In July of 2022, Wayne Pirmann joined Soccer Chaplains United’s ministry team as a Development Officer to help assist with fundraising and growing the public awareness of our organization. In more recent times, though, God has placed a massive burden on his heart for utilizing the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup as a conduit for evangelistic soccer camps.
Spoudazo Soccer Camps will be hosted throughout the US, in various cities and towns, through a new LLC. Spoudazo (Greek for “be diligent”) Soccer Camps will be for children age 13-18 and have high level coaching and training about soccer and about Jesus. The camps will feature for the next couple of years as an engagement point for the church and local communities ahead of the largest global sporting event, the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
A picture from Wayne’s earlier days when he owned a Mighty Kicks franchise.
During Wayne’s limited time, he was responsible for helping raise a little over $10,000 for Soccer Chaplains United and helping to make many introductions within the soccer community. In addition, Wayne helped to promote and distribute a number of the devotional books that we’ve written over the past year.
We are so thankful for Wayne Pirmann working with us these past couple of years and we are excited about this new vision and work that he is feeling called to. We look forward to finding ways to partner and support one another in our work towards the future. If you would like to reach out to Wayne and learn more about Spoudazo Soccer Camps, you can reach him at wayne@spoudazosoccer.com.
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.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wayne-mightykicks.jpg640480Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-12-28 00:00:002024-07-08 23:43:55Pirmann Leaving to Start up Spoudazo Soccer Camps
Earlier this year, we announced that Every.org and Soccer Chaplains United are now connected for the purposes of donating through some different means that might appeal to a wider variety of donors. Crypto currency, stocks, and DAV funds are among some of the emerging ways that donors of a new generation are cultivating their gifts and generosity toward non-profits. Every.org has become a resource for accepting some of these more unique gifts and giving without having to have the staffing and systems that a larger non-profit or development team might have at hand.
Among the changes made by Every.org are the following:
Stocks
Every.org has simplified the amount of steps it takes for a donor to submit stock donations and minimized the amount of text to ensure the flow is as straightforward and streamlined as possible.
DAF
Every.org is now partnering with Chariot to make it easier for donors to donate with DAF directly on the site. Instead of donors having to contact their provider to initiate the donation, everything can be done through Chariot directly on Every.org.
Crypto
Since launching the crypto feature, crypto donations that were not Bitcoin, Ethereum, or USD Coin had to be manually processed by Every.org team, meaning more steps for both the team and the donor. A new version of crypto donations is now launched which features a streamlined experience and supports tens of tokens with more being added every week.
Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individual donors and church partners to carry out our work of chaplaincy service across all levels of soccer. Our chaplains are not employed or paid by any of the clubs that we serve. Check out our Donation Page with all the different options. Or, simply click the PushPay (the big P or give tab) link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Every.org-Logomark-edited.png420560Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2022-12-15 15:28:062024-07-08 23:54:57Every.org Announces Changes and Streamlining of Processes
Today is an opportunity to see your charitable contribution go a little further through our friends with the Community First Foundation. Soccer Chaplains United is participating for the second year in a row through this Colorado-specific day of philanthropy.
Give a Gift Throughout the Day — gifts during the hours of 7 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm could all win us an extra $5k.
30 Donations Enters us Into the Grand Prize Giveaway — an additional $5k, $10k, and $15k gift will be awarded to non-profits that have more than 30 donations throughout the day.
Thanks for considering Soccer Chaplains United as we approach the end of year.
The great thing about Soccer Chaplains United is that when you donate — you are actually a part of the team. Donations don’t go to cover some big building somewhere or pay exorbitant salaries — it goes toward supporting chaplains serving people in soccer and a portion of each donation gets sent out into the far-reaches of the earth through our Community Projects.
Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individual donors and church partners to carry out our work of chaplaincy service across all levels of soccer. Our chaplains are not employed or paid by any of the clubs that we serve. Check out our Donation Page with all the different options. Or, simply click the PushPay (the big P or give tab) link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CFF_COGivesDay_Logo_2022_Horizontal_RGB.png12532783Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2022-12-06 00:00:002024-07-08 23:55:03Today is ColoradoGives Day! Several Opportunities to Multiply Your Gifts
Today is known as Giving Tuesday — it’s a time of philanthropy around the US and around the world. In past years, Soccer Chaplains United has taken part in Giving Tuesday primarily through Facebook (now Meta) and Facebook Giving’s “match” meeting certain criteria, but this year — we’d like to ask our donors to hold off…for just one week.
ColoradoGives is another, better opportunity for generosity and giving. Since our non-profit is based in Denver we tend to get some better benefits for participating in ColoradoGives Day (Tuesday, December 6). Last year, we made an extra $150 or so from the contributions made on that day. This year, we are hoping to exceed a goal of $15k to help us take a chunk out of our $45k budget shortfall.
Here are some opportunities for donor generosity to be multiplied on ColoradoGives Day:
Start a Business Group Page (first 100 businesses to respond, 53 slots left) and Raise $1000 for us before December 6 and Delta Dental will match $1000.
Donate at a certain time (all Times Mountain) on Tuesday, December 6 and it could mean $5,000 extra for us through a sweepstakes format. $5k is a lot.
7:00 AM
10:00 AM
2:00 PM
7:00 PM
10:00 PM
There are other opportunities to earn a little extra from the Community First Foundation — including new donors, number of donations received, and more!
The great thing about Soccer Chaplains United is that when you donate — you are actually a part of the team. Donations don’t go to cover some big building somewhere or pay exorbitant salaries — it goes toward supporting people in soccer and a portion of each donation gets sent out into the far-reaches of the earth through our Community Projects.
Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individual donors and church partners to carry out our work of chaplaincy service across all levels of soccer. Our chaplains are not employed or paid by any of the clubs that we serve. Simply click the PushPay (the big P or give tab) link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CF_-Billboard_1400x400_2-scaled-1-scaled.jpg5491920Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2022-11-29 00:00:002024-07-08 23:56:16Today is Giving Tuesday, But…
Troy Ready, volunteer co-chaplain with the Portland Timbers, has been part of Soccer Chaplains United since late 2017 when we went through a rebranding and welcomed he and Ben Dudley onto the team. Troy has a long history in soccer as a former professional player and as a coach, which has included coaching at the U-23 level and at the collegiate level as well.
Today, Troy has done a bit deeper dive with us by moving his fundraising and support base under Soccer Chaplains United after serving for a number of years with another non-profit organization. We’d like to welcome those donors that have chosen to support Troy and Jenny and the family as they make this change.
More recently, so much of my work is involved in the soccer realm — from coaching, to the volunteer chaplaincy — that we started to feel that we might need to shift our support for the chaplaincy to be more in alignment with this amazing field where are called to serve.
Troy, on the reasons for moving funding under Soccer Chaplains United
For me, I am excited that Soccer Chaplains United has the flexibility to offer a bit of a “home” for Troy and the work that he has been called to. I’ve constantly felt and believed that God wasn’t calling us to become a large sports ministry because a number of those already exist; however, I have desired our little organization to be flexible enough for the varying needs of the chaplains — whether they need to raise a little money or no money — and to offer, above all, a professionally striving collaborative and supportive group that share similar values when it comes to offering chaplaincy to soccer.
You can support Troy and his ministry with Portland Timbers. Check out our Donate page and through PushPay select the Portland 2 (Ready) Fund or memoPortland 2 (Ready) in your check or donation.
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.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_3695.jpeg938750Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2022-07-01 00:00:002024-07-08 23:59:56Ready Doubles Down With Soccer Chaplains United
Soccer Chaplains United has officially come full circle! Today we are excited to announce Wayne Pirmann, Ph.D., MSFS as coming on board the ministry team. Wayne will assist with the financial development and fiscal stability of the organization as the ministry continues to grow and expand. Wayne will serve as the first Development Officer in our history, and will be in a role that suits Wayne and his gifting, talents, and life experience well. You can read more about Wayne at his bio page here.
I asked Wayne what his hopes were in working with and for Soccer Chaplains United, and in typically Wayne-fashion, he replied with a wry grin,
Why am I even working? And why for Soccer Chaplains United? Well, no one else would give me a job! (laughing)…No, the truth is, I spent 23 years in the financial services industry helping people prepare for retirement…having read both John Piper’s pamphlet on retirement (Rethinking Retirement) and his larger tome (Don’t Waste Your Life) traditional retirement doesn’t work for me…I don’t like it. I need to be working for the Lord. I need to be doing Kingdom work. My recent studies in the Bible have me convinced that I need to be useful to my local church, but I also need to be available to more national or even international ministries. I need to be using my skills, my experiences — all of it. Affiliating with Brad and Soccer Chaplains United — it’s a no-brainer, a synergistic season of life just waiting to happen!
Wayne Pirmann, on working with Soccer Chaplains United
Did I mention that Wayne likes to talk? Our meetings average 2-3 hours because we both get caught up talking ministry, soccer, and Jesus, for hours on end.
I can certainly say that I am really thankful and glad to have Wayne coming on board. Since the summer of 2020, Soccer Chaplains United has been struggling with the financial development side of the ministry. Wayne’s time and attention will not only go towards helping myself and the general ministry finances, but also into helping individual chaplains that are raising funds through Soccer Chaplains United. He will being his gifts, passion, and understanding of biblical stewardship and tithing principles to help out the different chaplains across the various U.S. cities that are currently offsetting ministry costs with fundraising.
Wayne and his former non-profit, S.T.A.R.T. (Short Term Ambassador Ministry Teams), were the original fiscal sponsors for Soccer Chaplains United. S.T.A.R.T. supported us back when we had originally began as CrossTraining Ministries. The non-profit, led by Wayne Pirmann and Wally Hostetter, aimed to equip various short-term mission trips from around the US to go around the world and the group provided the foundational administrative support for the ministry between 2007 — 2012. Being fiscally sponsored allowed us to begin receiving donations to cover the expenditures and costs associated with doing the chaplaincy ministry.
For my wife and me, Wayne and Brenda (his wife of over 40 years) have a special place in our hearts. They opened their home to our little family in 2009; I was in town to meet with Wayne and S.T.A.R.T. and also to travel to Toronto to visit the Colorado Rapids who were playing on the road against Toronto F.C. It was at the Pirmann’s home that we heard news of the church where I eventually worked for some six years, asking me back for a second interview.
In 2012, we discovered that we were outgrowing S.T.A.R.T. and we filed our own 501(c)3 paperwork in October of that year. It took until the following year of November to receive official word that our non-profit had been approved, but Wayne and I have kept in touch since.
I asked Wayne if he had any fond memories from the past and to clarify a little bit more on why work for Soccer Chaplains United, and, more specifically, with me. Again, there was a wry little smile and a gleam in the Pirmann eye,
Well, I was introduced to you (Brad) over 15 years ago and I’ve been 100% in support of you and your organization’s mission and goals ever since…When we met in December to watch MLS Cup, I ended up talking to one of your board members (Geoff Eliason) and saying, ‘What if I help Brad Kenney and SCU raise money?’ I didn’t know at he time that it would lead to this, but I am excited that it has because I want to help SCU grow and I don’t want to see Brad Kenney ever have to leave his day job of being chaplain and supporting all of these other chaplains in soccer.
Wayne, on what he hopes to accomplish for Soccer Chaplains United
Another legacy piece between S.T.A.R.T. and CrossTraining/Soccer Chaplains United can be found in the agreement and arrangement between our two organizations which led to the formation of the “Timothy Project” program. The Timothy Project which, today is known simply as our Community Project program, allows short term mission groups to request soccer gear through an application grant process.
Again, we are thankful to have Wayne Pirmann working with us and once again partnering together in this Kingdom work. If you would like to reach out to Wayne and learn more about biblical stewardship and ways that you can support the people and work of Soccer Chaplains United, please reach out to him at wayne@soccerchaplainsunited.org. And please join me in welcoming him!
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.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wayne-mightykicks.jpg640480Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2022-06-20 00:00:002024-07-09 00:00:03Pirmann Joins Soccer Chaplains United as New Development Officer
While professional soccer has already returned in the United States and around the world, there is still a massive impact from the novel Coronavirus which has different parts of the country and the world in different stages of reaction and response. Social distancing in one place but wide-open, no restrictions in another, means that finding common ground is difficult. The global pandemic has affected the stock market and global and local economies for months — and businesses and non-profits have felt the effects to varying degrees. So, too with Soccer Chaplains United.
Unfortunately, second quarter for us saw a 25% giving decline from the same time last year. In addition, Soccer Chaplains United lost a key donor to start the 3rd quarter. The deficit is something that the Board of Directors and I talked about at length in our most recent board meeting (July 20). While difficult to forecast — Soccer Chaplains United may only be able to come in at 60% of forecasted donations this year. Challenges to meeting also make new support development a challenge as well.
Despite the current difficulties, Soccer Chaplains United has had some important advances in the past couple of months including the El Paso chaplaincy placement and a few other placements that are currently in the works. Additionally, the chaplains that are part of the group have had several good zoom meetings to collaborate on supporting the athletes, coaches, and staff of the teams and organizations that we serve. From issues of unemployment, to ethical and moral implications surrounding virus testing, to controversies surrounding the national anthem, and more — our chaplains have never been busier in offering pastoral and spiritual care to those we serve. Whether offering guidance on responding to culturally explosive topics, or praying for healing in the racial and social divides, to working through reconciliation issues having to do with ethnicity and race, and helping sustain one’s faith during such uncertain times — Soccer Chaplains United have been working overtime (and socially/ virtually distanced, no less) to serve.
For supporters and followers of Soccer Chaplains United, we need your prayers desperately during these next few months. As Major League Soccer and National Women’s Soccer League come to the end of their respective tournaments and as the United Soccer Leagues play in different markets — please pray for our chaplains on the front lines supporting those in soccer. Pray for their other vocational work (the churches and ministries and organizations where they serve). Pray for Soccer Chaplains United’s financial needs for 2020 to be met. Pray for the continued work of growing chaplaincy in soccer as it continues, no matter what the format for the remainder of the year and into next year. Pray for the health and safety of those athletes, coaches, and staff that are traveling and interacting with others. Pray for wisdom amongst the leadership and executives of the different teams and leagues. Pray for the small, Christian colleges and universities that are wrestling with their own financial needs and situations which may mean shuttering programs or changing the way they do school.
It’s that time of year for Soccer Chaplains United. I start taking off the chaplain hat (not really, as I have a lot of appointments and loose ends to tie up, but you’ll see) and I put more of the organizational needs onto my immediate attention. Fundraising and development best happen in this time and space when the season of serving and ministering as chaplain slow down. Yes, there are still the emerging issues that will come from the Developmental Academy and the occasional meeting with a First-Team Rapids player, coach, or staff member to offer support. This year is a bit special as I’ve been asked to officiate a player’s wedding in December.
Of the organizational and developmental needs there are three that standout very clearly:
Fundraising
For the 4th quarter of 2018, our fundraising goal is just over $40k. This will help us meet our full budget commitments for 2018 and help provide a positive foundation for 2019. We are waiting (and praying) for word back on a couple of grants that we’ve applied for. One or both of these could tremendously help the amount we need to raise for this year and next should they come in.
Want to help? Text soccerchaplains to 77977 or click the PushPay logo
To achieve a better financial position though and be able to grow, we need to develop an additional $2500 per month in support. The regular giving from our faithful supporters is invaluable. We never know just how much end of year giving will amount to and we’re always careful to make sure that we stay in the black as a ministry. At times this is a restraint on potential growth, but we’re seeing more positive trends.
Board of Directors
For the better part of 2018, we’ve been operating a bit short-handed on our board of directors side. Our desire is to have 10 and we’re at 7 right now. Our search is for three additional board members that can bring some diversity and experience to our board that currently isn’t there. Namely, we’d love to see female representation, bilingual representation, and others with soccer and non-profit experience.
Our search is for three additional board members that can bring some diversity and experience to our board that currently isn’t there.
If you or someone you know (or if you want to suggest/volunteer someone :)) shoot us an email: info@soccerchaplainsunited.org.
Chaplain Candidates
And of course, our primary focus is to put good chaplain candidates into the teams and communities that we have been cultivating. We’re looking for chaplain candidates for El Paso, Memphis, Charlotte, Chattanooga, and other places and locals. We’ve seen some good success with local pastors who have a passion for soccer and 10-15 hours in season in ministry bandwidth.
Please pray, too, that we can continue to maintain the integrity and quality of the chaplains that we are looking for and developing.
Well, a long story and a lot of words. Thanks for taking the time. And please pray for me, the board and the entire team as we look forward to what God has for the remainder of 2018 and beyond!
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SCU_Rounded_logo_v2.png800800Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2018-10-29 12:00:452018-11-27 16:40:09Our 3 Biggest Needs for the 4th Quarter of 2018
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