Xavier Nation Magazine Feature: Come All Ye Faithful

John 3:16 is arguably the most famous verse in what is widely considered to be the best known book in the world, the Bible. But there is another verse that serves to inspire Mark and Suzy Hammitt on a daily basis.

"Matthew 28:19 [says] 'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,' " says Susie Hammitt, a former athlete at the University of Arizona. She and husband Mark serve as heads of the Athletes in Action program at Xavier University. "We're trying to raise up disciples, and our target audience is athletes. We are seeking to make known the person of Christ in the lives of all the students."

Spend a little time talking to the Hammitts or any of the student-athletes they mentor, though, and you'll quickly learn just how seriously they take the "action" part of their jobs.

WALKING THE WALK

Founded in 1966 by former Oklahoma State University athlete David Hannah (who was just 24 at the time), Athletes in Action (AIA) is a part of Campus Crusade for Christ International (Cru for short). Working in concert with Cru's mission to "win, build, and send Christ-centered multiplying disciples who launch spiritual movements," AIA seeks to "provoke conversation and challenge issues" in a time "dominated by a secular worldview."

For the Hammitts, that means spending more than a full work week doing just about anything they can to support the 90 percent of Xavier's 300-plus student-athletes with whom they claim to interact. This includes leading Bible studies (or attending student-led gatherings), pregame chapel sessions, and hosting their regular Wednesday night meetings in Room 330 at Gallagher Student Center. Not to mention traveling to home and away games for just about every sport Xavier has to offer.

Mark, a man as enthusiastic as he is positive, says all of these activities are about more than making their presence known, however. It's a chance to build community—a community he says can change the world.

"We look at college students as what we call the powerful percent," he says. "As the world's population comes through this little funnel, at any given time, about 1 percent of the world's population is in college. If we can reach that powerful percent knowing what's going to happen when they graduate, boom! They're back out there amongst the masses. It's kind of reaching college students today who will be influencing tomorrow's leaders."

EXTENDED FAMILY AFFAIR

Those are among the reasons Nick Hagglund became interested in AIA during his time at XU. Hagglund, 23, was the 10th overall selection by Toronto FC in the 2014 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. But long before he was a star student-athlete, he was just an incoming freshman trying to find a place to fit in after arriving at Xavier since, as he admits, his top two choices—the University of Cincinnati and the University of Dayton—didn't really pursue him.

Seeing how AIA provided the outlet he was searching for both spiritually and socially, his arrival at Xavier might be viewed as divine intervention.

"School and sports and your faith and your social life is a difficult thing to balance, and there's no book on how to do it well," Hagglund says. "Being in a community and being able to share our stories and what we're struggling with, how we feel about our coaches, and how we're being treated and things like that when things aren't going your way, there's a place to talk about it. And I think Athletes in Action was that place."

Nia Baucke, a former track athlete who graduated from Xavier in 2012, says the Hammitts' loving nature is a large reason AIA is so successful. "My mother became ill when I was in college and passed away the year after I graduated, so Susie really became a mother figure to me. I talked to her about pretty much everything and anything—from trouble happening on the team to my relationships with guys, and she really gave me wisdom and encouragement on a regular basis," Baucke recalls. "I really love Mark and Susie because they don't expect you to be perfect. They really seem to understand and really serve to build you up."

That in turn is what makes AIA so beneficial in her eyes, no matter where someone is in their spiritual journey. "The big misconception is really that it's only for those who are 'goody two shoes' or only for those who are perfect or living these perfect lives. That's not true at all," Baucke says. "Being able to lead a Christ-centered life is about living a life filled with joy, a life filled with peace, being an encouragement to your teammates, focusing on what matters in life—that's what Athletes in Action is trying to do."

Hagglund, who encourages all Xavier athletes to go to an AIA meeting and check it out first hand, agrees. "It's not about trying to convert people to Christianity or anything like that; it's about loving people. I think that's what Mark and Susie do so well," he says. "They love people in a way that's so inviting that Christ would love people...Mark and Susie do that, and the leaders of Athletes in Action do that."

Susie Hammitt wouldn't have it any other way. "We love our job. We love the students. We love Jesus," she says. "It all works."

Schedule

Upcoming Events