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A space for exploring and reflecting on the intersection of sports and Christianity / Edited by @p_emory

Waco, TX
Joined July 2017
Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)Photo by The Faith & Sports Blog (@FaithSportBlog)
The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
"Now I can understand better the athlete experience and the coach experience to better serve them and bring the Gospel to those spaces, and to see people begin to flourish because of it." — Amanda Wiggins, @FaithSportsInst student vist.ly/5px9t
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
After almost 10 years, today is my last day with @Sports_Spectrum. It's time to say goodbye. And honestly, I don’t know how to put this into words. What started as a job became a calling. A ministry. A family. A huge part of who I am. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the people God placed in my life along the way. To @SteveStenstrom, Howard Haworth, @JonDAckerman, Aaron Sauer, @abhasselbeck, @MattForte22, @ScottLinebrink, Raymond St Martin, Krystin McConnell, and so many other teammates over the years — people like Rachel, Tricia, Bekah, Jacob, Leah, Josh, Benjamin, Joe, Greg — you all made me better at my job and more importantly, you challenged me to go deeper with Jesus. THANK YOU. To every athlete, coach, broadcaster, author, pastor and speaker who trusted me with your story: THANK YOU. I’ll never take that trust for granted. And to everyone who watched, listened, read, posted, shared, prayed, encouraged, emailed, DM’d and believed in what we were doing—THANK YOU. You made this work matter. For nearly 10 years, God gave me the incredible privilege of using two things I love—sports and media—to point people toward the thing I love most: Jesus. That’s something I’ll never stop being grateful for. Leaving hurts. A lot. Especially when it is something that has meant so much to me. The friendships. The late nights. The long days. The hard days. The conversations. The big moments. The nine Super Bowls. The gatherings across the country. The countless stories. I’ll carry all of it with me. But even through the sadness, I have peace. I believe God is calling me into a new season, a new assignment and I’m excited for what’s ahead. Sports Spectrum and PAO will always be an important part of my story. THANK YOU for 10 incredible years. I’m leaving with a full heart, deep gratitude, and more love for these people and this place than I could ever put into words. To God be the glory. Jason
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Our latest podcast is an important conversation on FEAR and ANXIETY with former MLB pitchers Scott Linebrink and Josh Lindblom. Watch this entire pod on our YouTube channel. youtu.be/PJtYlfDT_Vc?si=Nboj…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Two years ago, my first book was officially published. It is first and foremost an academic history book, an attempt to make sense of the ways American Christians have engaged with sports and also how sports has helped to shape transformations in American Christianity over the past century. But it is also my attempt to tell a story about the rise of what I call the "Christian athlete movement." I wanted to highlight the forgotten coaches, athletes, pastors, and ministry leaders who pioneered and developed sports ministry, who forged a Christian subculture that is embedded within the sports industry and that continues to thrive today. The feedback and reaction I've received has been better than I could have hoped. The book has received a couple of scholarly awards and positive reviews in leading academic journals. And it has also crossed over into non-academic spaces, with reviews and coverage from an ideologically diverse range of publications, from First Things to the Christian Century. Perhaps the best surprise for me has been the reaction from people inside the Christian athlete movement. I consistently hear from sports ministers who say the book has helped them make sense of the bigger story that they are part of, that it has given them a greater appreciation for the work they get to do. And some have also shared that it names and identifies tensions that they continue to wrestle with today. To everyone who has read, shared, and interacted with the book—thank you! It is an accomplishment to write a book; but it is entirely a gift and a blessing to have people read it.
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
One of the very best things about @CollegeGameDay's visit to Iowa is the opportunity to highlight the very best tradition in sports. Well done, y'all. LOVE. THE. WAVE. I'm forever thankful for the opportunity, way back when, to spend a Saturday evening with a @UIchildrens patient on the receiving end of the Iowa Wave. #KinnickWave #IowaWave usatoday.com/story/sports/nc… usatoday.com/story/sports/nc…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Thrilled to be a contributor on this innovative grant from the @templeton_fdn! In partnership with @BaylorAthletics, we'll be exploring character formation and college athletics in the age of NIL. This is truly groundbreaking research that will help us better understand the formative role that sports plays in the lives of student-athletes.
As NIL revolutionizes college athletics, how can schools ensure character formation remains part of the experience? A major grant will support Baylor researchers studying how NIL affects the experiences, growth & wellbeing of collegiate student-athletes: news.web.baylor.edu/news/sto…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Come study sports with me and the @FaithSportsInst team at Baylor's Truett Seminary! If you'd like to know more about our online and residential graduate degree programs, we're hosting an online information session on October 21. Sign up here: forms.cloud.microsoft/r/j5N0…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Without question one of the most humbling and extraordinary things I've had the opportunity to witness and be a part of in my Christian life. We will continue to till the soil and plant the seeds. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 christianpost.com/news/96-st…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Good reflections from @JonnyReid_CIS on the "shape" of sports. He draws on @DrChrisWatkin's Biblical Critical Theory to interpret the culture of sports: n-shape ("earn your place") vs. u-shape ("receive life as a gift") Give it a read: morethansport.substack.com/p…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
👏Join us in Dallas, TX, for the fifth annual Christians Working in Sports Conference, June 25th-26th, 2027! Registration is open 🔗 cws.uncommonsg.org | We’ll see you there!
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
I was interviewed for this @commongood_mag piece on sports gambling, and I think it provides some helpful nuance for Christians to consider. I am opposed to the sports gambling industry. I think it does real harm in our society. But I don't think betting on sports is a sin in *all* circumstances (if I did, then my March Madness brackets and fantasy football teams would make me a hypocrite). So how should we talk about sports gambling, especially with young people who are growing up in a world in which it is easily accessible and deeply intertwined with all the major sports leagues? I think we need to aim for wisdom and discernment. We need to help people recognize how the gambling industry works, and the manipulative tactics it uses to encourage addictive behaviors and to ensure that the house always wins. But even more than that, I think we need to provide a constructive vision of what sports are for. The experience of sports (as fans and participants) can be a source of formation, community, belonging, and joy. But if the primary way that the new generation relates to sports is through the transactional lens of gambling, then we are going to miss out on the real goods that sports can offer. Check out the article here: commongoodmag.com/is-sports-…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Our online continuing education courses are back for the fall! Check out three great opportunities to learn and grow with fellow Christian leaders in sports and sports ministry. Learn more and register: truettseminary.baylor.edu/pr…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Did you know Baylor has a nationally recognized expert on faith and sports at Truett Seminary? Meet Dr. Paul Putz. His work reflects an important part of Truett’s mission: preparing ministers to engage where people find meaning — including sports. bit.ly/4wtAeGL
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Thrilled to share that I've signed a contract with @eerdmansbooks for book number three! Coming your way in 2028. Working title: The Meaning of Sports: A Christian Vision for the Purpose and Significance of Athletics. This is something new for me. Instead of exploring the past, this is a book that is designed to speak to the present and help shape the future.
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Congrats Dari Orme and Nicole Kedeas, our @TruettSeminary summer graduates! Dari is a Baylor softball alum now working as a college softball coach. Nicole is a campus minister with the Baptist Student Ministry. We’re proud of you! 🎓
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
Did not expect this write-up about my work. I'm honored! I really believe I have one of the best jobs in the world. Grateful to my @Baylor and @TruettSeminary colleagues and students who make it possible for me to study and teach about sports and faith. www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
🏈🏀⚾️✝️⚽️🎾🏐 Why do sports matter so much? Why do fans invest so deeply in their teams? And why do faith & sports so often intersect? Those are the questions @TruettSeminary's Dr. Paul Putz loves to explore: www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/…
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The Faith & Sports Blog retweeted
This week the @baylorcsl and @FaithSportsInst are hosting a free online conversation on faith, integration, and transformation in sports. Join us to connect with fellow Christian sports leaders and to learn from @eckertjon and @KevWash630, two innovative and thoughtful catalysts. (Side note: Jon and Kevin also happen to be two of my favorite Baylor colleagues). Register here: forms.office.com/r/Z0M4runRb…
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