Why Cycling?
The sport of cycling is the 3rd largest sport 
in the world and north Texas is one of the most
popular areas in the US for participants.
Cycling involves athletes who range from recreation
to highly skilled competitive racers with many levels
in between. It is a versatile sport that can be used
i
n both competitive and noncompetitive settings and
in many different types of events.
When sponsored and supported by the local church cycling can be used to help believers convert their passion for sport into an effective outreach. Using creativity and involvement in a common passion for sport, participants can learn how to start spiritual conversations, learn how to share the gospel, and have opportunities to invite seekers to be involved in a non-threatening environment where can hear about Jesus Christ.
In addition to outreach, activities will also serve to support and under gird the family and strengthen the church as athletes are encouraged and taught to balance their training time with family leadership and church involvement.
Opportunity
While cycling can be used in many different ways in sports ministry, here are just a few possible uses:
·
Weekly, biweekly, or monthly bike rides 
·
Sports Ministry Awareness Bike Tour
·
Retreat for cycling / endurance athletes
·
Fund Raising for Mission Trip
·
Evangelistic Bike Rally / Crusade
Cycling News
July 09, 2008
By: Eddie Anderson
Summer has arrived! That means hot weather for North Texas and it also means the cycling season is in full swing. Rule #1 this time of year is to make sure to bring extra fluids when you ride and make sure to drink plenty of fluids between rides.
Since our last update in March we have had several events. Our Family Cycling Day in April didn’t turn out as we had hoped due to timing and weather issues but we learned some things that will help us when we try it again. However, the good news is that in spite of the obstacles we were still able to donate more than $3000 to support two different mission trips at FBC. In May, we had a very good turn out for the Wild Ride in Richardson as at least 12 riders from the IC3 NTX & FBC Cycling Ministry participated in the ride. In June we also had several riders who participated in the Collin Classic.
Our Sunday fellowship rides are consistently gaining momentum as we are beginning to see a group of regulars as well as several new riders at each event. Our average numbers are up to about 10-12 and hopefully that will continue to grow. We now have a route that everyone seems to enjoy and it offers the ability for us to keep the group together for the first part of the ride and give the option for those want to go longer to break off at our designated break off point. We’ve done this for the last 3 or four rides and it seems to work really well. We’ve also had several new ladies come and join us so there’s a really good mix of riders.
The new ride calendar for July-September is post below. Be sure to check out all the dates. You will notice that there are not any Saturday rides scheduled from the church. We have been having a lot more success with the Sunday afternoon rides so we decided to focus on those. For those want to ride on Saturday there are plenty of rides around and you will usually find some of us on a PBA or RBM ride and we also put together rides from McKinney fairly often. So, if you are looking for a place to ride on Saturday let us know and we will help you find a ride that fits you.
In addition to the fellowship rides from the church there are other events that we will be participating in as a group. These events are great for meeting people who aren’t Christians and gives you an opportunity to start conversations as you ride. We will be going to the Tour de Paris on July 19, the HHH in Wichita Falls in August and in September we are going to try and get a group to go to Shawnee, OK to participate in the Bison Bicycle Classic to support Habitat for Humanity and the Music Dept of Oklahoma Baptist University. There are links for all of these events below. Finally don’t forget to check the IC3 NTX web site for other events like the Horse Country Time Trials.
Thanks for your support of IC3 NTX and the FBC Cycling Ministry. I look forward to seeing all of you on a ride soon.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider joining the IC3 club. The jerseys are a great way to get conversations started and let other Christian riders know we are around.
As always, if you have ideas or comments or have friends who want to get involved feel free to use the on line form at the bottom of the cycling ministry page to stay in touch with us.
See you at the next event.
Please check the IC3 Events link below for other cycling ministry opportunities.
Road rides leave from 1st Baptist parking lot, corner of Louisiana and Graves
Note: Time and dates may change due to weather.
Ride Calendar July-September 2008
Sunday FELLOWSHIP Rides – conversational pace, no one gets dropped and the slowest rider sets the pace, 60-90 minutes. There will be a break off point where those who want to go further and a little faster can break off from the rest of the group.
Sunday July 13 – 2:30 pm
Sunday July 27 – 2:30 pm
Sunday Aug 3 – 2:30 pm
Sunday Aug 17 – 2:30 pm
Sunday Aug 24 – 2:30 pm
Sunday Sept 7 – 2:30 pm
Sunday Sept 21 – 2:30 pm
Event Schedule
Saturday July 19 –
Tour de Paris, Paris, TX
Saturday Aug 23 –
HHH, Wichita Falls, TX
Sat-Sun Sept 27-28 –
Bison Bicycle Classic, Shawnee, OK
Bike Routes for Fellowship Ride
Fellowship Ride Short Route – 15 miles
Fellowship Ride Long Route – 28 miles
Fellowship Ride South Loop Route – 49 miles