Sports Ministry Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia

During the days of 31 October through 2 November, I was privileged to participate in a sports ministry conference in St. Petersburg, Russia. Men and women from the sporting world and a number of churches from a wide radius joined us for these days of inspiration, conversation, and envisioning a future of ministry in sport for that part of the world.

 

We were very well hosted by our friends of FCA in St. Petersburg, by the Russian language TBN Network, and area church leaders. The event featured speakers including local bishops and similar leaders of the area church community, a highly ranked boxer, three of my FCA colleagues, and me. I was privileged to share an orientation about sports chaplaincy with a strongly engaged set of leaders and can’t wait to see what develops.

Mark Hull of the 360 Coaching Institute made several presentations and Dan Britton of FCA delivered strong and passionate messages re: the potential of ministry in sport.

In addition to the formal presentations and inspirational talks from a wide variety of speakers, there were many discussions during coffee breaks, over lunches and dinners, all in consideration of what the Lord may be doing related to ministry in sport in their region. Along the way we learned some significant lessons about how to approach ministry, in partnership with the local church, now thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Things have changed in very important ways and those changes necessitate a shift in the ministry approach of ministries from the west.

We were thrilled to also have time with our hosts to tour the Hermitage museum, to visit the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral, and other sites in St. Petersburg. The history, the art, and the grandeur of the city is remarkable. Those wonders are greatly overshadowed by the hunger, passion, and vision exhibited by the men and women we met from all across northern Russia and Finland.

Please pray for our friends and colleagues in St. Petersburg, Russia and beyond. The Lord is up to something big here. I hope we can be a small part of His plans and purposes.