The Beautiful Game on Forbidden Fields

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A young staff member I’m coaching recently led a mission team of 18 to North Africa (to a country that hasn’t hosted an AIA team since around 2009). Her reflections:

From the very beginning, it was clear that this trip would be both significant and stretching. For many of our team, this was a completely new ministry context. We were in an extremely secure country where open proclamation of the Gospel is not possible in the ways we’re often accustomed to. Instead, we were invited to trust God to work through our presence, our relationships, our humility, and our love. It challenged us deeply to rethink what faithfulness looks like and to depend on the Holy Spirit in fresh ways.

One of the greatest highlights for me personally was also hearing the stories of local brothers and sisters who have come to know Jesus. Sitting in a pastor’s home, listening to testimonies marked by courage and the evidence of God’s hand was incredibly humbling. We had the privilege of worshiping together in both English and Arabic. It was a powerful reminder that the Church truly transcends language, culture, and borders.

Here are some quotes from some of the testimonies we got to hear:

“It was through a group of Christians who came to my country to play sports that I first heard the Gospel. That’s my vision, to create opportunities to have Gospel conversations through sports with the students in our country.”

“The Sermon on the Mount was like a manifesto that I had never heard before. It was so contradictory to all the evil and hatred that I had seen in my religious circles and that is the moment where the Holy Spirit changed my heart.”

An athlete who went on this trip said: “Going to North Africa with AIA Soccer was an experience I will never forget! I experienced what it’s like to be on mission in a country where Christians are the vast minority. The team interacted with local believers, shared testimonies, and experienced mutual encouragement. We played soccer with kids and students, and built relationships through the beautiful game. It’s amazing how a simple soccer ball grants access into people’s lives! Being on this trip helped me embrace a lifestyle of living for God’s kingdom.

Please review ourprayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: February 2026 Hard Copy Newsletter.

 From transferred players to transferred lives

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Abby is a young woman I am coaching who is serving with Athletes in Action at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Wisconsin Superior. God is doing incredible work in the lives of student athletes at both of these campuses.

Here are a few of the highlights Abby shares:

We recently welcomed two former AIA members (who now play professionally) back to campus to encourage and inspire our athletes. Auni Linser (hockey) and Henry George (baseball) talked about continuing to model their faith for teammates at the next level.

AIA and Cru helped to organize and run the 4th Annual Aruna 5K on the UMD campus where 370 runners (250 students!) raised over $13,000 to help free, employ and empower women who are survivors of human trafficking.

God is working in the hearts of hockey players at both UMD and UWS!

This summer I had the opportunity to connect with two women’s hockey players, Kate and Josie, who were transferring to UMD in the fall. Both women had expressed interest in growing in their relationship with God and a desire to be involved in our ministry on campus.

Over the semester we have met weekly to discuss God’s word and to talk through what He has been teaching them as it relates to their lives and where he has been present in their community. One of those God moments was with their teammate Kam. Kam expressed interest in knowing more about a personal relationship with Jesus and wanted to grow in her understanding of Him. We invited Kam to join our weekly meetings. During one of our September meet ups, Kate and Josie clearly articulated what it meant to have a relationship with God, and during that time Kam committed her life to Christ! She is now a regular at our weekly Bible Study – and all three have shown initiative and invited more of their teammates to our large group AIA time at UMD. Praise God!

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: November 2025 Hard Copy Newsletter.

Faith under pressure

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Two young women I coach took athletes to AIA’s high-intensity Ultimate Training Camp (UTC), where athletes learn to integrate their faith and sports. Katie has attended UTC as a camper, intern, athletic trainer, and as AIA staff, and this year she got to take students she is ministering to. Abby also had several students from her campus who attended UTC. Read how God worked in their lives through UTC:

Ean: Throughout the week it was so clear to me that God was near. The Special (which is the 20-hour workout) breaks you down to a point where you can only rely on God, and he carried me through when my body so badly wanted to give up. The relationships I built with like-minded athletes who love Jesus is something special. Reflecting on the week – I’d say it was a glimpse of heaven.


Allen: I’ve never been around so many believers who were my age and also played sports at a high level. Being able to worship and grow closer to Christ both individually and as a group was really inspiring. Learning a new way to give God glory through our sport and our lives changed how I view competition. Our bodies are the temple of God and should be used as a form of worship

Emma: What a blessing it was to intern at UTC! It was life-changing to see the transformation of the campers from when they arrived to how they left. It was transformative to see God revealed through immense suffering. UTC is the place where I felt the purest joy in my life, which is only sourced from the Lord.

Mim: I left camp with a renewed relationship with Christ, willing to commit all areas of my life to his love and plan. A highlight of my time spent at UTC was witnessing two of the campers I mentored, rededicate their lives to Christ! We can have assurance in our salvation and of His love for us – even in suffering. God is good all the time!

On a personal note, our family recently celebrated the life of Rick’s father, Gordon. God gave him 96 years. We are so thankful for all he did for our family as well as his Korean war service where all fifteen of his men survived 12 months of action between the US and Chinese front lines conducting survey work. We miss you, Dad. 

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: August 2025 Hard Copy Newsletter.

Spiritual Generations

Posted in Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports T.E.A.M. by

Meet Katie. Growing up in Green Bay, WI, Katie studied exercise science and then pursued a masters in athletic training while playing on the golf team. Her family went to church when she was young but stopped going due to sports conflicts. Her last year in college, Katie’s roommate/teammate invited her to go to an AIA weekly meeting. “I went for the free food and to support my teammate,” she admits. When her teammate shared the gospel with her using the Knowing God Personally booklet, Katie was interested, but not ready to make a decision. She continued going to weekly meetings, and two months later, she felt like her eyes were opened and she started to see God everywhere. “It was like I was blind, but now I could see. They shared the gospel with me again, and it was a YES!” she says.


Katie attended AIA’s Ultimate Training Camp that summer and went back to school eager to start a Bible study with her golf team. More than half of them came. This year, she worked part-time with AIA and part time as an athletic trainer, but she felt pulled more toward ministry. “It’s been so encouraging seeing how God can use me,” Katie says, “and I thought, ‘What if I could spend all my time doing this?’” So now, Katie is pursuing a full-time internship with AIA.

Becca, Katie and Santina

Katie has been working as an athletic trainer with a college girls soccer team, and she’s discipling two of the players. Becca is a soccer player who transferred in this year and with whom Katie shared the gospel. Becca responded that she wanted to know Jesus more, and this semester, Becca invited her team to a Bible study, and she is currently discipling her teammate, Santina. Becca told Katie, “After graduation next year, I want to do what you’re doing.”

As Katie trusts God to provide for her spiritual and financial needs so that she can serve Him full time, I (Karen) have the privilege of having a front row seat to watch and encourage her growth as her coach. Thank you for your partnership with us – it is enabling the growth of spiritual generations!    

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: May 2025 Hard Copy Newsletter.

Influencing the Influencers

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February is a big month for Athletes in Action. On 2/8, AIA hosted the Super Bowl Breakfast in New Orleans the day before the big game. At this breakfast, the Bart Starr Award is presented to the player selected by fellow NFL players for outstanding character, integrity and leadership on and off the football field. This year’s recipient was New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan. Drew Brees called him, “one of the greatest teammates anyone could ask for,” and said, “This community is so lucky to have you.”

At this event, former NFL player Ben Watson shared the gospel with the 2,000 attendees. Numerous other NFL legends shared their personal stories of faith in Jesus with the result that 267 people responded to the invitation to receive Christ, and over 400 people said they wanted to hear more about the gospel! AIA partners with local churches to follow up with each person. This is one of several large events AIA sponsors to reach athletes and fans with the love of Jesus.

The weekend after the Super Bowl, AIA hosted the All-Star Breakfast during the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. The Jerry Colangelo and Bobby Jones Awards were presented to celebrate character, leadership and faith. At this event, sportscaster Ernie Johnson shared with the 700 attendees what his faith in Jesus has meant to him and how it has helped him deal with the recent loss of his son, Michael.

The Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast will take place on April 5 before the Final Four with the John Wooden Award being presented to the male and female player of the year and the Legends of Coaching Award being presented to a basketball coach.

These large events are platforms to showcase stories of God’s work in the lives of well-known sports figures who bring glory to God through their testimonies. In this way, AIA is able to reach not only athletes and coaches, but also fans by presenting the gospel and giving them a chance to respond. Thank you for your prayer and financial partnership with us and with AIA as we seek to leverage the open door that sports provide so that all people everywhere can know Jesus.

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: March Hard Copy Newsletter.

Picking up the pace

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Thank you all for your prayers for Rick. We’re so grateful for the outpouring of love and support!! He is now working full time, walking 5-6 miles/day and building endurance. His stamina is close to normal. Jesus has been very near to us and has cared for us through you. Thank you!


We shared with you that the John Wooden Family Fieldhouse opened on the AIA campus in June. God is opening doors for ministry through activities there. Recently on campus we:

  • Involved almost 200 volunteers, including groups from AIA, Cru, LCA, Wittenberg and Wilberforce Universities
  • Verified 159 million impressions for Athletes in Action from that event, meaning people read, watched or listened 
  • Hosted our first-ever Prep Team Tournament with five games in three days
  • Hosted 122 soccer games, with more than 11,000 guests at the sports complex
  • Hosted two 300+ person banquets in Schindler on back-to-back nights
  • Welcomed 28 coaches from 15 countries for our International Coaches Academy
  • Hosted our second wrestling clinic in Wooden with more than 125 participants

Each of these events either started or deepened relationships with athletes, coaches and fans, which give us open doors for the gospel. Our Total Athlete focus means that we are committed to helping athletes develop physically, mentally and spiritually. Thank you for the part you play in making this happen!

To bring these big events down to a personal level, let me share something from Genevieve, a young woman I coached recently. Genevieve invited Clara (basketball) to step out in faith and leadership by following up with Marley (softball). Marley had expressed admiration for Clara’s faith, but Clara wasn’t sure about stepping out as a spiritual leader. Clara admitted, “I’m worried I won’t know the answers to her questions.” Genevieve shared 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

When Genevieve asked how this might change her approach with Marley, Clara responded, “I don’t need to have impressive or ‘Christian’ words prepared; I just need to be a vessel for God to speak through me.”

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: November Hard Copy Newsletter.

Not the Sunday We Expected

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Dear friends,

A couple of weeks ago, Rick and I were playing pickleball with friends when Rick suddenly didn’t feel well. He could tell that his heart rate had dropped and he just felt off. We went to the ER and consulted with a doctor there who said, “From just looking at you and talking to you, I might ask you why you’re here, but this EKG tells me you’re having a heart attack.”

Rick was immediately taken to an OR for heart catheterization which revealed blockages of 100% in one coronary artery, 90% in another and 80% in a third. He was then scheduled for open heart surgery which resulted in what the hospital calls coronary artery bypass graft(CABG) which they pronounce “cabbage.” Rick had FOUR cabbages, so he has enough for alot of coleslaw! During his week in the hospital, he had so many tubes and wires coming out of him that he said he felt like spaghetti. He maintained his sense of humor throughout his hospitalization which encouraged me.

Rick will have a long road to complete recovery, but he is making faster-than-average progress for which we are very grateful, especially since his heart issues seemingly came out of nowhere. Rick has walked about 7 miles a day for years, eats a very healthy diet and maintains a healthy weight. I guess heredity trumps lifestyle. He is already back up to walking about an hour a day, albeit much more slowly than he did before. I fondly refer to him as a “speed turtle.” He is currently seeing nurses and physical therapists daily, and he will continue cardiac rehab for the next several months.

Throughout this adventure, the Lord Jesus has been very near to us and God’s people have been a tremendous source of help and encouragement. We have felt greatly loved and cared for, and we thank God for wonderful family, friends and neighbors who have been so kind. As Rick was wheeled in for his heart catheterization, I shared with him Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Please pray about the impact of this event on our entire family and for continued recovery. God has more work for Rick to do on this earth. Yesterday we celebrated our 37th anniversary, and I am more thankful than ever for the opportunity to celebrate another day and another year with Rick.

Love,

Karen

PS: It looks like Rick will be discharged from PT very soon. Today the PT said this was the longest she has walked with a heart cardio patient in over 20 years.

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: September Hard Copy Newsletter.