Archive for month: February, 2026

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New Life Chaplaincy Makes Community Project Request

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Joseph Levi is the founder of a non-profit group in Nairobi, Kenya called the Uhuru Sports Club. The aim of the non profit and the Uhuru Youth Soccer (UYS) is to offer opportunities to the disadvantaged youth of Kenya urban slums through football (soccer) and education. The club reaches out to many orphaned boys and girls in Nairobi to help them play and learn, and also to share about Jesus. Recently, Joseph reached out to us to ask for help.

Dear Soccer Chaplains,
I am writing on behalf of our chaplaincy team based in Nairobi, Kenya, to formally request your support for our youth outreach program. We have long admired your work and have been significantly encouraged by the impact you are making.
Our community utilizes soccer as a primary vehicle to foster community among local youth and provide them with spiritual guidance and a path toward salvation. While our program has seen substantial growth, we currently face a shortage of essential equipment and
resources.
To continue our soccer team effectively, we are seeking donations of the following items, whether new or gently used:

Soccer balls and uniforms.
Training equipment, including cones and cleats.

Copies of the Holy Bible for our youth participants.

Your generous contribution would play a vital role in keeping our youth engaged and supported. We would be honored to discuss how we might acknowledge your support within our team and community.
Thank you for your time and for considering this request. We look forward to the possibility of partnering with you.
Sincerely,
Joseph

Joseph and his group are soon to head to a remote part of Ashura, Tanzania in April to do further mission work. We are currently looking at different options to try and get any soccer gear or equipment to them.

If you, someone you know, or a group that you know about it heading to or through Nairobi, Kenya and are able to take a few bags of soccer gear from Denver, Colorado, USA please reach out to us via email at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org.

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!

Welcome to Colorful Colorado – A Reflection on Home

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:32 — 50.4MB)

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It’s the home opener this weekend for my club team, the Colorado Rapids. It has me thinking and reflecting on home. I am a Denver and Colorado native (we’re rare these days). And our beautiful state is surrounded by roadway signs that say “Welcome to Colorful Colorado.” But the signs aren’t what you think that they might be.

Today, on the podcast, I reflect more on the “signage” in our life that mark out the home space. The words of Jeremiah, the prophet, to the nation of Israel were filled with hope in a pretty desperate time. He told them, take note of the road. Mark out the signposts. They are words of promise — that a return would happen, that God would be doing a new thing in the land (and to the people). Those promises are true for us, today, as well.

From the Touchline is a short-feature 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.

Grace FC El Paso Community Project Update

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Iglesia Cristiana Bethel in El Paso, Texas received soccer gear last fall as part of their community project request. We were able to send two bags with about 50 lbs, gear including several winter coats and pants, jerseys, shin guards, and several compression shirts and shorts.

Pastor Pablo and Natalie Mata who have helped lead and develop the team for the past few months and they recently shared a few photos and videos with us including the one below. It’s amazing to see the joy on the children’s faces!

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!

Rebuilding — A Season Opener

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:55 — 54.8MB)

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Every season, there is usually a team or two that acknowledges a “rebuilding” year. It can come with a transition of a new coach, an influx of several athletes, changes in management, or the loss of key individuals upon whom the organization was depending on. Rebuilding is never easy — especially after a devastating loss (like the California wildfires of 2025) where a whole community suffers or is destroyed. How does one rebuild in such times.

Today, on the podcast, as we begin the season of Lent and prepare for the start of Major League Soccer, rebuilding begins with a right heart posture. Isaiah 58 sets the stage as we consider what it looks like to get right with God so that He might be our help and our support. It isn’t about a false religiosity, rather it’s about how our Sunday-morning selves live out the rest of our faith walk throughout the week — whether in our jobs, our homes, our schools, or elsewhere.

From the Touchline is a short-feature 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.

Federal Tax Policy Changes for 2026 Impact Charitable Giving

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There are several changes that have come for 2026 that will have an impact on donor giving for 2026 and we want to share some of these with you as you make plans for your charitable gifts this year! Please note: this should not be considered tax advice and you ought to consult with someone to better understand these impacts to your giving for the year.

Universal Charitable Deduction (UCD)

Back for 2026, anyone filing a tax return will be able to deduct $1,000 (single filer) or $2,000 (married, filing jointly). The UCD was part of tax policy until about 1986. It returned during COVID for a couple years where someone could deduct $300/$600 (respective of single or married filing jointly) even if a person didn’t itemize. Again, this applies to all donors at any level and the amounts are higher for 2026.

New “Ceiling” and new “Floor” as it relates to charitable giving

The way that the new ceiling works is that anyone who is at the top federal tax rate of 37% can now itemize as if they were at the 35% level. The floor means that people who are not in that 37% cannot deduct the first 1/2 of 1% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). Essentially, the ceiling and floor only apply to individuals making around $650k and married filing jointly at $725k.

2025’s SALT (State and Local Tax) Deduction

Lat year, there was a change to the State and Local Tax deduction whereby in 2017 the limit went down to $10,000. That limit changed last year to $40,000. The Fundraising School’s research shows that charitable giving is strongly linked to itemization. Essentially, the more people are able to itemize, the more that they give to charities.

Business Sector Giving

There are additional rule changes to business sector giving. Soccer Chaplains United does not currently have business sector donors, so suffice it to say if this area is a topic of interest, you might want to research it.

A helpful podcast that is less than 15 minutes long can be found here and most of this information in this post has been derived from this podcast.

Thank you as you consider your donations and support of Soccer Chaplains United for 2026. Please let us know if you have any questions.

You can give a safe, secure, electronic, tax-deductible gift via PushPay by clicking the button below or by texting soccerchaplains to 77977. You can also mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250. Soccer Chaplains United is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

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Stage 5 of Temptation — Only Jesus for Overcoming Obsession?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:35 — 34.0MB)

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As we wrap up our series on temptation, we look at the fifth and final stage of temptation and sin — the stage of obsession. The progressive slide of temptation leading into sin and sin leading, eventually, to death. Stage five is the most hurtful and the most helpless that we can feel (for ourselves or for our loved ones). How do we get out of the spiral?

Today, on the podcast, it’s not to be glib or trite, but sometimes the only help, the only salvation has to come from Jesus. When the captivity stage leads to a neurotic obsession where self-destruction is the path, there is sometimes something that only Jesus can help to heal. We look at a few stories in scripture to see this example and to suggest that sometimes our best prayer is the simplest one — one that acknowledges our desire but our weakness.

From the Touchline is a short-feature 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.

Keizer joins the Board; Brings USL Experience and Faith-Driven Leadership

I first met Simon Keizer in 2009 in a church in Dallas, Texas. A mutual friend, Jon Burns, the volunteer chaplain for Sunderland, called a number of his friends and connections to Dallas to share that God had placed a vision for creating a new ministry called Lionsraw. Simon served as the global engagement manager for the charity in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Simon’s journey though in combining life, ministry, and football didn’t begin in 2010, though, it began much earlier. Born in England, Simon grew up bouncing a football at an all-boys prep school. As a young teenager, his world drastically changed as he moved to the U.S.. His unchurched, ethnically Jewish family moved from Berkhamsted, England to Arlington, Texas and he launched into his new life.

America was different. Texas was different. For Simon, he saw that church had a place in many of his friend’s lives. He recalls God grabbing his heart over a period of time, leading to a testimony service following youth camp on a Sunday night where returning church youth were sharing and affirming their faith in Jesus.. One of those campers was Simon’s brother. And at the tender age of 13, he gave his life to Jesus.

Simon surrendered his life to ministry at age 17 and believed that he would lead a worship ministry, but God had other plans. He ended up as a walk-on Division III soccer player but ended up getting hurt and stepping into coaching and pastoring. This led to him coaching a private school varsity team for  13 years and working to minister to the families and students throughout his many years. That experience led him to scale more regional camps and clinics in the North Texas region. Simon then went on a mission trip in 2008 and met Jon who invited him to that 20010 meeting.

Simon pursued several relationships and built on his relationship with FC Dallas and Lionsraw to continue growing legacy ministries long after the World Cup was over. This ignited his passion to see soccer used as a vehicle for change in the world. From 1997  to 2017, he served on pastoral staff before spending the last several years in business, with a brief stint in Virginia Beach before returning back to Texas. Fast forward a few years and in 2022, he began laying the groundwork for the USL Texoma FC franchise which successfully launched into League 1 in 2025.

Simon and wife Heather pose during the launch event in 2024 for Texoma FC. Texoma played in 2025 in League 1 and will be a USL 2 team in 2026.

My love for the sport is second, really third, in what’s most important. For me, it’s paramount to love and follow Jesus…my second is my family…but I’ve seen soccer, specifically I like to say ‘the ball,’ take us places where we couldn’t go in any other fashion. I’ve seen it break down language barriers working with Zulu tribal kids and so many other places around the globe…

Simon, on the place of his passion for soccer

Simon finds himself leading in both contexts as a consultant for a soccer franchise, and as an executive leader in a church as a sort of a “Pastor of Entrepreneurship. He is father of four children and has been married to his wife, Heather, since 2003.

If you would like to learn more about Soccer Chaplains United and opportunities to serve on our Board of Directors, please send an email to info@soccerchaplainsunited.org.

Soccer Chaplains United is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on the generous support of individual donors and church partners to carry out its work of chaplaincy in soccer. You can give a safe, secure, electronic, tax-deductible gift via PushPay by clicking the button below or by texting soccerchaplains to 77977. You can also mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.

Stage 4 of Temptation — Community to get out of Captivity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:57 — 49.3MB)

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As we continue our series on temptation, we look at the fourth stage, today. A logismoi (Greek) is an obtrusive, invading thought that assaults our mind, that setups a temptation. There is a progressive nature to temptation in that it leads to sin and, eventually, to death.

Today, on the podcast, we look at stage 4 — captivity. The captivity stage is where we keep falling over and over to the same temptation. It’s a trap that we can’t seem to get out of. We may still battle, but we lose more than we win. We might even have stretches of victory or success in staving off the temptation and we might think we are safe or okay, but then it comes back in a voracious manner. Community is key to dealing with the captivity stage and we get into that in the podcast today.

From the Touchline is a short-feature 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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