What it means to be a next level athlete is to bring your spiritual, your physical, and mental capabilities to the next level in going from high school to collegiate athletics. The idea with Next Level Sports is to have athletes sharing with athletes about how to get to the next level in their sport and their life. Mark Neely, an APU football player is head

Mark Neely is blessed by the opportunity to see God at work in Next Level Sports.

ing up the ministry by organizing inspirational talks to encourage high school football teams.

Last fall Mark Hopson and Warren took Mark Neely out for breakfast to cast the vision, "I went into that thinking this is cool, I love CSP, I love sports, I love the Lord, lets see what vision he has for this ministry... I remember getting into my car after that breakfast and I broke down in tears. This is what I want to be doing, this is what the Lord has put on my heart even since last year as a freshman to be able to reach high school athletes with the Gospel in southern California."

In the spring last year Mark and two of his teammates had the first team talk at North View High School. One athlete shared his testimony and Mark shared the gospel to a room of 75 football players. That day 23 of those athletes received Christ.

"It was completely unexpected, I had no idea we could make such a big impact on those lives. Right after that I said we need to be in more schools, this is too good not to run with," Mark said. 

His goal for this year is to set up 15 evangelistic talks in the spring semester. Eventually the vision is that they will be able to have follow-up talks and then even provide mentors to athletes who want to impact their school or their team with the Gospel using the CSP model.

"I have a passion for Next Level Sports specifically because I feel like sports is such an easy gateway to present the gospel in a clear and engaging manner because they are so universal. Initially we can relate to the high schoolers on an athletic level, showing that we love this game just as much as you do, but at the end of the day there is way more that matters than having that glory on the field," Mark said.

The biggest struggle is getting the talks set up. "With anything in ministry it's not ever on our timing, its so much a test of faith and patience and of completely leaning on the Lord. It's challenged me even more, this is not going to be easy, but then I just go back to the fruit we saw in North View and we could see in so many other schools and it drives me to want to get in contact with these coaches," Mark said.

Mark is excited that Jake Powers is joining his team to do more of the administrative work of contacting coaches and recruiting athletes so that this ministry can start impacting athletes.

Pray that God would open the doors for the schools that need to hear the good news in this semester and next.

Pray that God would make it evident of where to go, and for the coaches and players to be receptive to having speakers come.

Pray that the Lord would provide 15 opportunities for Next Level Sports to serve Him faithfully.