B-Ball, Youth, and Discipleship begins Jan 9th

Youth B-Ball (basketball) returns to KCFC with the start of the new year! Pastor Roland Tedder announced beginning Saturday, January 9th, youth basketball games begin at Kansas City First Church. The Kansas City District NYI Basketball league begins with local Nazarene churches fielding teams of youth, boys and girls alike, for weekly competition at KC First Church.The league is for anyone in grades 7-12 who regularly attend a Nazarene church on the district once a week (see eligibility requirements below).  Teams are formed from the local NYI groups at each church.

Our KCFC Basketball team will be coached by Larry Lewis (returning for another year) and assistant coach James Neeld.
Jim Real, a member and locally licensed minister at KCFC, will also serve as the league commissioner. This church-sponsored effort in basketball provides opportunities for outreach and discipleship. The discipline of organized basketball serves as a backdrop for deeper discipleship.

The organizational goals of this Kansas City District effort provides a clear set of goals:

Mission Statement:  The KCD NYI basketball league exists to be an outreach activity to incorporate unchurched teenagers into the active body of Christ, to teach positive basketball skills to youth.  It is through this sport that teenagers will enter the church and be presented the Gospel with the opportunity to make decisions on their spiritual well being.

Philosophy:  Through active participation in a sport activity, sponsored by the local church, teenagers can and will invite their unchurched friends to participate in the sport. By participating in the sport, the teenager is then required to participate in the worship services of the local church, and thus be exposed to the Gospel through the message and life of the people. It is, therefore, the responsibility of participating churches, lay ministers, coaches, and paid staff to minister to youth and their family units. Winning first place in the sport is the lesser of two goals. The most important goal of winning souls for Christ must continually be first in the minds of the coaches, youth leaders and everyone who may be involved in the leadership of the sport.

KCD NYI Basketball Eligibility Requirements:

1) All players must be youth between the grade of seventh (7^th) and twelfth (12^th), and may be male or female.

2) All players must attend the local church he or she represents for a minimum of four services per month once the league has begun.  Each student on the local church team will be given ample opportunity to hear the Gospel preached, as well as see the Gospel lived out through the lives of the people in the church.

3) Players must not participate in any school league basketball – in or out of season.  It is against school regulations in both Missouri and Kansas for any player who is involved in a school sporting event to be involved in a league outside of the school.  This goes for all age groups  involved in our league.  Secondly, this offers teenagers who are not skilled enough, or were  unable to make their school team, an opportunity to play basketball on a competitive level. (NOTE: This policy is subject to change at some private schools).

We encourage KCFC members to support our young men and women as they participate in this discipleship effort. For more information contact Pastor Roland Tedder, Larry Lewis, or James Neeld.