The Vision of International Christian Tennis Association California

ICTA California: The Vision

ICTA California will host an annual conference designed to bring America’s most passionate & authentic Christian leaders together with a specific mission to collide with the world views suffocating today’s youth, while also providing a clear, concise answer to the question, “What does it mean to be an authentic follower of Christ in a lost culture?”

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As ICTA’s large-scale mission trip to the Pacific Life Open ended, I could only kneel and pray. God is so good. I am so fortunate to live a life in worship of Him. I am living proof God can use anyone for His will to be done.

What’s coming up for ICTA California?

I will now work to bring a core group of ICTA California members together as an accountability group, a board of advisors designed to assist in the growth and development of the vision for ICTA California.

Sure, we’ll plan tennis camps and retreats for Southern California. And yes, we will host a fantastic tennis tour to the 2008 Pacific Life Open. But, the vision I have is to do more, be more. More than just tennis.

My vision is for ICTA California to host a conference for Church youth groups and Christian academies from across Southern California and our over 1000 ICTA California members to be able to listen to and interact with the nation’s foremost Christian leaders.

Look for more information to be posted on the new ICTA California site. Each ICTA California member will receive an email with more information on how you can participate.

God bless and thank you all so much for your prayers and support,

Scott Paschal
Founder & President
International Christian Tennis Association

Scott Paschal Realizes Purpose for California Christian Tennis…

Mel carrying in supplies to our booth on Saturday morning.

How many people attending the Pac Life Open will go to Heaven?

I’ve been dreaming of being here on a mission trip for years. Right now, one of my dreams has come true. The International Christian Tennis Association is at the world’s 6th largest professional tennis tournament on a large-scale mission trip. God has opened every door necessary… and closed others… to make my dream come true.

ICTA has hosted large scale mission trips to among the most attended tennis tournaments in the world. Davis Cup… Nasdaq 100 Open… US Men’s Clay Court Championships… International Hall of Fame Championships… Pacific Life Open… and others. I am in awe of God. He has taken the big dreams He planted in my heart and is making them come true.

God has blessed me with a faith-based tennis academy in Florida. It’s small… a mom and pop type operation typical of Europe… but it’s blessed. Soon, God will bless us with our own full service tennis facility. Our faithfulness with the small things has led to bigger responsibilities and opportunities to serve Him.

My small tennis tour company is likewise blessed. What was once a dream of bringing ICTA members to Grand Slam event together as a tennis tour group is coming true during the 2007 US OPEN. Our mission trips are designed to serve others. Our tennis tours are designed to feed our members with His spiritual food.

My friends, mentors, and ministry partners… wow, am I blessed. At anytime I can simply pick up a phone and call among the most authentic founders of Christian ministries in the world. First and foremost, David Nasser has stuck by my side through any and every mistake I have made and patiently guided me as I work to build a relevant Christ-honoring ministry.

My amazing staff is second to none. Rachel Snelen and Melody Snelen have put up with me for 7 years. How and why I don’t know. I don’t deserve to have such talented people working beside me. Lord only knows how many times my bull-in-a-china-shop, get it done personality has caused them headaches. I make the mess, then they work to clean it up. Without them I am totally useless and should simply quit ministry and sell cars. Their belief in me has meant the world.

ICTA California is a real dream come true, now. 1000+ coming together these last couple of weeks in honor of Him. 1000+ preparing now a mission to do more, be more. God’s love has flowed throughout this event. Everywhere you can see signs people have been touched by our little sports ministry, by God’s dream he planted in my heart and nurtured to fruition.

Now ICTA California has a purpose! To serve Him!

I will contact you all to prepare for our yearly ICTA California Convention. Over the next 4 weeks we’ll call you to set an accountability team to build the infrastructure of ICTA California, and of our 2008 ICTA California Convention. In partnership with other ICTA sections and our partner churches, we will move forward with a vision….

ICTA California has a purpose, a vision. The vision I have for ICTA California is spectacular! People all over the western USA coming together for His purposes, working together to share His love…

Right now, we are packing our outreach booth and preparing for our drive to Las Vegas, then the Grand Canyon as we reach the final stage of our nearly 7 week missions tour which has taken ICTA across the country. As soon as I can I will write the vision I have for ICTA California and share with you what God has placed on my heart.

What an amazing mission trip this has been to the world’s 6th largest pro tournament! God is so awesome! Thank you to everyone who has supported and loved on us! You have each meant so much! God bless you.

Growing the game and sharing His fame,

Scott Paschal
Founder

Tennis Missionaries Melody Snelen and ShantelMark signing up new ICTA California members

Joseph and Shantel with Mr. Stilts

Welcome to ICTA California

That’s me surrounded by a neat group of gals interested in our tennis tours.

300,000 people is a lot of people.

Neat shot from the Grandstand.

Howdy, new members!

A Christian Tennis Purpose Worth Living…

3 Days Left to Share His Glory in California!

The glory of God is radiating throughout the Pac Life Open as your ICTA heads into the final stretch of our mission trip. People have come up to me all day telling me thank you for our Christian witness, then they share their own personal stories. In other booths workers are telling their customers “God bless you” as the customer leave… then the customers smile and say the same!

In the stadium people are talking about their faith! ICTAand faith are being discussed all over the place, and it’s ok! Word of our ministry is spreading like wildfire. One volunteer told me we are one of the most talked about aspects of the tournament! Awesome! I like that. I even like those people who can’t stand us! Positive or negative, it’s good faith is being discussed and our ministry is getting noticed!  Our Christian tennis academy, camps, mission trips, pro players, members, newsletter!

Emboldened by our presence and tireless passion for Him, people are saying such wonderful things to me about our ministry work, and I’ve gotten more hugs today than in all our mission trips combined since our beginning! To say God has us in the “zone” right now would be accurate.

Retired senior citizens are grasping hope for a life that is still useful. They feel they have a purpose! Wow, we have so many new members who are senior citizens! Today, a coach shared with me how pro players speak about the impact International Christian Tennis Association has made on the tour. Apparently, more than just tennis fans are counting on ICTA to keep on truckin‘.

This has been an incredibly God-blessed large scale mission trip to the Pacific Life Open, the world’s 6th largest pro tournament.

Melody Snelen flew back to Florida last nite and this morning. She’s worn out from being on our missions tour for nearly 5 weeks straight. Tonite, she and Rachel Snelen, her twin sister, are taking a much needed break and attending Chris Tomlin’s How Great is Our God tour in Jacksonville. I know that will really feed them spiritually, and they are having a great time.

She will fly back in a couple of days with Shantel to help wrap up this mission trips and prepare for our journies to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

Scott Paschal

This tennis venue is truly one of the most beautiful I’ve ever experienced.

Mark, Joseph, and the twins taking a break from watching matches!

Robin, Mark’s mom who is a church planting missionary from Mexico City, talking with new ICTA California members.

This amazing person loves Jesus with all his heart and is down on his knees while talking to Mark about the importance of sharing his faith. What a tremendous example!

International Christian Tennis Association

Rafa vs Fernando was my favorite match!

I knew today was going to be amazing by the way it started out. During my Tennis Missionary Training Class today during breakfast, we focused on serving God faithfully with what He gives. I could see the impact it had on everyone. I enjoyed preaching and teaching. We could see others, who were not part of our group, being impacted as well as they walked by or listened in.

The highlight of the day for me was spending time sharing my testimony and my faith to a young man with a strong drug addiction. I really hurt when I see how much potential is lost through drugs. Our time together was effective, and he later introduced me to his father and his sister, then his mom. I look forward to him visiting my tennis academy in Florida.

Another highlight of my wonderful day was spending time on the phone setting up an accountability group for our upcoming ICTA Missions Tour, SERVING OUR GOD!. What this accountability group means for me is that a strong group of my main supporters are coming together to help take a big load of work off of my shoulders.  So great!  Rachel Snelen and Melody Snelen will appreciate these supporters.

These tremendous guys are going to work together to bring the International Christian Tennis Association to pro tournaments worldwide. An attorney, an accountant, a businessman, a fundraiser, a preacher… these 5 guys will be such a tremendous blessing for me. Their group will do all the leg work I’ve been having to do!

This will free my time up so I can build my tennis facility… which is next on my agenda!

A tennis facility!? Yep. After several years of prayer and planning, the International Christian Tennis Association is ready to step out in faith in a big way and build a tennis facility to serve as a beacon for Christ worldwide within the sport of tennis.

Finally, a huge thank you to my Day 12 gang! This group of ICTA California members was so much fun. Everybody is a comedian, eh!? God was reaching deep inside so many people at the tournament today. To see God’s presence filling one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world is exciting. To see God moving in the hearts of the retired people we meet is so special. Connecting them to each other is really amazing for me.

God bless you and enjoy the pics!

Scott Paschal

A neat family signing up for an ICTA California membership!

This group of kids each received free gifts from ICTA!

Melody Snelen and Robin, Mark’s Mom who flew in from Mexico City, talking to visitors.

A wonderful retired physician joining ICTA California membership

Me signing up new ICTA California members.
Great to meet you!

Satan Hollers as Christian Tennis Serves Hard!

We’re here.  This is Scott Paschal… and Melody Snelen, Mark, Joseph… WE”RE HERE!!

What an amazing journey this has been. I can’t wait to fill you in on both the incredible way God has opened the exact right doors and the exact right time. What an action packed, exciting time I have had getting this mission trip to come together!

We’re here. New International Christian Tennis Association members are pouring in. Pastors, youth pastors, ministries… a fantastic force of God’s people are coming together in awe of Him. Thank you for your calls and email of support. Especially my friends in Turkey and India! We made it guys!!!

Melody Snelen has been an amazing help organizing the different aspects of the journey.  Her sister, Rachel Snelen, is back in Palm Coast, Fl taking care of the ministry base and training heavily for upcoming pro tournaments in Mexico.  Rachel Snelen is captain of the ICTA Women’s Pro Tennis Team.  She is also a WTA ranked Christian pro tennis player who loves the Lord with all her heart.

Our booth is swamped!  So much positive is happening.

God is so good.

Scotty

International Christian Tennis Association: Serving Hard in The Streets!

This is going to be one exciting ride in California.

God must have HUGE plans for the International Christian Tennis Association during our first SERVING HARD In The Streets TM, a newly developed large-scale mission trip style which focuses on partnerships between ministries & churches for ICTA’s Bible distribution & street evangelism.

Why do I think God has HUGE plans for this International Christian Tennis Association mission trip to the 6th largest pro tennis tournament in the world!?

Well, let me ask you why you would think God would have HUGE plans! Do you do much evangelism or mission activities? If so, you know Satan will stand in your way. Thus, the stronger Satan stands, the more concerned he is about the mission trip!

That said, Satan must be terrified about ICTA distributing 1000’s of Bibles and Christian tracks throughout the cities of Indian Wells & Palm Springs in partnership with among the finest Christian ministries & churches in California, Florida, and Texas.

I am writing a book which has recorded the journey I have been on while founding the International Christian Tennis Association and growing it into an authentic Christian ministry with members in over 1500 cities in 50 countries. Chronologically written, the book is fascinating and stands tall as a beacon of what to expect when God calls you to step out in Faith.

My book shares with you the amazingly blessed path God has set for me. Several section of my book detail how God actually uses Satan to help my ministry grow and succeed. God’s allowing of demonic activity to harm my small ministry actually has taught me, more than any other single thing, to cling to Him more closely and to trust in His promises. Thus, my enemies have been among my greatest allies.

This enemy-helper type scenario is now in full force as the International Christian Tennis Association travels completely across the country to share the Gospel of Christ.

Funny thing, I almost canceled the trip! Yep, my schedule is tight and I am busily developing a tennis facility and a tennis tour company, plus I own a tennis academy, so I was minutes from totally canceling the mission trip and going to a local junior event on the weekend instead.

Then, I get a passionate phone call from a friend at a church in Indian Wells basically informing me I need to make the mission trip happen! Thank God for enemies writing easy to trace & hold accountable emails! The phone call was my affirmation from God this mission trips must happen…

That phone call helped me deepen friendships. That phone call guided me closer to my mentors. That phone call legitimized the entire mission trip to churches that had been on the fences deciding if they wanted to help. That phone call allowed those new to my ministry to trust in God’s call to battle.

That one phone call sent by a friend was a phone call I consider directly from the Creator telling me to pack my bags and enjoy the weather in California!

This is going to be a HUGE mission trip!

Scott Paschal
386 793 0557

International Christian Tennis Association California: Mission Trip Day 1

The International Christian Tennis Association heartbeat is that of a missions organization.

We’re not just a cool, world-class tennis academy where top player come to increase their tennis skills and deepen their faith. We’re not just a college ministry spreading throughout the NCCAA tennis scene.

The ICTA is a relevant, God-blessed sports ministry with a heart for reaching lost souls.

That said, ICTA is heavily pursuing building our own tennis facility. We want to have enough room to house and train between 30-35 fulltime students with additional room for 10-15 part-time students.  Think Christian tennis camps, mission trips, pro players…

The facility will be a missionary factory… guiding, developing, mentoring, supporting tennis players at the junior and pro level. Teaching them about Jesus and instilling in the hearts the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus and written by Mathew. Personally, I’d like to pack the college and pro tennis scene with hundreds of highly trained Christian tennis missionaries and watch them impact the secular world for Him.

What does this have to do with ICTA California? Everything.

I’ll write about it more in upcoming blog entries. For now, suffice to say I’d like to thank the men who have surrounded me, guiding and mentoring me, while opening opportunities for the ICTA heartbeat to go global this year.

To the over 500 new ICTA members & friends we gained in Memphis last week, I look forward to connecting you with upcoming ICTA California. Combined, the 1500 or so of you can become a powerful force for Christ within the tennis world and beyond. A strong body of believers linked by a common bond focused on strengthening your faith by following the Great Commission of Christ.

Your International Christian Tennis Association staff is back in Palm Coast, Florida. We’re preparing to attend one of the largest pro tournaments in the world, the Pacific Life Open.

This is a huge undertaking, not without obstacles.   Please keep us in your prayers as we have our members and guests in ours.

Growing the game and sharing His fame,

Scott Paschal
www.christiantennis.net

International Christian Tennis Association California! -Countdown Begins Soon!

Right now I’m hanging out in my motel in Memphis reflecting on an incredible International Christian Tennis Association mission trip we are wrapping up at the ATP Kroger St. Jude where 70,000+ check out the top players in the world.

The women’s final last nite was phenomenal as Venus destroyed Peer. Roddick and Haas are soon to compete in the men’s final.

This is Scott Paschal.  As I sit here I feel myself getting really excited about Indian Wells. 300,000+ will attend the 6th largest pro tournament in the world.

We’re driving to Birmingham today to hang out with my friend, David Nasser, and his family, then on to Palm Coast, Florida. Will have a day or so off before journeying to California.

I’d like to take this time and thank those people who take care of us as we work to shine for Him. Our sponsors and supporters mean the world.  And especially to Rachel Snelen and Melody Snelen!  Their dedication, especially as Christian pro tennis players, to sharing the Gospel is amazing and inspiring.

God bless and I’ll check back in when the countdown to Indian Wells begins!

Scott Paschal