“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” – Luke 6:40
Jesus told people to “follow me”. He collected students across Israel, training them to be like their teacher. Paul, though only knowing Christ through revelation, understood Christ’s goal and gave his disciples a similar charge: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Jesus was the standard then and He is the standard now. Paul’s statement should be the discipleship standard for every minister and ministry. That is the standard at Urban Impact Foundation (UIF), and nothing brings us more joy than when we see our discipled students begin to disciple others. Asa Bray is an AAU Basketball coach at UIF for our 16U boys, and for the first time in UIF history, he and his team won a national tournament! Asa is not only a great coach, he was also a great player. When Asa was 6, he joined the UIF Baseball program. At 15, he started playing basketball and fell in love with the game and with Jesus Christ. He accepted Christ as his Savior and Lord at Outreach Basketball and joined a church and a Bible study soon after. He then went off to college and played basketball until COVID-19 kept him home. He decided that he would spend his next year not just working to make money or working out to get ready for next season, but leading a team of 16-year-old young men, just like others led him.
It was a privilege to see Asa spend his time working as a Fellow in the Urban Impact Training Center giving back what Jesus gave to Him! That is what it means to follow the example of Christ. We wish Asa the best and pray for his success as he leaves for Langara University to continue his basketball eligibility.