Retired football coaches welcome dozens of local kids
Gary and Jo-Anne thought retirement would mean slowing down—but instead, they stepped onto the pitch. Through weekly neighbourhood football sessions and practical support for a nearby church, they’re helping dozens of young people and families in Waterloo and Kitchener encounter community, hospitality, and the love of Christ.
By Sports Friends Canada
The ministry has since grown beyond the pitch.
In Waterloo, Ontario, Gary and Jo-Anne didn’t slow down in retirement. They picked up a whistle.
Every Tuesday evening through summer, the couple coach neighbourhood kids on their church grounds. On Wednesdays, they support a nearby Kitchener church that needed extra help with its own soccer ministry. Together, they’re reaching 85 to 90 young people each week, and of the 60 kids at Tuesday sessions, only three had any prior connection to the church. The rest were neighbours, some of whom literally jumped their backyard fences to join in.
The ministry has since grown beyond the pitch. The church now offers English classes to parents, with an Alpha course to follow. Volunteers show up according to their gifts, whether coaching, greeting, or providing snacks.
From the ball to the Bible, it’s the body of Christ doing what it does best.
If your church is looking for a simple, community-rooted way to engage in mission, Sports Friends Canada’s churches page is a great place to explore how you can get involved.
The original story was published on Sports Friends. Head over to their website to read the full story.
Please pray
- For Gary and Jo’s willingness to serve in retirement, their faithfulness each week, and the relationships they’re building with young people and families who might never otherwise step onto church grounds.
- For the children and families attending. That the joy, safety, and welcome they experience on the pitch would open doors to deeper conversations about Jesus, and that the English classes and upcoming Alpha course would bear fruit.
- For continued unity and provision for both churches. That volunteers would be strengthened, new helpers would emerge, and the partnership between the Waterloo and Kitchener congregations would keep modelling the body of Christ working together.
You might also like
Before anyone shares the good news of Jesus, God may already be at work preparing the way. One family serving in the Middle East has seen how dreams and fr...
Rania* grew up in a North African city where music filled her days. She found an unexpected refuge behind the door of an old church. There she discovered t...
In North Africa, where spiritual opposition and persecution can make ministry challenging, workers are learning to persevere in prayer, trusting God to bri...
Meet Lily and Peter, two children growing up in North Africa. They share what everyday life is like, from school and friendships to faith, family, hobbies ...
For Tony, sharing Jesus in the Middle East starts with friendship. From watching football on the street to learning Arabic, he is building relationships wi...
A look at North Africa’s diverse nomadic groups, how modern pressures are reshaping their lives, and the meaningful ways Christian believers can serve am...
The Middle East and North Africa are home to hundreds of millions of people who have never heard the truth of Jesus. God is opening remarkable doors across...
Across North Africa, Amazigh communities are reclaiming their language, culture and identity. As they rediscover their heritage including a largely forgott...
Richard and Valérie Morris have spent decades helping mission workers understand the spiritual realities they may face — from confronting fear and oppre...
Widows in Benin are rebuilding their lives through an unexpected gift: two goats that offer income, dignity and the reminder that they are deeply loved by ...
Mission worker Dominique has spent the past eight months serving women in Nigeria’s Plateau State, where hundreds of widows are rebuilding their lives af...
We asked mission worker Ryan, how do learn to love the people and culture you serve?