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Pirmann Leaving to Start up Spoudazo Soccer Camps

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.

Kalyn Phelps Joins Soccer Chaplains United Board of Directors

I’m pleased to announce that Kalyn Phelps has recently joined the Soccer Chaplains United Board of Directors. Kalyn played for Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs and captained the team for three years. She went on to play collegiately at the University of Northern Colorado which was a Division 2 NCAA school at the time. She played all four years, captaining for two and playing mainly as a center midfielder. She has spent time coaching at the high school and youth levels, as well. Today, as a mother of three, she most recently coached her daughter’s U9 team for Pride Soccer Club in CO Springs and she still enjoys playing the game.

Flashback photo to Kalyn’s playing days at UNC

Kalyn is married to Reid, whom she met after college. Reid is an anesthesiologist and it was during their early married life that Kalyn’s faith was really challenged. In the time that followed, she began to really grow closer to God and owning her own faith through some strong connections to a church and faith community during Reid’s medical school years.

Kalyn and husband, Reid, pose for a picture while mountain biking

Other passions and interests for Kalyn include art and many visual expressions. She serves as a substitute teacher, art educator, and artist having worked in education, primarily.

Kalyn was recently commissioned to produce the above mural in a local private school in Colorado Springs

I came to know Kalyn through Wayne Pirmann. Both were coaching in the Colorado Springs area and Kalyn became interested in the work of Soccer Chaplains United as Wayne described it to her last year. On Tuesday, January 24, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint Kalyn to the board. Making her the first woman to serve in such a capacity.

Part of my own excitement of adding her to the board centers around the anticipated growth of the women’s game here in the U.S. and North America in the next few years. The United Soccer League is expected to build out an entire tier of 2nd division professional soccer (some estimate as many as 40 teams). Additionally, Kalyn will be a great help in guiding Soccer Chaplains United as we look to grow the number of female chaplains serving with our organization.

Kalyn shared some of her faith background and journey,

My faith is a story of God pursuing me. He came after me when I was a young teenager with His love and His truth and it captured my heart. My desire is to daily live out my faith in Christ through loving well and engaging with my family, friendships and community in the same way that Christ has loved me. I certainly don’t do this perfectly, but I am confident that I serve a perfect God and that He is with me and for me.

Kalyn Phelps, on her faith journey and story
Kalyn and her family

Kalyn shared more on her excitement of joining Soccer Chaplains United,

I love the idea of Soccer Chaplains United from when I first heard about it…when I heard about supporting with spiritual care and coming alongside of players it really excited me. Athletes (as I know from my own story) can become lost in who they are — recognizing that God loves them and that He has plans for their lives beyond the pitch is an amazing task and responsibility that chaplains and those with Soccer Chaplains United can be a part of.

Kalyn Phelps, on joining Soccer Chaplains United’s Board of Directors

Welcome Kalyn, to Soccer Chaplains United!

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.

Pirmann Joins Soccer Chaplains United as New Development Officer

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.

Compassion to El Salvador

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The latest community project request comes from Compassion International in Colorado Springs. Compassion is a long-serving organization whose mission and vision is to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Compassion’s three-cord approach is to be: Christ Centered, Church Based and Child Focused. With that in mind, Compassion’s development work with children around the world aims to be holistic in its approach. Matt Pirmann, whose father (Wayne) once helped Soccer Chaplains United, and now works for Compassion, recently reached out to request soccer balls.

Compassion in El Salvador has recently engaged in sports development as part of its youth development strategy. We will be taking a few professional women’s soccer players to see Compassion’s development centers and programs addressing children living in the most extreme poverty. They will also have a chance to spend time with coaches and players participating in soccer as part of the sports development programs.

Matt Pirmann, Compassion International
Matt Pirmann

Matt, himself, recently returned from leading a trip to El Salvador where he was touring sponsors to get “eyes on” the way that their child sponsorships are having an impact.

I was just down in El Salvador last week co-leading a Sponsor Tour and played with one of the teams last week a little ad hoc as part of the sponsor visit to that particular development center. Short story – our centers and the teams (the centers that have them) are short on balls.

Matt, talking on the need for their centers to have soccer balls for the children

Compassion’s team will feature professional female players from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) touring the centers in El Salvador. The balls will be part of the team’s ability to hand out and spend time with the children in play.

Compassion’s request is the 10th project for 2019 and the first time we have supported a project for El Salvador.

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help projects and requests like this one for Compassion International. 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 to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

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