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History
Recreation Outreach Before 1994, the recreation ministry at Briarwood was divided into two different departments. One department ran Camp Briarwood while the other ran some very basic recreation activities. In 1994, those two came together to form the Family Recreation Ministry under the direction of Scott Hannah. While some of these events have changed hands and others have been added, the department has continued to grow and evolve into a ministry stretching even beyond the hopes and dreams of its original founders. With a new name and even broader vision, Briarwood’s recreation outreach ministry, Quest, continues to bless numerous families and individuals. Below are the aspects of the ministry that dictate the most administrative attention and how they have grown. Before 1994,
In 1995, Camp Briarwood began sending the Day and Overnight Camps to two different facilities, Hargis Christian Retreat (Day Camp) and YMCA Camp Chandler located in Wetumpka, AL (Overnight Camp). Camp Briarwood became (and still is) one of their largest summer tenants.
NEW! Reconnect with past attendees, camp counselors and more! Join the Camp Briarwood Re-Connect Facebook group and feel free to invite others that may also be interested by clicking here. Youth Basketball A. Before 1997, Briarwood participated in a youth basketball league sponsored by Lakeside Baptist Church. This league also included Asbury Methodist Church and involved approximately 200 of our Briarwood children. At the time, Briarwood had no administrative responsibilities. There was no intentional spiritual design to this program. In 1997, we decided that this wasn’t in line with the mission statement of Briarwood and began to explore other alternatives. We became involved in a ministry called Upward Basketball. This ministry truly uses basketball as a tool to share the gospel. It includes a written curriculum for coaches, coaches training, and prayer teams. Briarwood became the chief administrative vehicle of this ministry. This ministry has grown to over 750 participants representing over fifty churches and unchurched children and their families. Each season concludes with an Awards Night held at Briarwood. The purpose of this night is to award all participants and present the gospel. Over 1500 people have attended this special night each of the last three years. B. While Upward Basketball is a "non-competitive" way for a child and their family to participate in basketball, there was still the desire of some church members to have another basketball recreation program. In 1996, we began Briarwood Youth Basketball (BYB). This is a ministry involving select/recruited basketball teams. These teams are made up of only Briarwood members due to lack of gym space. These teams play in civic leagues sponsored by city recreation departments, YMCA leagues and Police Athletic leagues. This ministry has grown from three teams representing approximately thirty children to a maximum of nine teams representing approximately ninety children.
Although in existence for nearly twenty years, The Briarwood Soccer Club has only been under the leadership of the former Family Recreation Ministry (now, Quest) since 1996. Before that time, it was a club run and administrated entirely by a group of parents. In 1996, the church was given land for the use of building soccer fields. It was at this time that the Session of the church decided to bring it under the government of the church. This ministry has continued to grow under the direction of laymen and laywomen. Under the guidance of our Recreation office and of Neil Clement, the club began to experience significant growth (approximately 850 participants a year) and see record numbers of profession of faith. Due to the times of the year soccer takes place, it overlaps with basketball planning and registration and Camp Briarwood planning and registration. Because of this, Neil Clement agreed to take the helm of the soccer club in 1997. Neil is an attorney by profession and saw the lack of a real spiritual curriculum for the soccer club. Therefore, he researched and developed one. Neil managed an effort to get every volunteer coach trained and certified in the area of ministry vision and skills.
In September 2002, Quest took the ambitious step of hiring a full-time professional to administrate the Briarwood Soccer Club. Ryan Leib played eight years of professional soccer for the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club and the Atlanta Silverbacks before taking the position of Director of the Briarwood Soccer Club. He has been all over the world playing the game of soccer, from Germany to Sweden, from England to Ethiopia and many points in between.
Since his arrival at Briarwood, Ryan has seen the foundation of a great opportunity to train soccer players, train coaches as leaders and for all to grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. Ryan believes, as does the Session that the game of soccer is a wonderful platform to teach and train kids about teamwork, discipline, honesty, courage, effort, and many other beneficial traits that help them grow into the men and women of God that we were created to be.
Soccer has two seasons a year, fall and spring. The registration, publicity, training, dividing of teams, etc. takes literally hundreds of hours. This is a ministry that has grown way beyond one volunteer’s ability to administrate it. We are committed to providing a great opportunity to play soccer in a fun and competitive environment to prepare our players for the competitive arena of life. Soccer is a wonderful vehicle to meet people, see the world, and build lasting relationships. It is our hope that we at Briarwood Soccer Club would use this opportunity to show our love for Christ in the way we act and compete. We look forward to the future and what is in store for Briarwood Soccer Club.
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