From the Touchline

Do you ever feel like the holiday season is just crazy-making? Do you dread the rush that seems to come earlier and easier every year?

Rev Brad shares, in today’s From the Touchline episode, about Celtic Advent. This intentional season begins every November 15 and is designed to help prepare people for the day (Dec 25) and the season of Christmas which has become so commercialized and commodified that, for many it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Learn more about this ancient custom of preparing one’s heart and life for the arrival (advent) of Jesus Christ.

Books and Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Resource #1: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

Resource #2: God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas

Resource #3: Celtic Advent: 40 days of devotions to Christmas

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).

Don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccChaplain, in the Apple and Google store.

In today’s special From the Touchline podcast episode, Rev Brad introduces a pretty important person — Saint Martin of Tours. From Martin’s life and story originates our English words for “chapel” and “chaplain.” And Brad reflects on the life and ministry of chaplains today and Christians everywhere.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

You can listen to From the Touchline in the Soccer Chaplains United app. If you don’t have the app yet, you can download it from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

The jersey exchange is one of the most unique and special rituals and moments to be found in the Beautiful Game of soccer.

In this edition of From the Touchline Rev Brad reminisces about a couple of “swaps” in his time as a chaplain and reflects on several times in the Bible where a similar exchange was made. He concludes by reflecting on the ultimate exchange that ever happened in history and a prayer for those who might consider making such a swap, themselves. 

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 10/16/2019 entitled “The Jersey Exchange.”

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

Did you know that God actually issued the first “yellow card caution”?

If you know the Bible, to whom do you think He issued the caution?

In this edition of From the Touchline, Rev Brad springboards off the history of the yellow card caution for football and reflects on  the first yellow card caution issued by God. He encourages listeners to reflect on the different warning moments in life that we encounter — on the field and off of it. 

Inquiries and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

You can listen to podcasts in the Soccer Chaplains United App. Go to the Media section and look under podcasts. 

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

Brooke Ewert, Director of Counseling, and myself enjoyed a time of sharing this morning around the “Breakfast Table” with our friends at AM91. Roy Hanschke and Denise Washington-Blomberg were our hosts this morning around the table and we were able to cover a number of topics including the upcoming 2nd Global Congress on Sport and Christianity at Calvin University.

In case you missed our interview today, you can listen to the compiled interview segments here (26 min long).

Thank you fro continuing to pray and support the ministry and work of Soccer Chaplains United!

How do you do under pressure? Do you perform better? Or, do you struggle?

This latest From the Touchline podcast is about the pressure that often comes from playoffs, promotion/relegation and other points in and around the beautiful game. In this edition, Rev Brad leads listeners through an exercise to identify other stories where the pressure was on and look at how those people went through the pressure and discovered something unique and yet common to both stories.

Inquiries and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 10/2/2019 entitled “Playoff Pressure.”

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

What does seasonal change look like where you live? Or, better yet, what change are you currently going through?

In this edition of From the Touchline, Rev Brad reflects on his younger days and how God brought about change in his heart — from wanting to attend West Point Military Academy to becoming a pastor — the season of change that God wrought is the result of praying a particular way in the midst of much life change. 

Inquiries and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 9/25/2019 entitled “Seasons of Change.”

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

This past weekend, the Board of Directors and myself, were in beautiful Fairplay, CO to pray and envision the future of Soccer Chaplains United.

One of the helpful moments for me at the retreat was to understand that the ministry is in a time and period of “stabilizing.” The past two years being marked by a significant change to our organization by virtue of our announced change of name to Soccer Chaplains United, the last two years have seen the organization working through that and beginning a process of growing and operating through transition.

We had our usual business meeting on Friday night and then two sessions on Saturday with lunch and a round of 2 Mile High disc golf in between. It was an excellent time of rest and recovery close to the end of a difficult season of ministry.

Another key moment was one of our breakout sessions led by my friend and mentor, Reverend Dave Meserve. Dave is Founder of Urban Skye and did a wonderful job of facilitating some of our dream and vision time. He helped the board members present to reflect on different life and ministry themes and whisperings that board members had been experiencing during the past year. The exercise was helpful on a number of fronts, especially on the need for Soccer Chaplains United board and myself to grow in our “relational alignment.”

Of course, Board Member Matthew Adams and I quickly bonded as we shared the experience of freeing a chipmunk from a glue trap. (click or double click the picture below and select view controls in order to see the video below)

While I had encouraged Matthew to let the chipmunk recover and free himself in the bushes, who would have guessed the chipmunk would have flow out of the bucket and landed on me! Needless to say, it was a laughable moment that brought us closer together!

I am especially grateful to the board for their sacrifice of time to come and spend time together and we are praying together for what God has in store for the future.

The latest From the Touchline podcast is out. This week, we look at the powerful song, You’ll Never Walk Alone. If you don’t know much about this hallowed soccer song we invite you to listen and learn more. Rev Brad reflects on Scripture that illuminates this powerful pre-match song.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 9/11/2019 entitled “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo below)!

Today we produced and uploaded the latest Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline! This week, we’re talking about dislocation — the emotional and spiritual feelings that often come as a part of the travel and transience of football.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football.

Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 9/4/2019 entitled “Dislocation.”

If you don’t have the app yet, you can download the Soccer Chaplains United App from the Google and App Store. Search “SoccChaplain” and look for our logo (see photo above)!