The next few weeks equate to the off-season for most of soccer here in the United States. And with the off-season come a number of opportunities to contribute and help Soccer Chaplains United. Giving Tuesday - Nov 30Monthly giving optionsColorado Gives - Dec 7 Next Tuesday, November 30, is Giving Tuesday, a national day set aside to make gifts and contributions that are vital for non-profits as we approach the end of the calendar year. Started in 2012, Giving Tuesday began in New York City at the 92nd Street YMCA. It has grown into an independent and global movement to inspire generosity. Just one week, later, Tuesday, December 7 is Colorado Gives Day — this state-specific day of philanthropy which began

Less than a month ago, a hefty majority of Soccer Chaplains United chaplains found that their teams were headed for playoffs in their perspective leagues. Hopes were high, but several teams stumbled in spite of achieving this pivotal milestone for a long season of soccer. Of the teams that remain in the playoff hunt, Major League Soccer (MLS), Ben Dudley and Troy Ready's Portland Timbers won against Minnesota United FC, 3-1. They will face my own Colorado Rapids this Thursday, on Thanksgiving Day in an MLS first — a national, televised match on Thanksgiving. Billy Cerveny's Nashville SC play a home game this Tuesday night at 4:00 pm Eastern against Orlando City FC in a game televised on FS1 and

This December 26th, a team of 19 high school students from Valor Christian High School will travel to Guatemala for 16 days. The team will spend a majority of ministry time working with the community that lives around the city dump in Zacapa, Guatemala. Children in Guatemala play with a makeshift goal Soccer will be a significant part of the team's ministry as they hold soccer camps and outreach projects in the community. With all that has gone on in the pas couple of years, this community has great need and not only does the Valor team hope to provide ministry to them while there, but also leave behind some gear that would enrich their lives. Other projects include building

Birthdays are a time to celebrate and honor people. Although, in football, some may dread their birthday because It is a reminder of aging in an industry that favors those who are young, fit, and powerful. But taking the time to honor people is key to the success of the individual athlete and the team as a whole, and someone's birthday is an ideal time to tell them or show them that you care. Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, in lesson 15 Rev Brad looks at the effort made by Coach Ted Lasso to lift the spirits of one of his struggling players by remembering and celebrating his birthday. Rev Brad shares about his own practice of trying

It has been awhile since I have undertaken the pastoral writing mode of the From the Rev genre. So much of my time is now spent in writing for podcasting and the production of such. But this past week Saint Martin of Tour's feast day (Thursday, November 11 - also known as Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day) is slowly starting to become a rhythm of rest for me as a chaplain. I usually take the day or couple of days surrounding 11 November to retreat and reflect on ministry and life. I call these times the Founder's Retreat — Saint Martin being the "founder" of chaplaincy in the 4th century. In certain spaces and epochs, chaplains and chaplaincy has been