Wildfire I drink big and I I want to dare to do things at Park Heights with Coach Garrett praise the Lord oh boy praise the Lord everybody well I sound like I got a preacher's voice that scared me God is good and all the time well I thank God for being here today I thank God for you showing up today and it's a great occasion it's a great day and it still is hoping Park hike say man reason why there's hope in Park Heights because God is beginning to put Flesh on these bones that was in Ezekiel amen death doesn't run rapid around I don't care what the media say what anybody says real live people that live in Park Heights clapping for Park how you say man I said God is good things wouldn't be able to happen for our supporters and friends in school and parents uh the guy you saw in their past to take my right arm man uh walked with me for several years and many of y'all many years as well Pastor take out in a serious accident not too long ago and and we didn't know how that would turn out but God is faithful amen we're looking to walk anymore in life amen but God as as brother Steve was talking about God is a god of Miracles amen and it's so glad that Pastor Tay is here today Amen in the wheelchair amen and we'll be walking soon time we do that Father's Day cookout down the line amen I'd like for you all to meet Pastor Jay past say would you raise your hand so they can see you that's Pastor Tate right there all the way from Columbia to come to Baltimore City all the time to help serve in Baltimore City we passed around we're so grateful thank God for my wife Teresa raise your hand God is able amen praise God and thank God for you at this time I'd like to welcome the Kelly Family to come up we like to honor them today would they please come to Kelly Family my other right hand buddies come on up here come on down [Applause] hey on behalf of the Kelly Family we just thank God for the amazing Ministry of FCA FCA is a tool that allows us to share God's love and truth in a relevant way and um I just love brother Garrick Williams for 25 years he served Faithfully in the city a lot of people look to get out of Park Heights he loves to stay in Park Heights and serve in Park Heights and Pastor Tay thank you God bless you for your faithfulness the Park Heights Community Center was built in the last five years through the support of a lot of people here and there's a lot going on with the FCA park-ight Saints I just want to acknowledge my mom and dad who've been faithful supporters I think my mom and dad um a big the biggest Financial contributors to FCA Baltimore City because we just love what God's doing there I think a lot of us in the room can relate we look at the city we see what's happening we hear what's happening we don't know what to do you know and we're just like just dumbfounded right but when you invest in FCA it's a tangible difference in the lives of young people my brothers John and his wife T My Brother David his wife Melissa was here earlier they have a foster child she took the Foster baby home my nephew Johnny he represents the 21 Kelly cousins so uh and almost all of them have been involved with FCA my beautiful wife Gail so on behalf of the Kelly family we thank God for FCA we thank God for Serena Garrick and all of us in this room we're teammates we're a big team whether it's our time our talent our treasure and thank you all and uh you know I think we have a chance to invest and make a difference in what we see happening in our city so thank you and God bless you all dad do you want to say anything [Applause] all right they didn't tell us if we're up here a minute or what we'll try to be brief I didn't even know I was supposed to be up here the worst thing you can ever do is give a microphone to a politician but I'm not a politician I'm a Statesman there's a difference I just want to publicly thank the Lord our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the way he has blessed our family in so many ways with four wonderful Sons four wonderful daughter-in-laws 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and more on the way and uh I wasn't going to say this but I my last years in the senate i I led a filibuster for eight days and nights to try to stop abortion in Maryland in not all cases but to to to to to try to stop it and um at that time I knew that's what God wanted me to do it cost me my senate seat which I've never looked back on but when we got home that we had no grandchildren no grandchildren that was in January of 1990. now we have 21 grandchildren what does that tell you about God and His feeling for life right so we care about the city we care about Baltimore we support people who put it back I see John Harbaugh out here who's been so great to to the Park Heights Saints in the Park Heights neighborhood I especially want to thank my son Frank who's led the family in that neighborhood that a lot of people are afraid to go into but they're doing great work in in Park Heights we love the city we love Park Heights thank you dear God for this privilege to be here tonight amen Kelly family we love you and we have gifts for you please I think these guys didn't introduce ourselves but Johnny Sharon's our board chair for the city Rachel's a leader executive leader of our board these are volunteers these are the best board leaders in the country right here come on guys put your hands together one more time for the Kelly Family who give tirelessly selflessly uh for the work of the ministry from The Fellowship of Christian athletes and now we're introducing the four video say it again one more time everybody put up your fours one time yeah the four video take [Music] God made you and loves you his love is boundless and unconditional God is real and he wants you to personally experience his love and discover his purpose for your life through a relationship with him in Genesis 1 27 we read so God created Mankind in his own image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them and in John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life you cannot experience God's love when you ignore him people search everywhere for meaning fulfillment but not with God they don't trust God and they ignore his ways the Bible calls this sin every one of us has sinned sin damages our relationships with other people with God it keeps us from experiencing the fulfilling life that God intends for us the result you are eternally separated from God and the life he planned for you the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short in the glory of God and in Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord sin does not stop God from loving you because of God's great love he became a human being in Jesus Christ and gave his life for you at the cross Jesus took your place and paid the penalty of death that you deserve for your sins Jesus died but he rose to life again Jesus offers you peace with God in a relationship with him through faith in Jesus you can experience God's love daily discover your purpose and have eternal life after death God's word reassures Us in Romans 5 8 but God demonstrates his own love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us and also in Ephesians 2 8-9 for it is by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast [Music] God has already done everything to show you how much he really loves you the relationship with Christ he offers you fulfillment and eternal life to begin you must agree that you are sinful accept God's forgiveness and turn away from your sinful ways you choose to trust in Jesus when you believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and you surrender your life to him but the question is are you ready to place your trust in Jesus we're reminded in Romans 10 9-10 if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved for it is with your heart that you believe and are Justified and is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved you can place your trust in Jesus by faith through prayer prayers talking with God God knows your heart and is not concerned with your words as much as he is with the attitude of your heart here's a suggested prayer Dear God thank you for loving me and winning the best for my life I live my life for myself and done many things my way and I am truly sorry Jesus I believe that you are God and have forgiven all of my sins by dying and coming back to life again for me I trust you and I ask you to be Lord Of My Life I Surrender my life to you you are my God my savior and my Lord let me experience your love and your good plans for my life amen [Music] thank you hello everyone did you enjoy the video awesome awesome I'm Montgomery Bedford and this is I'm Mason Joyner we are the co-founders of the FCA huddle at Baltimore City College and we're super excited to be here we were actually at the this banquet last year and we just had an awesome time and we're super excited about starting a huddle at city college we were both involved in FCA and middle school and we're really disappointed when we got to city and we're like oh they don't have a FCA huddle like what are we going to do they're like let's start one so we talked to principal harcom and did the necessary precautions in order to start one uh in Fall of this year absolutely absolutely and and I kind of had the idea to start one with two of my closest friends who got me and my other friend that couldn't make his name is Darius but I was at a camp maybe two or three summers ago for an FCA lacrosse camp and it truly changed my life for the better and I was like I need to have this experience at my high school so I gathered my friends up and like she said we took it to the principal she approved it and we went to the necessary process to actually get the Huddle started this year at first it was kind of a rocky start because we all play sports year round and a lot of the Huddle members also play sports so it was hard to uh create a consistent meeting time but we've grown a lot since then and we have a consistent meeting time and we have more members and it's just been a really exciting process we also were able to reach a ton of athletes in the school that did maybe did FCA in middle school or had no idea what FCA was which was really an awesome experience absolutely absolutely and we also plan on continuing this huddle to our senior year because we're Juniors now and we plan on passing it down to whoever steps up and God would choose that right person and we plan to have this huddle once again that's sitting next year yeah thank you and lastly I just want to say thank you guys for coming out thank you for having me and gummy yeah all right thank you have a nice evening [Applause] good evening you guys are you enjoying it so far has it been nice dinner nice yeah the crab cakes are pretty good am I right yeah anyways my name is Evelyn Blackman I'm a senior at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute yeah got some alumni out there whoo and I'm here as one of the scholarship recipients for SCA so I'm going to tell you guys a little bit about that so actually believe it or not the girl in that four video that you saw that was me two years ago during covet it was not a good time we don't have to talk about it we have to talk about it anyways we all remember what life was like back then right living life behind masks behind screens behind closed doors you know we weren't really living were we just existing so when I received the invitation to participate in the four video from Miss Serena Alfred I was more than ecstatic uh it gave me a sense of purpose to be able to use my voice and my speaking ability to be able to impact kids from around the city in what was an otherwise felt like a purposeless season so just to be able to show kids this video has been shown to hundreds of kids across the city showing them the light of the truth of the Gospel showing them that they have a purpose that they can belong that they are loved truly and completely by a God that was willing to send their son to die on their behalf that's willing to clap for am I right am I right so I've been giving the amazing opportunity from your gifts to be able to receive a scholarship from FCA to further my Collegiate education this fall at the Towson University I will be majoring in nursing and I'm hoping that one day I can be the same light to my patients show them the same love and truth that FCA has brought to me so thank you all for making that opportunity possible [Applause] praise the Lord hallelujah praise the Lord hallelujah amen we started giving these scholarships actually a couple years ago our first recipient was from Western High School Alyssa Jenkins she's now at LSU uh last year we gave scholarships to young people from Forest Park from Douglas High School and Polly and other schools and so uh Evelyn just happens to be the only senior um here today we're also giving a scholarship to a young man at Carver High School it's Mr Curtis Davis around because Mr Curtis Davis he is the alumni Prince of alumni president so and right now I just want to put this court that's the only reason why I'm up here is to put this court around Evelyn we appreciate what she shared as far as the four the gospel and so there are other young people that we continue we will continue to be able to give scholarships to and it is a thousand dollars I want to let you know that we're not doing a full ride we don't do but but if y'all wanna we will raise that right now what you think Evelyn but we're growing we know it's about coaches and athletes but how can we reach out young people you know how can we sow into them beyond the sports amen and it's important so I wanted to share that share that we've been giving other scholarships as well and I want to thank you so God bless amen thank you all [Applause] good evening good evening everyone man it's amazing to see this room full my name is Johnny Shelton I'm the chaplain for the Ravens I just finished my 10th season here and um I thank you thank you and also serve on the board with Baltimore City FCA so I have the opportunity right now I'm just going to introduce we're going to show a short video of our next honorees and then I'll come back and introduce them personally take a look thank you Hey Brother John it's good to be able to come here and just um thank you for all the things you've done for the Park Heights Saints football program we wouldn't be able to do the things we do without you you've been a tremendous blessing to the whole Baltimore City FCA Baltimore Park Ice Saints football program and I just wanted to take the time to thank you and let you know how much I appreciate you I appreciate all you've done for even when my son got assassinated you came to my house what a blessing what a man of God you are I wish you most success in everything that you do in touch and may God continue to bless you in Baltimore City loves you and the park High Saints desperately dearly love you as well God bless and take care my friend [Music] thank you [Music] up it's really nice of Coach Harbaugh to juice for the girls they really appreciate it and they've been really grateful for it we'd like to thank you this is a blessing this is our first year with Destiny playing lacrosse so when I went to Dick's earlier today that stuff is very expensive I could barely afford to pay a clique so this right here is definitely a blessing and I'm grateful for it thank you so much the overall growth the overall development and for them to become better student athletes and maybe hopefully hopefully for me in years to come she can get a scholarship which will help for college thank you and we appreciate you supporting the Gators [Music] we're part of FCA Fellowship Christian athletes so before all games we do huddle a lot when we do pray we do not force it on the girls if they don't want to do that they can step aside and it's okay we'll look at them any different right but we do do that that's a part of our our program thank you eight nine ten can I go next on behalf of the Baltimore Church organization um I just want to thank uh coach John Harbaugh and his wife uh Ingrid and their foundation for the donation of all this equipment for our girls um lacrosse team out here we're hoping that this is going to make the season much brighter for the young ladies um and uh go turkeys [Music] amazing I like these ones they are so cute foreign [Music] okay okay I'm playing lacrosse coach John and Ingrid Harbaugh we thank you for your foundation for your love and your support for Baltimore City fellowship with Christian athletes for FCA Park High Saints for the Baltimore City Gators and the Baltimore Terps you have been a blessing to our community and to our city and a little historical Note 10 years ago as you spoke at the banquet when you won the Super Bowl here at Martin's West that was the first day I came on staff 10 years ago so thank you so much for your love and your support go Ravens and Go Allison [Music] he really don't need an introduction and he really don't like um he's what he's doing is he's not doing it for the recognition he's not doing it to be packed on the back and that's what I really love about everyone I mean the Kelly family and all of you who give you're not you're not doing it for what people can see and 10 years ago when I got here I remember when I first came in to interview for the position and um and every person that I sat down with from Ozzy Newsome to who's here tonight and him and his wife and then to Coach Harbaugh we we opened up our interview with the prayer and I was like yeah this this is pretty this is pretty dope and so it's an honor for me to introduce Coach Harbaugh and Ingrid and Allison who's not able to be here tonight she's she's playing lacrosse but here's what I just want to say about coach came to me we we met a while back and he just had a heart for for doing something I want to I want to do something um and so it's not just about the financial contribution coach it's about where your heart is and that's what I appreciate the most so y'all help me join me in honoring Coach Harbaugh and Ingrid come on up here the last thing Ingrid wanted to do is walk up here right you got anything you want to say so one thing that uh Frank little Frank mentioned was we're all a team right Kelly's our team and everybody in this room is a team and Inger and I we're a team Ozzy and Gloria you know we've been a team for 15 years now and the Ozzie Glory if you raise your hand right there thanks Serena we're a team how about Michael Pierce you wanna raise your hand Michael Pierce Baltimore Raven I know if all the coaches Craig the firemen would y'all stand up please you all here supporting Baltimore city and FCA thanks for coming out and Dan batty both the Harbaugh Foundation Dan writes the checks yeah so thanks Dan we appreciate that for coming down from Philly but the honor tonight really is is to introduce Ingrid and I get a chance to introduce a great friend a great man great man of God first time I ever heard about Tony Dungy was when I was a little well Tony I was like a ninth grader and Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and one of our Rivals was Jackson Parkside and the quarterback for Jackson Parkside was the great Tony Dungy had a chance to watch Tony Dungy played quarterback not too many years ago right coach and uh it's amazing to me how God weaves all of us together and brings things together over time and ties back had a chance to meet coach Garrick Williams well I think one of the greatest football coaches I've ever met you just talked to Coach G Coach G I love you I love you and all your things that you're doing you're a great football coach and we get a chance to be connected and we become a family we've become a team and that's what we are here tonight so I want to encourage you to understand uh as you join in this team what FCA does in the city and what it provides all the high school football coaches are here right from Baltimore City raise your hand High School football coaches thank you for what you do thank you for what you do you're the real coaches and all the Huddle leaders you're here every single every single treasure is as Frank talked about goes to goes to those kids and then changes their lives Steve Fitcher you and I we want to huddle together back in Miami right and we've come a long way since then Steve I love you Steve was a great player now came in and started as a freshman we sang the fight song we had to sing the fight song he comes out in the top coat and Tails in a cane all right he did it with some Flair he saw that flare tonight but Tony Dungy kind of he doesn't really need an introduction but I'm gonna give you one any all right all right he was a great quarterback in Minnesota he's also a Super Bowl champion coach he won the George Halas award no six the Lamar Hunt award no nine he was on the 2000s NFL all-decade team Colts Ring of Honor that's Indianapolis Colts the Bucks Ring of Honor very good of course okay you know coach you had nine career interceptions right nine career interceptions six fumble recoveries returned them for 136 yards he was 148 and 79 with the all-time winningest coaches and he's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and not just that okay he's a number one best-selling author I don't know how many books you've written coach but I've read every one of them all right and they all made me a better person he's a TV personality but don't tell him that all right but he's loved on Sunday night he's the only that's the only the only crew and Tony's the only announcer that Ingrid you'll listen to correct she turns the rest of them off she won't listen to the sound no volume he's he's he's been a a huge part of mentors for life big brothers and big sisters prison Crusade Ministry for many years Boys and Girls Clubs he's always always 100 percent taking a stand for biblical principles and biblical truth even at a high cost thank you coach for doing that publicly he's a man of God he's a great friend and it is our great honor here in Baltimore to welcome the great Tony Dungy thank you very much John and Ingrid and uh it's just a real real honor and a joy to see this room and see it fill like this and it's so great to be asked to come but I have to admit after this whole evening I feel a little bit like Jim sorgy you probably don't even know that name okay Jim sorghi was our backup quarterback in Indianapolis he backed up Peyton Manning so that would make him one of the most unnecessary people in the world and that's what I feel like tonight being asked to be the guest speaker after hearing these people that have spoken Steve Fitzhugh with with that testimony Dr Freeman Patton talking about going to Morgan State and God really setting it up for her uh the Kelly Family Mr Kelly senior talking about going to the Senate to honor life and to promote that and then get in 21 grandkids after that how do you top that story and then these young people coming up and talking about their experience with FCA so what am I supposed to do what is my job tonight well I guess I'm supposed to tie all this together and wrap it up and I'm going to try to do that and do it very quickly for you but I think one of the questions that I was asked a lot in the uh the pre-meetings that we had and shaking hands with people people kept asking why here why are you in Baltimore why are you supporting FCA and it's a very simple answer two-part answer it starts with table number four here there's some wonderful people here and I would have to say that they're a big reason why I'm here as well as another Baltimore native who I'll share that with you in a minute but John minson Coach Harbaugh mentioned I grew up in Michigan my dad went to University of Michigan when I was coming out of high school John's dad was an assistant coach at Michigan he was one of the coaches that tried to recruit me so I've known the Harbaugh family for a long time I've known what they stand for and it's just been so awesome to watch his career and watch him put together a winning team but do it in the right way and have the heart for the community the heart for his players the heart for the Lord that says not only are we going to win Super Bowls but we're going to do it in a way that honors the Lord so I've I've just had a special special fondness for John for a long time Ozzie Newsom and his wife Gloria are sitting right next to them and Ozzy Newsome came into the NFL a year after I did I was a safety at Pittsburgh we played the so-called cover 2 defense which was take away the wide receivers make it tough on them and the Cleveland Browns had a great idea to say well if that's what they're going to do we're going to draft the tight end that maybe can hurt that cover two defense so they drafted Ozzie the next year and he's been not not only a dynamite player and a great executive but just a special friend and a man of the Lord as well and he and his wife have just done so much for the Baltimore area I can remember as a young player and a young coach we used to have a Christian Fellowship of Christian athletes camp in Pittsburgh and all of the Steeler Christian guys on the team would come out and be counselors and help the young people Ozzy Newsom used to drive from Cleveland to Pittsburgh to take part in that camp and be a counselor and that's that's who Ozzie Newsome is so you heard from Johnny Shelton the Chaplet and Johnny called me about three months ago and said hey we're trying to get this organized and we're doing a fundraiser for FCA Coach Harbaugh and Ingrid really support it and Ozzie and Gloria be great if you would come I said well for those guys I'm coming in just mark it down I'm here so that's what got me here but I just want to share briefly how special FCA has been in my life over the years and why I'm such an FCA advocate I grew up in a little town small town as Coach Harbaugh mentioned Jackson Michigan had the benefit of having great parents my dad was a college professor he taught biology strong man great man I learned so much from him but he always talked when we were little about not letting anyone else Define you oh thinking about who you are who you want to be and going after that and that's what he preached to us and my mother was a teacher as well she taught high school English and public speaking and she always said it doesn't matter what you do in life if you do it for the right reasons you do it for the Lord and you have the right motives you're going to be successful and her favorite verse in the Bible is something she just told us over and over and over when I was a young man of Matthew 16 26 what would it profit a man if you gain the whole world the forfeits or soul so I heard this growing up my dad's father my grandfather was a minister two of my dad's brothers were ministers so I kind of grew up hearing about the Lord my mother taught the Sunday School my mother used to practice on us on Thursday nights she would give the story talk about it look at our faces if we didn't have the right reaction then she'd tweak it a little bit to give it on Sunday but I knew all the things about the Lord heard about the Lord when I was young you know they asked who wants to go to heaven of course I shot my hand up said yes I want to go what does it take just as you heard these young people explain confess with your mouth that Jesus Lord believe in your heart God raised him from the dead so I did that as a Young Man and I had these fantastic parents guiding me but I became like a lot of boys do enamored with sports I played basketball that was my favorite sport and I messed around with baseball a little bit I played football last and I got to be better at that than anything but in that period of time 13 14 15 16 I was still going to church my parents were taking me but my focus was changing my focus was school and sports school and sports had to do well in school because my parents demanded that wanted to do well in sports because that was my identity that that's who I am that's what I want to be I want to be like those older guys at my high school I want to go to college and I end up doing that and I went to the University of Minnesota and now it became even more that okay now I'm just focused in on football but to be a good football player in college I better put more into it and more into it and I've got to work harder and I did that ended up graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1977 and my career was over I had a wonderful career had a great time thought I was going to be a professional football player in the 1977 draft the Lord got my attention I didn't get picked and I it was heartbreaking and shocking one of the first negative experiences that I had in a long long time and I remember walking out from my apartment at the University and just walking around that evening and saying for the first time in a long time praying Lord I don't understand this I worked hard I did everything I was supposed to do I kept my nose clean and I can't understand how my career is going to be over and why you did this to me well the next day I got a call from the Pittsburgh Steelers and they said we don't need you to play quarterback we've got a pretty good quarterback named Brad's house so we really don't need you to do that but coach and old thinks you could switch positions and play defense so I signed with the Steelers for two thousand dollars and I went to Pittsburgh and I tell you God is amazing Mr Kelly said it God is amazing because he knows exactly what he's doing and he took me to Pittsburgh I never played defense in my life and now I'm joining the Steel Curtain and I'm supposed to know what I'm doing and I didn't so coach Knowles says I'm going to give you this roommate his name is Donnie shell watch him do what he does write down everything he says and you'll be okay you know you won't need me to coach you you just do what he does so he puts me in a room with Danny cell as a rookie and it was the best thing that ever happened to me it was the first thing that happened I'm unloading my stuff putting my clothes in the little closet and getting ready and down he says so what have you been reading so what do you mean what have I been reading what have you been reading so I've been reading the Playbook trying to figure out what a safety does no no I'm not talking about that what have you been reading in your Bible I said well I haven't really been reading that very much lately well for the next probably five or six days he asked me that every night and every morning and not only does he ask me but he tells me what he's been reading and what it means and then he asked me again what have you been reading so I figure one night I better read something so the next morning when he asked me I'll have something to say so we get in that routine then he starts telling me about the Bible studies that are after the meetings meetings get done about 10 o'clock most guys will go hang out net until 11 o'clock curfew but we have a Bible study 10 o'clock you need to be there so I go to the Bible study because coach Knowles said do what he does write down everything he does so I go to this Bible study at 10 o'clock and on this big bad Steel Curtain there's there's 25 guys in there in the Bible study and it's by Heroes it's Elsie Greenwood L blunt Donny cell John Stallworth John Cole I'm like Blown Away so all of a sudden my mom's words start coming back to me and that's what these guys were talking about hey you're going to be a professional football player that's great but it's not going to last for long and if you don't do it the right way it's not even going to matter what would it profit you to gain the whole world if you're forfeit your soul so miraculously I make the team we have guys holding out leaving camp getting hurt by the last preseason game I'm one of the few defensive backs left and I somehow make the team I still don't know how I made it but it was God's Providence and that's when I got associated with FCA you see the last year my senior year in college we didn't have an FCA program and I remember Jeff Seaman Jeff Seaman was a middle linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings he came over and really introduced the concept and try to get it started well they started it the next year after I left um so I wasn't involved in FCA in high school wasn't involved in FCA in college but now I'm with this group of guys and I'm learning what it really means to be a Christian okay well we end up having a chapel service and here's where the other Baltimore guy comes into play we end up having a chapel service before a game and the speaker is a guy from Baltimore by the name of Tony Evans you might know that name so Tony Evans gets up as only he can do and he starts talking about what who he is and what his identity is and he says when I'm in this pulpit you expect to hear some Christian stuff because I'm a Christian Pastor right I said yeah that makes sense but you know what when I go home I'm a Christian dad and when I go across the street I'm a Christian neighbor and when I drive my car I'm a Christian driver and he goes on and on and on for about 20 minutes every place he goes he's a Christian whatever and then he asks us that the punch line is are you a Christian adley and I start thinking about that what is it what he means is no matter where you go you've got to be a Christian first and I started thinking about that and I said well I'm a Christian most the time but whenever God blocks me in the back I'm not really a Christian or when we lose the game by one point and the referee makes a bad call I'm not really a Christian then and he's telling me I need to be a Christian all the time first and that's what I love about Fellowship of Christian athletes because that's what they say that's what they say we are going to develop not athletes first Christians first who happen to be athletes so I started getting involved with FCA events and then after my playing career I really got heavily involved with coaching events at FCA and Hubble groups and how we can get going just as these young people kind of enumerated here how do you get that going how do you get that huddle going and how do you get that chemistry that helped build these young people up and I've seen some amazing amazing things I mentioned to you that I didn't have an FCA in high school didn't have an FCA in college now I'm growing growing in the assistant coach I see how important it is and 20 years after I graduated from the University of Minnesota I get the head coaching job at Tampa Bay one of the first calls I get is from the FCA area director in in the Tampa area and he says I'd love you to come up and talk to our huddle at the University of Florida so man I'd love to do that I want to encourage these people Gainesville Florida is about two hours from Tampa said hey come up and and see us and just as the young lady was explaining they had to get a time that was good and convenient for everybody all these different athletes and they've all got different schedules when can we meet I said okay I'm coming when is the Huddle meet Wednesday night at 11 30 pm I'm like why did I volunteer to do that I got a two-hour drive to Gainesville 11 30 p.m maybe it'll be over at 12 30 1 o'clock two-hour drive back to be three o'clock in the morning when I get back and who's going to be there at 11 30 at night on a college campus but I gave my words so I go drive up there I meet the guy about 11 15. he takes me into this room not room Auditorium they have 450 athletes who have just like these young people hey we we had it in high school We Vibe we're going to get together we're going to do it and I started after I got done I was so excited for them because I said you know I don't have many regrets in my life in my career but one of my regrets is I didn't really grow spiritually when I was in college I didn't have that togetherness that unity and and these guys have it and it's so awesome to see um I don't want to sit and talk Colts football tonight but Kohl's had the number four pick in the draft and they drafted a young man from University of Florida Anthony Richardson who was involved in Florida FCA and he's going to be our leader now and uh I'm excited about that because I know what that means but that's what FCA does and that's why we're here tonight and that's why I'm so excited and that's why I would come up for for chaplain Shelton and the rest of the group here to really encourage us because our country needs this if you've been watching it and you may think oh Baltimore and we've got it's tough here and we've got this and that it's everywhere it's Florida it's Indiana it's everywhere in this country okay and we've got the answer we've got the answer and we've got to keep putting it out and that's why I know there's going to be someone's going to follow me and ask you to donate okay so I'm going to tell you before they get up here why you should donate to FCA because we have the answer but here's the thing about FCA and these young people said it when they were up here John Harbaugh can go to a high school right now and say hey I'm Coach Harbaugh Baltimore Ravens we've won a Super Bowl I'm your head coach and I want to talk about Jesus they would say I'm sorry you can't Aussie Newsome could come and say I'm a Hall of Fame tight end Hall of Fame general manager drafted Hall of Fame players I've helped Baltimore to a couple of Super Bowls I want to come and talk to your students about Jesus they would say can't I could come in and say you know I'm Tony dunzy and I'd love to talk to your students about Jesus I'm sorry you can't do that it's against the law but anything that's student-led in school can happen so if one of these young people says we want to start an FCA huddle and we're going to start it and now we can invite John harborne to talk to us guess what it happens that's why we need to support FCA that's why we're here tonight thank you very much wow [Music] what a journey it's been 10 years on staff of the fellowship of Christian athletes actually my journey began before 2013. it was 2010 when my son attended Roland Park Elementary Middle School it was an after-school basketball game and I saw Bibles all on the table I told my son to inquire and go over and find out about it and he met Miss Janet Fonda Zone who was the Huddle coach for the fellowship of Christian athletes from there it began his journey being a part of the after-school club with Miss Janet and Miss Rachel Higgins 2011. Steven's grandmother passed away my mother-in-law hadn't really hit the family really hard and Stephen was provided a scholarship for camp at the leadership camp in North Bay it was so much fun I was exposed myself even the more to FCA the parents the young people that were there and my son had an amazing time I remember that last night at Chapel and a young man was praying for him and when he got in the car he said Ma I wish it was a church like this camp I saw his heart towards the Lord change God met him where he was and that just was a blessing to me initially I was asked to become a board member and while I was still working for the federal government I officially came on staff March the 4th 2013 for FCA as I began on this journey I saw our lives changing in schools on the fields meeting new people like Kathleen finneran and Coach G I knew that this was more than a job this was a call and for us to share the gospel the love of Christ with these young people means the world we never know what a day is going to bring we never know when the Lord is going to call us home and so the Lord has allowed me to sow seeds build relationships with those all across the city and it's important as needed and so I share not about what we need for people to Rally around God has allowed us to do it but we have to continue to mobilize [Music] father give them strength in the midst of the night of their tears when they're struggling wondering what's going on with their young person that they just trust you well it's been a blessing to me is the relationships and the Partnerships with so many the Lord allowed us to have a board men women black white asian I thank God for everyone that the Lord has put in my path those coaches that are starting programs in the city and have been doing it for years amen power camps Fields of Faith our bank coaches are making a difference in people's lives where do we go from here what is the Lord calling you to do in terms of partnering with us we see what's going on in the streets in our community and we know that the Lord is the answer and he is using us and so we continue in the work of the lord we continue to be able to spread the gospel the love of Jesus Christ even though some don't want to hear the gospel we already know that but for you and I we are called for this purpose for the ministry of reconciliation and so that we know and we know this let's rally around to be able to continue the work of the Lord in our schools to be able to uplift our young people the student LED after school club is amazing how young people are hungry for they're looking for it the word even says that the world is looking for the manifestations of the sons of God and and God is calling us through your gifts your talents whatever the Lord laid on your heart he is looking for us to come together to continue the work what is the Lord saying to you what is he calling you to do we can do this together and we need you here at the fellowship of Christian athletes to continue the work of the Lord praise God we're doing this for the kingdom of God it's about Jesus and his work and what he's doing for the young people for our nation and for our city God bless Baltimore City amen laughs hey man let's get a little hand clap of Praise amen Look What the Lord Has allowed us to do over these years amen I thank God for what he's done even before I came amen but I thank you all because I just wanted to share this from my heart like this is the first time that we've had this many people for the Baltimore City Fellowship of Christian athletes so I give you all a hand clap amen I would like for my staff and my board to be able to stand and and I want to share something with you that I know that you know we have a program in place we have protocol we have things and we have timing and everything we have to have the right ask and to write this and the right that but things happen so I'm not going to say I'm letting the Lord have his way and we're going to be here all night because we're not we're almost done I just want to let you know but with these people here that's standing the Lord has blessed me to be able to do to grow and evolve and I want to thank each and every one of you because of what we see tonight you all put together we've done this together through the holy spirit so I want to thank you I appreciate you amen we have a gift for uh Mr and Mrs Shelton and I will ask for you all to come up I will ask you all to have the gift for them to be able to give this to them if you all can come up it's the backbone of why coach Tony Dungey is here so give my hand clap please please a lot of other things but I want to thank Chapman Shelton for um just just being a blessing to us because of coach John Harbaugh and a lot of things that get done and the reason why we have a coach Tony Dungey or coach all about what's the purpose are we looking like bling bling and Shining no we're asking people to come that has influence so that you all would come out to hear him but to hear what's going on in the ministry of how we need to come together as we see what's going on in our city what's going on our nation with our children we need a team we're building a team and so they're coming out with their influence and supporting with their finances so that we can be able to have finances to be able to continue to do what you just saw that the Lord has had allowed us to do for 10 years and we gotta we have to go further so I think I have to take so like you know a lot of people say don't take time to thank people but without Coach Harbaugh and Ingrid without Chapman Shelton and Miss Shelton without the board without the staff without the Kelly Family without the supporters there is no FCA in Baltimore City there is no kids going to Camp there is no scholarship for Evelyn that is not happening because it takes finances and it has to go beyond so I just want to take time to thank the sheltons [Applause] amen I would like someone to take Coach Harbaugh and Ingrid Harbaugh's gift out the box that's down there so I can read it that's one of those those uh protocol unorthodox why didn't you do it while they were up here I didn't have it I didn't know where it was but I'm gonna get this thing done and we're not gonna be here all night that's one letter I appreciate you all give yourself a hand clap amen thank you so much Pastor I appreciate it thank you so much Ingrid I want to apologize in advance because um coach Hubbell said you didn't want to be up here so I apologize that's one of those things when we debrief and say oh my God you had them come up twice you know so if you don't want to it's okay but I would love for you you good if you wanna I'm gonna read it from here bear with me y'all these are things you don't do you take notes this award is presented to coach John and Ingrid Harbaugh for your commitment to the lives of Baltimore City coaches and athletes we love and appreciate you 2023 amen this sucks she's coming up extra clap she coming up here by herself okay okay give it up praise the Lord take this opportunity to say thank you for 10 a decade of dedication come on [Applause] a decade of showing up at huddles and schools all around the city showing up the fields all around the city showing up at events and bar mitzvahs and everywhere she needs to be just showing up thank you so much for being such an amazing leader we as a board want to just take this opportunity to salute you on today for your decade of dedication we love you and we thank you and Baltimore will never ever ever be the same because there's a Serena offer we have these we have these few gifts and we also know that Serena has worked very very hard all year to make this this and so Serena we also want to send you away for a few days oh yeah Steve where are you it's almost time to take her out of here so we just want you to go away just just rest and recuperate and just speak with the Lord meditate read the word and just hear God and just come back and so we can love on you some more God bless you amen thank you so much I appreciate it and then we're getting ready to do um what we came to do as far as a fundraiser and so we're going to go into that on your own on your table you see the envelopes that's there and uh on the envelopes you can do the QR code we are building a staff to be able to mobilize wouldn't you coaches like to see a chaplain Johnny Shelton on your team let me ask that again any coaches in the house coaches in the house all right wouldn't you like to see a chaplain Johnny Shelton on your team and that's what we're trying to build in our Baltimore City Public Schools and Beyond that while you spend time on coaching the X and the O's that someone is there to be able to help them and guide them a long life Jeremiah 29 11 says that I know the plans that I have for you plans not to home to give you a future and I hope all young people need to hear that they love them and we're not all the same denomination and all that but just take take the meat character building our young people need it and so as you see right here this is a plan as we mobilize we would like to be in every Baltimore City public school there are 37 high schools in Baltimore City Dr santalis correct me if I'm wrong I got it that's the CEO in here in the house 37 we have 70 some middle schools and we would like to be the effort after school club with our young people and I pray that you all would help in this endeavor we have a plan to put this together and we ask you to give one time or as an app an automatic monthly partner on your tables there are envelopes and I would ask you to take it out if you haven't already to be able to look and see how you can support financially and I would like to share this of our goal tonight is two hundred thousand dollars and that is for staff that is for our huddles and that is for our scholarships for camps now you might say that's a lot of money two hundred thousand dollars it's 500 people in the room praise God a little over 500. if 333 people gave 39 a month that's ten dollars a week we would have two hundred thousand dollars and let me make a correction that's 427 people I'm sorry all the accountants please do the math 427 times times 39. and the 333 is times the fifty dollars would give us two hundred thousand dollars now if someone wrote the check tonight for 200 000 we're done praise the Lord God God bless you and it's not too hard it's not too hard but whatever the Lord is laying on your heart but more importantly I would love if you say hey I can't give anything well I already gave thank you but I would like to volunteer there you can check the box on there as well as well or go to our website which is a blessing so as you take time to fill out your envelopes I would like to welcome to the stage Mr and Mrs Marlin Parish uh they're just going to share a testimony about how FCA impacted them and then after that we're going to welcome up Jay Sue our board member who came all the way from California let's give it up and Janaya who's going to give us prayer and so we're going to be out of here praise God come on up her just praise the Lord amen let's give them a hand clap as they come up amen to God be the glory I want to thank Serena and the husband of Steve forgive me this opportunity the cherish you my experience and how I became connected to the fellowships of Christian athletes I was a 10th grader at American father we have a abbreviation for American dollars mervo and uh at that particular time they were selecting two student athletes from each High School and me and another fellow there was also a sophomore in the 10th grade was selected for Maryville and that was my first affiliation with the FCA and the SCA was but let me before I go on that this beautiful woman right here her name is Gene and same last name is mine so nobody get any ideas she's the wind behind myself she's the cherry on top of my Sunday she said snow on my Mountaintop I have to say that y'all because you have to acknowledge be a woman because you don't know how much support they give you how many mistakes I would make if she wasn't by my side so I have to give her her do I also thank you and getting back to when we went for a week at the Naval Academy Roger stole back Ray May Mike Curtis Bob Vogel and there was two other professional athletes there I don't know I forgot the names and I forgot who they played for that's when we had the coach at that time but they it was an incredible week we had to follow the directions of of the midshipmen there was no radio no television and no girls and um and we couldn't leave campus so during that week that I was there we we just had principles of Life studying the Bible we had clinics like football clinics we had games we played basketball we played football we ran track we did all those things but we've always had the discussion about God and what God can mean for you if you would follow his word so it was very instrumental in me and this is what I picked up from being there that week I picked up it ain't no shortcuts you had to work he had to be diligent he had to be consistent and you have to be dependable and if you do those things consistently no matter what you do you'll get better at it and the sky's the limit the sky's the limit if you just do those things so I I felt when I became affiliated with the fellowship of Christian athletes I was starting with a head start and my life has been good since then I mean um um I've been employed for in my job as a longshoreman to work for the Port of Baltimore for over 50 years and um as a result of it would be financially independent we I would still work not because I have to it's because I just want to um and I urge you you can't put a price tag on Hope that's when when I'm saying hope is you never know where nobody is you never know what somebody needs to give them a spot so they can have some kind of life and that's what we're doing so I'm I'm standing up here before you to be an example to let you know I'm giving back been giving back never stop giving never stop I've never heard one bad thing about the fellowship of Christian athletes not one in all those years and today I mean it blew my mind in but the day for me to have the opportunity to sit down and tell you about experience with the FCA and to be able to hit hear Tony Dungy John Harbaugh to Hall of Fame coaches and I know one that's still working but it's going to be a Hall of Fame but we we all already know that so I am so my college I had my uh my gran my um College oh I um graduated from Frostburg State University but my my main I mean school was good I learned a lot from it but my main education was what sports taught me I just taught you to work hard so I I urge everybody I urge everybody to strongly strongly just write your checks write your checks and do something for somebody because I am I'm a result of what that money can do I don't think I did too bad thank you thank you so much we want to bring up JSU and Janaya and um hopefully you'll be able to you said her something has blessed your soul today uh short hairs this is so exciting and hopefully you were able to share to be able to get finances back to our coaches and athletes here in the city uh we have gifts for you in the back shirts the four shirts God loves you sin separates you Jesus died on a cross for you and the question is will you accept them they're right there you have your bracelets and so Steve Fitzhugh has wrote a book called charge a young woman's guide for healthy relationship he said whoever's birthday is closest to today you can have the book and it's on the table amen all right okay thank you so much I appreciate you all your support and hopefully I'll see you all uh with us yeah sister Sharon's birthday is today on our board let's clap it up and say sure this is our 60th birthday today and she's here working but I want to thank you coach Tony Dungy coach Harbaugh to Kelly family and everyone and just continue to keep us in prayer come alongside and help coach me up as I grow as uh as I lead here in the city God bless [Applause] all right I'm the last speaker I'll keep it short um my name is Jay Sue I'm I am on the board I represent the San Francisco Bay Area Office of Baltimore City FCA my my wife and I and my daughter flew in my actually my daughter flew in from Hawaii so uh we're very happy to be here very fortunate I was on staff with the Bay Area FCA as well and when I was relocated here to Baltimore City for a few years for my job assignment I was looking for a home the first person I reached out to was FCA here and Serena made was was the first person from Baltimore that I met along with Kathy finneran and they made me feel at home right away so thank you Serena I really appreciate that and then one more thing I jesus Saved Me In 2007. okay so Jesus gave me a Bible my life but he also gave me a book called quiet strength it started written by coach Dungy so coach your your personal hero of mine all right so just know it's something's happening you know boots on the ground and it and it spreads from there so thank you very much for writing that book it quite frankly probably saved my marriage and my family so really appreciate that book so um thank you for being here please be generous nothing happens without the support the financial support of FCA from you and thank you for coming in closing uh Janaya sorry about that janaya's going to close us in prayer thank you well God I thank you for waking us up this morning starting us on our way Lord God I thank you for all the things that you have done in getting ready to do look God I thank you for all these people little guy that came and donated Lord God even the ones that have done God I thank you for them Lord God I thank you for protecting us and keeping us on our way and on our way back to home well God I thank you for all the things you've done in Jesus name I pray amen [Applause] [Music]