Scoring for the Kingdom

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

As I’m sure you know, the 23rd FIFA World Cup tournament took place in sixteen cities in the US, Canada and Mexico, culminating in Spain’s win in the final game on Sunday. What you may not know is that AIA has partnered with several other ministries to help ordinary people share their faith with their neighbors through “the beautiful game.”


Quinn Bezenah, an Athletes in Action staff member I coached, leads AIA’s soccer ministry. She was on the AIA World Cup project called Victory Beyond the Cup for the past three and a half years, forging partnerships with other ministries and churches to leverage the World Cup as a jumping off point for ministry all over the world. AIA worked with ministries such as I am 2nd, FCA, Convoys of Hope, Upward Sports, Alpha, Jesus Film and others with the goal of mobilizing 10,000 churches and 100,000 believers to engage with their neighbors and communities using 25,000 physical watch party kits and countless digital kits. Victory Beyond the Cup equipped community and ministry leaders to help churches work together—mobilizing believers to open their homes, build relationships, and create spiritual momentum during a shared cultural moment.

Quin is 2nd from right.


More than 5 billion people watched the World Cup! That momentum combined with intentionality has helped thousands of ordinary people start spiritual conversations with friends and neighbors. Other resources AIA helped create include the seven Victory Beyond the Cup devotion plans on the YouVersion Bible app which you probably already have on your phone. There is a devotional plan called How Sporting Events Can Spark Spiritual Conversations and one called The Bible and How to Share the Gospel. You can also access player testimonies like this one from Jonathan Mensah. You can hear a Victory Beyond the Cup (On Youtube) update from Quinn here.

Please join me in praying for:

• Believers who hosted watch parties, that they may find further opportunities to share the love of Jesus with their neighbors.

• The 110,000 subscribers to the Bible app devotions, that they may grow in their faith.

• The social media followers of the players who shared their testimonies, that they may be drawn to the same faith.

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: July 2026 Hard Copy.

30 Minutes from Prayer to Provision 

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The power of the gospel exploded in Puerto Rico this spring break! Daniel, an Texas AIA staff member I had the privilege of coaching, led a team of staff and students from TX and OH to serve alongside our Puerto Rico AIA ministry. In one unforgettable week, they courageously shared the gospel with 151 student athletes, witnessing a phenomenal response as 50 people surrendered their lives to Jesus!

Top AIA staff & 23 students from TX & OH

Eli, a football player at Ohio U. went with RJ and several others to share their faith with the judo team at the U. of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Afterward they saw 2 guys playing basketball. The Holy Spirit prompted Eli to go down with RJ to shoot some hoops with them and initiate a conversation about faith. The first guy didn’t seem interested in talking about God, but his friend Julian was hungry to hear more!

Eli from OU

Julian’s story was heartbreaking: he had just lost his full scholarship after being cut from the basketball team. In his deepest struggle, Julian prayed a desperate prayer: “God, I’m struggling, I’m depressed, and I’m not in a good mindset. I need you to show me a sign if you want me to have a relationship with you and if you want me to get serious about you.” Just 30 minutes later, as Eli and RJ started talking about Jesus, Julian was stunned. He realized instantly, “I just prayed and these guys showed up out of nowhere.” This was his sign! Eli shared the gospel, and Julian immediately responded by praying to receive Jesus! He was absolutely amazed that God performed such a direct, immediate miracle

Later in the week, Eli followed up with Julian to talk about how to read the Bible. For the first time, Julian said he was starting to understand the Bible and hearing what God wanted to say to him. He wanted to keep growing in his faith, bring others to Christ and find community and support through the AIA ministry right there at his school

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: April 2026 Newsletter.

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.