Today, the summer transfer window for Major League Soccer opens. From July 10 - August 9, MLS teams can make trades and bring in foreign talent. For many teams, this window represents an opportunity to make improvements to a team — some teams bring in a player from another country or from a team within the league in an effort to try bolster team needs and win a coveted playoff position. For fans, many are hopeful that a playmaker or difference-maker brought in can propel their team to victory or help continue to sustain early-season efforts. But on the other side, the summer transfer window also represents a time of need for MLS teams and their respective chaplains or ministry

This past week, the Soccer Chaplains United Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve Dr Jan van Vliet to the board. As an educator and professor at Dordt College in Iowa, Jan brings a rich wealth of academic knowledge and experience to the organization. Born in the Netherlands and holding dual citizenship in the Netherlands and Canada in addition to US permanent residency, Jan possess some unique multi-cultural understandings that will be helpful for our growth. Jan and I met in 2011 when he was a visiting scholar at Denver Seminary. The Colorado Rapids had just won the MLS Cup and a mutual friend connected us for a coffee. Since then, Jan has been on my radar as a potential

The Lewan Family Foundation made it three years in a row in helping support Soccer Chaplains United. The foundation provided a small grant which will help with the growing costs as we continue to build the chaplain and counseling work throughout soccer in North America. The Lewan family has been a notable name in Denver for many years through their company, Lewan Technology. The Lewan Family Foundation has had a long legacy of service and support of many local Denver and Colorado organizations including Denver Seminary, where many of our chaplains and counselors have received training. I came to know the Lewan family during my time serving as a pastor at Cherry Hills Community Church. It is encouraging to see their