Lipscomb’s reputation as a strong community of believers is taking a big step into the locker rooms.
Recent grad Kayla Marsh, whose official title is “spiritual formation director,” has been hired with the goals of devising ideas and events that foster spiritual development among the university’s athletes.
“My greatest expectation is to really create a community that is real and authentic with each other,” Marsh said, “because the truth is, we know the spiritual leaders, but they struggle just as much as the ones that aren’t.”
An example of her program is the Bible study she is leading for the women’s basketball team.
“This year we’ve rededicated our focus to spiritually develop our student-athletes,” said Philip Hutcheson, athletics director. “We are doing this through working with our coaches, team captains and members of the Lipscomb community who volunteer as team chaplains and mentors.”
Another important aspect of Marsh’s new position is to find ways to create community between the athletes and the student body. Because the athletes are so busy with their respective sports, minimal time is left to interact with non-athletes.
Many of the female athletes Marsh has met with have expressed a desire for spiritual growth.
Marsh says she has great expectations for the future, with ideas such as beginning a discipleship-type program, in which former athletes (in the community) mentor the spiritual leaders on each team and invest in their lives.