Since 1973, the Family Circle Cup is a Women's Tennis Association tournament has been played at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Several years ago, local pastor Eric Spivey, recognized that a group of Christians could volunteer to assist the tournament organizers with day to day player and fan activities. Increasingly they gained the confidence of the organizers as they met with success from the players and spectators attending the tournament each year. This year the tournament will be held from April 17-23 and it will be wonderful that those of your reading this will support this group of "tennis missionaries" with your prayers. In the year 2001 the tournament will be relocate to Charleston, South Carolina and Pastor Spivey and his group of dedicated volunteers are already looking forward to passing on the work to another Christian group in the new city.
Pastor Eric Spivey, is the Director of LowCountry Ministries, a ministry of the Savannah River Baptist Association (30 Southern Baptist churches in Beaufort and Hilton Head, SC). He ministers to the people who live, work, play, and visit in his location and does it through resort ministries (geared to tourist population and work force), community ministries (geared to at risk children and families through day camping, multi-housing ministry, and sports clinics), and special event ministry (geared to festivals, tournaments, parades, etc.)
The ministry with Family Circle started through a member of First Baptist Church, who had worked closely with the tournament in the past and had wanted to start ministries, but didn't know what to do. He set up a meeting with a tournament representative. He and Pastor Spivey had two pages of idea proposals, but the three things that meet the tournaments needs were: Volunteers, Children's activities, and worship.
1. Volunteers:
The tournament brings in the Smash Tennis interactive children's games for the week in their "Kid's Zone." The problem: none of the older volunteers wanted to work with kids. They promised the tournament 15 volunteers per day for 10 days. Eric thought they stepped out on a limb, but they found them (local and mission teams). They had a great ministry with the smash tennis workers, the other volunteers working with them, and with the number of kids who came through the event. They provided active college and high school volunteers who loved Christ, were always positive, and enjoyed what they did. It was with this side of the ministry that they won their biggest points. Pastor Spivey received a letter from the tournament expressing their praise for the volunteers, saying that the kid's zone had gone better than ever before.
They encourage the volunteers to see themselves as Christian missionaries inside the event. It seemed to work and many positive ministry relationships have begun.
2. Children's activities
The tournament normally sponsors a "Family Day" on the first day of qualifying. This normally consisted of two sponsor booths. They came in and provided free face painting, balloon twisting, clowns, pipe cleaner activities, and sidewalk chalk. All the kids at the event stopped at the area. They did this for two days and it seemed to fill the gap in kid's zone before smash tennis arrived.
3. Worship service
The finals last year was on Easter Sunday. It was good for the tournament to offer a service and everyone was excited to provide it. They held the service on a stage in the center of Harbor Town adjacent to the tournament. This activity was promoted in all the tournament spectator guides and announced on center court during the semi-finals. The ministry produce flyers and gave them out in stores around the area. They had a local Christian band lead in praise and worship. Last year, Wendy White Pausa, a retired Christian professional living in Atlanta, did an excellent job giving her testimony. Pastor Spivey gave a sermon message. The service lasted 40 minutes.
They prepared 100 bulletins not knowing how many people who show up. They were gone before 9:00. By the time it was over, they estimated that 500 people had attended and surrounded the stage, on boats in the marina, and on condo balconies. This really encouraged those who worked at pulling it off! They felt like they earned the opportunity to be there with the blessing and advertising of the tournament through the volunteering work that they did. God really did an amazing job. All the volunteers were just excited to have a part and be able to watch.
Pastor Spivey and his team of organizers feel they have establish a great relationship with the tournament. While the tournament will be moving to another location in 2001, they are hopeful that they will be able to pass on the work they have done with tournament to a local Christian group in the new city and this well trained army for Lord looks for new opportunities.