On behalf of our FCA local staff and the Chambers Family, we would like to thank you for your support of our sports ministry.

I have attached our newsletter.

We are grateful for experiencing the miraculous in 2011:

- Salvations from elementary schools to colleges throughout Delmarva

- Hosted 3rd annual Mid Atlantic Coaches Weekend

- Continued growth and depth of team ministry at high school and college level as well as new campus ministries

- Record Football Chapel numbers at Wesley College and Delaware State

- As many as 20 one on one weekly discipleship meetings with college athletes

- Continued transformation through business leader, coaches and athlete discipleship groups

- Record attendance at our leadership camp for campus leaders and Coaches

- Being invited to serve on a task force team for international Coaches Ministry

- Sharing the Gospel at our Overnight Salisbury Sports Camp for High School Athletes

We would like to ask you to pray for the following throughout 2012:

-Ben Knapp, continuing to improve    -Our family                 -Growth of new FCA Staff, new campus ministries and adding Board members

-Growth of new FCA ministry             -Our ability to redeem sport through the influence of transformed coaches and athletes

-Prayer for coaches, teachers and athletes leading for Jesus on their campuses

-Reestablishing our local sports day camps for 7-11 year olds

PRAY now:

As much as we celebrate what Jesus has done the reality is we do not have enough operating funds currently to make it through January.

We would like to ask you to pray and ask God if He would lead you to sow into a sports ministry committed to transformation, evangelism and discipleship.

If God leads you after prayer you can give online at:                                    http://www.delmarvafca.org/donate

Checks also can be made payable to “FCA” and mailed to:  196 Country Field Dr., Camden, DE 19934

Thank you for your support, service and prayer!  Make it a great Christmas and New Year!

PS: Apologies to those of you who are on more than one email list.

Coach Randy Chambers

Delmarva & Delaware State Director

Mid Atlantic Coaches Captain

Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2011
Dear Friends,
As Christmas quickly approaches we wish you and your family a very Blessed Christmas as we celebrate the wonderful news that God became man and dwelt among us!  Emmanuel was born to die and provide us a way to God, to provide peace between God and man.  We celebrate his coming to earth and look forward to his returning in all His glory and splendor!

During the first two weeks of December, students in Bucharest began going through the dorms doing a survey on the meaning of Christmas and inviting students to the Carol Concert that the group was organizing.  We had great discussions with students in the dorms and one discus ion in particular remains in my (Mike’s) mind.  It was with a young lady from the law school who said that being a Christian was all about in the end having your good works out weigh your bad works.  I was able to talk to her about what the Bible said about this and that none of us are good and because of this God sent his only Son into the world so that through Him and His “good works” we might be saved.  She said she had never heard this before and took a New Testament from us to begin reading.  Pray that the Lord would continue to speak to her as she reads his word!

The night of the concert we had a full house and we pray that God would use the words of the carols sung and the short message to help more students understand the True meaning of Christmas.

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

–Isaiah 9:6

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a joyous time to reflect on God becoming man.

In Him,
Mike, Kris, Rebekah, Andrew & Hannah

Dear friends,

In October John wrote you three stories.  Well, since so much has happened since then we will again write you in story form.

Story # 1: Ironic providence.

Our team has been helping in a local elementary school the past few months.  We had been asked to tutor the principal’s daughter.  In thinking about the great need for tutoring among the poorer children, I offered to help her daughter in exchange for space and time to tutor this hated race.  God paved the way and my idea was accepted. However, when I came on Monday I found the school empty: all the children had gone to a school program.  By God’s grace this “mess-up” turned out for good, as I was asked to cover a classroom full of Roma children who hadn’t gone to the program! This past week 7 of these children showed up for the volunteer tutoring. Pray that God will increase the fruit of our efforts and that teachers will see it is God working. 

Story # 2: 

Background information: (1.) Because Slovak is the Roma’s second language, most children begin the first grade with a Slovak vocabulary of 400 words. Their “white” classmates average over 3,000 words.  (2.) A large plot of land, with a house, is up for sale.  It is on the extreme edge of the “white” part of the village of Vitkovce, just across the tracks from the Roma part.  It seemed the perfect place to have our Sunday worship, to have Bible studies, and to begin a small pre-school.  At first the mayor was very happy to sell to us but when the village folk realized how we wanted to use the property they refused to sell (the mayor says the Catholic priest has exerted great pressure on him too). Next week we will meet with this same mayor. He has the authority to parcel out government funds to Roma for jobs like digging ditches or cleaning the town’s streets. We are going to ask if he would allot some funds towards two mothers who could help pre-school children with the basic “readiness skills”

 to enter first grade. Please pray that God would move in this man. The house is still for sale…..just not to us. 

Story #3:  Of Pumpkin Soup

Our classes on how to cook meals for a crowd and keep it under 3 euro and 50 cents is paying off.  Kristinka happily told me her husband has lost 13 kilos since she began cooking the recipes that use less fat and more beans and lentils.  The classes are paying off in a much bigger way as well. The Christians agreed to make it an outreach event and invited their non-believing neighbors. On the first such cooking class/outreach, Katka was ready to share her testimony; but only the 12 believing women showed up. As we began cooking the pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread, Maria asked if they couldn’t invite their neighbors since Katka’s didn’t come. Well, all agreed it was a good idea. So they “beat the bushes” and so, halfway through our class our numbers increased to over 20 and Katka was able to share her testimony with non-believers after all. May God work in many hearts. (In Slovakia, pumpkins are grown for their seeds and the rest is used as pig feed or tossed it out in the fields to rot). It was rewarding to see over 25 adults enjoying the soup and bread.

Story # 4:  Turned down

We noticed a number of benches that were stored in the basement of the church here in Kosice and asked the pastor if we couldn’t take one and leave it in the village for the worship services there. (Only the most elderly get to sit in the 4-5 chairs available).  After talking to his elders we were answered in the negative. However, last week the people solved the problem themselves and asked the various families to bring chairs with them to church. 

Another negative response has motivated the believers to come up with their own creative solutions.  Last Wednesday the mayor of Vitkovce (yes, him again) refused to rent the community center to the Church for their annual Christmas program. Because the children have memorized Scripture, worked on a play, and invested so much work into the preparations, the Roma believers have decided to pitch in and fix up as best they can an unfinished building site that is in their village. They plan to put carpets on the dirt floor, we will bring our gas heater, and they will hang a rug in the doorway to keep the heat in. Just yesterday John helped finish sheetrocking the ceiling there. Next Monday is when we have the Christmas program, and John will be preaching. Pray for many to come to the Lord, for Jesus to be honored in all.

Love, Kathy and John

PS.  Check this web site out for some good shots of Roma in Slovakia….Scroll down to the picture titled. “The plight of the Roma…. http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/?hpt=hp_c1&fb_source=message

December 2011 Update

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
From all the Newport’s!

Quick Holiday Points:

1. Thank you for your continued prayers & faithful support this past year.  The Lord has sustained us beyond measure through your partnership & is moving us forward into new steps of faith.

2. Have a blessed celebration of Christmas with friends & family. May you connect deeply with our Lord & with all those he sets around you during this season. May we each move into the new year with his agenda & Spirit to make disciples in our moments.

3. We continue to work on our future ministry plans in Greece (though if this door closes we will be back in France). We will keep you posted on these matters.

4. We will enter the new year focusing on developing our partnership base. This will require more travel for Brad. Pray with us for new prayer & monthly support partners.

5. End of year gifts. We end the year well, but as expected we face many challenges right now & in the coming months. Your one-time gift would help offset these current expenses & prepare for our move in July 2012. If you desire to give a one-time gift see below. Thank you!

6. Suddenly Mary! A Christmas post. Click here to see the new installment at ELEVEN36:  http://eleven36now.blogspot.com/

7. Our 2012 Schedule is coming together. We will send this out in early January 2012. Pray that the Lord will allow to connect well in the short time we have before June 2012.

Gifts: If you would like to give a one-time gift or start monthly support go to

http://www.teamworld.org/give/ways-to-give-through-team/team-us-ways-to-give.html

You will find several different options there.
Contact us with any questions.

Have a joyous Christmas,


In his keep,

Brad, Jamie & family