PLAYING A GAME TO CHANGE THE WORLD
MAI’s VIRTUES
Joy, Integrity, Faithfulness, Courage
MAI’s VIRTUES
PLAYING - Joy
PLAYING – Joy
We are playing a game that evokes a sense of fun, childlikeness and freedom. The way we play our game should be a foreshadowing of and overflow from our relationship with Jesus. Our staff should be joy-filled and we hope that people who encounter our staff would desire to have that same joy.
We are playing a game that evokes a sense of fun, childlikeness and freedom. The way we play our game should be a foreshadowing of and overflow from our relationship with Jesus. Our staff should be joy-filled and we hope that people who encounter our staff would desire to have that same joy.
A GAME – Integrity
A GAME - Integrity
We want to have integrity in the game and around the game. We operate in the tension of professional excellence in a competitive environment while not idolizing performance as our identity.
We want to have integrity in the game and around the game. We operate in the tension of professional excellence in a competitive environment while not idolizing performance as our identity.
TO CHANGE – Faithfulness
TO CHANGE - Faithfulness
We are bound to the full Gospel which acknowledges sin as the true problem with the world while pointing to the extravagant love of God for sinful and broken humanity evident in the cross of Jesus Christ.
THE WORLD - Courage
THE WORLD - Courage
The scope of where we strive to see Gospel change manifested in the whole world. We, with a courage stemming from the love of God seek to reach the next player, family, community, city, and country with the Gospel message through the global environment of competitive sport.
The scope of where we strive to see Gospel change manifested in the whole world. We, with a courage stemming from the love of God seek to reach the next player, family, community, city, and country with the Gospel message through the global environment of competitive sport.
MAI’s VIRTUES
Playing a Game to Change the World
(Joy, Integrity, Faithfulness, Courage)
PLAYING - Joy
PLAYING – Joy
We are playing a game that evokes a sense of fun, childlikeness and freedom. The way we play our game should be a foreshadowing of and overflow from our relationship with Jesus. Our staff should be joy-filled and hope that people who encounter a staff would desire to have this joy that is within us.
We are playing a game that evokes a sense of fun, childlikeness and freedom. The way we play our game should be a foreshadowing of and overflow from our relationship with Jesus. Our staff should be joy-filled and hope that people who encounter a staff would desire to have this joy that is within us.
A GAME – Integrity
A GAME - Integrity
We want to have integrity in the game and around the game. We operate in the tension of professional excellence in a competitive environment while not idolizing performance as our identity.
We want to have integrity in the game and around the game. We operate in the tension of professional excellence in a competitive environment while not idolizing performance as our identity.
TO CHANGE – Faithfulness
TO CHANGE - Faithfulness
We are bound to the full Gospel which acknowledges sin as the true problem with the world while pointing to the extravagant love of God for sinful and broken humanity evident in the cross of Jesus Christ.
THE WORLD - Courage
THE WORLD - Courage
The scope of where we strive to see Gospel change manifested in the whole world. We, with a courage stemming from the love of God seek to reach the next player, family, community, city and country with the Gospel message through the global environment of competitive sport.
The scope of where we strive to see Gospel change manifested in the whole world. We, with a courage stemming from the love of God seek to reach the next player, family, community, city and country with the Gospel message through the global environment of competitive sport.
MAI has entered its fourth decade of ministry continuing to fulfill its mission to “Glorify God and see lives transformed by sharing the message of Jesus Christ through the global environment of soccer.” (God Glorified. Lives Changed. Through Soccer.)
The vision for using soccer to reach a lost world led to the inception of MAI by Tim Conrad in La Habra, California in 1983. The fall of 1986 brought Dave Irby to MAI as its first full time staff member. In the fall of 1987, six other men joined MAI’s staff. That growth in personnel and programs has continued steadily since.
MAI became a charter member of the global sports network in 1985 and has been a member with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1989.
The fall of 1990 brought the opening of MAI’s first divisional ministry office outside of the Los Angeles area. This office was headed by Jon and Ruthie Ortlip in the town of Bolton Northern England. In 1991, Brian and Chris Davidson opened MAI’s third ministry office in Charlotte, North Carolina. MAI’s fourth ministry location, the Czech Republic, was opened in 1993, led by Bill and Lisa Galipault. The fifth office opened under the leadership of Rick and Janice McKinley during 1997 in Wheaton, IL. In the late 90’s, MAI’s office in England became an independent organization under “Ambassadors in Sports.”
Today, MAI has 6 Divisions in the United States. These Divisions are located in: Southern California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; the NC Triad; Phoenix, AZ; and Orlando, FL, with additional ministry partner programs occurring in other states and countries.
MAI’s main methods of evangelism and discipleship have been the organizing of soccer teams, conducting soccer camps and taking short-term soccer tours overseas. These programs are augmented by other ministries, including: clinics, school programs and inner city ministries; training leaders to be sports ministers and sending them out to partner with other Christian agencies.
We thank the Lord for His blessings in allowing us to grow from a few summer soccer camps, one international tour and a men’s amateur team thirty years ago to impact the lives of thousands of people each year through multi-faceted, year-round ministries that comprise MAI today.
Missionary Athletes International
Our Statement of Faith
- The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God without error in the original writings, and complete revelation of His Will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life (1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21). For purposes of interpreting the Bible’s meaning and application, MAI’s Board of Directors is MAI’s final interpretative authority with respect to MAI’s Statement of Faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline.
- There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit(Gen. 1:1; Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-14, 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14).
- Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; John 1:1,3, 12,14,18; John 3:16; John 1:29; Rom. 3:25,26; 2 Cor. 5:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:20; Acts 2:32; Heb.1: 3 – 13, 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
- The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men of sin, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service (1Cor. 3:16; John 2:20 – 27; Rom. 8:2,4,9,12,14).
- Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained (Gen 1:26; Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 5:15-19).
- The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for the justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit and thus become children of God (Eph. 2:4-9; John 3:3-8,16; Rom. 10:9-10).
- God creates each person in His image, male and female, and has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage. Any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pornography) is sinful and grieves God (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Matt. 5:28; 1 Thess. 4:3-7, 1 Cor. 6:12-20).
- God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
- God calls us through His grace, consistent with His Great Command to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, to afford to every person the compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity God affords to us (Matt. 22: Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31).