Character coaching the soccer team at Fallston has been one of the greatest joys in my ministry and life. It has truly been such a fulfilling experience getting to know the players, coaches, and even some of their families, all while getting to share God’s Word. When the season first started, I did not really know what to expect, but I prayed that God would open doors to Gospel conversations and relationships, and He went above and beyond what I expected. Through constantly showing up, serving, and loving them, I quickly saw barriers being broken down and conversations occurring that were so life-giving.

           One of the most amazing things that God did through this journey was through our weekly Bible study. A few weeks into the season, I had talked to one of the players about starting a Bible study, and we opened it up for anyone on the team who wanted to come. We then had 17 guys show up, digging into God’s Word and sharing their questions and takeaways! While this number did fluctuate throughout some weeks, God did a work, whether that was through a 45 minute conversation with a player afterward who asked what it means to grow closer to God, a text message from a player saying that God had been putting what we had just talked about on his heart for weeks, or a player going back to church for the first time in years. The stories continue even beyond that. One player sent me a message saying, “It was a blessing to get to know you Sam. You’ve really brought me closer to God and just kept me on a clean path and also just gave me a great friendship to have all throughout the season. I thank you for everything you’ve brought to my life and just the people around us both.” To God be the glory for what He has done this season.