As athletes for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks prepare for the Super Bowl, Compassion International is using the global spotlight to highlight how faith and sports intersect through partnerships rooted in the local church.
In an interview with ChurchLeaders, Ashleigh Alcorn of Compassion International shared how the global child advocacy ministry is partnering with Sports Spectrum during Super Bowl week to highlight faith-driven athletes who use their platforms to point people to Jesus.
Alcorn, a former professional soccer player, serves as a relationship manager for pro athlete partnerships at Compassion International. She explained that Compassion’s mission centers on holistic child development—meeting physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs through the local church.
Reflecting on her background in professional sports, Alcorn said the rise of social media has created new opportunities for athletes to openly share their faith beyond traditional media outlets. She also highlighted several NFL players who support Compassion and use their influence to advance the gospel, stressing that authentic faith—not endorsements—drives those partnerships.
Compassion is the “world leader in child poverty alleviation and everything we do is in Jesus’ name and through the indigenous local church,” Alcorn told ChurchLeaders. “So what that means is Compassion is the very best in the world at spreading the gospel through the local indigenous church to the least of these. Whenever there’s a crisis children are the most impacted and the least served, so that’s where Compassion is stepping in.”
“I get to serve pro athlete families and come alongside of them to respond to the instructions that we’ve been given through the Bible,” she explained.
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For example, Alcorn said, “Like the Great Commission, serving orphans and widows, loving the least of these. And for all of us, we got to try to figure out what that means. How do you respond to that?”
“And then add in if you’re a pro athlete,” she said, “and especially if you’re a bigger name, you’re getting asked for stuff by everybody all the time—do who do you trust?”
“So this year we have a few supporters who are playing in the Super Bowl which is such a blessing because for most of these athletes, it’s an additional chance to use their platform to point people towards Jesus,” she continued. “And that’s something that Sports Spectrum’s given them an opportunity to do that all the time.”
