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"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14, NIV
On September 6, 1986, Bob Roll was representing the US at the UCI World Championship Road Race near Colorado Springs, as part of Team 7-Eleven Hoonved. To this day, Roll states one memory stands out among the rest. "That was hard. It was a miserable day weather-wise. All of the Euros were there. We had done the Coors Classic, Tour of Colorado, beforehand to get ready for it. Ron Kiefel rode well. Greg LeMond had just won the Tour de France and it was a pretty acrimonious battle with Bernard Hinault." LeMond had won the rainbow jersey three years earlier, racing in Switzerland. Cycling in the US was gaining popularity thanks in large part to LeMond's success. Several Christian friends who happened to be cyclists attended the race. They noticed many teams with brands like Campagnolo, Colnago, Shimano, 7-Eleven, and such represented on their jerseys. They asked one another, What if there was a team that glorified Christ? And what we know today as Christian Cycling began to take shape.
We need something very simple from you!
The National Board is working on putting together a cycling and spiritual swag bag for each current member, and we need one simple thing from you in order to do that...your unisex t-shirt size (yes, it's that simple). Just email that, with your name, to anniversary40@christiancycling.org by June 1st (better yet, do it today as you read this). Also, please log onto christiancycling.org, click on My Account, then Profile, and ensure your mailing address is correct. We are aiming to have everything in the mail to you by mid-July. But, if we don't hear from you, well...just don't let that happen!
40 Years is Just the Beginning...Press on Toward the Prize!
Similar to Paul's words to the church at Philippi, we collectively continue to pursue the higher calling of bringing the Gospel to the world we touch...particularly on the pavement, dirt, cobbles, and virtual courses we pedal. We are called to His purpose and to be a blessing to those around us. This is the prize we press toward, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Bruce Beyerly
ChristianCycling National Board President
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