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Stories, news, and events from Soccer Chaplains United’s grant program to help distribute new and used soccer gear for use in local and global projects.

Camp Calgary – Part 1

Within the ministry of CrossTraining – whether in our chaplaincy to the teams or in places like the Timothy Project – there are moments when we wonder if anything that we say or do has an impact on what God is doing in and through the hearts of people. We can feel that even our mere presence is a waste of time, or that the thing that we invest in is of little use. The following is a the first part in a two part-story on how the summer soccer camp through Christian Life Assembly in Calgary, Canada had an eternal impact on a family distant and disconnected from God. Consider the impact that you can have by financially supporting CrossTraining and the Timothy Project: Calgary.

Kyle Schlosser was raised in a Catholic home. His whole family went to church every Sunday, but when he left home, Kyle found himself going to church less and less.  Then he had a son, but the pattern continued to be the same. In time, Kyle wanted Jack to learn about being a Christian. He wasn’t sure what to do – there was a limit to what and how he knew to teach him and Jack wouldn’t be learning about God in school. But God heard the quiet prayers of a father – one day, getting money from a local ATM, he noticed a poster for a kids soccer camp. In reading the poster Kyle thought that would be something Jack would like, what with being 5 years old and liking soccer. Kyle took the phone number down and off he went.

The next day a brochure came in the mail for the same soccer camp – a sign from God? Surely, it was. Kyle called registered his son for the camp.  That mid-August morning, life for Kyle and Jack would change forever. As Kyle returned to the camp a little early to pick him up – all the soccer players were sitting in the shade under a big tree. Pastor Wendy of Christian Life Assembly was talking to the players about God, so Kyle decided to listen in too, realizing that his son was going to learn about a lot more than just soccer at this camp.

The week ended with a soccer party Friday afternoon at the church and Kyle met lots of the members of CLA and speak with Pastor Wendy and Pastor Rick. That camp led Kyle and Jack to start attending CLA every Sunday after the camp. And they had found a home and a community to connect with Christian believers.

It wasn’t long after staring to attend CLA, that Jack’s Grandpa (Don Farney) became very ill. A visit with Grandpa Don in the hospital led Kyle to sense that Jack was very scared of death, so Sunday after church they spoke with Pastor Wendy and told her about Grandpa Don and his situation. The first thing Pastor Wendy asked was, “Does Don know Jesus?” Kyle confessed, “Not that well.” So, she immediately prayed with Jack and Kyle for Grandpa Don. Pastor Wendy gave Kyle and Jack a little pamphlet, encouraging them to read it to Grandpa Don.  Jack gave the pamphlet to his Grandma, Donna. [TO BE CONTINUED…]

Czech Update

You can follow more about what the Timothy Project-sponsored Czech Republic team is doing in its summer soccer camp by clicking here and following the team blog.

Timothy Project: Mongolia

CrossTraining today announced its third Timothy Project award recipient for the 2012 season. The project will feature church and Christian leader development in Mongolia to help leaders use the sport of soccer to reach out to youth and to battle against a growing epidemic of youth alcoholism and help plant 12 new churches near the Chinese border of Mongolia.

The Mongolia Project request has come from David Irby, who is part of the mission organization Surge International. Irby was recently featured in one of the 2012 CrossTrainer articles – the CrossTrainer is a monthly publication provided to the players, coaches, and staff of the Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids.

The Timothy Project will help team members with some travel needs between the US and Mongolia for a trip in late July. More details on the mission work are viewable below:

 

 

If you would like to help support this Timothy Project, please use PayPal link below and mark your gift CXT: Mongolia. Remember that your gifts are tax-deductible when made to START Ministries.

Czeching In

In the buildup to the July 9 departure for the team to the Czech Republic, the first recipient of the 2012 Timothy Project, already has a story to share – and on this side of the pond.

The Cherry Hills Community Church Czech Initiative teams expect to have 25-30 players ages 15-20 attending the inaugural soccer camp from July 16th through the 20th. While the Timothy Project has been used to help provide soccer balls for the players, the team will be doing a lot more. Working alongside Czech coaches and leaders there will be a special time for camp participants. On the Tuesday afternoon of the camp,there will be an outdoor adventure training and focus on manhood.  A Christian guest speaker from Prague will challenge the campers physically outdoors and then back at the church will share a message on manhood. The men on the CHCC Czech Initiative team will the follow up the next day in sharing a struggle or fear with campers – giving practical application and insight in how they dealt with it.

Please pray for the CHCC Czech Initiative team which is made up of four  adult coaches and five teenage players who will integrate themselves into the camp along with the Czech teenage campers. The preparation for the trip has already had some lasting impact, below is an email from parents of one of the teenage team members:

“I am especially appreciative of the tremendous spiritual influence … on [his] faith walk.  He certainly has matured spiritually in the past 12 months, but these meetings in preparation for the missions trip have been equally as helpful. So thank you … stay encouraged by the important role you play in young people’s lives.”

And CrossTraining thanks its supporters – because you are having an impact in this young man’s life and this team’s life, too.

Stay tuned for more and remember isn’t not too late to support the Czech Project. Just mark your donation CrossTraining: Czech.

Timothy Project Update: Czech Republic

 The countdown is underway and the team is nearly set to go. The July 10 departure date will see a team of high school students and adults from Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado fly to Pisek and host a soccer camp for Czech teenagers from July 14-July 22. The soccer camp is part of a larger outreach initiative to reach out to the Czech peoples.

One of the team leaders, David Guetig, recently e-mailed CrossTraining to confirm the delivery of several soccer balls acquired through the Timothy Project. “I did receive seven size 5 Nike indoor soccer balls … yesterday.  They are in beautiful shape and will definitely help the team out with respect to our mission trip!”

The Czech Team still has financial needs that CrossTraining supporters can help with. Among some of the needs are for camper t-shirt costs. Make your donation out to CrossTraining: Czech in order to support this Timothy Project today.

Timothy Project: Czech Republic update

Thanks to the generosity of CrossTraining supporters, CrossTraining, through the Timothy Project, was able to provide several Nike futsal indoor soccer balls for the mission team from Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado to take with them for their upcoming trip in July.

 

The team leaves July 10 and will be in country for two weeks, conducting a soccer clinic/camp for youth in the city of Pisek amongst other activities. The team has spent years building relationships in Pisek and has usually conducted basketball camps, until this year when it will host the first soccer camp and clinic. You can read more about the team’s trip and plans by clicking the link here. And check back to our website for periodic updates, pictures, and reports on the work.

You can still support the work and needs for this Timothy Project by praying, or even making a donation via PayPal below and marking your gift CXT: Czech.

Timothy Project: Calgary Housing Project Soccer Camp

CrossTraining announces the second Timothy Project recipient of 2012. This project starts with a group of children living in subsidized housing in South West Calgary – as part of the immigrant community, they don’t have much. Here is where Christian Life Assembly is trying to make a difference. Three years ago, CLA began using soccer camps as an outreach to those families and last year marked the first time the group brought their camp to the housing area to make the camps more accessible for the children.

But CLA aren’t doing the camps alone. They partner with a Christian man from Rwanda who began a free, saturday soccer club in the housing development where he lives. The club has been running every Saturday for two years now and serves to give kids a sense of belonging as well as teach skills that build confidence, character, and self-esteem.

Part of what CLA offers to campers are snacks and a short devotional. They also invite Canadian children to join in the camps in order to help the immigrant children integrate into Canadian culture and develop new friendships and relationships. “Soccer Club,” as it is known, serves as one connection point, among several programs, for nearly 60 children and their families from various nationalities, faiths and socio-economic origins.

The Timothy Project would include partnering to sponsor children to attend this year’s week long soccer camp. With CLA aiming to build a long term relationships with the families in the housing area, building trust and sharing about God’s love are integral parts to the camps offered to the children. CLA is hoping to find sponsorship for 50 children this year at a cost of $60 per child. The camp will be held August 20th to 24th.

To make a donation to help support the Calgary project please use the PayPal box below and mark your gift CXT: Calgary. Thanks for your support!

Timothy Project: Czech Republic Soccer Camp

CrossTraining announces the first recipient of the 2012 Timothy Project program: a summer soccer camp in Pisek, Czech Republic. Please read more below about the team and this first project that CrossTraining will be supporting below:

They have been sending teams there for years, but this year will mark the first time the team has hosted a soccer camp. A short-term mission team of high school students and adults from Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado will be going to the Czech Republic to help bring the light and hope of Jesus Christ to campers and use soccer to overcome cultural and language barriers. The work in Czech will be with Cherry Hill’s sister church in Pisek, Elim Evangelical Church.  The soccer camp will be hosted by EEC for Czech teenagers from July 14th – 22nd.

 

The Czech Republic is the most atheistic country in Europe with more people claiming to be atheists than members of any organized religion.   Years of communist oppression have left the Czech people struggling with the idea of a personal God who cares deeply about them.  In the Czech Republic, only one person in three hundred claims to be a Christian. However since the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century, a new hope has slowly risen in the Czech Republic, especially among the nation’s youth. Young people throughout Eastern Europe live in a changing world their parents never knew – a place once dominated by government sanctioned atheism, is now filled with opportunity and freedom. The nation’s youth are awakening to a hunger for “something more” that freedom, entertainment and technology cannot fill – a hunger for spiritual fulfillment found only in a personal relationship with a loving God.

The team’s specific need is with help acquiring indoor soccer balls and financing camp t-shirt expenses. The team needs to finish it’s fundraising campaign by June 9, 2012.

If you would like to help make a contribution to this Timothy Project proposal, please send a donation (either PayPal below or a check to our address). Memo your gift as CXT: Czech. Remember that all donations made to START provide you with a tax-deductible receipt at year-end. Thanks for considering partnering with this Timothy Project!

Timothy Project 2011 Update: Timoteos Ligi Turkey

CrossTraining supporters will be familiar with the Turkey Timothy League from last year’s Timothy Project. CrossTraining supporters helped raise $600 to help the league afford fees for a season of play – including having officials, paying for sponsorships for students, and more. The goal of the Timothy League is to reach out to the community and build positive and strong relationships with young people through the sport of soccer and by demonstrating the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Earlier this year, CrossTraining had the opportunity to supply several boots (cleats) to league director and coordinator Sedat Selamet via a mutual friend, Terry Adams. Selamet recently wrote to CrossTraining to tell us a story behind one of the pairs of shoes:

 

“We will give a pair of those great shoes to the player at the upper right corner (of the photo). He is a poor student. He has been growing in the Lord greatly and has been serving at our league voluntarily.”

Along with Selamet, we extend our thanks to CrossTraining supporters who have made it possible to partner with other ministries and organizations around the world. Check out our Timothy Project page for details and information on submitting an application for 2012. And be sure to be on the look out for stories and highlights from the new projects that we are taking on!

Timothy Project 2012 Coming

CrossTraining will begin taking applications for the 2012 season’s Timothy Project on Tuesday, May 1. The application process has been simplified from last season. Applicants will need to complete an online submission form which will be reviewed by CrossTraining Team members. Projects that meet with organizational values and criteria receive priority in consideration for either financial sponsorship, donated equipment, or promotion through the CrossTraining network.

The Timothy Project is CrossTraining’s way of giving back – up to ten percent of annual donations go toward projects and individuals using soccer to help their communities around the world. Now in its’ third season, the Timothy Project is part of CrossTraining’s fiscal agreement with START Ministries. START, the fiscal sponsor of CrossTraining, mobilizes people for short-term mission projects locally and around the world. In the first year, CrossTraining tested out the program, sponsoring Greg Dalby (a member of the Charlotte Eagles). In the second year, CrossTraining donated equipment to an orphanage in Africa, supplied soccer balls for a short-term trip to Guatemala, and provided a financial sponsorship for a soccer league operating in Turkey.

For more information on the Timothy Project check out the website page or click here. Directions and criteria will be posted on Tuesday and applications may be submitted at that time.

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