Happy summertime to you all!
I trust that this newsletter finds you all well. And… I pray that you will find time in the next few summer months to enjoy a bit of warm Canadian sunshine and sit in a lawn chair somewhere by a pristine body of water and relax just a little!
HMIBC
Ministry is running quite well here at HMI Pacific; there never seems to be a dull moment, even in early summer. I am now in the middle of a stretch of officiating 8 weddings, with all but one being hockey related. What a blessing to be able to shine the light of Christ in situations like that! Also, 2 HMI Christian hockey camps in BC (Williams Lake, our 8th year and Chilliwack, our 1st year) are making the summer fun and exciting. Week long hockey camps with ice times, buses, chapels, dry land training, dorms, counsellors, tuck, meals, etc, are a huge task. I am so thankful for the many dedicated people who work incredibly hard at these camps. Please pray for them and for all of our young campers as they attend Christian Hockey Camp.
HMIBC
May and June have seen some real great opportunities for HMI ministry here in BC. In the first week of May, I was pleased to be at the Western Canada Cup Jr. A tournament in Penticton. This tournament is for the final 5 remaining teams from Manitoba to BC, with the top 2 clubs heading on to the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Championships. It is always great to connect with different league commissioners and various chaplains who attend events like this. At the tournament I was asked to sing our Canadian anthem, which I love to do. Some of the chaplains I met up with were Dave Funk, Penticton Vees; Harry Funk, Portage Terriers, Graham McMahon, Chilliwack Chiefs and Tim Wiebe, our HMI Alberta rep. It’s so wonderful to be able to meet chaplains for lunch and pray together about things concerning our teams and players.
HMIBC
I was honoured to make a chapel program presentation to the Kootenay International Hockey League in early May. This presentation was to the league coaches and GMs in Revelstoke. Then in June, I was able to also make a similar presentation to the British Columbia Hockey League AGM in Richmond. These are special opportunities to make the chapel program visible, to encourage participation and to simply connect with various coaches, GMs and league officials. I’ve always believed that ‘showing up’ at these kinds of events is a very significant part of this ministry.
HMIBC
Later in May, Lorraine and I drove up to Smithers, in Northwest BC to spend a few days with family. Smithers is an incredibly beautiful little northern town with a great skiing, (Hudson Bay Mountain looms over the town) and a thriving arts and culture community. While we were there, I had a chance to connect with Pastor Dave Murphy, who pastors Mountain View Assembly. (I served as the Pastor of Mountain View for 11 years, from 1989 to 2000) It was good to say a few words of encouragement to the church on Sunday morning, worshipping the Lord with faithful people who have supported Hockey Ministries for over a decade now.
HMIBC
As June rolls around, I am able to have a few ‘J & J’ sessions with junior hockey players. As you may already know, ‘J & J’ is my moniker that stands for Java and Jesus. My habit for all my coffee sessions is to finish off the Java part with a prayer… which is the Jesus part. Keep in mind that a the majority of this hockey culture never, (yes I said never) prays. So to have a prayer after our coffee time is quite a unique experience for them. I firmly believe that the Lord will take those prayers and at the proper time, bring them back to mind for His glory. I have included a picture of a ‘J & J’ time I had with BCHL All Star defenceman Tyler Anderson. Tyler won a Canadian Championship with West Kelowna in 2016, and was traded to Prince George this past season. He is a wonderful Christian guy from Niverville, MB. Also, just recently I had an opportunity to connect with Kelowna Rockets chaplain, Tim Schroeder. Tim and I have been friends for many years, and I value the times that we share ministry experiences and finish off with prayer… (another J & J !!)
HMIBC
Also this June I had a certain sense of pride as the West Kelowna Warriors chaplain, to see one of our Warriors, Justin Schultz win the Stanley Cup for the 2nd consecutive year. Keep in mind that the vast majority of hockey players never get a chance to play in the NHL at all, let alone play in the Stanley Cup Final even once, let alone become Stanley Cup Champions….. back to back! That’s just crazy! I will be having lunch with Justin this summer, so we’ll have an opportunity to chat and have that second ‘J’ together.
HMIBC
Please be in prayer as I have consented to coordinate all the Warriors home game anthems this season, that it will go very smoothly. I believe that the Lord is in this, so I will serve to the best of my ability. Finally, I am praying that there will be a few more chapel programs beginning this next season, would you join me in that prayer?
HMIBC
Phew! I think that is about it…! Thanks so very much for reading, supporting and praying,
Prayer Points
- summer hockey weddings
- HMI summer hockey camps
- Warriors anthem responsibilities
- summer ‘J & J’ times
- new chapels for next season
- continued support of HMI BC
HMIBC
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region