Archive for month: July, 2024

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Halftime: Iron Sharpening

From the Touchline

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So much soccer is happening this summer, and much of it has an international flavor and a unique sense of competition — whether we’re talking about the Euros, Copa America, the Olympics, or Leagues Cup — the opportunity to watch the teams and athletes on these varied and different stages represents something different and unique from the typical league matches that happen week in and week out.

Today, on the podcast, in the amount of time that a coach gives a halftime team talk, I reflect on how these different competitions can shape and sharpen soccer. Whether it’s two elite athletes going toe to toe, or two head coaches working out tactics to win a match — when we face a worthy opponent and a difficult task, it can often raise the level within us and our own team. It’s what Solomon describes in Proverbs 27:17 as “iron sharpening iron” kind of moments.

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.

Partner Church Creek Seeks Gear For Ghana

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One of Soccer Chaplains United’s partner churches, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC), will send a short-term mission team to Ghana, next month. The team will be in country for two weeks and work primarily to support several women at a vocational school working to empower women and support their children. The vocational school is part of the vision and work of Pastor Victor Adjei, a former student of Denver Seminary.

The relationship between CCPC and Jewels of God Church in Ghana spans some 18, dynamic years. Founded by Pastor Victor Adjei, the church reflects his passion for bringing the Good News to the people in his native country. He has started 42 different churches in Ghana. What began as a home fellowship Bible study as grown since 1982 and the name reflects the promise of Malachi 3:16-18, where God declares that He is making a people His jewels.

We rely fully on God’s power to accomplish His will for this mission. Our focus is to build relationships with the community and teach about the power of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.

Pastor Adjei, on JOGC’s mission and work in Ghana

CCPC and the team’s work and financial gifts help the church to distribute to Ghanians, many for the first time, their very own Bible. JOGC also provides medical supplies and services to many in need. In addition, a vocational school helps to elevate many young women and single mothers by giving them tools to help do work. The church also seeks to provide shelter and safety for young, vulnerable village girls and to help provide meaningful children’s activities and play.

The team is requesting to take soccer cones, pinnies, nets, balls, and youth-sized jerseys and shorts with them on their upcoming trip.

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!

Halftime: Yellowstone is Wild

From the Touchline

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I shared, last week, a reflection from a recent family vacation to Yellowstone National Park. This week, another reflection from my time there and this time it has to do with the wildness that we encountered there. It might seem a far stretch to speak about wildness and connect it somehow into faith and football, but if you saw the scenes from the Copa America Final in Miami, maybe not so much so.

Today, on the podcast, in the amount of time that a coach gives a halftime team talk, I reflect on the wildness of Yellowstone and the proclivity of the human heart to chase after and a certain kind of wildness. We need to pay heed to the warnings and come back to the safety and protection that God offers us from the wildness of this world.

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.

Geraud Brumfield is “en Fuego”

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Geraud Brumfield recently has started serving as volunteer chaplain to Central Valley Fuego FC, a team that plays in the United Soccer League 1, otherwise known as USL1. Fuego FC has a bit of a “rise from the ashes” kind of story after the USL Championship side folded in 2019. The team was founded in 2020, after the pandemic and the work to get a new club up and running saw the team bring back professional soccer to the valley in 2022.

Brumfield, serves many young people in his work for a campus ministry outreach. For Geraud much of his life and mission nd passion is about coming alongside of young people who are asking those “larger than life” questions about God, faith, pain, and this world. While soccer isn’t his first language, loving and listening to young people is.

Part of my call in life is to walk with college-age students and to help in the asking and wrestling with those questions that loom…it comes from a part of my testimony. When I was in college, I was asking those same questions. I had a friend who pursued and persisted and he walked with me as I figured out Jesus. I had been living my life trying to make my dad proud of me. The problem was, my dad passed when I was 10 years old. I came to understand God telling me: ‘You are living for someone who is dead. I want you to live for Someone who died for you.’

Geraud Brumfield, on the origins of his call to ministry and his awakening to faith

Fuego’s USL1 level is a near perfect match for Brumfield in terms of player age. As a third division, professional soccer team, many of Fuego’s athletes are younger and aspiring to grow to higher levels in the game. The average age sees the majority of players in their mid-20’s and coming from the recently graduated college ranks.

Geraud with some of the fellas, hanging out at a Fuego game while going through the process with Soccer Chaplains United.

Geraud’s placement story is a beautiful blend between my connections with different people in the game and the work of Pacific Chaplain Manager, Jubal McDaniel. My relationships with Jermaine Jones, the Head Coach, and Adam Smith, the Technical Director, were a tremendous part of seeing Geraud’s placement come about. Jubal has done the work to coach Geraud in the different points of entry that a chaplain must take in building trust and beginning to work with a team.

It has been a tremendous joy to see how warmly Geraud been received by the club…his humor, personality, and deep love for people has shown to be a perfect match.

Jubal McDaniel, on Geraud’s placement

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.

Halftime: Yellowstone is like Heaven

From the Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:01 — 18.3MB)

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A return from family vacation last week to Yellowstone National Park has been reflecting on a couple of things. Perhaps, the greatest takeaway is that I imagine that Yellowstone is something like Heaven — indescribable, unimaginable, and more. Even like certain elements of the Beautiful Game — there is just a limit to how much one can describe or explain, it is something that must be experienced!

Today, on the podcast, in the amount of time that a coach gives a halftime team talk, I reflect on the beautiful monstrosity that is Yellowstone and that only a glimpse of something that is too great and too wonderful to explain was had. I believe it to be a bit like heaven. Let me try to explain. Oh, wait, I don’t think I can.

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.

Gavin Brings His Brand To Ballard

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Gavin Brand has become Ballard FC’s first volunteer club chaplain. One of the United Soccer League 2’s (USL 2) premier clubs from the Pacific Northwest, Ballard FC has a storied, albeit, short history. Beginning play in 2022, the club won the league championship in 2023 and continues its winning ways with an opening playoff match this Friday, July 19th.

Brand, a pastor in Ballard, is new to soccer chaplaincy, but not new to the work of being a chaplain. He served as an Army Reserve Chaplain for eight years. During his time in the reserves, Brand cared for service members from all walks of life and several different units, some of which saw a strong number of international service members. A passionate runner, Gavin also understands the demands placed upon elite and rising athletes and his heart is to shepherd and guide the young athletes and staff that make up Ballard FC, much like his military chaplaincy days.

One of my favorite aspects of chaplaincy, is the opportunity to walk alongside of people and to counsel and help carry the various life burdens that they carry.

Gavin Brand, on the work of chaplaincy

As a USL2 Team, Ballard FC primarily plays from early May until mid- to early August, depending on playoff results. The team is comprised of male, collegiate athletes who are seeking to retain their college eligibility but also continue to receive pre-professional player development and opportunities to be scouted and seen by USL, Major League Soccer, and other clubs for future opportunities. During the offseason, Ballard FC continues its work in and throughout the community and with building out a roster for the next season.

Brand (nos. 1206, 334, and 149 clockwise) ran cross country for Seattle Pacific University in his collegiate days

Much of the work and effort of connecting and placing Gavin is part of the new position and role of Jubal McDaniel who serves as the Pacific Chaplain Manager. Jubal’s relationships and connections with Ballard FC have helped to connect Gavin and help him to begin a hopefully long legacy of serving this fledgling club with an already impactful history.

In our conversations with the club, it became clear that we didn’t need the top soccer enthusiast. We needed a ‘fire-pit’ guy — someone easy enough to have that comfortable conversation about life around the fire pit…and we found that fire pit guy in Gavin.

Jubal McDaniel, on the personality of Gavin and his placement
Gavin Brand and his family in a recent photo

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.

4th Global Congress On Sport and Christianity Set

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The fourth iteration of the Global Congress on Sport and Christianity has been announced and will be held at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, next summer. The dates have been announced for July 31 – August 2. The congress, which gathers every three years, was first held in York, England in 2016. The purpose of the congress is to bring together practitioners and academicians to critically think and dialogue about issues surrounding sport and faith.

I have had the privilege of attending and presenting at each of the congresses, thus far, and I am looking forward to the congress being a little bit closer to home this go around.

In 2016, I presented on the subject of “recapturing” the pastoral nature of chaplaincy in sport. My congress breakout session was small with about 10 people in attendance, but I was perhaps really encouraged by the published article, Foundations of Pastoral Care: Recovering the Spirit of Chaplaincy in Sport, which was in an accompanying journal, Practical Theology.

In 2019, I took part in two sessions. One was a joint session to a room of about 30 people and the subject was speaking about a biblical foundation for the chaplaincy story. The other session was a joint presentation with our, at the time, Counselor Brooke Ewert and the ‘necessary’ relationship between counseling and chaplaincy.

In 2022, I was a bit disappointed to present on the last day of the congress as most people were heading home or leaving the congress early. Just two other people in the room 😢, but I was still glad to present. In my session, I spoke about the issues of pay when it comes to chaplains in sport.

I am undecided at this point, whether I will present at this congress. Presenting takes a different toll emotionally and I might like to just take it all in after a busy few years with Soccer Chaplains United, but who knows?

As Soccer Chaplains United continues to grow, the global congress offers a moment and time for our chaplains to gather and to reflect and share — whether we critically engage academia, or share best practices, or simply gather and fellowship with like-minded people, I am looking forward to the time in Waco, Texas next summer.

It would be great to have some benefactors help myself and some of our chaplains get to Waco. Please reach out to me: brad@soccerchaplainsunited.org if you would like to help be part of this endeavor.

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.

2024 Iglesia Cristiana Bethel Community Project Fulfillment

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blue white and red flag

A few weeks ago, Soccer Chaplains United received a request from a small church in El Paso, Texas. Iglesia Cristiana Bethel. The church, a sister church to Iglesia Maranatha in Juárez, MX is led by Pablo Mata, brother to Jorge Mata. The church has a vision to build a community soccer team which will include young and older adults both the church and people in the community of El Paso.

A Spanish speaking church located on the east side of El Paso, Iglesia Cristiana Bethel’s young adults have wanted to create a soccer team and also open it to others who are not believers. The church sees this is as an opportunity to expose non believers to the Gospel of Jesus as they practice and play the games.

With several young adults, ranging in age from 13 to 25 years old combined with some older adults — the church is seeing a difference in the way church members react in the games. There is an attraction whereby others are wanting to join the team that seems friendlier and contains a safe space for them and their children.

The team currently is co-ed. They have 5 women and 10 men in the team and they hope to continue to grow.

We hope to expose the love of God to those joining our church team. We currently don’t have a team uniform, we all only wear black, and we don’t even have gloves for our goalie. We are just starting, but we would really appreciate and be very grateful for any help you can give us in our project.

Natalie Mata, member of Iglesia Cristiana Bethel

Below is a list of items that were sent to the team:

  • 18 jerseys
  • 15 shorts
  • 1 GK set
  • 6 compression shorts
Image of the jersey and shorts delivered to Iglesia Cristiana Bethel
Rapids jerseys and shorts hopefully help the team find a sense of identity and unity

The total weight came to around 25 pounds of gear that was sent to El Paso.

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!

Halftime: Platforms and Politics

From the Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:01 — 14.7MB)

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One of the headlines that is seemingly more and more fused with football is the issue of politics. A few weeks ago, high profile players came out and urged young people in their nation to get out and vote. Around the world, there has been a rise of the “activist super-player” who seemingly has more pull and sway than some politicians.

Today, on the podcast, in the amount of time that a coach might have for a halftime team talk, I reflect on the place of politics in soccer. I specially hone in on what a Christian person might consider in terms of the platforms that they possess and the politics (or other things) that they consciously weigh in the promotion or advocacy of certain things.

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.

Halftime: Differences in Freedom

From the Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:20 — 13.4MB)

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Currently, in the U.S., there are two days set aside for recognizing freedom: Juneteenth (June 19) and July 4th. One celebrates a freedom fought for and won from British colonialism, the other celebrates the eventual and final execution of a proclamation of freedom.

Today, on the podcast, in the time that a team might have for a halftime team talk, I discuss the differences between these two days and these two types of freedom that are represented. I give some food for thought as it relates to spiritual, physical, and emotional freedoms.

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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