Whether you鈥檙e playing soccer, cross-country, tennis or golf, a strong core is key. There鈥檚 no avoiding it: athletes of all kinds have to work their abs.
ABS is a convenient acronym, then, for the weekly Athlete Bible Study that鈥檚 begun meeting over lunch on the 草莓社区 campus this semester 鈥� and just one manifestation of senior cross-country runner Jolee Paden鈥檚 efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of her fellow athletes and classmates.
Last January, she also helped launch a monthly event called Athletes Speak, during which students gather over pizza to hear athletes and coaches talk about their lives and faith. Both events are affiliated with EMU鈥檚 chapter of the (FCA), in which Paden has been a leader since she was a first-year student.
At the time, FCA didn鈥檛 have a particularly large or active presence on campus, and so, just as she鈥檇 done previously at her high school in St. Joseph, Illinois, Paden threw herself into the task of building it up.
鈥淔CA is for athletes and coaches to have the opportunity to encounter biblical truth and authentic community,鈥� said Paden, a double-major in and . 鈥淥ver the last three years and going into the fourth, it鈥檚 just done a complete 360 in terms of getting people involved.鈥�
One of the ways she鈥檚 promoted the ABS and Athletes Speak events was dropping any reference to FCA from their names. She decided to do so after discovering that some student-athletes didn鈥檛 understand the purpose of the group or had developed negative impressions of it in high school.
This decision, said EMU athletics director , 鈥渄emonstrated her sensitivity and creativity鈥� as a leader.
鈥淛olee has provided the most critical ingredient for any successful program aimed at student athletes 鈥� student leadership,鈥� King continued. 鈥淪ustainable programs have quality student leadership and Jolee has provided that.鈥�
Paden is also a pastoral assistant with EMU鈥檚 , and spoke in chapel in late September. (Audio of her talk is available .)
鈥淛olee brings energy and focus to spiritual life on campus. She is always noticing and discerning opportunities for ministry among her peers,鈥� said campus pastor . 鈥淪he presents with confidence and poise. There’s no doubt that she will continue to develop as a keynote speaker and preacher.鈥�
In addition to her work on campus, Paden is an intern at Grace Covenant Church in Harrisonburg, and helps lead the congregation鈥檚 ministry for college students. She has also published a running-themed devotional book, , writes , and begun accepting more public speaking invitations.
鈥淚 think God has just really blessed me with the capacity and the grace to do so much, because I still find time to relax and have a weekend sometimes. It鈥檚 kind of amazing,鈥� said Paden.
As the fall semester slips by, she鈥檚 thinking more and more about life after EMU. Perhaps she鈥檒l enter seminary. Maybe she鈥檒l go back to Washington D.C., where she lived last summer and loved working for , a nonprofit that uses running to empower people experiencing homelessness. As she weighs those options, she鈥檚 also intent on making sure that the FCA and affiliated events that have been so important to her time at EMU will continue to thrive after she鈥檚 gone.
鈥淚鈥檝e put a lot of my heart and hopefully the Lord鈥檚 heart into this,鈥� said Paden. 鈥淏uilding up other people who are passionate about it is really, really important to me.鈥欌��
As a practical matter, that鈥檚 meant handing over more and more responsibility to students who will return next year. One of them is Amanda Williams, a sophomore soccer player who helps schedule speakers for the Athletes Speak events. Williams hopes that she and her peers will continue building on Paden鈥檚 efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of EMU athletes.
鈥淚 think Jolee has an authentic relationship to God and displaying her faith just comes naturally to her,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淪he has a different perspective on the Bible 鈥� it鈥檚 refreshing to me, just to hear the things that God reveals to her.鈥�
Regardless of what, exactly, next year might bring for her, Paden plans to continue on the same general path she鈥檚 followed through EMU 鈥� sharing, speaking, encouraging and nurturing the spiritual lives of the people around her.
鈥淢y dream would just be to tour and talk to young people and athletes,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 just a matter of how the Lord is opening those doors.鈥�