For the recent Community Project Request from Saint Patrick’s as they prepare to head to Peru, we initiated a new process — an online, pictorial catalogue that allows teams to “shop” and “select” gear. And, with all new kinds of processes, there were a few setbacks but this week, I was able to pack out the gear for Peru. Beyond a few technical difficulties with the form and processing, Greg Aydt and the team did fill out a form with a number of item; however, their listed items only equated to one 50 lb. bag! 🤪
In total, we were able to do 2 bags — one 50 lb. and the other 48 lb. The pictures below give a little bit of a sense of some of the items that we were able to fulfill for the team.
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Catedral_de_Trujilllo-scaled.jpg14401920Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2025-06-12 00:00:002025-06-09 16:35:41Packing for Peru: Pluses and Minuses
St Patrick Presbyterian Church in Collierville, TN has been a church committed to the local suburbs in which she is planted. Missions has typically looked like offering money and prayers to those at a distance throughout her first two decades. But, more recently, the church has come to the realization that if we are to be faithful to the full call of God, there should be a launching out across cultures just like the church’s namesake, Saint Patrick of Ireland.
St. Patrick’s current Executive Director, Chris Bolton, spent several years as a missionary in the cities and villages of Peru. His work and heart for the country has translated into a team of some 28 people committing to crossing cultural boundaries with the Gospel to see God at work in Peru, this July. This marks the first time that Saint Patrick’s will do a short-term mission trip in Peru and it is also the first time in Soccer Chaplains United history that we are supporting a trip to Peru!
The team will be based in the coastal city of Trujillo and launch out with Peru Mission to the surrounding villages with whom they have relationships. In these villages, the team will see how God is at work in church plants, in ministries, and in family discipleship. They will be a part of the short term mission work for six days ministering through medicine, construction, ESL, and care. But the team will also look to express ministry through the global game of soccer.
Soccer Chaplains United Chaplain Rev Greg Aydt is part of the team headed to Peru. As Assistant Pastor for Youth at St. Patrick’s, Greg’s inclusion on the trip is a natural fit. Greg’s soccer chaplaincy work this past season has included helping athletes, coaches, and staff transition in the months following the shut-down in operations of local professional team, Memphis 901 FC. As disheartening as the team folding has been, Chaplain Greg has been looking for opportunities for faith and fútbol to coalesce.
I’m especially excited to be hosting local children in soccer camps each morning. With several high school soccer players on our team heading to Peru, we’re hoping to invite the children to play. And this is no small thing; we truly believe for children, play is Kingdom work.
The St Pat’s team is looking to take about 4 bags of gear down with the team and give away jerseys, shorts, soccer balls and more to the children that come out for the soccer camps. The team will leave out July 11 until July 19.
I’ve been able to take soccer gear from work with Soccer Chaplains United in the past to Latin America. And the impact it has on the excitement, enjoyment, and gratitude from the children is powerful. With some gear from SCU this summer, we travel with an eagerness to see how God can use us for His glory in the villages of Peru.
We encourage you to pray for Greg Aydt and the Saint Patrick’s Presbyterian Church team as they prepare for this exciting trip in July!
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-11-at-12.37.20 PM.png11341432Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2025-04-17 00:00:002025-04-14 12:24:29St. Patrick’s Marks a First for Peru
In late June, Sebastian Navarro with Community First Soccer reached out to Tacoma Defiance Chaplain, Jubal McDaniel. Is there any soccer gear that we might be able to give away to the children participating in our youth camps this summer? Earlier this year, Jubal had gone through the process of closing down his own non-profit, Northwest Football Ministries. In previous years, Jubal and Sebastian had connected to mutually serve local communities in the state of Washington through soccer.
Community First Soccer is a soccer non profit 501(c)3 whose main goal is to make soccer accessible to all starting with the underserved communities who need it the most. They host free soccer camps and college showcases. Their mission and aim is to never charge for a soccer camp. They make their camps free and accessible to as many people as possible — a difficult task in the pay-to-play soccer culture that permeates the North American landscape, currently.
There were multiple camps held — Yakima, Quincy, and Sunnyside — all cities across southeast Washington over a period of two weeks in late July. The camps were free to all of the families and helped provide soccer gear, lunches, haircuts, and new friends! Local professionals, like former Seattle Sounder Roman Torres, were on site to coach, encourage, and engage with the kids.
This Community Project fulfillment also marked another “first” of sorts — gear from Jubal in Tacoma, and not Denver. As Soccer Chaplains United continues to grow, so do the opportunities for expanding our abilities to get used soccer gear to other communities through our Community Project program. All totaled, Jubal delivered about 20 bags of gear for CFS to use over the course of the two weeks.
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!
See the pictures below as the gear was handed out to different children and their families.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_6762-e1724361737365.jpg281585Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-08-29 00:00:002025-01-05 13:30:42Community First Soccer Means Soccer For All
This past week, there has been movement with two different projects and soccer gear fulfillments from our Community Project Program. Read below to learn about each project and the gear we were able to supply.
Liberia — Pappie Jones and Soccer Ambassadors
First, Pappie Jones and Soccer Ambassadors, have patiently been waiting since their request last year (May 2023) as we work to get items shipped to Liberia. With no specific church or mission teams headed to the small, West Africa nation and with a few of our ideas falling through. We finally reached out to Liberian friend, Thomas Fahn, who recommended a shipper in the United States that sends a monthly container. Getting the bags to the shipper is the first step — and Board Chair Cliff Burton had a friend carry two bags filled with gear back to North Carolina. The bags should begin their transatlantic journey in early September. Be sure to check back for an update to this story!
Final fulfillment (100 pounds of gear):
Jerseys – 48
Shorts – 48
Socks – 72
GK sets (shirt, socks, shorts) – 4
Compression shorts – 31
Compression pants – 32
Compression tops – 16
Various shirts/jackets/tops – 62
Ghana — Cherry Creek Pres and Jewels of God Church
Last month, partner church Cherry Creek Presbyterian requested gear to accompany a team that heads out to Ghana in just a few days. With an additional two bags, this team will also take about 100 pounds of gear, albeit it more quickly. With a fresh influx of gear coming from the Colorado Rapids just at the start of the academy season, the Ghana team will have plenty of shorts and uniforms to provide enough to outfit three teams for the children connected to the Jewels of God Church in Accra.
Finally fulfillment includes:
Jerseys – 32
Shorts – 32
Socks – 82
GK sets (shirt, socks, shorts) – 7
Other tops – 33
Warm up tops – 26
Women’s jerseys – 23
Various jersey and short sets – 5
We look forward to hearing updates and reports back on the gear and soccer equipment delivered for the children in these countries.
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_6742-scaled.jpg19201440Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-08-22 00:00:002024-08-21 10:48:50Soccer Gear Heading to Africa
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_0208-scaled.jpg14341920Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-07-25 15:30:002024-07-25 15:15:33Partner Church Creek Seeks Gear For Ghana
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
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!
Last week, members of the Cherry Creek 2024 Uganda short-term mission trip came over to my house to help with sorting and bagging gear to take with them to Uganda. The team, leaving on July 3, will spend time in the capital city of Kampala and work with long-time partner, Mirembe House. The team will host some Vacation Bible School as well as play soccer and host a sports camp. To track the team, click this link.
CCPC Uganda 2024 Team Members hold a sampling of items bagged and packed for their upcoming trip.
Below is a list of items that the team will take with them to give to the children that they work with and spend time with:
2 pairs of soccer cleats
5 ball pumps
2 balls (size 4)
28 jackets
2 GK sets (jersey, shorts, socks)
2 soccer nets
38 training and compression pants
112 compression shorts
27 soccer shorts
81 t-shirts
20 scarves
The total weight came out to around 125 pounds of gear that the team will take with them to Uganda!
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ugandan-flag-graphic-(1).png300450Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-06-27 00:00:002024-07-19 11:12:152024 Uganda Community Project Fulfillment
Every other year, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church sends a team of high school juniors and seniors and adult leaders to Uganda to participate in Youth for Christ’s ministry in Kampala. The church has been working with Youth for Christ Uganda since 2007 with the hope and belief that the trips are making huge changes in the lives of the student team and in the communities they are serving. The 2024 trip will be the 5th trip that Soccer Chaplains United partners to send soccer gear and equipment with this local church partner. You can see summaries from 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 by clicking on the appropriate link.
Despite some of the negatives that can accompany short term missions, Cherry Creek and its team members are working to overcome those. Primarily, by continuing to serve and foster long-term relationships. As well as making sure group members are there for the right reasons — it’s not some exotic vacation and the primary focus is not to share wealth, but is to take part in the amazing things God is already doing in country with the ministry.
The 2015 trip with CCPC, saw the team hand out uniforms from the Colorado Rapids
Student trip participant, Alex Cevaal shared,
I personally will love to go on this trip because Jesus calls us to love one another just as he loves us, and that is exactly what I want to do. I want to serve people who might seem different than me, but are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m hoping that on this trip God is able to open my eyes to his beauty, because sometimes it’s hard for me to see it in my busy life. We know that the best thing you can do for anyone is just to love them, and our goal on this trip is to show God’s love to as many different people as we can. Whether that’s playing soccer with some school kids or having a hard conversation with a pregnant teen who’s been kicked out of her home, loving others is what Jesus wants us to do and that is what we want to do in Uganda.
Alex, on his reasons for going on the trip this year
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/K09A5637.jpg12801920Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-05-16 00:00:002024-07-08 23:46:47Creek Heads Back To Uganda
In our first Community Project request for 2024, the football gear has landed! Or, at least part of it in Benin and is now in the hands of local leader Dorothé and the children that he is teaching soccer to and also sharing about the love of Jesus.
Last month, Lucia Eberle, made a request for soccer gear through her EPC church in Texas. It was a quick turnaround because there was an opportunity to meet her church pastor in Phoenix and get the gear back to Texas with no shipping charges (🙌Southwest – two bags fly free). What was really exciting for me as I “pulled” the project, was the way that some of the quantities and sizes seemed to “just happen.” Of course, I have been doing this long enough to know that it’s part of how God works.
One neat part to the project, Lucia made a glancing reference that Dorothé was hopeful to start a women’s team — I just had enough to outfit a team.
The original request:
approx. 35-50 sets of soccer shirts and shorts
2 sets of goalkeeper gear
What we were able to provide:
31
Gold Men’s Jerseys (2-m, 1-l, 23-resized, 5-xl)
13
Gold Women’s Jerseys (modesty fabric sewn and deeper V-neck style)
42
Shorts {red at bottom} (1-s, 17-m, 19-l, 4-xl, 1-xxl)
Lucia was blown away by the amount of gear and for her most recent trip (see pictures below) she was only able to take one bag to begin and so mixed some of the items from bag one and two in Texas to take with her.
I didn’t realize how much there would be and that I would be able to get it so soon!
Lucia, when she received the gear
Lucia wrote me recently and sent the pictures (above) from her first trip and delivery. Here is from her email below:
Good afternoon just came back to see the soccer teams from Dorothé
He started 30 years ago and it’s all free
Now he has also added teen girls and little ones
What a true joy to see how God is using his love for soccer and young people to bring so much hope to the youth of Benin
Thank you for the hope and the way to encourage these young people
He accepts all youth, Muslim or Christian, and shares the gospel
The kids and Dorothé were so encouraged
Thank you
Dorothé wanted to wait to open the bag with the kids so I brought it this afternoon and he saw inside what there was.
The boys of Benin express their love for Coach Dorothé who has done so much in giving away his life and energy into making soccer accessible and fun for them; Dorothé treats them as his own children.
Friends, we know how meaningful these things are for Dorothé and the children that he is reaching out to with love and care. Thank you for your continued support to provide gear and finances for our projects to keep going out around the world!
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image4.jpeg480640Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-02-22 00:00:002024-07-08 23:45:14Community Project Bag Lands in Benin (An Update)
Lucia Eberle is half French and half Greek. She met her husband in Niger, West Africa where they served with SIM for over 25 years. Lucia and her husband (Scott) now reside in Longview, Texas and are part of Longview EPC church. Scott Eberle teaches mathematics at LeTourneau University and Lucia has been traveling back to West Africa as she continues to minister with the Dorcas Widows project in Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso.
Last year, in February, Lucia visited Parakou, Benin and met a béninois, Dorothé, working in the treasury at SIM. Dorothé (pictured below) coaches’ teams of soccer with the aim to share the gospel amongst the young men that are passionate about the sport. He shared with Lucia this ministry and how he wants to develop it more when he retires and the needs associated for his team.
Lucia recently asked Rev Jason Hubbard if he knew of any soccer ministries where they could get gear to take back to Benin and help with this soccer outreach. Immediately, Jason thought of me (Brad Kenney) and Soccer Chaplains United. While the connection and communication has flown fast and furious the last few days, there is an amazing, God-sized window open to help get soccer gear to Beninois coach as Lucia and her mother are traveling back to Benin in a couple of weeks.
As Lucia goes back to minister to widows, she is excited to be able to bring gear to this Beninois coach with a great passion to serve Christ through soccer. He recently started a soccer team with younger boys and his dream is also to start a women’s team. His hope is to minister to the needs of the youth in Parakou through sports and the Gospel.
My upcoming trip to Presbytery of the West meetings in Phoenix will see us able to hand off the gear to Rev Doug Ashley to take back with him to Longview. Lucia has, specifically, requested the following:
approx. 35-50 sets of soccer shirts and shorts
2 sets of goalkeeper gear
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!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8ccd642c-d244-4629-820f-da6c99ae99c2.jpeg7801040Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2024-01-25 00:00:002024-07-08 23:45:32Longtime Niger Missionaries in Longview Request Gear for Benin
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