June/July 2009 STV Hot Seat Jia Perkins Susie Magill Chicago Sky

The spotlight is shining on the STV Hot Seat again, and this time we're grilling the WNBA's Jia Perkins. Can she handle it? You bet.

SM: What do you feel is your purpose as a WNBA athlete?
JP: Well, I think God has a purpose, obviously. I wouldn't be here otherwise. I'm not sure specifically what it is, but I want to be His witness and a light to draw people closer to Him.

CHAPEL IN THE SKY

Crawford Being 5-foot-4 and a former cheerleader, FCA's Sue Crawford didn't fit the stereotype of a typical WNBA chaplain. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore the signs, even if the scenario seemed ridiculous. "I'm the only woman on staff in my region," said Crawford, an FCA area representative in the Lake Michigan Region, "so when the Chicago Sky developed as an expansion team, I was contacted by the WNBA's chaplain coordinator, Alice Simpson, and was asked to serve as their chaplain. We talked about it, and I initially said no. I had never played basketball. What could I have in common with these girls?" As the season's start date closed in, however, God began to open Crawford's heart to the idea of leading the team chapels, even if, for her, it was only going to be a temporary position. "I basically did it more as if to say, 'OK, Alice, I'll help you out until somebody else comes along,'" Crawford said. "I was truly just going to fill in the gap for a few months." Now three years later, Crawford is still serving as the team chaplain and loving her role. Quite surprising for someone who initially felt so unqualified. "It has been a huge blessing," said Crawford, who now serves alongside co-chaplain Gina Barons. "This is something I never thought I could do. But the Lord has really accomplished great things through it." The chapel services have given Crawford the chance to spiritually uplift and challenge the team. Time spent in the Word and in prayer is a welcome change for the players whose everyday environments can be filled with uncertainty and mistrust. "It can be difficult for the girls to build relationships and put themselves out there because people can easily take advantage of them and their high-profile status," Crawford said. "And with them getting traded from team to team, it can be hard for them to know whom to trust." Being there from the team's inception, Crawford has provided a constant, dependable presence, which has aided in the players' willingness to be open and ask for spiritual support. Barriers have been broken down, and there have been ample opportunities to speak directly into players' lives. This year, Crawford plans to meet with several players, including Jia Perkins and Armintie Price, one-on-one in order to disciple them individually and find ways to better serve the team as a whole. "Eventually, my goal is to have the players leading the chapel," Crawford said. "They will relate more to their peers and have the opportunity to speak on a level they are accustomed to. And even though I feel I might not be the perfect person to be doing chapel services for them, the Lord has used my differences to build relationships outside what they would normally have been. They realize that I am here to serve them. They find comfort in knowing that I am committed to them — to praying for and encouraging them. That supersedes any apprehension or doubt."