“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” - Matthew 5:13-16
The Salt of the Earth Scholarship was created to recognize and celebrate the male senior athlete who best exemplifies Christian leadership by using his role as a teammate and student athlete to advance the Kingdom through servant leadership. It is imperative the recipient of this aware prioritizes being a faithful steward of the opportunity that is provided by the platform of school and athletics, while displaying excellence in the 5 key qualities below.
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 2Corinthians 5:15
Servant Leadership
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30
Love
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
Humility
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23
Integrity
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12
Disciple Making
Exemplifying the quality of a servant leader describes the “what” that needs to happen to assume the spiritual leadership role for a team. This type of leadership keeps the team grounded in the highs and lows in competitions, which is accomplished by reminder his teammates to focus on what they can control, like their work ethics and attitudes. A servant leader will lead by his effort and example and always keep his focus on glorifying God with his talents and abilities.
By displaying the qualities of love, humility, and integrity is “how” a Christian leader will earn the respect of his teammates and coaches. These characteristics are fueled by a pure motive and grateful heart for the opportunities and talents that the Lord has provided. They understand wins and losses will come and go, but the impact and one’s example can have an eternal effect when it is centered in Christ and purposed for His glory.
A Christian leader know that wins, losses, and quality statistics are extremely important to the success of a team. More importantly, they ultimately understand that the “why” for anything they are involved in is to take the opportunity to be a disciple maker. This is accomplished by their primary motivation to use their influence, talents, and efforts to glorify the Lord, and not the scoreboard or scouts.
Based on the provided criteria, the Salt of the Earth Scholarship recipient will be nominated by the head coach of their high school team and will be voted on by the scholarship voting committee. A $2,500 scholarship will be awarded annually for four years, as long as the qualifying criteria are met and maintained by the recipient.
***The Light of the World Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was formed to provide financial assistance for higher education to a female student athlete that exemplifies Christian leadership qualities. The initial proceeds for the scholarship was provided by the remaining funds that were present at the time that the Greenbrier Softball Association was dissolved. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit status will allow for any contributions that are made towards the scholarship fund by individuals, entities, or churches to be tax deductible. ***