Archive for month: October, 2022

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CCPC Uganda 2022 Team Blesses Matuggan Students

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Partner church Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church made their way to Uganda this past summer. The team made a request for soccer gear from Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project program. You can see what gear we were able to provide by clicking here. They share a final update on the trip and how it went below.

Uganda

This year our church was able to take a team of high school students to Uganda to partner with Youth for Christ (YFC) Uganda in serving schools in the town of Matugga. One of things that always helps our team connect with the Ugandan people is the game of soccer. In bringing different types of gear and uniforms we connect relationally with the YFC team as well as empower them to connect with their community. 

YFC Uganda is involved with local schools helping combat early dropouts and teen pregnancies. One of the ways they connect with the students in the community is by holding soccer tournaments. The gear that is provided helps facilitate these tournaments by providing new teams uniforms and prizes to attract new teams. These tournaments give the members of the organization credibility when they present their messages in schools. 

The uniforms that are donated help foster team pride and bonding. When a team receives their new kits you can sense an increase in their morale. They often remark that they look ‘smart’ and must play as well as they look. The gear also helps our team connect with the YFC team. Our team joins up with YFC team to compete in the tournament. Putting on the same kit and supporting each other adds a layer of relational connection that makes ministry more fruitful.

Finally, the gear provided helps facilitate YFC’s provide a place of connection for the students in the area. Their soccer facilities and gear help draw students away from the street and gangs and gives them a safe place to connect with adults and other students their age. The donations are a big part of YFC’s mission to be a beacon of hope in their region. 

Thank you so much for partnering with our trip. It was an amazing trip. The gear you provided helped so much in connecting our team with the YFC team and allowed us to bless the students in Matugga.

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Paperback English Version of World Cup 2022 Devotional Now Available For Purchase!

World Cup 2022 is just days away! Soccer Chaplains United has released an accompanying book for the largest sporting event in the world. The 2022 World Cup Devotional | The Light is Coming is available in English ebook and print on Amazon* and we expect to launch Spanish translation versions in the next couple of days!

The 2022 World Cup Devotional | The Light is Coming is an 8-week, 80 page devotional with illustrations. Each week has three different readings (Kickoff, Halftime,and Final Whistle). The devotional is created to begin with the FIFA roster release date (November 13) and parallel different World Cup timelines, as well as themes of Advent and Christmas.

Amazon (better yet, AmazonSmile) is the place to purchase the book now.

Soccer coaches, executives, athletic directors and chaplains are all encouraged to email us at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org for information on bulk rate discounts.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our chaplains and our work. Check out our Donate page for different giving options.

*Certain global Amazon markets may not have the book available for print or ebook, you can look in nearby marketplaces.

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #8

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:37 — 14.0MB)

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I recently had occasion to visit Cambridge, England and while I was there, I was interested to learn a unique piece of football history. Apparently, the first known instance of codifying (or writing down) the rules of association football happened in Cambridge. In 1848, a group of Cambridge University students wrote out a set of 11 rules. They nailed these to the trees surrounding Parker’s Piece, a large grassy park in central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 8:

When a player catches the ball directly from the foot, he may kick it as he can without running with it. In no other case may the ball be touched with the hands, except to stop it.

Rule #8 — this one’s a little bit more difficult to understand when you think about the modern game. There is no touching of the ball with the hands except for the goalkeeper and except within a certain area of the field. In today’s podcast though, I talk about why this rule might be there and what it represents from the aspect of having to compromise. You’ll have to listen to learn more.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).

Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.

The Light is Coming Ebook Devotional Now Available!

Friends, well, we are trying to get out and ahead of World Cup 2022 — I’m pleased to tell you that the Soccer Chaplains United 2022 World Cup Devotional | The Light is Coming is available in English ebook right now on Amazon and we expect to launch the print book tomorrow!

This 8-week, 80 page devotional with illustrations is set to begin with the FIFA roster release date (November 13) and will have readings that parallel World Cup, Advent, and Christmas — all the way until Epiphany (Jan. 7).

Amazon (better yet, AmazonSmile) is the place to purchase the ebook now! And we are working hard to finish up the Spanish and Portuguese language translation versions as well.

We’d love it if you take a minute to read the introduction and write us a kind but honest review! And then, jump in starting Nov 13 (or really any time is fine, too)!

Soccer coaches, executives, athletic directors and chaplains are all encouraged to email us at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org for information on bulk rate discounts.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our chaplains and our work. Check out our Donate page for different giving options.

CCPC Ethiopia 2022 Share About Bringing Hope

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Partner church Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church made their way to Ethiopia this past summer. The team made a request for soccer gear from Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project program. You can see what they received here. Recently, the team sent us a final update on how the trip went. We share it below.

Final Update

We returned to Ethiopia for our first mission trip since Covid to serve with Hope for the Fatherless (HFTF). HFTF is an orphan ministry in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that works to rescue children from institutional care, place them in forever families, and develop a culture of domestic adoption in Ethiopia. 

Hope for the Fatherless currently cares for 28 children in its small, family-style homes, sponsors a number of other vulnerable children in single-parent homes who risk becoming orphaned themselves, and trains and equips adoptive families because children belong in families, not institutions.

Through the generosity of Soccer Chaplains United, we were able to gift each of HFTF’s homes (Hope House, Faith House, and Grace House) with their own indestructible soccer ball and jerseys for all the kids. 

Soccer is definitely a favorite pastime for the children, and our team enjoyed playing many soccer games with them in the courtyard at Hope House. 

When we brought out the soccer balls from SCU, the kids immediately started a game. And later in the week, when we gifted the jerseys to them, they were over the moon! Each kiddo immediately put on their jersey as soon as they got theirs—it was incredible to watch the joy that overcame them, simply because they got their own jersey. 

This was such a highlight of the trip! Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church was very excited to partner with SCU once again to help bring so much happiness and fun to these incredible kids in Ethiopia. One of the boys has told us for five years now that he intends to be a professional soccer player when he is older. He received some goalie equipment from SCU and wanted to pass along a big THANK YOU!! 

It is a joy to see how something as simple as a shirt or ball, which we often take for granted in America, can be such a gift of love and bring so much excitement to orphaned and vulnerable kids halfway around the world. Thank you, Soccer Chaplains United and Colorado Rapids! Your generosity not only impacted the kids, but the team as well. In seeing the joy the kids had, we couldn’t help but be joyful as well. We experienced the beautiful community that comes from generosity as we celebrated alongside our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. Thank you SCU and Colorado Rapids for your generosity and support!

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #7

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:43 — 14.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Email | Youtube Music | RSS

I recently had occasion to visit Cambridge, England and while I was there, I was interested to learn a unique piece of football history. Apparently, the first known instance of codifying (or writing down) the rules of association football (or, what we Yanks call soccer) happened in Cambridge. In 1848, a group of Cambridge University students wrote out a set of 11 rules. They nailed these to the trees surrounding Parker’s Piece, a large grassy park in central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 7:

Goal is when the ball is kicked through the flag-posts and under the string.

Rule #7 — we finally get to the good part: goals! Goals are about finishing; goals are about getting past the line in the determined area — and not only in football, but in faith and in life. Sometimes its hard because we cannot see the outline of where we need to be or where we need to go as clear as the goalmouth on the other end of the pitch. I look more at the similarities and this week’s Rule of 1848 on the podcast.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).

Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.

Cherry Creek Jaunts to Juárez, Mexico for 28th Time

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In just a few days a small team from Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) will look to make their way to Juárez, Mexico for what the 28th time in a nearly 34-year history. Save for a period of a few years when the church deemed it unsafe to travel to Juárez with the drug cartel violence and in 2020 with the boarder closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church has sought to go down each year and make an impact in the neighborhood just a stone’s throw from the boarder fence.

La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge Mata have been firmly planted in the Felipe Ángeles neighborhood and community for those many, many years and it’s through this relationship that the Gospel is shared and people are encouraged in their faith. The mission trip sees several church families combine to lead VBS (vacation bible school) for the children in the neighborhood and to work on several construction projects on the church grounds and in the surrounding neighborhood. The church, within sight of the UTEP (University of Texas – El Paso) campus across the boarder, lives in a shadow of poverty, but the neighborhood is slowly being transformed with jobs and homes being built and people being elevated socially and spiritually by the work of Pastor Jorge and the church.

A team member wrote to request the gear for this year’s trip:

Dear Rev. Kenney, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church has been blessed with the opportunity to send another mission team to Juarez, Mexico this year to support La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge.  Our team of eighteen students and adults is looking for donations of any surplus soccer gear to benefit the local kids.  As in the past, we will be serving around 80 children through our Vacation Bible School program, in addition to working on several projects in the community.  Soccer Chaplains United’s generous donations in the past have made a positive impact and assisted teams to better show generosity and the love of Christ to these kids. We are so grateful for your continued partnership with our church. Thank you.

2022 Juarez Mission Team
The Cherry Creek Prebyterian Church Team of 2021 pauses from playing soccer in the park to take a photo.

In addition to the local work that La Iglesia Maranatha does, Pastor Jorge and the church members have also undertaken several trips into the poorer, and more rural parts of Mexico. Taking donations and other items, the church has traveled long distances to share the Gospel and encouragement with the poorest of the poor in some of the small villages deep within Mexico.

Assembly line for packing donations

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #6

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:12 — 15.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Email | Youtube Music | RSS

I recently had occasion to visit Cambridge, England and while I was there, I was interested to learn a unique piece of football history. Apparently, the first known instance of codifying (or writing down) the rules of association football (or, what we Yanks call soccer) happened in Cambridge. In 1848, a group of Cambridge University students wrote out a set of 11 rules. They nailed these to the trees surrounding Parker’s Piece, a large grassy park in central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 6:

When the ball is behind it shall be brought forward at the place where it left the ground, not more than ten paces, and kicked off.

Rule #6 carries with it a pathway towards restoration. When the ball goes out of play, there is a way to kick it back in to restart play. In life, we need pathways and processes toward restoration and I believe that this Cambridge Rule of 1848 does well in illustrating this for us. For example, to bring the ball back in where it went out or to give some relief from the boundary line — these are all helpful ways of getting back where we need to be. This helps us when things get “behind” the goal, as it were. Listen as I extrapolate this more in today’s podcast.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).

Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.

The Light is Coming: Soccer Chaplains United Producing Special Edition Devotional for World Cup 2022

photo of man walking in street

Today, I am super pleased to announce that Soccer Chaplains United is producing and publishing a devotional guide for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The devotional, a collaboration of several Soccer Chaplains United chaplains and friends, will look to be available on Amazon beginning November 1.

The 8-week, 80 page devotional with illustrations will begin with readings that mirror the different weeks of World Cup, Advent, and Christmas — all the way until Epiphany (Jan. 7). Interweaving themes of faith, family, and football each week will feature three distinct authors and writings based on a weekly theme.

Amazon (better yet, AmazonSmile) will be the place to purchase your print-on-demand copy and will also feature ebooks with Spanish and Portuguese language editions as well!

Soccer coaches and soccer chaplains are encouraged to reach out and email us at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org for bulk rate discounts.

Hosting a World Cup watch party? Why not have a few copies to give to fans and friends?

Does your church or rec team have some World Cup fans? Why not get some copies to give away?

photo of man walking in street
This is not the book! Just a stock image…but it will be cool we promise!

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our chaplains and our work. Check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #5

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:55 — 10.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Email | Youtube Music | RSS

I recently had occasion to visit Cambridge, England and while I was there, I was interested to learn a unique piece of football history. Apparently, the first known instance of codifying (or writing down) the rules of association football (or, what we Yanks call soccer) happened in Cambridge. In 1848, a group of Cambridge University students wrote out a set of 11 rules. They nailed these to the trees surrounding Parker’s Piece, a large grassy park in central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 5:

The ball is behind when it has passed the goal on either side of it.

Rule #5 sets out another boundary line for the game. Last week, we talked about the value of boundary lines in soccer and in life. This week, we look at some distinctions that occur in God’s commands for us that are similar to the differences between the touchlines and end lines of the Beautiful Game. Specifically, in the 10 Commandments, we see that there are commands that have to do with our relationship specifically with God and commands that have to do specifically with our relationship with others.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).

Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.

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