Ministry at Coaches Conventions

Partners in Ministry,

Earlier this week I attended the annual American Football Coaches Association convention in Nashville, TN (USA). Over the years I have attended many of these events in various locations across the nation, and will varying degrees of ministry effectiveness. I believe this one was of significant impact.

A summary of our ministry activities follows with some encouragement for you to find similar ways to connect with the coaches of your sport in your nation. There were roughly 6,000 coaches of American football at this event, mostly from college football, but many who coach high school football as well.

On Saturday, my wife and I drove to Nashville to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. We offloaded the booth FCA reserved in the exhibition hall, and then set it up. We checked into our hotel room and later met some friends at a great steakhouse for dinner.

Sunday morning began with my going to our booth and with others leading a worship service in the convention center. We had seats for 300, but had people standing at the rear of the room. Our FCA colleague, Bryan McKenzie, led the worship service which included music by local musicians, an introduction of the featured speaker by our FCA colleague, Lee Brown. Coach Sherman Smith spoke with great effect and the service concluded within our 75 minute limit.

             

While the worship service was going on I was in our booth with thousands of coaches being funneled down the aisle in front of our booth for registration. We had many great conversations with coaches. At the booth we distributed cards with info on the FCA ministry events during the convention and distributed free copies of, Coaching: Our Family Business, a Devotional for Coaches and Spouses.

Also while the service continued, my wife was in our FCA Hospitality room in the hotel. We invited coaches and FCA staff colleagues to join us there for refreshments and snacks, as well as to get off their feet for a while. It proved to be a great environment for fellowship and relaxed conversation. NFL football games played on the large screen television and my bride exercised her excellent hospitality gift. We had the hospitality room open from 10 – 4 on Sunday and Monday.

After the booth closed at 5:00, my wife and I went to dinner with a couple of our former players who are now coaching. We enjoyed every moment of that evening. I then returned to the hotel and met our colleagues and well over 100 coaches and spouses at the FCA Coaches and Spouses Huddle at 9:00 pm. Our colleague from Western Kentucky University, Wayne Dickens and his wife, facilitated this discussion based 75 minute meeting. The Christian coaches and spouses who attend this convention desire fellowship above all things. This format gives them that in rich measure through guiding them to talk with each other about significant matters.

After a brief night of sleep, I was up at 5:15 Monday to prepare for the FCA Breakfast. It was held in a large ballroom, set for 520 people. We had excellent sound, lights, video, and staging. Our emcee for the program was FCA Chaplain at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Mitch Mason. He rang the bell! As our delicious breakfast was wrapping up, we played a 2 minute 42 second video about FCA’s ministry with coaches and then Mitch interviewed Coach Matt Jeter of Simpson College in Iowa (USA). Coach Jeter’s answers to Mitch’s questions were inspirational and informative. We transitioned to a video about the FCA Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award. Mitch then introduced this year’s winner of the award, Coach Blake Anderson of Arkansas State University. Coach Anderson then delivered a brief, but inspirational talk about how his faith in Christ has carried him through his wife’s cancer battle, and ultimate death just prior to the start of this season. Mitch wrapped up the program with a clear presentation of the Gospel of Christ and prayer. As we finished several minutes ahead of our time limit, the coaches had time to linger in the room for more fellowship. This was an unexpected blessing.

After a return to the room, I went to the booth to continue our connections with coaches. That continued throughout the day in the booth and the hospitality room. The hospitality room had less traffic on Monday, but it was still worthwhile staffing it with local FCA staff people and other FCA staff who had traveled in from Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, and Illinois. After being in the convention center with thousands of people all day for two days, my wife and I elected to get away from the crowd for dinner and found a place not far away. We enjoyed that time and returned to the hotel in time to watch the college football Division I national championship game. I fell asleep before halftime. Party animal.

Tuesday at the convention is always much slower and less crowded than Sunday and Monday. Many of the coaches leave on Monday and many more early on Tuesday. Thus the booth has much less traffic and we didn’t even have a hospitality room for Tuesday. The exhibition hall closed at noon, but many of the exhibitors were already gone by 9:00, and many more by 11:00. We dismantled the booth, packed it into its boxes, and loaded out shortly after noon. We returned to our room to relax for the afternoon, dinner and rest concluded the evening. We checked out of the hotel and drove home on Wednesday.

In summary – ministry at coaching events is fruitful, if you value relationships above immediate results. Having attended this event for around fifteen years, it serves as a way to reconnect face to face with dozens of coaches to whom I send text messages throughout the football season. They allow me to connect with their hearts with scripture and prayer via SMS and this events allows me to see them in person. This process nurtures our relationships and their lives of faith in Christ Jesus. Where else are this many coaches gathered in one place at one time? This event and others like it provide us unique opportunities. This is where the coaches are, find a way to get there. Our presence with them has incalculable impact.