Stellenbosch, RISEN Lifting Community
Our Team:
We would love to take a minute to introduce you to our blog writer this week: Eugene Scheepers. Eugene is an engineering student at Stellnbosch University in South Africa and a passionate powerlifter who wants our help to further grow the sport of powerlifting from its existing state in South Africa and to use it to help reach troubled youth.
Eugene:
RISEN Lifting Community is a group which started in Stellenbosch, South Africa. This area has seen a huge need for role models and guidance in life in a township ridden with gangsters and drugs.
Vision
RISEN Lifting Community has been called by God to build a Godly community of lifters and spread the love of God using the relationships formed and the principles taught through the sport as platform for ministry and discipleship.
Mission
The communities where RISEN sees a need are often plagued with gangsters and all of the consequences thereof. We believe this culture is perpetuated due to a lack of parental guidance experienced by a lot of individuals in the community seeking examples to look up to and finding them in the wrong places. Athletic competition can be seen as a modern day parable because most people can relate to it and it is often easier to teach biblical principles through this medium, just like Jesus did by telling stories to people in ways they could easily understand.
RISEN Lifting Community is a safe place where individuals can escape from their circumstances and experience community only possible through Jesus. RISEN will function as a community of lifters who come together to train, fellowship and have small groups afterwards where the word of God can be shared, biblical principles taught in real situations and people can be equipped to be disciples of God.
RISEN aims to be sustainable for future generations to reap the fruits of the labor. This will be done by training coaches identified in the community of lifters who are passionate about continuing down this path. Individuals from the community will also be equipped with the skills of welding for building cost effective equipment and as a trade to benefit themselves and the community.
At the moment RISEN is working to secure a piece of land to start a gym and secure funds for equipment to start building relationships as soon as possible.
“Now no discipline seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11
From our team: As always thank you for taking the time to read about LIFT4LIFE, and you can all help us by sharing our website, liking us on Facebook, inviting your friends to the page, and following us on Instagram!
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