Making It Personal

I was able to go on a two-week vacation alone with my wife last month. We have been married for 25 years and have never been on a two-week vacation! With us now being empty nesters and my latest appointment ending at a local church near Ann Arbor, MI, we spent time discussing “what’s next?”

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I just finished my 20th year of student ministry, which has included youth pastoring/leadership/camps and sports ministry chaplain/leader. These past two years have confirmed where I feel The Lord is leading me. God has released me from being an actual youth pastor at the local Church. I love high school and middle school students. As I have seasoned (gotten older), I realize that high school culture itself is something that has passed by me. I know there are youth pastors my age, and I love that fact. I will always support youth ministry and youth pastors.

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Sports ministry, for me, has included attending/serving/and speaking at sports camps, being involved with local bible studies in high schools and middle schools, and sports chaplaincy in colleges.The Lord has focused me these past few years, even more the last two years, and laser-focused me since January.

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There are 351 D-1, 308 D-2, and 443 D-3 colleges (according to NCSASports.org) that offer sports to approximately 500,000 student athletes. Athletes in Action (AIA) and The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) have some kind of presence on 400 of those campuses. That’s not enough! I know there are other ministries doing good work, but there are not enough on this ministry field!

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In Luke 10:2, we read Jesus’ words, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest fields.” There is no unemployment in Kingdom work, there is a job for us all.

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I have been blessed to have served these last couple years at The University of Michigan with AIA. The story and process on how this happened is incredible and such a testimony to God’s faithfulness. That story is for a different time, perhaps another post!

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God has given me a passion for sports, a passion for young adults, and a passion for ministry. As I have asked Him, “What’s next?”, God has basically said, “Keep doing what you have been doing.” One thing I am convinced is that my focus will be on ministering to athletes, coaches, and former athletes. So that’s what I’m going to keep doing! I’m going to focus on sports ministry and only sports ministry for this next season.

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I am ordained through the Wesleyan Church and I am grateful for their vision to appoint me to AIA realizing this para-church ministry can reach so many and support the local Church. I have made a commitment to my wife, Maggie, and myself to commit to one year at a time for this season of life and this year, we will be staying at The University of Michigan, serving with some incredible people at AIA, of which I will introduce you to later. Maggie has been my biggest supporter of the ministries I have served. I cannot do any of this without her and I thank her so much.

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This blog will consist of interviews with some of the athletes I get to serve, interviews with some of the coaches, my reflections on ministry and sports, current events, a theological post every now and then, guest posts, and how we in para-church ministries can serve the local Church.

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I want to be a resource for other chaplains or sports ministry people.

The field is ready. Time for me to get to work!

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Thanks for reading.