The Tribune

GRAND Bahamian ministers Ke'Dal Campbell and Androsian Denise Rolle are representing Commune Sports this week in Jamaica where they are participating in a "Ready, Set Go" Sports Ministry and Evangelism Outreach Training Programme.

Commune Sports Director Minister Charmaine Adderley said the programme is geared towards providing an avenue to empower individuals, churches, community groups and other civic and social organisations, companies and schools to engage in strategies for in sports and play.

"These strategies will allow for persons to engage in team building and Commune Sports is doing its part to ensure that the Bahamas stays on the cutting edge of these new approaches to building the Bahamas," Adderley said.

Commune Sports, which is an affiliate of the international regional body that is based in Jamaica, was able to assist in providing chaplains for the last Carifta Games held in the Bahamas and although they won't be a part of the Commonwealth Youth Games this week, Adderley said they are working on future events coming to the country.

"We have an affiliation with the Bahamas Olympic Committee, we were able to provide some support to the Olympic team, but unfortunately, we didn't get the necessary mechanisms in place for the Commonwealth Youth Games," Adderley said.

"But we know that eighty per cent of the world either watches or plays sports and we are now in the Bahamas trying to reach out to our communities in a more fulfilling way. So sport and play, we believe, is that vehicle for the church to use and engage in running the Christian race."

As a former athlete, who participated in just about every sport she could imagine as a young girl, Adderley said she remembers how sports made her community of Bain and Grants Town so strong and so she wants to give back to getting the church to provide more avenues to make disciples for the Lord.

"By using these sports and play values, this will allow the churches to reengage in their communities in a more meaningful and lasting way, but to maintain a lasting relationship in getting to know the people around you and having that major impact," she said.

Adderley said they are delighted to be able to provide this opportunity for Campbell and Rolle to travel to Jamaica where they will be participating in the week-long level one training session. The duo, which were selected based on their criteria as youth leaders and evangelists, left town on Friday for the session that will wrap up on Sunday.

It was on a journey from Grand Bahama to Nassau on a mailboat when Campbell got to meet Adderley and, as they say, the rest was history.

"I love soccer and softball and baseball, but I don't master those things, but I'm good at it," said Campbell, a native from New Providence. "I have never engaged in anything like this, but I believe this opportunity to be trained in this "Ready, Set Go" Sports and Evangelism programme is something that I believe will be more beneficial than whatever I did playing sports.

"In our church, we have plenty sports persons and I go out and watch a lot of them participate and I try to help out as much as I can. As the representative from Grand Bahama, I hope to get as much out of the programme that I can take back to Grand Bahama and help to turn the community around."

At just 15 years of age, Campbell said he has noticed that a lot more could be done for the island and the young people and that's one of the reasons why he's so eager about getting involved in the training programme in Jamaica.

"I think it's going to be great," he said. "The old folks are not playing anymore. They have grandchildren and they are sitting around and watching them play. But I think this programme can help them to assist persons of all ages."

Rolle, on the other hand, said the programme provides a unique opportunity for her and Campbell to not only be trained in spreading the gospel, but to also open the door for sports and entertainment for Bahamians to be ambassadors for the country and the kingdom of Christ.

"Andros and North Andros in particular, is an island that has raised so many athletes in the past, so I know that this programme can only take us to a new level or a greater level of sports as we continue to do our part in developing more athletes," she stated.

"So I'm excited about it, I'm excited about it coming to North Andros and the doors that will be opened as a result of Commune Sports and the Ready, Set, Go programme that will becoming there when I return home."

Adderley, however, stressed the programme is not limited to persons who are already engaged in sports, but for those persons who have a keen interest in being used as a discipline in getting the gospel out through the avenue of sports and play.

"We're seeking to identify persons from each of the Family Islands to pour into and give these strategies to them," Adderey said. "When they return, they will be going back on their respective islands to empower the people there and we hope that we can continue the trend of sending others off to train in the future."

Adderley, a level two certified instructor, said they have four others who are level one and they hope that on their return, Campbell and Rolle will push the number to six as they provide the community-based programmes that are so badly needed in the country.

"The beauty of this level one Ready, Set Go programme is geared towards giving us that passion to love to serve and impact our community again," she said. "I wish we could have gotten more persons to be a part of it, but I know when ministers Ke'Dal and Denise come back, they will help to make a difference in their communities."